Matthew Denton

Associate Professor Matthew Denton

Associate Prof/Reader

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


I am an Associate Professor with a focus on Agronomy and Soil Biology. In our group we ask questions related to how plants interact with nutrients and microbes in soils and how we can optimise these interactions to create productive crops and improve food security. I lead multi-disciplinary, multi-country research projects. My major research investigates plant-soil-microbe interactions to improve productivity in farming systems. I have a particular focus on legume crops and pastures but have broad interests in improving farming systems productivity in both developed and developing countries. In addition to my research, I am a Postgraduate Coordinator and am passionate about educating the next generation of agricultural scientists.

Research

I lead several multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional projects related to enhancing farming systems productivity through improving crop, soil and microbial interactions. I lead an Australian Research Council project with industry support, on beneficial organisms to improve cropping systems in Australia. I lead an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) project 'Management Practices for Profitable Crop-Livestock Systems in Cambodia and Lao PDR' which improves the integration of crop and livestock systems for some of the poorest farmers in SE Asia.

I lead Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) projects to enhance legume productivity through improved inoculants and to provide farmers with improved management of nitrogen fertilisers. I have previously led projects in Myanmar and the Middle East.

Collaborations

In these projects I collaborate broadly with SARDI, CSIRO, University of Sydney, Murdoch University, University of Western Australia, Australian National University, University of Melbourne, DPIRD and others. Internationally, I collaborate with University of California Davis (UCD), Wageningen University and Research (WUR), Shandong Academy of Sciences, Qilu University of Technology (China), Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Royal University of Agriculture (Cambodia), National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (Laos).

 Current projects include:

 

 

 

Source

Project

Chief Investigators

Period

Funding

DAWE – Future Drought Fund

Promoting best-practice feedbase management to deliver improved drought resilience in low to medium rainfall regions through on-farm demonstrations and case studies

Denton, Philp, Lee, Peck, Humphries, Cavagnaro, Pitchford, Koopman

2022 - 2024

$809,068

ARC

LP200200813: A soil ecological approach to increasing Australian crop productivity

Denton, Cavagnaro, Zhou, Ryder

2021 - 2025

$1,232,434

ACIAR

Management Practices for Profitable Crop-Livestock Systems in Cambodia and Lao PDR, Phase 2

Denton, Philp, Bell, Vance, Boyd, Seuth, Hin, Seng, Chhay

2021 - 2024

$1,142,140

SAGIT

Novel Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria from Australian Soil Biodiversity: Evaluation, Understanding and Application

Denton, Zhou, Ryder

2019

$72,000

GRDC

Increasing the effectiveness of nitrogen fixation in pulse crops through development of improved rhizobial strains, inoculation and crop management practices

Denton, Ryder, Rathjen, Ryder

2018 - 2022

$744,667

SAGIT

Herbicide residue effects on soil microbial communities in alkaline soils

Denton, Zhou, Dzoma

2018 - 2020

$58,000

Dept Trade and Investment/DVCR/Shandong Academy of Science

China-Australia Joint laboratory for soil ecological health and remediation

Denton, Zhou, Ryder, Philp, Toh, Hetong, Li

2018 - 2021

$1,743,000

Crawford

Rhizobiology training workshop in Yezin, Myanmar

Denton, Gemell, Hartley

2017

$12,000

Crawford

Training extension agents and researchers in evaluation of agricultural innovations in Laos and Cambodia

Denton, Monjardino, Kuehne, Philp

2016

$12,000

ARC

Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture

Kaiser, Trethowan, Mathesius, Colmer, Day, Denton, Adams, Barbour, Smith, Merchant, Bramley, Deaker, Young, Sutton, Bird, Ogbonnaya

2016 - 2021

$14,015,267

ACIAR

Management Practices for Profitable Crop-Livestock Systems in Cambodia and Lao PDR

Denton, Bell, Phimphachanhvongsod, Sengxua, Sihathep, Vang, Seng

2016 - 2020

$1,900,000

GRDC

Managing legume and fertiliser nitrogen for the southern region

Denton, Unkovich, Herridge, Long, Zhou, McDonald, McNeill

2016 - 2018

$329,366

ACIAR

Sustainable management practices for profitable crop livestock systems for Cambodia and Lao PDR

Denton, Bell

2014

$85,525

ACIAR

Increasing productivity of legume-based farming systems in the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar

Herridge, Denton, Gaur, Guppy, Birchall, Oo, Yi, Myint

2011 - 2018

$2,500,000

G08/DAAD

Nitrogen fixation efficiency in the Medicago truncatula – Sinorhizobium symbiosis

Denton

2013 - 2014

$13,500

ACIAR

Development of conservation cropping systems in the drylands of northern Iraq

Loss, Siddique, Denton, Saliem, Rijabo, AlTak, Jasm

2013 - 2015

$8,900,002

GRDC

Extension of the Nitrogen Fixation Program

Denton, Ballard

2012 - 2017

$750,000

GRDC

Optimising Nitrogen Fixation in Pulse Systems

Ballard, Denton

2012 - 2017

$350,000

 

I teach into courses within the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine and the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. I am a passionate teacher and aim to provide students with a solid basis in agricultural sciences. I hold a graduate certificate in Education (Higher Education).  

Some of the courses that I currently teach into are:

Agricultural Systems 1: lecturing and tutorials and practicals.

Agricultural Production 1: Coordination and lecturing, tutorials and practicals.

Crop and Pasture Production II: lecturing, tutorials and practicals.

Foundations in Plant Science II: lecturing

Livestock Production Science II: lecturing and practicals.

Soil and Plant Nutrition III: tutorial and practical.

Farming Systems in Developing Countries (MSc coursework): Coordination and tutorials.

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 Principal Supervisor Identification of plant beneficial microbes and soil microbiome mechanisms that improve productivity and resilience of food production systems Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Nathan Kent Strawbridge
    2023 Co-Supervisor Acidification and soil function in tropical sandy soils Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Pengly Koun
    2022 Principal Supervisor Nitrogen Dynamics and Cropping System Effects on Growth Patterns of Cool-Season Pulses Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Donald Siyeni
    2022 Co-Supervisor The ecophysiology of faba bean adaptation and yield determination Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr James Benjamin Manson
    2022 Co-Supervisor Soil Microbiome Diversity in Agricultural Environments with Different Cropping Managements Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Miss Chang Xu
    2019 Principal Supervisor Effect of Acetolactate Synthase Inhibiting Herbicide Residues on Soil Microbial Communities Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Bernard Brian Dzoma
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Genetic and Environmental Modulation of the Chickpea – Mesorhizobium Symbiosis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Nasir Iqbal
    2019 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Legume-oilseed intercropping in mechanised broadacre agriculture in a Mediterranean climate Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Alyce Hayes Dowling
    2018 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Engagement of Youth in Agricultural Entrepreneurship in Laos Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Manithaythip Thephavanh
    2017 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Enhancing the chickpea-Mesorhizobium symbiosis using beneficial rhizobacteria Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time APrf Anteneh Argaw Alemneh
    2017 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Farmers’ Motivation and Biophysical Impact of using Cordia africana and Albizia coriaria on Coffee-Bean Intercrops in the Mt Elgon Region (Uganda) Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Joel Buyinza
    2017 - 2022 Principal Supervisor The Adaptation of Tropical Perennial Grasses to Abiotic Constraints in Sandy Soils Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Chanthy Huot
    2017 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Symbiotic effectiveness, phylogenetic diversity and ecological adaptation of chickpea rhizobia isolated from Australian and Myanmar soils Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Myint Zaw
    2014 - 2018 Principal Supervisor Mechanisms contributing to wheat and maize yield under no-till, stubble retention and nitrogen fertilization in contrasting environments Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Onesmus Musembi Kitonyo
    2014 - 2016 Principal Supervisor The Influence of Temperature on Emissions of Nitrous Oxide and Dinitrogen from Soils Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Thang Viet Lai
    2013 - 2018 Principal Supervisor Investigating the potential for bradyrhizobia and phosphate solubilising microorganisms to improve soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) production in acid soils in Ethiopia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Daniel Muleta Fana
  • Board Memberships

    Date Role Board name Institution name Country
    2017 - ongoing Board Member Board of the AW Howard Memorial Trust AW Howard Memorial Trust Australia
    2017 - ongoing Board Member Management Committee of the AW Howard Memorial Trust AW Howard Memorial Trust Incorporated Australia
  • Committee Memberships

    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2012 - ongoing Member Postgraduate Committee The University of Adelaide Australia
    2012 - ongoing Member Health, Safety and wellbeing The University of Adelaide Australia
  • Memberships

    Date Role Membership Country
    2007 - ongoing Member American Society of Agronomy United States
    2007 - ongoing Member Soil Science Society of America United States
    1996 - ongoing Chair Australian Society for Nitrogen Fixation Australia
    1996 - ongoing Member Australian Society of Agronomy Australia
  • Consulting/Advisories

    Date Institution Department Organisation Type Country
    2016 - ongoing Steering Committee Chair, ACIAR forage options project - Scientific research Australia
    2015 - ongoing ARC Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture Advisory panel - Scientific research Australia
    2011 - 2014 ICARDA advisory board for ACIAR Conservation Agriculture project - Scientific research Jordan
    2006 - ongoing National Rhizobium Steering Committee - Scientific research Australia
  • Editorial Boards

    Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
    2017 - ongoing Associate Editor Crop and Pasture Science - Australia
    2017 - ongoing Consulting Editor Plant and Soil - Netherlands
  • Position: Associate Prof/Reader
  • Phone: 83131098
  • Email: matthew.denton@adelaide.edu.au
  • Fax: 83137109
  • Campus: Waite
  • Building: Waite, floor G
  • Org Unit: Agricultural Science

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