Current And Future Projects

Sustainable Agriculture

sustainable ferilizer, struvite, rock phosphate, crystal green, next-generation fertilizer

Nutrient Stewardship

Microdialysis & Metabolomics

Microbial Biotechnology

Ecosystem Restoration

Natural Regeneration

Sustainable Agriculture – Sugarcane, Sorghum, Cotton, and Legumes

With the bioeconomy just around the corner, sugarcane and sorghum will be major players in our sustainable future. Both are fast-growing and generate useful materials and energy. What is important is to grow crops without a pollution footprint including greenhouse gases or water pollution from as fertilisers are lost from soil.

We collaborate with industry with the aim to help farmers who struggle to strike the right balance between feeding crops while avoiding off-site pollution.

Our research examines nitrogen-use efficient sugarcane genotypes and sustainable practices. Current research focuses on soil health, a foundation for high yielding crops and sustainable practices. Understanding the parameters of soil physical, chemical and biological health will allow designing better crop systems, which may include inter-cropping systems of e.g. sugarcane and legumes to reduce reliance on chemical nitrogen fertiliser.

Publications & additional information
  • Robinson N, Schmidt S, Lakshmanan P (2015) Genetic improvement of nitrogen use efficiency in sugarcane. In: A review of nitrogen use efficiency in sugarcane (ed. MJ Bell), 319 pp; pp. 125-149. http://elibrary.sugarreserach.com.au/
  • Robinson N, Vogt J, Lakshmanan P, Schmidt S Nitrogen physiology of sugarcane (2013). In Physiology of Sugarcane (eds PH Moore and F Botha), Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Ganeteg U, Iftikhar A, Jämtgård S, Cambui C, Inselsbacher E, Svennerstam H, Schmidt S, Näsholm T (2017) Amino acid transporter mutants of Arabidopsis provide evidence that a non-mycorrhizal plant acquires organic nitrogen from agricultural soil. Plant Cell and Environment, 40, 413-423 DOI: 10.1111/pce.12881
  • Worland B, Robinson N, Jordan D, Schmidt S, Godwin I (2017) Post-anthesis nitrate uptake is critical to yield and grain protein content in Sorghum bicolor. Journal of Plant Physiology 216, 118-124

Nutrient Stewardship & Next Generation Fertilisers

Our research aims to improve nutrient supply to plants. This includes broad-acre and horticultural crops as well as tree seedlings for ecological restoration. We evaluate different forms of nutrients (organic, inorganic) and fertiliser formulations. This includes recyclates that enable the circular nutrient economy for a world without waste and pollution.

Current projects:

  • Environmentally responsive nitrogen fertiliser – Advance Queensland Industry Partnership with UQ chemical engineering and company Manildra.
  • Smart compost formulations – CRC Fight Food Waste, collaboration with company ‘Peats Soils and UQ’s Advanced Water Management Centre
  • Next-generation fertilisers: phosphorus recyclates from clean sewage ash – a collaboration with the German Federal Institute for Material Research and Testing, the company Outotec, and the Helmholtz Institute
  • Next-generation fertilisers that sequester carbon – funded by the Biosolids Industry Transformation Training Centre.
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Publications & additional information
  • https://theconversation.com/high-tech-fertilisers-and-innovation-have-to-come-to-the-great-barrier-reefs-rescue-47857
  • Bindraban P, White J, Franklin, F, Melse-Boonstra A, Koele N, Pandey, R, Dimkpa C, Rodenburg J, Senthilikumar K, Demokritou P, Schmidt S (2020) The Great Food Transformation demands fertilizer transformation to safeguard human and planetary health. Plants People Planet, DOI: 10.1002/ppp3.10098
  • Shuaixiang Zhao, Schmidt S, Qin W, Li J, Li G, Zhang W (2020) Towards the circular nitrogen economy – a global meta-analysis of composting technologies reveals much potential for mitigating nitrogen losses. Science of the Total Environment 704, 135401 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135401
  • Bianca Das, Neil Huth, Merv Probert, Leo Condron, Susanne Schmidt (2019) Soil Phosphorus Modeling for Modern Agriculture Requires Balance of Science and Practicality: A Perspective. Special Edition: 350 years since the discovery of phosphorus. Journal of Environmental Quality 48, 1281-94. https://doi:10.2134/jeq2019.05.0201
  • Chin A, Schmidt S, Buckley S, Pirie R, Redding M, Laycock B, Luckman P, Batstone DJ, Robinson N, Brackin R (2018) Sorbents can tailor nitrogen release from organic wastes to match the uptake capacity of crops. Science of the Total Environment 645, 1474-83

Soil Microdialysis and Metabolomics

It is always possible to improve analytical techniques, and this is particularly true for soil research. Many current techniques treat soil as bulk commodity rather than complex ecosystems that house enormous biodiversity. The physical, chemical and biological gradients of soil, for example in the rhizosphere of plants roots have to be studied with minimum disturbance.

Soils supply essential nutrients to plants and are the largest terrestrial carbon store. We have embraced a new technique, called ‘microdialysis’, which was invented by neuroscience to measure fluxes of neurotransmitters in brains. We use microdialysis to quantify fluxes of nutrients and metabolites in soils to deepen understanding of microscale processes, including mimicking a root.

With 1000’s of chemicals exuded by roots and microbes, powerful analysis techniques such as FT-ICR-MS advances knowledge of the substances that are present in soils. We study root exudates that mobilise nutrients from soil and fertilisers. Paired with microdialysis, metabolomics is a powerful way to advance fundamental knowledge of plant-soil-microbe-fertiliser interactions.

    Publications & additional information
    • https://theconversation.com/high-tech-fertilisers-and-innovation-have-to-come-to-the-great-barrier-reefs-rescue-47857
    • Bindraban P, White J, Franklin, F, Melse-Boonstra A, Koele N, Pandey, R, Dimkpa C, Rodenburg J, Senthilikumar K, Demokritou P, Schmidt S (2020) The Great Food Transformation demands fertilizer transformation to safeguard human and planetary health. Plants People Planet, DOI: 10.1002/ppp3.10098
    • Shuaixiang Zhao, Schmidt S, Qin W, Li J, Li G, Zhang W (2020) Towards the circular nitrogen economy – a global meta-analysis of composting technologies reveals much potential for mitigating nitrogen losses. Science of the Total Environment 704, 135401 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135401
    • Bianca Das, Neil Huth, Merv Probert, Leo Condron, Susanne Schmidt (2019) Soil Phosphorus Modeling for Modern Agriculture Requires Balance of Science and Practicality: A Perspective. Special Edition: 350 years since the discovery of phosphorus. Journal of Environmental Quality 48, 1281-94. https://doi:10.2134/jeq2019.05.0201
    • Chin A, Schmidt S, Buckley S, Pirie R, Redding M, Laycock B, Luckman P, Batstone DJ, Robinson N, Brackin R (2018) Sorbents can tailor nitrogen release from organic wastes to match the uptake capacity of crops. Science of the Total Environment 645, 1474-83

    Microbial Biotechnology

    Agriculture profits from microbial (bacteria, fungi) biotechnology. We are interested in beneficial microbes that live on or in roots, so-called ‘plant growth promoting rhizobacteria’. These microbes assist plants to access nutrients or boost resilience through beneficial hormones. We need to know which microbes naturally associate with plants and then examine if the root microbiome can be improved by inoculating with ‘better’ microbes than those present. Such strategy has been very successful with legume and nitrogen-fixing Rhizobia.

    Beneficial microbes protect plants by priming the plant’s immune system or by fighting off pathogens with microbial substances. Many crop industries wish to transition from chemical to biological control. This demands fundamental know-how of microbe-plant interactions and techniques to formulate microbes effectively so that they associate with plants.

    Publications & additional information
    • http://www.uq.edu.au/research/impact/stories/promoting-plant-probiotics/
    • https://theconversation.com/crop-probiotics-how-more-science-and-less-hype-can-help-australian-farmers-76387
    • Shelby Berg, Dennis PG, Paungfoo-Lonhienne C, Anderson J, Robinson N, Brackin R, Royle A, DiBella L, Schmidt S (2019) Effects of commercial microbial biostimulants on soil and root microbial communities and sugarcane yield. Biology and Fertility of Soils https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-019-01412-4
    • Yeoh YK, Dennis PG, Paungfoo-Lonhienne C, Weber L, Brackin R, Ragan MA, Schmidt S, Hugenholtz P (2017) Evolutionary conservation of a core root microbiome across plant phyla along a tropical soil chronosequence. Nature Communications 8, 215. doi:10.1038/s41467-017-00262-8
    • Brackin R, Schmidt S, Walter D, Bhuiyan S, Buckley S, Anderson J (2017) Soil biological health-what is it and how can we improve it ? invited paper Proc Aust Soc Sugar Cane Technol 39, 41-154
    • Paungfoo-Lonhienne C, Lonhienne TGA, Yeoh YK, Donose BC, Webb RI, Parsons J, Liao W, Sagulenko E, Lakshmanan P, Hugenholtz P, Schmidt S, Ragan MA (2016) Crosstalk between sugarcane and a plant-growth promoting Burkholderia species. Scientific Reports, 6:37389. DOI10.1038/srep37389
    • Bissett A, Fitzgerald A, Meintjes T, Mele PM, Reith F, Dennis PG, Breed MG, Brown B, Brown MV, Brugger J, Byrne M, Caddy-Retalic S, Carmody B, Coates DJ, Correa C, Ferrari BC, Gupta VVSR, Hamonts K, Haslem A, Hugenholtz P, Karan M, Koval J, Lowe AJ, Macdonald S, McGrath L, Martin D, Morgan M, North KI, Paungfoo-Lonhienne C, Pendall E, Phillips L, Pirzl R, Powell JR, Ragan MA, Schmidt S, Seymour N, Snape I, Stephen JR, Stevens M, Tinning M, Williams K, Yeoh YK, Zammit CM, Young A (2016) Introducing BASE: the Biomes of Australian Soil Environments soil microbial diversity database. Giga Science 5:21 DOI 10.1186/s13742-016-0126-5
    • Paungfoo-Lonhienne C, Yeoh YK, Kasinadhuni N, Lonhienne TGA, Robinson N, Hugenholtz P, Ragan MA, Schmidt S (2015) Nitrogen fertilizer dose alters fungal communities in sugarcane soil and rhizosphere. Scientific Reports, 5, 8678
    • Yeoh YK, Paungfoo-Lonhienne C, Dennis PG, Robinson N, Ragan MA, Schmidt S, Hugenholtz P (2015) The core root microbiome of field-grown sugarcanes cultivated under varying nitrogen fertiliser application. Environmental Microbiology, DOI:10.1111/1462-2920.12925
    • Stirling GR, Stirling AM, Schmidt S, Robinson N. (2015) Impact of nitrogen inputs to a sugarcane soil on plant-parasitic nematodes and their natural enemies. Proc Aust Soc Sugar Cane Technol, 37, 204-211
    • Paungfoo-Lonhienne C, Lonhienne TGA, Yeoh YK, Webb RI, Lakshmanan P, Chan CX, Lim PE, Ragan MA, Schmidt S, Hugenholtz P (2013). A new species of Burkholderia isolated from sugarcane roots promotes plant growth. Microbial Biotechnology 7: 142-154

    Ecosystem Restoration and Australia’s Plants

    As we enter the United Nations ‘Decade of Ecosystem Restoration’, there now wide acknowledgement that is much to restore. This is urgent with many of the world’s species threatened with extinction and because degraded landscapes not only lose the ability to protect nature but humans also suffer.

    Ecosystems regulate our climate, facilitate water and nutrient cycles, sequester carbon and generate the air we breathe. Ecosystems can be restored in many ways, from seed to tree planting, but all require soil. We study the effects of restoration of agricultural land back to tropical forest with view of soil and plants.

    Australia is a botanical treasure trove, with many plants used for food, materials and medicines by Australia’s Traditional Owners. In partnership with Indigenous Australians, the oldest living culture, we study Australia’s plants for their uses in the modern world.

    Publications & additional information
    • Bonner MTL, Allen DE, Brackin R, Smith TE, Lewis T, Shoo LP, Schmidt S (2019) Tropical rainforest restoration plantations are slow to restore the soil biological and organic carbon characteristics of old growth rainforest. Microbial Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-019-01414-7
    • Bonner MTL, Herbohn J, Gregorio N, Pasa, A, Avela MS, Solano C, Moreno MOM, Almendras-Ferrarenn A, Wills, J, Shoo LP, Schmidt S (2019) Soil organic carbon recovery in tropical tree plantations may depend on restoration of soil microbial composition and function. Geoderma 353, 70-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.06.017
    • Krishnan V, Robinson N, Firn J, Applegate G, Herbohn J, Schmidt S (2019) Without management interventions, endemic wet‐sclerophyll forest is transitioning to rainforest in World Heritage listed K’gari (Fraser Island), Australia. Ecology & Evolution. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4853
    • Pennells H, Lin TY, Schmidt S, Gamage H, Godwin ID, Erickson TE, Hosseinmardi A, Martin DJ, Amiralian N (2018) Effects of the growth environment on the yield and material properties of nanocellulose derived from the Australian desert grass Triodia. Industrial Crops and Products 126, 238-249
    • Ola A, Schmidt S, Lovelock C. (2018) The effect of heterogeneous soil bulk density on root growth of field-grown mangrove species. Plant and Soil, 432:91–105 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3784-5
    • Bueno A, Greenfield L, Pritsch K, Schmidt S, Simon J (2018) Responses to competition for nitrogen between subtropical native tree seedlings and exotic grasses are species-specific and mediated by soil N availability. Tree Physiology 00, 1–13 doi:10.1093/treephys/tpy096
    • Rossiter-Rachor NA, Setterfield SA, Hutley LB, McMaster D, Schmidt S, Douglas MM (2017) Invasive Andropogon gayanus (Gamba grass) alters litter decomposition and nitrogen fluxes in an Australian tropical savanna. Scientific Reports 7, 1 doi:10.1038/s41598-017-08893-z
    • Dunn-Johnston KA, Kreuzwieser J, Hirabayashi S, Plant L, Rennenberg H, Schmidt S (2016) Isoprene emission factors for subtropical street trees for regional air quality modelling. Journal of Environmental Quality, 45:234–243.
    • Jones AR, Sanderman J, Allen D, Dalal R, Schmidt S (2015) Subtropical giant podzol chronosequence reveals that soil carbon stabilisation is not governed by litter quality, Biogeochemistry DOI 10.1007/s10533-015-0093-4
    • Amiralian N, Annamalai PK, Memmott P, Taran E, Schmidt S, Martin DJ (2015) Easily deconstructed, high aspect ratio cellulose nanofibres from Triodia pungens; an abundant grass of Australia’s arid zone. RSC Advances, 5, 32124-32132
    • Gageler R, Bonner M, Kirchhof G, Amos M, Robinson N, Schmidt S, Shoo LP (2014). Early Response of Soil Properties and Function to Riparian Rainforest Restoration. PLoS ONE 9, e104198

    Boosting Natural Regeneration of the Nitrogen Capital in Grazing Lands

    Our research aims to improve understanding of how the living soil cover, the so-called biocrusts, can improve nitrogen stocks and ecosystem services in Australian rangelands. With appropriate fire and cattle management, we expect the input of nitrogen-fixing biocrust microbes to boost soil fertility and pasture growth, and reduce erosion.

    This Meat & Livestock Australia-funded project is a collaboration with grazing industry experts, microbial ecologists and remote sensing experts.

    The research is performed at two long term research stations, Kidman Springs in the Northern Territory, and Wambiana in Central Queensland. We apply a suite of techniques that include testing biocrusts for nitrogen fixation potential, identifying microbial organisms and their function, and upscaling findings to the landscape level using remote sensing.

    Commenced 2020

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