معرفی
Francis Rayns is an Associate Professor (Research) at the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University. His research focuses on sustainable soil management, particularly the use of green manures, waste materials (compost, digestate, biochar), and alternatives to plastics in agriculture. He actively promotes citizen science to improve agricultural practices and has collaborated on projects addressing agroforestry, urban soil remediation, and plastic reduction in farming.
Education: PhD in Biotechnology (Somatic embryogenesis) from De Montfort University and BSc in Applied Biology from University College North Wales.
Notable projects include UNDERTREES (agroforestry ecosystem services), REPAS (citizen science for plastic reduction), and SOIL NEXUS (urban soil care). He leads research on peat-free growing media, crop rotation impacts, and biodegradable alternatives to plastics.
Publications span topics like soil microbial health, biostimulant efficacy, and historical trends in crop mineral content. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to solve agricultural challenges, blending environmental science with practical farming solutions.
