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Dr Dave Roberts

Head of Agriculture and Business Management Department

Research interests 

  • Farm Management Research especially dairy farming systems
     
  • Knowledge Exchange to a wide range of stakeholders including agricultural businesses, policy makers and the general public
     
  • Links between agriculture and school education at both primary and secondary level

Selected research projects

  • AC0122 – Increasing efficiency of dietary N use in dairy systems
    Long term studies to reduce the level of protein in dairy cow rations. This Defra funded study is led by Reading University, SRUC involvement is with the KE and a demonstration of feeding lower levels of protein with grass fed cows.
  • Land use in dairy systems
    System study comparing two radically different approaches , all the feed grown on the farm and a system based on feeding by-products.

Teaching

Teaching dairy farming systems to undergraduate agriculture and veterinary students.

PhD students

  • Maggie March
    Evaluating the robustness of diverse dairy systems
  • Lorna Paton
    Understanding farmer antibiotic usage to reduce the speed and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria
  • Sophie Brett (Glasgow University School of Interdisciplinary Studies)
    Examining the efficacy of agricultural experiences as part of the Scottish Secondary School pupils’ interdisciplinary learning under the curriculum for excellence (CfE)

Selected publications

  • March M.D., Haskell M.J., Chagunda M.G.G., Langford F.M. and Roberts D.J. (2014) Current trends in British dairy management regimens. Journal of Dairy Science 97 (12): 7985 - 7994
  • Chagunda M. G. G.; Minthali D,P.; Gondwee T.N.; Wood B. and Roberts D. J. (2013) An innovative approach to integrated training for smallholder dairying. Journal of Agricultural Training and Extension 20 (4) 413-428
  • March M.D. Toma. L., Stott A.W. and Roberts D.J. (2016) Modelling phosphorus efficiency within diverse dairy farming systems – pollutant or non-renewable resource?  Ecological Indicators 69 667-676
  • Chagunda, M.G.G., Ross, D. and Roberts, D.J. (2013). Precision Agriculture and its Use in Dairy Systems. In: Fernandes E.N., Guimaraes, A.S., Martins, C.E., Townsend, C.R., Ferreira, F.C., and Lopes, F.C. (eds.). Alternativas para Produção Sustentável do Leite na Amazȏnia, Brasialia, DF: Embrapa, pp 167 – 184.
  • Chagunda M. G. G.; Minthali D,P.; Gondwee T.N.; Wood B. and Roberts D. J. (2013) An innovative approach to integrated training for smallholder dairying. Journal of Agricultural Training and Extension 20 (4) 413-428

See all of Prof Dave Robert's publications.

Prof D J Roberts

Head of Agriculture and Business Management Department

Address: SRUC Barony Campus
Parkgate
Dumfries DG1 3NE

Telephone: 0131 535 4135

E-mail: dave.roberts@sruc.ac.uk