Rosy and Chryssa are investigating the impact of silvoarable agroforesty on soil health compared to arable and orchard monocultures. Preliminary results show that silvoarable farming does improve soil health, including earthworm abundance, which is important for climate resilience. This work is funded by the FoodBioSystems DTP Programme.

From 2027, Millie will be looking at the potential for silvoarable systems to provide wildlife corridors by sampling moths and bats in silvoarable systems and arable controls. This work is funded by an Agri-food Rising Star Fellowship at the University of Reading.

Millie conducted a fellowship in 2023 with the Future of UK Treescapes programme. With 156 agroforestry stakeholders across the UK, she co-designed a research agenda for UK agroforestry.  She also interviewed farmers to identify educational barriers and opportunities for agroforestry uptake. This was funded by DEFRA.