Professor Ian Holman, Cranfield University’s Professor of Integrated Land and Water Management, is set to give the RHS John MacLeod Lecture in November after it was cancelled last year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The lecture will consider how gardeners and the wider horticultural sector can improve water management in gardens and outdoor spaces and so be part of the solution to water scarcity and flooding.

Professor Ian Holman commented, ‘Water is essential for gardens and gardening, but climate change, population growth and the need to protect rivers and wetlands from over-abstraction will lead to increasing competition for this valuable resource.  However, gardens can require most water when least is available in summer, leading to a risk that gardening is perceived as a contributor to water resource challenges.’

Professor Ian Holman’s research over the past 25 years has focused on understanding how changes in land use and management affect water regulation, purification, and food production.

The RHS John MacLeod Lecture was established in memory of the late John MacLeod, RHS Professor of Horticulture and Chairman of the RHS Science Committee, with prominent speakers invited to explore upcoming topics on horticultural science. A wide audience of RHS members, scientists and media is invited annually to join.

The lecture takes place at 7pm on 24th November at RHS Hilltop, Surrey.

For further details and information on how to book tickets, visit: www.rhs.org.uk/macleodlecture

About Cranfield University

Cranfield University is a specialist postgraduate university that is a global leader for education and transformational research in technology and management.