About NEPH

NEPH is a cross disciplinary group of people interested in how plants respond to the environment. We bridge faculties and campuses at the University of Nottingham and study topics from root to shoot, cell to ecosystem, biotic and abiotic stress and cover a range of species with a strong focus on crops.

University of Nottingham Physiology History

Nottingham and especially the Sutton Bonington campus (home of the university farm) has certainly made an impact in the plant and crop physiology world, here are some famous examples:Professor John Monteith pioneered the methods and principles of measuring canopy radiation (light) use efficiency (RUE) which is now a cornerstone of crop physiology.

He also co-developed the Penman-Monteith equation to predict evapotranspiration, used by the FAO.  Roger Slack, a graduate of Nottingham was the co-discoverer of C4 photosynthesis along with Hal Hatch. C4 is a fascinating photosynthetic adaptation permitting high productivity in warm climates and he subject of much current interest for crop improvement.