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.


Associate Professor Matthew Denton is an international research leader with a focus on Agronomy and Soil Biology. His group ask questions related to how plants interact with nutrients and microbes in soils and how to harness these interactions to create sustainable cropping systems and improve food security. He leads multi-disciplinary, multi-country research projects. His major research investigates plant-soil-microbe interactions to improve the productivity and resilience of farming systems. Associate Prof Denton has a focus on legume crops and pastures but has broad interests in improving farming systems productivity in both developed and developing countries. In addition to this globally-focused research, he is a Postgraduate Coordinator and is 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.

Remote video URL

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, La Trobe University, 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, Shanghai Jaio Tong University, North West Agriculture and Forestry University, 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
DAFF Pasture diversification and management to promote climate resistance and resilience Jenkins, Denton, Biala, Collins, Revell, Singh, Price

2023 - 2028

 

$5,461,430
GRDC Genetic initiative to transform symbiotic nitrogen fixation in Australian pulse crops Udvardi, Smith, Hickey, Ferguson, Cook, Denton, Mathesius, Reid 2023 - 2028 $5,255,936
GRDC Improving the understanding and the effectiveness of N fixation in pulses in Australia Farquharson E; Denton M; Rathjen J; Ryder M 2024 -  2028 $8,726,405
SAGIT Delivery of beneficial organisms through seed coating to improve grain yield Denton MD, Malekian B

01 Jul 2023 - 30 Jun 2025

 

$197,149
GRDC Enterprise choice and sequence strategies that drive sustainable and profitable southern Australian farming systems Knowling M, McDonald G, Zecchin A, Cavagnaro T, Denton M, Kravchuk O, Preston C, Gill G, Roy S

20 Jan 2023 - 30 Jun 2027

 

$6,869,079
Sheep Industry Fund Best practice feedbase management Lee S, Denton M, Griffiths H

Jan 2023 - Jan 2024

 

$100,000
DAFF - Soil Science Challenge Past, present and future drivers of change - soil microbiomes and functional diversity Cavagnaro T, Dubois C, Schilling R, Austin J, Roy S, McDonald G, Denton M, McKay A, Giblot-Ducray D, Schapel A

Jun 2022 - Jun 2025

 

$2,838,964
DAFF – 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
    2025 Co-Supervisor Under-vine management practices and weed suppression in King Valley vineyards; and the effects of Couch grass (Elymus Repens) and Crown grass (Paspalum) on vine health. Master of Philosophy Master Part Time Ms Hannah Clare Henderson
    2024 Co-Supervisor Exploring the diversity and functional attributes of Trichoderma spp. isolated from the Australian soils Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Chang Xu
    2024 Co-Supervisor Impacts of livestock on soil function and ecosystem services in South Australia's rangelands. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Rebecca Rose Greening
    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
    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
    2022 - 2024 Co-Supervisor Faba Bean Yield Determination from Environment to Phytomer: Water and Photothermal Regimes, Genetic Gain, Plant Population Density, and Pod-set Physiology Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr James Benjamin Manson
    2022 - 2024 Co-Supervisor The Effect of Tillage and Stubble Management on Soil Microbiome at Low- and High-Input Cropping System Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Miss Chang Xu
    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
    2019 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Genetic and Environmental Modulation of the Chickpea – Mesorhizobium Symbiosis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Nasir Iqbal
    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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