AI in agriculture: hybrid machine learning models for nitrogen simulation. Agricultural simulation models are used to guide nitrogen management to reduce nitrogen loss and its environmental impact, but they were developed using constrained datasets, which restricts them to site- or regional-specific simulations. This project adopts a novel approach to addressing these problems by applying machine learning-based data analytics. The project will refine the linkages between nitrogen losses and thei ....AI in agriculture: hybrid machine learning models for nitrogen simulation. Agricultural simulation models are used to guide nitrogen management to reduce nitrogen loss and its environmental impact, but they were developed using constrained datasets, which restricts them to site- or regional-specific simulations. This project adopts a novel approach to addressing these problems by applying machine learning-based data analytics. The project will refine the linkages between nitrogen losses and their key drivers, and improve the existing agroecosystem models through data imputation, parameter optimisation and module enhancement. The outcomes of this project will lead to an accurate prediction of nitrogen losses from agriculture, advancement in agroecosystem models and their adaptability to a global context.Read moreRead less
Predatory protists: natural weapons for soil-borne pathogen control. This project aims to understand the mechanistic interactions of predatory protists and fungal pathogens and develop innovative biotechnologies using the protists to suppress soil-borne pathogens. By directly preying on fungal pathogens or activating plant-beneficial bacteria to combat them, the soil predatory protists will be identified, cultivated and utilised to improve disease management. Expected outcomes of this project wi ....Predatory protists: natural weapons for soil-borne pathogen control. This project aims to understand the mechanistic interactions of predatory protists and fungal pathogens and develop innovative biotechnologies using the protists to suppress soil-borne pathogens. By directly preying on fungal pathogens or activating plant-beneficial bacteria to combat them, the soil predatory protists will be identified, cultivated and utilised to improve disease management. Expected outcomes of this project will include a mechanistic understanding of the contribution of protists to pathogen suppression and an innovative, protist-based disease management tool. The novel technologies developed in this project have potentials to benefit Australian agriculture and land management.Read moreRead less
Unlocking Viral Contribution to Terrestrial Nitrogen Cycling. This project aims to investigate how soil viruses steer key nitrogen cycling microorganisms and processes, by utilising emerging approaches of viromes, DNA-stable-isotope probing, and Raman-spectroscopy-based single-cell-sorting technology. This project expects to generate new knowledge in harnessing the potential of soil viruses to improve fertiliser nitrogen use efficiency through manipulating the biological pathways of nitrogen los ....Unlocking Viral Contribution to Terrestrial Nitrogen Cycling. This project aims to investigate how soil viruses steer key nitrogen cycling microorganisms and processes, by utilising emerging approaches of viromes, DNA-stable-isotope probing, and Raman-spectroscopy-based single-cell-sorting technology. This project expects to generate new knowledge in harnessing the potential of soil viruses to improve fertiliser nitrogen use efficiency through manipulating the biological pathways of nitrogen losses from agricultural ecosystems. Expected outcomes of this project include novel and comprehensive evidence for the roles of soil viruses in controlling terrestrial nitrogen cycling processes. This should provide significant benefits to Australian agriculture and environmental management.Read moreRead less
Plant-mediated arsenic-iron mineral transformations. The project goals are to advance our understanding of molecular-level iron-arsenic transformations induced at plant-mineral-atmosphere interfaces as influenced by remediation actions and future environmental change. The project aims for this to be achieved through an innovative experimental infrastructure combined with isotopic, spectroscopic and advanced synchrotron-based tools. Intended outcomes and benefits are the generation of new knowled ....Plant-mediated arsenic-iron mineral transformations. The project goals are to advance our understanding of molecular-level iron-arsenic transformations induced at plant-mineral-atmosphere interfaces as influenced by remediation actions and future environmental change. The project aims for this to be achieved through an innovative experimental infrastructure combined with isotopic, spectroscopic and advanced synchrotron-based tools. Intended outcomes and benefits are the generation of new knowledge, which will improve current understanding of arsenic and iron fate impacted by remediation actions, plant growth and planetary changes induced via the atmosphere-plant-soil interface.Read moreRead less