Current Project

Title

Elucidation of Chemical Interactions between Cover Crops Grown in Mixture and it's relevance to Weed Suppression

Description

In this project, I am conducting field, pot and lab experiments to evaluate effects of planting dates, plant traits, seeding ratio and density of mono and binary mixed cover crop species on their productivity and weed suppression ability. Additionally i work with advanced analytical techniques including UHPLC-HRMS and GC-TOF to identify possible alteration in the metabolite composition of the cover crop/weed as a result of co-cultivation of cover crop species together and with weeds. The aim of this project is to optimize weed suppression effects of cover crops through understanding cover crop species interactions within a mixture. Results from this study will be used to develop integrated weed management strategies for the Northern European condition.

Research interests

Rhizosphere chemistry, Root exudates, Metabolomics, Flavonoids, Plant-plant interactions, Integrated weed management