Professor Jo Smith

Biography

Educational Background and Qualifications

Employment History

External Memberships

• Associate Editor - Journal Environmental Quality

Research Overview

• Systems modelling
• Soil organic matter and nutrient modelling
• Decision support
• Nitrogen fertilizer recommendation
• Carbon sequestration
• Greenhouse gas emissions

Current Research

Systems modelling: Impact of use of organic wastes on resource flows in farming households (carbon, nitrogen, water, energy, labour, finances)

Modelling soil organic matter and nutrient dynamics in:

• Highly organic soils (Scotland, Africa and South Asia)
• Tropical and nutrient depleted soils (Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia)
• High nutrient input soils (China and India)

Past Research

Projects completed in

• estimation of carbon payback time associated with wind farm developments
• anaerobic digestion
• use of organic resources to improve soils
• poverty alleviation in households in Sub-Saharan Africa

Knowledge Exchange

• The Scottish Government Wind farm Carbon Calculator (now used in planning for wind farm developments)
• Installation of demonstration biogas digesters in villages in Uganda and Ethiopia. 
• Determination of options for use of organic resources for poverty alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa (technical document and policy brief)
• Engagement with villagers in South Asia on reducing waste of nitrogen in farming systems.

Collaborations

UK      

• Centre for Ecology and Hydrology - Mark Sutton (nitrogen use efficiency), Ute Skibe (measurement of greenhouse gas emissions), Julia Drewer (greenhouse gas emissions).
• James Hutton Insitute - Lisa Avery (Bioslurry and pathogens); Jagadeesh Yeluripati (Zero Budget Natural Farming)
• Rothamsted Research - Tom Misselbrook (N use in livestock systems).
• University of Edinburgh - Jon Hillier (Cool Farm Tool); Alfie Gathorne-Hardy (Biodiversity and nitrogen use).
• Scottish Rural College - Bob Rees (Field trials on nitrogen use efficiency).
• Moredun Institute - Phillip Skuce (Health impacts of organic resource use)

AFGHANISTAN Kabul University - Safi Zikrullah (Nitrogen use in villages in Afghanistan)

BANGLADESH

• Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University - Md. Mizanur Rahman (N use in villages in Bangladesh)
• University of Rajshahi - Md Toufiq Iqbal (N use in villages in Bangladesh)
• Bangladesh Rice Research Institute - Umme Aminun Naher (N use in villages in Bangladesh)

CAMEROON

• Catholic University Cameroon - Kenneth Yongabi (Anaerobic digestion for poverty alleviation)

CHINA

• Nanjing Agricultural University - Genxing Pan (Use of crops residues to produce biochar)

ETHIOPIA

• Addis Ababa University - Assefa Abegaz (Household energy and recycling of nutrients)
• Hawassa University - Tewodros Tefera (Social impacts of organic resource use)
• Southern Agricultural Research Institute – Getahun Yakob (Measurement of changes in soil properties with management of organic resources)
• International Water Management Institute – Wolde Bori (Changes in ecosystem services in exclosure areas)

INDIA

• Indian Agricultural Research Institute - Sanjoy Bandyopadhyay (Nitrogen use in villages in Haryana); Rabindra Nath Pradaria (Socio-economic survey of villages); Arti Bhatia (Measurement of nitrogen flows).
• National Rice Research Institute - Himanshu Pathak (Nitrogen use in villages in Odisha)
• KIIT University – Rabi Subudhi (Nitrogen use in villages in Odisha)
• The Energy and Resources Institute – Arindam Datta (Use of crops residues to produce biochar)

PAKISTAN

• University of Faisalabad - Abdul Wakeel (Nitrogen use in villages in Pakistan)

MALDIVES

• National University of Maldives - Shazla Mohamed (Nitrogen use on agricultural islands in the Maldives)

NEPAL

• Tribhuvan University - Khem Raj Dahal (Nitrogen use in villages in Nepal)

NIGERIA

• International Food Policy Research Institute (Social impacts of different uses of organic wastes)

SRI LANKA

• University of Peradeniya - Sarath Nissanka (Nitrogen use in villages in Sri Lanka)

UGANDA

• Makerere University - Johnny Mugisha (Social impacts of anaerobic digestion)
• Centre for Research in Energy & Conservation - Vianney Tumwesige (Impacts of biogas)

Teaching Responsibilities

• Coordinator of BI4017 / BI4517 (Honours Essay)
• Lecturer on BI25P4 - People plants and environment
• Lecturer on BI1511 - Ecology and Environmental Science
• Contributes to BI4016 (Honours projects)
• Contributes to Masters Project Course
• Marker on EV4802 (Environmental Risk Assessment
• Marker on BI1009 (Written summaries)