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Soil researcher provides expertise on international agricultural panel
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A research student from the University of Wolverhampton is making a major contribution to formulating soil policy across the globe – and he’s recently been invited to join an international panel to share his expertise on the subject matter.
Professor Ranjan Bhattacharyya joined the University on secondment from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi to study for a PhD which focused on soil conservation using palm mat geotextiles in the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
He has been invited to join the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) which was established at the first Plenary Assembly of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) to provide scientific and technical advice and guidance on global soil issues to the GSP primarily, and to specific requests submitted by global or regional institutions.
Professor Bhattacharyya, who graduated from the University in 2009, will be offering expertise in soil conservation, carbon sequestration, conservation agriculture and nutrient management to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Asian Regional Group.
Ranjan said: “I am very grateful to Professor Fullen at the University for all his kindness to ably guide me to develop my scientific skills and knowledge. It was indeed a pleasure to study at the University of Wolverhampton where everyone was so helpful.
“It’s a great honour to have been invited to sit on this international panel and to share my expertise in this vital area. Soil conservation is key to environmental sustainability. It helps protect natural resources and watersheds, restores habitats for plants and wildlife, improves water quality, and makes soil healthier. Soil conservation also creates economic opportunity. Soil conservation is part of the overall challenge of sustainable agriculture, along with manure management, and wise use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.”
Professor Mike Fullen, a leading international expert on soil technology from the University’s School of Architecture and Built Environment, said: “Ranjan was my PhD student and he has had a meteoric rise based on his astonishing research activity, now playing an increasingly international role in formulating soil policy.
“The Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soil is an important Committee on the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and it is testament to Rajan’s expertise that he has been asked to sit on the panel.”
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