Fellows of the AAB

Charlotte White is a crop physiologist at ADAS, with an interest in plant root systems and the rhizosphere, crop water use, legumes, cover cropping and the impact of these on soils and yields. Prior to joining ADAS Charlotte completed a PhD at the university of Nottingham on the water use efficiency of tomatoes. Whilst at ADAS Charlotte has worked on a variety of projects with a focus on crop root performance, water use and improving yield through an understanding of crop physiology, breeding and agronomy. Charlotte has also achieved the Basis Soil and Water Management certificate.

Currently, Charlotte is Technical Co-Lead of the pea and bean Yield Enhancement Networks (YENs), which aim to understand and benchmark pulse crop performance on farm.  She manages the ADAS Seedling Root Screen facility, a controlled environment seedling screen, is involved in the AHDB Strategic Farm North project and is project manager of the Horizon Europe project, Root2Res: Root phenotyping and genetic improvement for rotational crops resilient to environmental change”. Charlotte is a technical member of the British Society of Soil Science and a member of the Association of Applied Biologists and convenor of the AAB Soil and Root Biology specialist group.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

Miguel A. Aranda graduated from the Polytechnics University of Madrid in 1989 and earned his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology in 1995. Following this, he served as a postdoctoral researcher at the John Innes Center (JIC) in Norwich, UK, from 1995 to 1998, during which he attended his first AAB Plant Virology meeting. In 1999, he joined the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) as a tenured scientist and relocated to Murcia, Spain, in 2002, where he currently leads the CEBAS-CSIC Plant Virology research group.

Throughout his career, Miguel has undertaken sabbatical stays at JIC (3 months in 2008), UC Berkeley (12 months in 2011-2012), and UC Davis (6 months in 2017). Presently, he holds the position of Research Professor at CEBAS-CSIC and is a founder and shareholder of the technology-based company Abiopep S.L. (www.abiopep.com). Additionally, he serves as the Senior Editor for the Plant-Pathogen Interaction section of Annals of Applied Biology and the plant viruses section of Viruses.

With over 30 years of experience, Miguel has dedicated his efforts to comprehending the biology of plant viruses and their interactions with hosts. His applied research focuses on developing sustainable strategies for controlling plant diseases caused by viruses. He places particular emphasis on identifying, characterizing, and introgressing genetic resistance to plant viruses in crops. Noteworthy contributions of Miguel’s work in this field include the characterization of resistance genes and mechanisms in horticultural species of paramount importance.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

Christine Watson is Professor of Agricultural Systems at SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College, http://www.sruc.ac.uk/). She also holds a Guest Professorship at SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences). Christine’s research focuses on the management of micro and macro nutrients in organic and conventional agri-food systems at a range of scales from local to continental. She has a particular interest in crop diversification and the agronomic and environmental benefits this can bring in stocked and stockless farming systems.  Christine was President of the European Society for Agronomy (2014/2016), and President of the Association of Applied Biologists (2017/18). She is on the editorial board of the European Journal of Agronomy. Christine currently chairs the UK Expert Group on Organic Production.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

David Atkinson. Graduated University of Hull 1966 in Botany and Zoology, PhD University of Newcastle 1969. East Malling Research Station 1969-1985 research on the impact of orchard design on the form and functioning of fruit tree root systems, their  water use and their arbuscular mycorrhizas. Development of weed control strategies for orchards. Development of strawberry production systems. Macaulay Institute for Soil Research/ Macaulay Land Use Research Institute 1985-1988 Head of Department of Soil Fertility/ Plants Division. Research on genetic variation in cereal root systems and on Agro-forestry systems.  University of Aberdeen/ Scottish Agricultural College 1988-1993 Professor of Agriculture, Land Resources. Research on Organic Farming Systems and on tree root systems and their mycorrhizas. Scottish Agricultural College 1993-2004 Vice Principal and Academic Director responsible for the SAC research and education programmes. Involved in  Scottish Sustainable Farming  Systems Project and in GMO/Gene Editing debates. 2005-present Anglican Clergy in the Scottish Episcopal Church’s Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney. Chair SEC Church in Society Committee 2014-2019. Falkland Rural Enterprises Ltd. ( an Organic Farming Company) Director/ Chair 2006-2016. Scottish Government Food and Drink Forum member and chair of Group on Food Access, Affordability and Security 2008-2010 Chair Society for Chemical Industry Horticulture Group 2020-2023. Author of around 200 Scientific papers and recently Author/Editor of The Science Beneath Organic Production Wiley 2020, Editing Humanity Handsel Press 2020  Proceedings of IX International Symposium on The Mineral Nutrition of Fruit Trees 2022 Acta Horticulturae 133.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

Keith graduated from Newcastle University and since then has followed a career in farm management, crop production and agricultural technology for nearly 40 years.

For thirty years, Keith was Valcourt’s Technical Director, supporting the Velcourt team of 45 farm managers in crop production technology and managing Velcourt’s in-house research and development activity.  He has also worked on various overseas farming activities in Spain, France, Germany, Zambia, Russia, the Ukraine and Australia

Since October 2018, Keith formed his own freelance, independent consultancy company, specialising in Agritech and Crop Production.

Keith’s portfolio of clients is diverse and includes two Start-ups, a Distributor, a Venture Capital Company, a Remote Sensing /Data analytics Company, a large farming estate in Lincolnshire and he also leads 4 Farmer Training Groups in strategic agronomy.

Until recently Keith was a member of the Governing Council of the John Innes Centre, a Director of LEAF and was on the AHDB RL Wheat committee. He still holds a position as a trustee of the John Innes Foundation.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

Erika Wedgwood has been a research scientist with ADAS near Cambridge since 2005. Her focus is on applied research, working with horticultural growers to obtain a better understanding of their crop disease issues and to investigate biological and cultural control measures alongside evaluating fungicide efficacy. Soil-borne pathogen monitoring and management has been a key feature of her research, particularly in soft and cane fruit, ornamentals and vegetables.

Before moving to ADAS, Erika was a Scientific Officer at NIAB Cambridge for 14 years, conducting variety disease and pest resistance National List trials of oilseeds, potatoes, pulses, grasses and vegetables. Prior to this, she was awarded a MAFF PhD studentship at the University of Cambridge to carry out research on dipteran stem-borer migration in cereals and grasses. This followed on from an MSc in The Technology of Crop Protection at the University of Reading.

Erika started out her studies at the University of Bristol, wishing to do a BSc that included both Botany and Zoology. Her interest across the whole field of biology persists and she continues to use her knowledge within the field of integrated crop management and ecology.

She has been a Cub Scout leader for 30 years, allowing her to share her interest in the natural world and creative activities. Erika and her husband grow willow and enjoy providing willow weaving opportunities at village fairs.  As a long-standing member of the Cambridgeshire Local Access Forum, Erika participates in statutory consultations related to access to the countryside and green space.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

Bill Davies is Emeritus Professor of Plant Biology at Lancaster University, UK. He has published more than 300 papers in the international literature. He continues to research interventions that are aimed at enhancing global food security, while particularly focussing on understanding how crop plants might sustain yield under increasingly challenging environmental conditions. In 2012, the Davies lab has won a ‘Queen’s Award for Innovation’ for work on sustainable resource use in agriculture. Recent work has highlighted the accumulation of microplastic in agricultural sols across the globe. Bill comes from a farming family and has an interest in helping farmers profit from novel science. Until recently he directed a professional postgraduate programme for those who work in the global food supply chain. Davies was Editor in Chief of the Journal of Experimental Botany for 12 years and was an Associate Editor of ‘Food and Energy Security’ for 12 years. Currently he is Associate Editor in Chief for ‘Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering’. In 2011, Bill was awarded a CBE for services to science, he was elected as a Corresponding Member of the American Society of Plant Biologists in 2009 and made a lifetime member of the Society for Experimental Biology in 2012. Bill joined AAB in the 1970s and served as President between 2014-2016.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

Jon West is a principal research scientist at Rothamsted Research, working on applied crop protection projects. Jon obtained a BSc in Biology from Royal Holloway, London in 1990 and a PhD in Plant Pathology at Reading in 1994.  Jon’s work has focused on the biology and control of fungal diseases, measurement of plant disease resistance, early detection of diseases and dispersal of spores and pollen.  Jon acts on committees including the Association of Applied Biologists applied plant pathology group and the British Crop Production Council diseases working group, is currently an associate editor for Annals of Applied Biology and is a member of the British Society for Plant Pathology.  Previously, he was a member of the European Food Safety Authority plant health panel (2015-18) and was an associate editor for the European Journal of Plant Pathology and for Aerobiologia. He is a visiting Professor at the University of Hertfordshire and has been recognized with an honorary Professorship from the Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

Stuart Knight is a Research Agronomist with 33 years of experience in applied crop management research; crop trials; authoring research reviews; collaborating with academic and industry partners; delivering knowledge exchange; and providing technical advice to farmers and agronomists. He is currently Deputy Director of NIAB, and Director of Agronomy. Stuart’s interests include all aspects of combinable crop husbandry and performance, including nutrient management; fungal disease control; managing variation and decision support. Recent projects include high carbon capture cropping, opportunities for diversifying UK agriculture through underutilised crops, and the impact of farming systems and management practices on the economic and environmental performance of farms. Stuart is a former President (2019-20) and Vice-President (2017-18) of the Association of Applied Biologists. From a farming family, Stuart retains a strong practical farming interest.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

Prof Xiangming Xu is the Director of Research, NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany) at East Malling, Kent, UK. Following his undergraduate study in Yang University (former Jiangsu Agricultural College), China, he completed his PhD in plant genetics in 1989 at University of Wales, UK.

Since 1991, Xiangming has been working at East Malling, focusing on quantitative disease epidemiology and management of fruit crops. In addition, he has been continuously collaborating with international researchers on biology, epidemiology and management of diseases on other crops, including wheat and cotton. Recently, Xiangming has been engaged in understanding phytobiome in relation to plant health. In addition to crop specific work, he has been continuously engaging in theoretical modelling of plant diseases and their management.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

James is an Agriculture graduate of Reading University. He has been with ADAS since 1979. He is an expert in all aspects of production, especially sustainable agriculture, integrated farming and impacts of arable farming on the environment. He has a strategic/project director role in major projects on research investment, climate resilience, plant breeding, farming systems, assessment of sustainability, use and impacts of plant protection products, herbicide resistance and weed management. Other project involvement includes work on: farmland biodiversity, developing Weed Manager (a weed management decision support system for winter wheat), weed encyclopaedia and weed ecology.
I develop and co-ordinate business opportunities within ADAS and the RSK Group through maintaining a high profile for ADAS externally and internally, especially in areas of farming and science. This includes providing a leadership and mentoring role for staff within ADAS, and where appropriate wider RSK Group, to enable them to develop their technical, business and managerial skills and industry profiles to improve the performance of their business areas.
Chair (from 2024) of UK Expert Committee on Pesticides (ECP) & member as an agronomy specialist (2021-2023). Chair of Pesticides Forum (and chairman of Indicators group) – Member 1997-2016; Chair 2001-2002 and 2007-2015. Independent Member of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) as an expert in efficacy and farming systems (2003-7) – and member of the Alternative Approaches sub-group. Chair of Weed Resistance Action Group steering committee. Member of RSPB Lowland Farm Advisory Group. Associate of Royal Agricultural Societies (ARAgS).

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

Dr Clare Sampson in an applied entomologist who has spent her career developing cost-effective integrated pest management programmes for key pests. Clare specialises in biological control and has worked for different biocontrol companies, Jesey states, and government of Belize (VSO) to develop management programmes for key protected crop pests, including thrips, leaf miners, whiteflies, diamondback moth and aphids. Programmes developed have reduced pest damage and pesticide use, and increased grower returns.  Most recently she has been working with organic dairy farmer to boost pollinator numbers on farms through BBCT and has joined the Natur am Byth project with RSPB aimed at saving species from extinction and connecting people to nature in NW Wales.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

Tom Robinson has worked in spray application since 1973. Joining Ciba-Geigy (now Syngenta), in 1977, his career has specialised in developing novel application techniques to enhance the performance of crop protection products (cpps), while improving their safety to operators, bystanders and the environment. Working collaboratively with internal and external colleagues, he has been involved in the development of bespoke nozzles for different cpps, crops, and targets, to optimise the effectiveness of the products applied. These nozzles are used worldwide. Other contributions include the development of conventional cpp packaging to reduce the risk of operator and environmental contamination when filling a sprayer, and the development of closed transfer systems. A key aspect of Tom’s approach has been close co-operation with end users, and independent researchers.

Since retiring from Syngenta in 2014 continues as a consultant for many agrochemical and equipment manufacturers, farmers and training groups.

Tom joined the AAB in 1985, first served on the Chemical Applications Group committee in 1990, and was Group Convenor from 2014 – 2022.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

Geoff is a horticulturist, plant pathologist, soil biologist, educationalist, author, substantial practical knowledge of British horticultural crop production especially field vegetables. Particular expert interest in Plasmodiophora brassicae  the cause of Clubroot Disease of brassicas and related crucifers. Career pathway, Wye College (University of London), National Institute of Agricultural Botany, Aberdeen School of Agriculture, Strathclyde University and Scottish Agricultural College, Reading School of Agriculture, Policy and Development. Owner of GreenGene International supplying independent knowledge and consultancy. Director of the Scottish Horticultural Advisory Service.

Freeman of the Cities of London and Glasgow, Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers and Deacon of the Incorporation of Gardeners of Glasgow. President of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture and Vice-President of the Royal Society of Biology. Commission Chairman, UK Council Representative and Internal Auditor with the International Society for Horticultural Science.  Chairman of the Trustees of the Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology.

Promoted the advancement of horticultural and plant science education nationally and internationally. Collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Edinburgh, the Royal Horticultural Society Master of Horticulture and the School of Horticulture Kew. Worked with colleagues in Europe, North Africa, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Research identified the basis for interactions between calcium, boron and pH with P. brassicae and modelled invasion processes, established the European Clubroot Differential Series – A legacy that lasts.

Recently published Vegetable brassicas and related crucifers second edition. Devoted family man and avid gardener.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.

Graham Jellis graduated from the University of Manchester with a BSc in Botany and a PhD in Plant Pathology. His first appointment was as a potato pathologist at the Plant Breeding Institute Cambridge in 1972. His responsibilities broadened over the next few years to other dicot crops, including faba beans, and he was appointed Head of the Dicot Pathology Unit. Following privatisation of the PBI he became Pathology Group Leader. The Group worked on disease resistance in cereals, oilseeds and pulses.  In 1995 he was appointed Head of the Plant Technology Group with overall responsibility for co-ordinating and resourcing activities within the Group. R & D activities included DNA marker systems for wheat, oil palm, tomatoes etc., transformation of cereals and dicot crops, conventional and transgenic strategies for introducing disease resistance, physiology of oil palm and tea, and tissue culture of a wide range of crops for breeding and marketing purposes. In the same year, he was appointed as an Honorary Professor in Applied Plant Pathology at the University of Nottingham.

After 27 years at PBI, Graham moved to the Home-Grown Cereals Authority as Director of Research and Development, responsible for directing and controlling R&D and for producing independent information based on this research. From 2003-7 he was also Lead Technical Director of the Applied Research Forum for Farming and Food, bringing together research directors/managers from across the agricultural/horticultural levy boards (prior to the establishment of the AHDB). Following retirement in 2009 he chaired the Cereals and Oilseeds Recommended Lists Board for five years.

Awarded Fellowship: March 2024.