Contact Dr Robert Simmons
- Tel: +44 (0) 1234 750111 x2761
- Email: r.w.simmons@Cranfield.ac.uk
Areas of expertise
Background
Dr Rob Simmons has over 20 years theoretical understanding and practical experience of soil erosion processes, diffuse pollution control and environmental modelling. This has been achieved through MSc and PhD research (1991-1998), 10 years working in Southeast and South Asia (1998-2008) and in his current role as Lecturer in Soil Erosion and Conservation. Of the 10 years overseas, seven were spent at the International Water Management Institute coordinating major donor funded national and regional projects with a range of partners including government organizations, international bodies such as WHO, UNESCAP and FAO, other CGIAR (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) Centres such as ICRISAT and ILRI, and NGOs, CBOs, private enterprises and agricultural communities.Current activities
Dr Simmon's research experience is broad ranging. This includes the effect of polyacrylamide-based soil conditioners on soil structural sealing at a sub-process level, soil erosion risk assessment, modelling the off-site impacts of heavy metal contaminated sediments on food and human health, modeling heavy metal uptake to rice and other tropical field crops, phytoremediation of cadmium, mitigation of diffuse pollution and the safe agricultural use of wastewater. Studies have also included macro-nutrient loading, trace element deficiencies/toxicities and salinity management.
Land reclamation & restoration
Soil erosion & conservation
Structural sealing/capping processes
Sustainable Soil Management
Phytoremediation
Soil salinity assessment & crop response
Metal toxicities, nutrient loading, crop response & human health risk assessments
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Storr T, Simmons RW & Hannam JA (2019) A UK survey of the use and management of cover crops, Annals of Applied Biology, Early online. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.7314278
- Mašková L, Simmons RW, De Baets S, Montero EM, Delmer A & Sakrabani R (2019) Assessment of silt from sand and gravel processing as a suitable sub-soil material in land restoration: a glasshouse study, Chemosphere, 219 (March) 58-65.
- Niziolomski JC, Simmons RW, Rickson RJ & Hann MJ (2018) Managing runoff and soil loss in asparagus production systems, Acta Horticulturae, 1223 127-134.
- Prasitsarn M, Polthanee A, Trelo-Ges V & Simmons RW (2018) Effects of cutting length and bud removal on root yield and starch content of cassava under rainfed conditions, Experimental Agriculture, 54 (3) 336-348.
- Garbout A, Sturrock C, Armenise E, Ahn S, Simmons R, Doerr S, Ritz K & Mooney S (2018) TopCap: an ImageJ plugin to automatically determine and quantify complex surface topologies and associated sub-surface structures in X-ray Computed Tomography images, Vadose Zone Journal, 17 (1) Article No. 170091.
- Armenise E, Simmons RW, Ahn S, Garbout A, Doerr SH, Mooney SJ, Sturrock CJ & Ritz K (2018) Soil seal development under simulated rainfall: structural, physical and hydrological dynamics, Journal of Hydrology, 556 (January) 211-219. Dataset/s: https://doi.org/10.17862/cranfield.rd.5591068
- Campbell S, Simmons R, Rickson J, Waine T & Simms D (2018) Using Near-Surface Photogrammetry Assessment of Surface Roughness (NSPAS) to assess the effectiveness of erosion control treatments applied to slope forming materials from a mine site in West Africa, Geomorphology, 322 (December) 188-195.
- Simmons RW & Tole J (2017) Sustainability lies in the soil, Research Features (113) 40-43.
- Niziolomski JC, Simmons RW, Rickson RJ & Hann MJ (2016) Tine options for alleviating compaction in wheelings, Soil and Tillage Research, 161 (August) 47-52. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.3380086.v1
- Simmons RW, Chaney RL, Angle JS, Kruatrachue M, Klinphoklap S, Reeves RD & Bellamy P (2015) Towards practical cadmium phytoextraction with Noccaea caerulescens, International Journal of Phytoremediation, 17 (2) 191-199.
- Simmons RW, Ahmad W, Noble AD, Blummel M, Evans A & Weckenbrock P (2010) Effect of long-term un-treated domestic wastewater re-use on soil quality, wheat grain and straw yields and attributes of fodder quality, Irrigation and Drainage Systems, 24 (1-2) 95-112.
- Simmons RW, Noble AD, Pongsakul P, Sukreeyapongse O & Chinabut N (2009) Cadmium-hazard mapping using a general linear regression model (Irr-Cad) for rapid risk assessment, Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 31 (1) 71-79.
- Simmons RW, Noble AD, Pongsakul P, Sukreeyapongse O & Chinabut N (2008) Analysis of field-moist Cd contaminated paddy soils during rice grain fill allows reliable prediction of grain Cd levels, Plant and Soil, 302 (1-2) 125-137.
- Marcussen H, Joergensen K, Holm PE, Brocca D, Simmons RW & Dalsgaard A (2008) Element contents and food safety of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.) cultivated with wastewater in Hanoi, Vietnam, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 139 (1) 77-91.
- Soda W, Noble AD, Suzuki S, Simmons RW, Sindhusen L & Bhuthomdharaj S (2006) Co-composting of acid waste bentonites and their effects on soil properties and crop biomass, Journal of Environmental Quality, 35 (6) 2293-2301.
- Simmons RW, Pongsakul P, Saiyasitpanich D & Klinphoklap S (2005) Elevated levels of cadmium and zinc in paddy soils and elevated levels of cadmium in rice grain downstream of a zinc mineralized area in Thailand: Implications for public health., Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 27 (5-6) 501-511.
- Reeves PG, Chaney RL, Simmons RW & Cherian MG (2005) Erratum: Metallothionein indiction is not involved in cadmium accumulation in the duodenum of mice and rats fed diets containing high-cadmium rice or sunflower kernels and a marginal supply of zinc, iron, and calcium (Journal of Nutrition (2005) 135 (99-108)), Journal of Nutrition, 135 (4) 966-966.
- Reeves PG, Chaney RL, Simmons RW & Cherian MG (2005) Metallothionein induction is not involved in cadmium accumulation in the duodenum of mice and rats fed diets with high-cadmium rice or sunflower kernels and a marginal supply of zinc, iron, and calcium, Journal of Nutrition, 135 (1) 99-108.
- Chaney RL, Reeves PG, Ryan JA, Simmons RW, Welsh RM & Angle JS (2004) An improved understanding of soil Cd risk to humans and low cost methods to phytoextract Cd from contaminated soils to prevent soil Cd risks, BioMetals, 17 (5) 549-553.
- Simmons RW & Pongsakul P (2004) Preliminary stepwise multiple linear regression method to predict cadmium and zinc uptake in soybean., Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 35 (13-14) 1815-1828.
- Simmons RW, Pongsakul P, Chaney RL, Saiyasitpanich D, Klinphoklap S & Nobuntou W (2003) The relative exclusion of zinc and iron from rice grain in relation to rice grain cadmium as compared to soybean: Implications for human health., Plant and Soil, 257 (1) 163-170.
Conference Papers
- Storr T, Simmons RW & Hannam JA (2018) Soil water and available nitrogen during cover crop growth. In: Soil Improvement: Impact of Management Practices on Soil Function and Quality, 2018, Cambridge, 16 October 2018.
- Storr T, Simmons RW & Hannam JA (2017) Do cover crops give short term benefits for soil health?. In: Sustainable Intensification, 2017, Harpenden, 28-30 November 2017.
- Storr T, Simmons R & Hannam J (2017) The use of cover crops in the UK: a survey. In: Sustainable Intensification, 2017, Harpenden, 28-30 November 2017.
- Whelan A, Kechavarzi C, Sakrabani R, Coulon F, Simmons RW & Wu G (2010) The influence of compost addition on the water repellency of brownfield soils.. In: European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2010, Vienna, Austria, 2 May 2010.
- Weckenbrock P, Drescher A, Simmons RW, Amerasinghe P & Jacobi J (2009) Lower than expected risks of wastewater irrigated agriculture. In: 2nd German-Indian Conference on Research for Sustainability: Energy and Land Use, 2009, Bonn, Germany, 27 April 2009.
- Simmons RW, Chaney RL, Angle JS, Kruatrachue M, Reeves R & Klinphoklap S (2009) Towards practical Cd phytoremediation with Thlaspi Caerulescens. In: International Phytotechnologies Conference 2009, St Louis, Missouri, 2 December 2009.
- Matsuno Y, Ensink JHJ, Van Der Hoek W & Simmons RW (2003) Assessment of the use of wastewater for irrigation: A case in Punjab, Pakistan. In: Wastewater Re-use and Groundwater Quality, Sapporo, 1 July 2003.
Books
- Simmons RW, Qadir M & Drecshel P (2010) Farm-based measures for reducing human & environmental health risks from chemical constituents in wastewater. In: Wastewater irrigation and health: assessing and mitigating risk in low-income countries. Drechsel P, Scott CA, Redwood M, Bahri A (ed.), Oxford, UK: Earthscan, p. 209-238, ed. First.
- Simmons RW & Rickson RJ (2008) Increasing rainfall and erosion.. In: Water and Food, Swedish Research Council (Formas), p. 89-96.
