PhD defence, Wednesday 7 October 2020. Ingeborg Frøsig Pedersen.

2020.10.07 | Sunitha Satkunam

During her PhD studies, Ingeborg Frøsig Pedersen researched the mechanisms affecting plant availability of phosphorus in cattle slurry. Phosphorus is an essential plant nutrient, and generous input of mineral fertilizer phosphorus derived from rock phosphate is a widespread practice to ensure sufficient phosphorus supply to young maize plant. However, rock phosphate is a limited resource, and by improving the utilization of phosphorus in cattle slurry, which is the largest secondary resource of phosphorus in Europe, the use of mineral phosphorus could be obviated. By means of experiments under climate-controlled conditions and in the field, Ingeborg Frøsig Pedersen studied how the slurry placement method, modification of pH in the slurry and in the rhizosphere affected root and shoot growth of maize.

The new research findings contribute to the understanding of how the utilization of phosphorus in cattle slurry can be improved forming the basis for a new fertilizer strategy for maize with reduced phosphorus surpluses without compromising final yields.

The PhD study was completed at Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Wednesday 7 October 2020 at 9:00
Place: Meeting room 2, Blichers allé 20, 8830 Tjele
The PhD defence will also be held online. To receive a link to the event, please send an e-mail to Karina Rysholt Christensen; kch@agro.au.dk
Title of PhD thesis: Closing the phosphorus cycling in silage maize production: Towards enhanced utilization of the phosphorus resource in cattle slurry
Contact information: Ingeborg Frøsig Pedersen, e-mail: ifp@agro.au.dk, tel.: +45 27141009
Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Torsten Müller, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Germany
Professor David R. Chadwick, School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor University, United Kingdom
Senior Researcher Chris Kjeldsen (chairman), Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Main supervisor:
Associate professor Gitte Holton Rubæk, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Co-supervisor:
Senior Researcher Peter Sørensen, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.

Due to the coronavirus situation, the PhD thesis will not be available for reading at the offices of the PhD administration. Instead, interested parties may send an e-mail to gradschool.tech@au.dk to receive a digital copy of the PhD thesis. Please note, it may in certain cases be necessary to make an individual arrangement to read the PhD thesis.