Plant, Soil and Environment

The Plant, Soil and Environment research theme consists of leading academics and researchers working collaboratively across a range of research groups to address global challenges that threaten food security and natural and managed ecosystems. We support  domestic and international research students and early career researchers to build knowledge and capacity. Our projects are global with partners across Australia, Asia, Africa, America and Europe. We use the wealth of UNE facilities, the well-equipped laboratories, glasshouses with cutting edge technologies and upscale in the field using the UNE field rural properties and SMART farms. Our team is uniquely placed in rural Australia with access to modern farms, advanced precision technology, information resources, genomic facilities and international partnerships to innovative with research to tackle the local to global challenges of today.

Research Focus

Pollution and environmental stressors and how these can be managed to achieve environmental balance?

Pollution is one of the major challenges threatening communities and terrestrial ecosystems across the world. We study legacy and contemporary pollutants including microplastics, PFAS, pesticides and toxic metals.  We measure, model and predict to protect, regulate, manage and rehabilitate, to ensure long-term resilience and productivity.  We include in our research the adverse impacts and mitigation for fires, surface and groundwater water depletion, salinity, acidification and erosion.

Plant production systems and how we can grow Australian and world food and fibre production under increasing system constraints?

Maintaining the strong role of agriculture in Australia's economy and addressing global concerns about food security are key challenges.  Our research aims to develop resilient whole farm systems that employ innovative technologies and diverse approaches to plant production for the threats of changing socio-economic drivers, and environmental constraints, such as increasing temperatures and drought, weeds, pests and disease.  We work to understand how plants function and respond to environmental and management in cropping, irrigated, horticultural and pastoral enterprises to ensure sustainable productivity.