Matthew Back

Dr. Matthew Back is a Professor of Nematology at Harper Adams University, affiliated with the Crop and Environment Research Centre (CERC) and the Department of Agriculture and Environment. His research focuses on plant-parasitic nematodes, biofumigation strategies, and sustainable crop protection methods. He holds roles as an Editor for the Annals of Applied Biology and active memberships in the European Society of Nematologists and British Society of Plant Pathology.

Dr. Back’s academic qualifications include BSc, MSc, PhD, and Fellowship of the Association of Applied Biologists. His teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including Crop Protection Technology, Advanced Agronomy, and Plant Pathology modules. He supervises PhD students (listed above) and contributes to professional development courses like BASIS and Plant Protection Award programs.

His research interests emphasize disease complexes involving nematodes and soil pathogens, with a focus on Globodera, Pratylenchus, and Rhizoctonia solani. He pioneers non-chemical pest management strategies, including biofumigation using brassica-derived isothiocyanates and trap crops. His work bridges laboratory studies (e.g., in vitro nematicidal efficacy) with field applications (e.g., no-till systems and crop rotation).

Dr. Back collaborates with interdisciplinary groups such as the Centre for Evidence-Based Agriculture (CEBA) and the Agroecology for Sustainable Food Systems initiative. His recent publications span nematode population dynamics, PCR diagnostic tools, and AI-driven nematode quantification. He is based at CERC Office 2, reachable via ORCID and @DrMattBack on X.