Dr Alistair Murdoch

Biography

Ecology and biology and mathematical modelling of weed and crop seed germination and dormancy. My paper in 1989 with Roberts & Goedert is a key advance in empirical modelling of germination responses to environmental factors. Significant advances have continued with research on parasitic weeds (Striga and Orobanche spp.) with highly significant contributions in both their germination biology and weed management - Striga devastates millions of hectares of staple food crops in sub-Saharan Africa. Papers with Ermias Kebreab and in 2007 with Israel Dzomeku have developed these ideas. Some of these studies utilised our world famous temperature gradient plate, which I developed with Prof Eric Roberts. The design is licensed to Grant Instruments in Cambridge. IPM of maize-forage dairying in Central Kenya: I co-ordinated a large multi-disciplinary team of crop, animal and social scientists plus NGO personnel in both the UK and Kenya for this DFID-funded Research Project. We showed how crop protection interventions on maize grown as a dual purpose crop for food and animal forage can help to alleviate dry season forage shortages for resource-poor, small-scale farmers in Central Kenya. More rational methods of weed control minimising use of herbicides. Main current emphasis is exploitation of crop genotype and crop seed vigour to suppress weeds. Plant and site specific weed control (precision farming). In collaboration with colleagues in the USA, we are developing an exciting and highly innovative robotic systems. Smart weeding systems use autonomous machines (robots) for plant specific agriculture and weed mapping using cameras mounted on third party machinery for site specific weed control.

Research Interest

Plant and site specific weed control