Originally trained as a botanist I worked in botany for a couple of years before doing a MSc. in tropical soil fertility management and then a PhD in tropical agronomy looking at the use of legumes in rice and maize based systems in northeast Thailand and southern Sumatra.

I then lived and worked in Madagascar for two years working both as a botanist in some of the national parks and reserves (particularly Zahamena and Andringitra reserves) and also in soil conservation and soil fertility management.

From 1995-1997 I was employed by the Royal Vetrinary and Agricultural University of Copenhagen (KVL) as a researcher on an interdisciplinary research project funded by DANIDA looking at sustainable agriculture and livelihoods in a number of communities located in Iringa Region in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania.

I have been a lecturer in the School of International Development since late 1997. 

CV and Experience

Click here to download John's CV.

Tropical soil fertility management, sustainable farming systems; nutrient and water balance studies. Tanzania, Madagascar, Namibia, Thailand.

Research Groups: Land Resources

Research Activities

My research interests centre around agriculture, land management and rural livelihoods. Much of my training and long-term research interests have been in soil fertility management in tropical cropping systems. I have recently worked on this in both northern Namibia and eastern Uganda.

I am also interested in the support and policy environment in the agricultural sector in sub-saharan Africa. I was involved in the recent ODG LADDER project that looked in this in some detail. Information and outputs from this work are available here. 

I am currently working with the FAO and other organizations developing a methodology for the assessment of land degradation in drylands. (the LADA project).

Publications

2009

McDonagh, J., Bunning, S., Mc Garry, D., Liniger, H., Rioux, J., and Lu, Y. 2009. Field Manual for Local Level Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands Part 1: Methodological Approach, Planning and Analysis 76 pp. FAO Rome
Link to website          Link to document

McDonagh, J., Bunning, S., Mc Garry, D., Liniger, H., Rioux, J., and Lu, Y. 2009. Field Manual for Local Level Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands Part 2: Tools and Methods for Fieldwork 133 pp. FAO Rome.
Link to website          Link to document
 

2007

McDonagh, J. and Lu, Y. 2007. Success Stories in Reversing Land Degradation and the Role of UNCCD. Technical Paper 2 produced for UK Department for International Development (DFID), January 2007. 26pp
Link to document
 

2006

Hillyer, A.E.M., McDonagh, J.F.  and Verlinden, A.  2006. Land use and legumes in northern Namibia – the value of a local classification system. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 117: 251-265.
Link to journal article  

McDonagh, J. F., Lu, Y., Stocking, M. A. 2006. Global Impacts of Land Degradation. Study commissioned by the Scientific, Technical and Advisory Panel (STAP) of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to support the development of the new GEF focal area of Land Degradation, 66 pp. Overseas Development Group, Norwich. 
Link to document
 

2005

McDonagh, J.F. 2005. Crop-based Farming Systems and Diverse Livelihoods in Uganda. pp215-234 In Ellis, F. and H. Ade Freeman, H. (Ed.s) Rural Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction Policies. Routledge. 408pp.

Lu, Y., McDonagh, J., Semalulu, O., Stocking, M. & Owuor, C. 2005. Enhancing the impacts of research in soil management - development of practical tools in the hillsides of Eastern Uganda. pp.209-220. In Stocking, M., Helleman, H. & White, R. (eds.) (2005). Renewable Natural Resources Management for Mountain Communities. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, 314pp.
 

2004

DFID 2004. Report by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on measures taken to support the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification with a particular focus on affected developing country parties in Africa. 27pp Co-written with Stocking, M.A. 
 

2003

Jensen, J.R., Bernhard, R.H., Hansen, S., McDonagh, J., Moberg, J.P., Nielsen, N.E. and Nordbo, E. 2003. Productivity in maize based cropping systems under various soil-water-nutrient management strategies in a semi-arid, alfisol environment in East Africa. Agricultural Water Management. 59(3): 217-237.

McDonagh, J.F., and Hillyer, A.E.M. 2003. 'Grain legumes in pearl millet systems in northern Namibia: an assessment of potential nitrogen contributions' in Experimental Agriculture 39 (4): 349-362
Link to journal article          Link to document
 

2001/2002

Lu, Y., J. McDonagh, O. Semalulu, M.A. Stocking and S. Nkalubo, 2002, 'Bridging research and development in soil management: matching technical options with local livelihoods' in J. Juen et al Sustainable Utilization of Global Soil and Water Resources, Proceedings of the 12th International Conservation Organization Conference Vol. 3, Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, pp 309-316
Link to document

McDonagh, J.F., T. Birch-Thomsen and Magid, J. 2001. Soil organic matter decline and compositional change associated with cereal cropping in Southern Tanzania. Land Degradation & Development 12 (1): 13-26
Link to journal article

 

Earlier publications

Hillyer, A. and McDonagh, J.F.1999, 'A Survey of Pearl Millet Cultivation in the North Central Districts of Namibia', paper presented at The Third National Annual Agriculture Research Reporting Conference, The Directorate of Agricultural Research and Training, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, 6-10 September 1999, Swakopmund, Namibia

McDonagh, J.F., J. Boesen, T. Birch-Thomsen, J.R. Jensen, E. Friis-Hansen, N.E. Nielsen & J.P. Møberg, 'Household nutrient balances and soil fertility management in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania' paper presented at Sustainable Agriculture in Semi-arid east Africa, Centre for Development Research, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University and the Geography Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, November 1999
Link to abstract

McDonagh, J.F., and A. Hillyer, 'Soil fertility, legumes and livelihoods in northern Namibia' in DFID Plant Sciences Research Programme Annual Programme Report 1999, pp39-47

McDonagh, J.F., and A.E. Hillyer, 'Soils and Nitrogen fixation in northern Namibia', paper presented at The Third National Annual Agriculture Research Reporting Conference, The Directorate of Agricultural Research and Training, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, 6-10 September 1999, Swakopmund, Namibia

Birch-Thomsen, T., J. Boesen and J.F. McDonagh, 'Plant nutrient balances, resource and management constraints at household level in Iringa Region, Tanzania' in Proceedings of the workshop on Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Developing Countries, The Danish Strategic Environmental Programme, Mols, Denmark, June 1997

Lewis, B.A., P.B. Phillipson, M. Andrianarisata, G. Rahajasoa, P.J. Rakotomalaza, M. Randriambololona & J.F. McDonagh, 'A Study of the Botanical Structure, Composition, and Diversity of the Eastern Slopes of the Reserve Naturelle Integrale d'Andringitra, Madagascar' in Fieldiana 85: 24-71
Link to journal article
 

I teach on several undergraduate and postgraduate units though my inputs vary from year to year depending on other commitments. I commonly teach on the principle undergraduate Natural Resources and Environmental Management units: NR1and NR2. I also often teach the final year undergraduate unit Resource Development and Conservation (RDC) and the under-graduate Field Course, which we have taken to Ireland for the last four years. At postgraduate level I teach on Tools and Skills for Environmental Management (TSED).

I have supervised undergraduate and MSc. dissertations in a number of different areas in recent years including agricultural development, rural livelihoods, soil and land management, community based natural management and renewable energy.

I currently have six PhD students - details of their work can be found on my main page.

I am acting as Chief Executive of the Overseas Development Group for three years from August 2005 and this takes up approximately one third of my time. Consequently I am doing less teaching during this period.
 

I currently supervise the following PhD research students:

• Shankar Dahal: The management of medicinal plants in community forests in Nepal
• Belina Garcia Fajardo: Multiple values of land degradation control in Mexico
• Masahiro Kawamura: High value cash crop farming as a livelihood strategy in mountain agriculture: A case study in eastern Nepal
• Mike Robbins: Carbon sequestration in agriculture: An option for the developing world?
• Barry Fergusson: Coevolution of community forest management systems and forestry policy in Madagascar
• Andre Santos: Opportunities for Brazilian agri-business in the clean development mechanism context: social and development dividend assessment.