Professor Richard Bell
Research Leader
9360 2370
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Dr Song Qiu
Senior Research Fellow
9360 6357
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Dr Wen Chen
Research Fellow
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Carlos Raphael
Research Officer
Ph: 9360 6077
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Wendy Vance
PhD Candidate
Ph: 9360 6993
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Rajesh Sharma
PhD Candidate
Ph: 9360 6993
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Contact Details
Room 48, Level 3 Environmental Science Building
Phone: 9360 2370
Email: R.Bell@Murdoch.edu.au

Dr Richard W. Bell, Professor in Sustainable Land Management

Richard Bell is a soil fertility and land management specialist with lecturing and research experience in Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Sarawak, and Sri Lanka. His research interests are in micronutrients especially boron, plant nutrition on problem soils, diagnosis and prognosis of mineral disorders of plants, plant adaption to mineral stress, saline soil management, mine revegetation, land restoration, catchment management, dryland salinity control, sustainable land use, and Third world agricultural development. He is the author of 9 book chapters, 107 refereed papers, 98 conference papers and 29 reports, and editor of 6 books.

Richard's publications can be found at the School's Publication Database or on this link for publications prior to 2001.

Much of the published work has concerned the mineral nutrition of plants, management of problem soils and rehabilitation of degraded land. He is the supervisor of 10 current and 30 completed post graduate students. The aim of the group is to develop solutions for the sustainable management of agricultural, mining and conservation lands through research on plants, soils and landscape processes. The four areas of research where we work rely on partnerships with other staff at Murdoch and in other agencies to complement our own research expertise.

The Group works with an extensive network of active contacts in:

• WA government agencies (Department of Agriculture and Food, Department of Environment and Conservation),
• Divisions of CSIRO (Land and Water, Forests and Forest Products)
• Australian Universities (Adelaide, Queensland and Western Australia),
• companies such as Alcoa, Argyle Diamonds, CSBP Wesfarmers, Premier Coal, Worsley Alumina, and
• agencies in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam and the USA.

Since appointment to a tenured position in 1990, Richard Bell has built the land management area to a research strength in the School of Environmental Science. In this 15 year period, he has attracted together with colleagues research income of over $6 million, of which 60 % was from Commonwealth competitive sources, 30% from industry and 10% from State Government sources.

Contact Details
c/- Prof Richard Bell
Email: W.Chen@murdoch.edu.au

Dr Wen Chen, Research Fellow

Dr Wen Chen currently works on a GRDC funded project on ‘Profitable and Sustainable Nutrient Management in the WA Grains Industry’. He started his research career in China as a research agronomist working on nutrient management (P and Zn) for forage crops. In 1994, he came to Australia and started his Ph.D. at the University of New England, Armidale studying nitrogen and sulphur cycling in temperate pasture systems using 15N and 34S and n-alkane techniques. After his Ph.D. he was sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Canada to work with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre in Brandon, Manitoba, on a large study to assess soil nutrient redistribution and nitrogen cycling in beef pasture systems.

Before he joined Murdoch University, he worked for the School of Agriculture & Wine, University of Adelaide on a Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research funded project aiming to improve the productivity and sustainability of rainfed cropping systems for the Loess Plateau of Gansu Province, China. His research in the project was focussed on the development and application of the APSIM (The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator) simulation modelling tool to evaluate productivity and water balance of different cropping systems, and examine climatic risk associated with change from ‘current’ to ‘new’ cropping systems. He has published 16 scientific papers in referred journals and presented 20 papers at national and international conferences.

Selected referred publications

• Chen, W., Porter W.M., Bell, R., Bowden, B., Brennan, R. and Rengel, Z. (2006) Identify nutrient management opportunities and threats in the Western Australian grains industry. In Turner N.C., Acuna T. and Johnson, R.C. (eds.), Proceedings of the 13th Australian Agronomy Conference, Perth, Western Australia.
• Harris, R., Clune, T., Peoples, M., Swan, A., Bellotti, W. and Chen, W. (2006) The role of nitrogen and in-crop lucerne suppression for increasing cereal performance in companion cropping systems (invited plenary paper). 13th Australian Agronomy Conference, Perth, Western Australia.
• Entz, M. H., Bellotti, W. D., Powell, J. M., Angadi, S. V., Chen, W., Ominiski, K. H. and Boelt. B., 2005 Evolution of integrated crop-livestock production systems. In ‘Grassland: a global resource’ (Ed. McGilloway, D. A.). pp 137~148. (Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands).
• Chen. W., McCaughey, W. P., and Grant, C. A. 2004 Pasture type and fertilization effects on N2 fixation, N budgets and external energy inputs in western Canada. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 36: 1205~1212.
• Chen, W., Scott, J.M., Blair, G.J., Lefroy, R.D.B., Hutchinson, K.J., King, K., and C. Harris. 2002. Diet selection, nutrient intake and output and productivity of sheep grazing contrasting pastures. Australian Journal of Agriculture Research 53, 529~539.
• Chen. W., McCaughey, W. P., Grant, C. A. and Bailey, L. D. 2001. Pasture type and fertilization effects on soil chemical properties and nutrient redistribution. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 81, 305~404.
• Scott, J.M., Hutchinson, K.J., King, K., Chen, W., McLeod, M., Blair, G.J., White, A., Wilkinson, D., Lefroy, R.D.B., Cresswell, H., Daniel, H., Harris, C., MacLeod, D.A., Blair, N., and Chamberlain, G. 2000. Quantifying the sustainability of grazed pastures on the Northern Tablelands of NSW. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 40, 257~265.
• Chen, W., Blair, G.J., Scott, J.M. and Lefroy, R.D.B. 1999. Nitrogen and sulfur dynamics of contrasting grazed pastures. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 50, 1381~92.

Dr Song Qiu, Senior Research Fellow

Song Qiu works as a Senior Research Fellow in association with LMG. He has published more than 40 research papers, and has also been involved in 4 successful ARC applications in recent years in collaboration with other researchers. His earlier experiences include various studies on water quality and air pollution in China, and managing environmental monitoring activities for a large city in late 1980s. Qiu joined Murdoch University in 1990 as a visiting researcher and conducted research on the potential of sediment-P release in the estuaries of southwestern Australia. His PhD (1996) works on the impact of drying on nutrient transformations in wetlands, and his post-doctoral experience was largely associated with ARC funded research, such as investigating the connectivity between land use/ litter turnover and nutrient accumulation in wetlands, and to explore management opportunities for the notorious algal-blooms in WA waters. Much of his previous efforts were devoted to understanding of the hydrogeochemical and microbial processes controlling nutrient transport in soil and water. Qiu currently studies the ecosystem response to forest thinning in the Wungong Catchment, funded by ARC and Water Corporation of WA, which aims to maintain ecosystem health while increase catchment water yield to meet future water demands in WA.

Song's publications can be found at the School's Publication Database

Contact Details
Room 052, Level 3, Environmental Science Building
Phone: 9360 6077
Email: C.Raphael@murdoch.edu.au

Mr Carlos Raphael, Research Officer

Carlos is currently working on a project funded under the State Government’s Engineering Evaluation Initiative (EEI) “Assessing the change in soil quality as a result of drainage intervention and finding ways of mitigating the adverse affects”.

The underlying aims of the project are to: explore impacts on soil properties from engineering solutions (positive or negative) designed to drain salt affected and waterlogged land for conventional agricultural use, and; examine various methods to mitigate the adverse affects of soil salinity. >>more

Previous to working in the Land Management Group, Carlos has worked at the Botany Department (UWA) on the nitrogen fixation of pasture legumes and at the Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (UWA) on soil acidity.

Contact Details
Room 001, Level 4, Environmental Science Building
Phone: 9360 xxxx
Email: J.Anderson@murdoch.edu.au

Dr Jonathan Anderson, (conferred Aug 09)

Jonathan’s PhD project focuses on ameliorating bauxite refining residues to produce a growth medium capable of successful long-term rehabilitation of storage piles revegetated with native Western Australia coastal species.

He is approaching this issue by using a combination of research proven amendments in conjunction with alterations of residue materials to produce a growth medium with an optimal texture and level of nutrients in order to form a strong basis for nutrient retention and cycling.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

• Determine optimal mix of altered red mud and residue sand
• Measure chemical and physical properties of the ameliorate sands
• Measure plant growth response and nutrient accumulation in optimal growth medium
• Evaluate two years vegetative growth and root penetration depths in optimal growth medium

EDUCATION

• M.S. Soil Science – University of Wyoming, USA
  Thesis Title: "Evaluation of Organic Carbon and Microbial Biomass in Reclaimed Surface Mine Soils"
• B.S. Geology – University of Wyoming, USA

PUBLICATIONS

• Jonathan's publications can be found at the School's Publication Database
• Anderson J.D., P.D. Stahl and L.J. Ingram. 2005. Influence of Reclamation Management Practices on Microbial Biomass Carbon and Soil Organic Carbon in Semiarid Mined lands of Wyoming. (in review) Arid Lands Research and Management.

Contact Details
Room 001, Level 4, Environmental Science Building
Phone: 9360 xxxx
Email: W.Vance@murdoch.edu.au

Ms Wendy Vance, PhD Candidate

Wendy started her PhD in 2007. The project aims to improve fertilizer use efficiency in rainfed cropping environments. Reduced fertilizer use efficiency due to drying of the surface soil is a continuing problem in rainfed cropping. Pulse crops in both Bangladesh and Australia face these constraints and there is a need to improve methods of seed and fertilizer placement in the seedbed in the cropping circumstances of both countries.

Previous to this Wendy worked on the ACIAR funded project “Assessing land suitability for crop diversification in Cambodia and Australia”. This requires work on a variety of project activities including to provide training to the Cambodia scientist’s, writing and analyzing farmer surveys, crop modelling, database management, mapping soil survey sites, analysis soil data and preparation of maps of land suitability for crop growth.

Wendy’s previous work history includes employment by CSIRO in the Division of Plant Industry and by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria.

EDUCATION

• Master of Agricultural Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria
• Title: Soil morphological, chemical and physical properties that indicate soil stability and structure
• Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Hons), La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria
  • Title: Residual effects of calcium application on subsoil
• Postgraduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems, Curtin University of Technology

PUBLICATIONS

• Wendy's publications can be found at the School's Publication Database
• Vance, W., Bell, R. and Seng Vang. (2006) Using crop modelling to supplement crop trial data for land capability assessment in Cambodia. Ground Breaking Stuff. Proceedings of 13th Australain Society of Agronomy Conference Sep 2006, pp 117.
• Bell, R.W., Seng, V., Schoknecht, N., Vance, W.H. and Hin, S. (2006) Assessing land suitability for crop diversification in Cambodia. In Bell, R.W., Coughlan, K., Hunter, G., McNaughton, R. and Seng, V. (eds.), Proceedings of the Land Resource Assessment Forum for Cambodia, 14-17 September 2004, CARDI, Cambodia, pp.40-58.
• Seng, V., Bell, R.W., White, P.F., Schoknecht, N., Hin S. and Vance, W. (2005) Sandy soils of Cambodia. In Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Management of Tropical Sandy Soils, November 2005, Khon Kaen, Thailand (CD ROM).
• Vance W, Bell R and Vang S (2004) Rainfall analysis for the Provinces of Battambang, Kampong Cham and Takeo, The Kingdom of Cambodia. Progress Report for Mid-Term review of ACIAR-03 (LWR1/2002/051). 5th -6th August 2004.
• Van Gool D, White P, Vance W, Schoknecht N and Bell R (2004) Land evaluation for pulse production in WA In ‘SuperSoils Sydney 04 Conference Proceedings’.
• Schoknecht N, Hin S, Bell R, Vang S, and Vance W (2004) Basaltic soils of EasterN Cambodia. In ‘SuperSoils Sydney 04 Conference Proceedings’.
• Vance WH, McKenzie BM and Tisdall JM (2002) Soil stability of cropping soils in northern Victoria and southern New South Wales. Australian Journal of Soil Science 40, 645-624.
• Vance WH, Tisdall JM and McKenzie BM (1998) Residual effects of surface applications of organic matter and calcium salts on the subsoil of a red-brown earth. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 38, 595-600.

Juma Omary Issango, PhD Candidate

PhD PROJECT: - "Quantifying carbon sequestration on saltland pastures, south west Australia"

OBJECTIVES:

• To investigate how vegetation types, soil types, water regimes, and pasture land management (especially grazed vs ungrazed fields) affect rates of carbon sequestration in saltland pastures.
• To investigate the dynamics of root and shoot growth of saltland pasture species in relation to carbon cycling and the amount of carbon sequestered.
• Quantifying the carbon sequestration in saltland pastures on salt-affected and waterlogged agricultural land in south-west Australia

Contact Details
Room 54, Level 3, Environmental Science Building
Phone: 9360 6993
Email: rxqsharma@rediffmail.com

Dr Rajesh Sharma, (conferred Aug 09)

PHD PROJECT - "Identify and verify critical source areas for P load and offsite risk in the Fitzgerald River Catchment"

Rajesh's publications can be found at the School's Publication Databas

This research is focused on the P loss mechanisms from the landscape, considering interactions between the potential source areas for P in the catchment, soil P level, fertilization practices over time and transport processes involved in the mobility of P in the landscape both in the runoff and erosion at Fitzgerald River Catchment.

The Fitzgerald River National Park has both regional and national significance, and is listed as an international biosphere reserve with world heritage significance. Water draining from the Fitzgerald River agricultural catchment can produce offsite impacts on the biosphere reserve. Erosion and sedimentation are predicted to be the major problem on the Fitzgerald River. Fitzgerald Biosphere Group (FBG) sought to develop a clear understanding of the processes and rates of offsite export of phosphorus and sediments from cropping land into the National Park. Fitzgerald River catchment is located 20 km east of Jerramungup townsite or 400 km south east of Perth. This catchment covers an area of about 104,000 ha and annual rainfall ranges from 400 to 450 mm.

Objectives:

1. To determine the spatial variability of soil P in the catchment area in relation to P fertilization history and hydrologically sensitive areas (HSA).
2. (a) Characterization of forms, amounts and distribution of P in cleared and uncleared soils of the catchment.
   (b) To characterize sorption reactions of P in soils.
3. To assess P mobility for different levels of applied phosphate fertilizer and determine the Colwell-P level in soils below which no significant P loss occurs.
4. To assess the mobility of P from key soil types in critical source areas and the validity of soil P tests (CaCl2-P, Colwell-P) as an indicator of potential P release from the soil.
5. Factors affecting the P mobility from the soil surface a tilted flume study.

Project Team:

The project will be managed by Murdoch University in collaboration with CSIRO.

• Prof. Richard Bell.
• Dr. Mike Wong, Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO.
• Mr. Rajesh Sharma, PhD student, Murdoch University.

Education:

• Master of Soil Science (Agriculture), Maharana Partap University of agriculture and Technology, Udaipur (Rajasthan), India. 2000-2002.
  Thesis title: “Assessment of Rosin coated granulated Single super phosphate (SSP) availability in Maize”.
• Bachelor of Science Agriculture (Honors), Khalsa College of agriculture, Amritsar, Punjab (India), 1996-2000.

Work Experience:

• Consultant agronomist in Tata Chemicals Ltd (2002-2004)