Dr Oliver Knox

Associate Professor of Soil Systems Biology and Coordinator of the Cotton Hub at UNE , cotton - School of Environmental and Rural Science

Oliver Knox

Phone: +61 2 6773 2946

Email: oknox@une.edu.au

Twitter: @CottonHubUNE

Biography

Dr Knox is originally from Scotland with degrees from the University of Aberdeen in Genetics and Plant and Soil Sciences. He first worked in Australia in the cotton industry from 2003 to 2008 before returning to Scotland and working mainly on bulky organic fertilisers including composts, manures, digestate and biochar in various agricultural systems. He returned to Australia and UNE in 2014 to take up a Cotton RDC co-funded post as the co-ordinator of the Cotton Hub at UNE, which seeks to deliver cross disciplinary work on the issues affecting production of sustainable cotton. His interests are holistic, working with cropping systems and how the plant, abiotic and biotic soil components interact. He works on projects that range from broad acre farm management to the microscopic life of our soils. To connect these scales, he has been instrumental in developing and delivering #soilyourundies to Australia as a means to assess your soil health.

Qualifications

BSc (Hons), PhD

Awards

FAO/IUSS World Soils Day book competition mention of honour for ‘The three little fields and the big bad plough’ (2020)

EUSA nomination for excellence in teaching for Soil Protection and Management (2013)

Best individual and member of winning patrol. Exercise Executive Stretch (2009)

CSIRO Recognition of Significant Contribution, Diversity Award (2007)

Finalist Elders young achiever of the year (2007)

Photography - Winner BSSS/European Journal of Soil Science photography competition (2011). Winner and second CRDC photography competition (2007). Winner open photography section Narrabri show (2005 and 06)

Teaching Areas

Soil, soil biology, nematology and microbiology. Cotton production, sustainability and protection. Agricultural systems

Primary Research Area/s

Soil microbiology; Soil fertility; Cotton agronomy; Agricultural systems; GM crops; Nematology; Plant pathology

Research Interests

  • Plant/microbial interactions,
  • Nematology,
  • GM plants,
  • Bulky organic fertilisers,
  • Plant and Soil nutrition
  • Soil science.

Cotton Hub at UNE

Research Supervision Experience

I have overseen several honors, over 30 taught masters thesis and have six PhD completions to date.

Publications

Please see my Research Gate, Google Scholar or Scopus  web presence for  an up to date list of publications.

Memberships

I am a member of: Australian Soil Science Society (CPSS accredited), Australian Citizen Science Association, Australian Association of Cotton Scientists (Technical lead in Soil Health for CottonInfo), British Society of Plant Pathology, British Soil Science Society and Microbiology Society.

Consultancy Interests

I have consulted on composting, crofting systems and soil analysis and remain interested in these areas.