Postdoctoral Fellow - Soil Health

To lead research on the sustainable management of the soil health under widely varying water management regimes and within diversified rice cropping systems. Part of this job will be to evaluate the efficacy of biological soil amendments and bio-control products for improving the sustainability and productivity of rice cultivation. Another part of the job will be to develop soil health indicators for use by other internal and external partners to assess sustainability trends.

This job will contribute to a number of projects at IRRI (e.g. Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia with Reduced Environmental Footprint (CORIGAP), Sustainable Rice Platform, Transforming Rice Management, the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium, the Consortium for Unfavorable Rainfed Environments, and new projects that will start up) and is expected to have test sites at various locations in Asia.

This position is based at IRRI Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Assess soil health changes caused by specific crop management practices in rice systems that are predominantly anaerobic, predominantly aerobic, or that include both anaerobic and aerobic phases.
• Investigate the efficacy of biological amendments (including biofertilizers, biocontrol products,soil conditioners, mixed organic- and inorganic fertilization schemes, etc.) in diversified rice cropping systems.
• Develop soil health indicators to monitor changes in the sustainability of the soil ecosystem, and especially with regard to resilience in relation to use of pesticide and fertilizers .
• Evaluate crop management practices according to their effects on the transformation of trace elements and on the production and emission of greenhouse gases.
• Develop research activities to further elaborate relationships between crop management options and soil health indicators depending on own skills and on identified needs.
• Provide training to partners in monitoring soil health indicators.
• Collaborate effectively with scientists, donors, and extension specialists.
• Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at national and international conferences, workshops and other fora.

Qualifications

• Recent Ph.D. in Soil Science or closely-related discipline
• Research experience related to the soil microbiome soil health in the context of sustainability

Skills Required

• Demonstrated ability to work outside of home culture, knowledge of rice-based cropping systems, research experience related to biological soil amendments
• Excellent English communication skills

HOW TO APPLY:

Application Process

To submit application, please visit http://goo.gl/GcCPlH