Projects per year
Personal profile
Research Interests
Sustainable management of soil fertility, particularly concerning the use of green manure crops and the utilisation of waste materials in the form of soil amendments such as compost, anaerobic digestate and biochar for field applications and in growing media. I am also interested in intercropping, the use of heritage vegetable varieties (particularly legumes) alternatives to the use of plastics in agriculture and citizen science as a method for improving agricultural practice.
Education/Academic qualification
Biotechnology, Doctorate, Somatic embryogenesis for plant propagation, De Montfort University
Applied Biology (BSc), Degree, University College of North Wales
External positions
Honorary Associate, Garden Organic
Keywords
- SB Plant culture
- Organic agriculture
- Soil fertility
- Crop varieties
- Utilisation of wastes
- Citizen science
Fingerprint
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- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Agroecology Partnership
Schmutz, U. (Principal Investigator), Conroy, J. (Co-Investigator), Evans, A. (Researcher), Wright, J. (Researcher), Rayns, F. (Researcher) & Binego, L. (Researcher)
1/10/25 → 31/12/33
Project: Research
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TERRA Project: Advancing Health-Based Solutions for Agroecological Wheat Production
Faedo, L. (Principal Investigator), Wright, J. (Co-Investigator), Rayns, F. (Co-Investigator), Schmutz, U. (Co-Investigator), Conroy, J. (Co-Investigator), Collins, R. (Technician), Southall, C. G. M. (Academic) & Dos Santos, J. M. D. S. (Academic)
25/04/25 → 26/07/26
Project: Research
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UNDERTREES: Creating knowledge for Understanding ecosystem services of agroforestry systems through a holistic methodological framework
Binego, L. (Principal Investigator), Rayns, F. (Principal Investigator), Burbi, S. (Researcher), Dehnen-Schmutz, K. (Researcher), Schmutz, U. (Researcher) & Van De Wiel, M. (Researcher)
1/01/22 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
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REPAS: Co-creating citizen science for reducing plastic contamination of soil in community growing spaces
Rayns, F. (Principal Investigator), Bogush, A. (CoPI), Abell, J. (CoPI), Fried, J. (CoPI), Conroy, J. (Co-Investigator), Hill-Butler, C. (Co-Investigator) & Rosenfeld, A. (Co-Investigator)
1/11/23 → 30/04/24
Project: Research
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Design and Evaluation of Peat-Free Blocking Media
Lennartsson Turner, M. (Principal Investigator), Rayns, F. (Principal Investigator), Schmutz, U. (Principal Investigator), Conroy, J. (Research Assistant), Faedo, L. (Research Assistant), Foster, G. (Research Assistant) & Collins, R. (Developer)
1/04/23 → 31/03/25
Project: Research
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Can biostimulants and tillage rotations improve dryland crop productivity and soil microbes?
Tshuma, F., Bennett, J., Swanepoel, P. A., Labuschagne, J., van der Westhuizen, S. & Rayns, F., 1 Jan 2025, In: Agronomy Journal. 117, 1, 14 p., e21738.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile43 Downloads (Pure) -
Healing people, soils and science through ‘urban soil remediation’ research? A conversation in transdisciplinary agroecology research
Tornaghi, C., Dehaene, M., Cadieux, K. V., López-García , D., Nicklay, J., Byles, H., Fried, J., Winter, K. & Rayns, F., 2025, In: Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. Ahead-of-Print, p. Ahead-of-Print 35 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
Innovate UK funds work on peat phase-out
Conroy, J. & Rayns, F., 15 Apr 2025, The Organic Grower, 70, p. 32-33 2 p.Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article
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Leveraging Resource Management and Duality Theories to Strengthen Circular Economy Practices in the Waste-to-Energy Industry
Tiara, A., Tjahjono, B., Beltran, M., Rayns, F. & Longhurst, P., 25 Feb 2025, In: Business Strategy and the Environment. 34, 4, p. 4642-4660 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Citations (Scopus)27 Downloads (Pure) -
Systematic Review of Integrating Technology for Sustainable Agricultural Transitions: Ecuador, a Country with Agroecological Potential.
Viera-Arroyo, W., Binego, L., Rayns, F., Lopez, D., Moya, M., Vera, L. & Caicedo, C., 2 Jul 2025, In: Sustainability. 17, 13, 25 p., 6053.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)16 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
- 2 Invited talk
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Biodegradable plastic film mulches and other alternatives
Rayns, F. (Speaker), Conroy, J. (Speaker) & Samphire, M. (Speaker)
25 Mar 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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Peat-free growing media
Conroy, J. (Speaker), Rayns, F. (Speaker), Lennartsson Turner, M. (Speaker) & Tolhurst, I. (Speaker)
23 Feb 2022Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk