My research focuses on ecological weed management and cropping system diversification. My aim is to improve our understanding of interactions within agroecosystems and to develop cropping systems based on the systematic and integrated use of ecological mechanisms rather than direct interventions such as herbicides and fertilisers.
Presentation
Simplified crop rotations and the overreliance on herbicides for weed control have resulted in a multitude of complex issues in modern agroecosystems. These include the rapid expansion of herbicide-resistant weed populations, pesticide contamination of the environment and the food chain, health hazards for pesticide users and consumers, and an immense loss in biodiversity. Today's weed communities are dominated by a few highly adaptable species, which are challenging to control through strategies solely based on direct control measures.
My research aims to investigate the impact of diversifying cropping systems on the provision of ecosystem services. Specifically, my focus is on how diversification affects the composition of arable plant communities, and subsequently, functional trait diversity in agroecosystems. In my research, I employ participatory techniques wherein farmers, advisors and researchers collaborate to design and evaluate cropping systems in short- and long-term field experiments. In addition to my core research activities, I have a keen interest in the environmental, social and economic impacts of agroecosystem management.
EcoServ: Long-term evaluation of agroecosystem functioning along a cropping system diversification gradient (long-term trial financed by the NJ faculty). (2021 - )
Background
since 2023 Senior Lecturer (Docent) in Plant Ecology, SLU Department of Crop Production Ecology
2019 - 2023 Associate Senior Lecturer in Plant Ecology, SLU Department of Crop Production Ecology
2015 - 2019 Postdoctor at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Crop Production Ecology
2012 - 2015 Postdoctor at University of Hohenheim, Institute for Phytomedicine
2012 Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences, University of Hohenheim, Germany
2008 Master in Agricultural Sciences, University of Hohenheim, Germany, Major: Crop Science
