Overview
Background
My research is focused on exploring the functioning of agricultural systems. My projects are often carried out in multidisciplinary teams and with the participation of multiple stakeholders e.g. farmers, private consultants, agribusinesses, policy. My aims are to understand how people make decisions and act, how those decisions can be informed, and how the final actions affect the performance of crops, animals, farm businesses, the broader environment and the social and food systems. I also provide science leadership to a multidisciplinary team of crop physiologists, agronomists, modellers and socio-economists i.e. QAAFI Farming Systems Research Group. The key mission of this group is to identify pathways for the sustainable intensification of agriculture in Australia and in low-income countries.
Availability
- Professor Daniel Rodriguez is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Masters (Research) of Science, Wageningen University
- Doctor of Philosophy, Wageningen University
Research interests
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Risk management in agriculture
My research is focused on exploring the functioning of agricultural systems. My projects are often carried out in multidisciplinary teams and with the participation of multiple stakeholders e.g. farmers, private consultants, agribusinesses, policy. This presents unique challenges, including longer lead times to publication compared to disciplinary research. My aims are to understand how people make decisions and act, how those decisions can be informed, and how the final actions affect the performance of crops, animals, farm businesses, the broader environment and the social and food systems.
Research impacts
Evidence of his impact include, the development of whole farm simulation capacity within the APSIM model, which lead to UQ’s participation in a $40M project, resulting in the increased food security of 240,000 smallholder farmers in Africa; the production of evidence on how improved crop designs could deliver large profit gains (~$140 ha-1year-1) in Queensland’s 600,000 ha sorghum industry; and the identification of farm business designs that are more profitable, sustainable and resilient in face of increasing climate variability and change. He achieved this in partnerships with farmers, National and International donors and the private sector. His leadership in research is also evidenced by receiving 5 invitations as a keynote speaker at international conferences in the last 5 years. He annually present at industry forums, and he is active with government groups in the translation of his research into industry practice; and in informing policy. Prof Rodriguez leads and mentors a team of 5 full time researchers. He has successfully graduated 6 PhD students since starting at the University of Queensland in 2010, and mentored multiple Honours, MSc and MPhil students in collaboration with UQ Schools. He is presently the President of the Australian Society of Agronomy (2019-21) and organiser of the Australian Agronomy Conference, Toowoomba October 2021. Prof Rodriguez was member of the Local Confirmation and Promotions Committee at UQ’s Faculty of Science (2014-2016); he is member of the College of Experts at UQ’s Global Change Institute; he was Editor-in-Chief of Agricultural Systems 2013-2018 (IF 3.19); he is member of the Editorial Board of Agricultural Systems, and Associate Editor of Field Crops Research; he is one of the permanent organisers of the International Symposium for Farming Systems Design since 2009, the Global Food Security Conference in 2015 and 2017, and the World Congress on Conservation Agriculture in 2011; and organiser of the 2021 Australian Agronomy Conference in Toowoomba Queensland.
Works
Search Professor Daniel Rodriguez’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Journal Article
Irrigation with Artificial Intelligence: Problems, Premises, Promises
Wei, Hanyu, Xu, Wen, Kang, Byeong, Eisner, Rowan, Muleke, Albert, Rodriguez, Daniel, deVoil, Peter, Sadras, Victor, Monjardino, Marta and Harrison, Matthew Tom (2024). Irrigation with Artificial Intelligence: Problems, Premises, Promises. Human-Centric Intelligent Systems, 4 (2), 1-19. doi: 10.1007/s44230-024-00072-4
2024
Journal Article
Sowing summer grain crops early in late winter or spring: effects on root growth, water use, and yield
Zhao, Dongxue, deVoil, Peter, Rognoni, Bethany G., Wilkus, Erin, Eyre, Joseph X., Broad, Ian and Rodriguez, Daniel (2024). Sowing summer grain crops early in late winter or spring: effects on root growth, water use, and yield. Plant and Soil. doi: 10.1007/s11104-024-06648-0
2024
Journal Article
Agronomic adaptations to heat stress: sowing summer crops early in late winter
Rodriguez, Daniel, Serafin, Loretta, de Voil, Peter, Mumford, Michael, Zhao, Dongxue, Aisthorpe, Darren, Auer, Jane, Broad, Ian, Eyre, Joe and Hellyer, Mark (2024). Agronomic adaptations to heat stress: sowing summer crops early in late winter. agriRxiv, 318 109592. doi: 10.31220/agrirxiv.2024.00243
2023
Journal Article
Incorporating environmental covariates to explore genotype × environment × management (G × E × M) interactions: A one-stage predictive model
Mumford, Michael H., Forknall, Clayton R., Rodriguez, Daniel, Eyre, Joseph X. and Kelly, Alison M. (2023). Incorporating environmental covariates to explore genotype × environment × management (G × E × M) interactions: A one-stage predictive model. Field Crops Research, 304 109133, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.fcr.2023.109133
2023
Journal Article
A framework for the assessment of farm diversification options in broadacre agriculture
Adhikari, Lipy, Komarek, Adam M., de Voil, Peter and Rodriguez, Daniel (2023). A framework for the assessment of farm diversification options in broadacre agriculture. Agricultural Systems, 210 103724, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.agsy.2023.103724
2023
Journal Article
Shedding light on the complex relationship between forest restoration and water services
Dib, Viviane, Brancalion, Pedro H. S., Chan Chou, Sin, Cooper, Miguel, Ellison, David, Farjalla, Vinicius F., Filoso, Solange, Meli, Paula, Pires, Aliny P. F., Rodriguez, Daniel A., Iribarrem, Alvaro, Latawiec, Agnieszka Ewa, Scarano, Fabio R., Vogl, Adrian L., de Viveiros Grelle, Carlos Eduardo and Strassburg, Bernardo (2023). Shedding light on the complex relationship between forest restoration and water services. Restoration Ecology, 31 (5) e13890. doi: 10.1111/rec.13890
2023
Other Outputs
Early sorghum 2019-2022 data set
Rodriguez, Daniel and Zhao, Dongxue (2023). Early sorghum 2019-2022 data set. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/7924c5e
2022
Journal Article
3D characterization of crop water use and the rooting system in field agronomic research
Zhao, Dongxue, Eyre, Joseph X., Wilkus, Erin, de Voil, Peter, Broad, Ian and Rodriguez, Daniel (2022). 3D characterization of crop water use and the rooting system in field agronomic research. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 202 107409, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.compag.2022.107409
2022
Journal Article
Agronomic and on-farm infrastructure adaptations to manage economic risk in Australian irrigated broadacre systems: A case study
Monjardino, Marta, Harrison, Matthew T., DeVoil, Peter, Rodriguez, Daniel and Sadras, Victor O. (2022). Agronomic and on-farm infrastructure adaptations to manage economic risk in Australian irrigated broadacre systems: A case study. Agricultural Water Management, 269 107740, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107740
2022
Journal Article
Sustainable intensification practices reduce food deficit for the best- and worst-off households in Ethiopia and Mozambique
Wilkus, Erin Lynn, deVoil, Peter, Marenya, Paswel, Snapp, Sieg, Dixon, John and Rodriguez, Daniel (2022). Sustainable intensification practices reduce food deficit for the best- and worst-off households in Ethiopia and Mozambique. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5 649218. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.649218
2021
Journal Article
Application, adoption and opportunities for improving decision support systems in irrigated agriculture: a review
Ara, Iffat, Turner, Lydia, Harrison, Matthew Tom, Monjardino, Marta, deVoil, Peter and Rodriguez, Daniel (2021). Application, adoption and opportunities for improving decision support systems in irrigated agriculture: a review. Agricultural Water Management, 257 107161, 107161. doi: 10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107161
2021
Journal Article
Resilience achieved via multiple compensating subsystems: The immediate impacts of COVID-19 control measures on the agri-food systems of Australia and New Zealand
Snow, Val, Rodriguez, Daniel, Dynes, Robyn, Kaye-Blake, William, Mallawaarachchi, Thilak, Zydenbos, Sue, Cong, Lei, Obadovic, Irena, Agnew, Rob, Amery, Nicole, Bell, Lindsay, Benson, Cristy, Clinton, Peter, Dreccer, M. Fernanda, Dunningham, Andrew, Gleeson, Madeleine, Harrison, Matthew, Hayward, Alice, Holzworth, Dean, Johnstone, Paul, Meinke, Holger, Mitter, Neena, Mugera, Amin, Pannell, David, Silva, Luis F.P., Roura, Eugeni, Siddharth, Prince, Siddique, Kadambot H.M. and Stevens, David (2021). Resilience achieved via multiple compensating subsystems: The immediate impacts of COVID-19 control measures on the agri-food systems of Australia and New Zealand. Agricultural Systems, 187 103025, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.agsy.2020.103025
2021
Book Chapter
Sorghum
Borrell, Andrew, van Oosterom, Erik, George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Rodriguez, Daniel, Eyre, Joe, Jordan, David J., Mace, Emma, Singh, Vijaya, Vadez, Vincent, Bell, Mike, Godwin, Ian, Cruickshank, Alan, Tao, Yongfu and Hammer, Graeme (2021). Sorghum. Crop physiology: case histories for major crops. (pp. 196-221) edited by Victor O. Sadras and Daniel F. Calderini. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-819194-1.00005-0
2021
Journal Article
Exploring the effect of tillers on the water economy, plant growth and kernel set of low-density maize crops
Rotili, Diego Hernán, Abeledo, L. Gabriela, deVoil, Peter, Rodríguez, Daniel and Maddonni, Gustavo Ángel (2021). Exploring the effect of tillers on the water economy, plant growth and kernel set of low-density maize crops. Agricultural Water Management, 243 106424, 106424. doi: 10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106424
2020
Journal Article
Untangling genotype x management interactions in multi-environment on-farm experimentation
Rotili, Diego Hernán, de Voil, Peter, Eyre, Joseph, Serafin, Loretta, Aisthorpe, Darren, Maddonni, Gustavo Ángel and Rodríguez, Daniel (2020). Untangling genotype x management interactions in multi-environment on-farm experimentation. Field Crops Research, 255 107900, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.fcr.2020.107900
2020
Journal Article
The sustainable intensification of farming systems: a review of cross-disciplinary research methods
Grewer, Uwe and Rodriguez, Daniel (2020). The sustainable intensification of farming systems: a review of cross-disciplinary research methods. CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources, 14 (60) PAVSNNR201914060, 1-18. doi: 10.1079/PAVSNNR201914060
2020
Book Chapter
Making science more effective for agriculture
Sadras, Victor, Alston, Julian, Aphalo, Pedro, Connor, David, Denison, R. Ford, Fischer, Tony, Gray, Richard, Hayman, Peter, Kirkegaard, John, Kirchmann, Holger, Kropff, Martin, Lafitte, H. Renee, Langridge, Peter, Lenne, Jill, Mínguez, M. Inés, Passioura, John, Porter, John R., Reeves, Tim, Rodriguez, Daniel, Ryan, Megan, Villalobos, Francisco J. and Wood, David (2020). Making science more effective for agriculture. Advances in Agronomy. (pp. 153-177) edited by Donald L. Sparks. Maryland Heights, MO, United States: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/bs.agron.2020.05.003
2020
Journal Article
Increasing voluntary working enthusiasm among poorly resourced farmers by promoting labor and market efficiency
Li, Jing, Lv, Xiaofeng and Rodriguez, Daniel (2020). Increasing voluntary working enthusiasm among poorly resourced farmers by promoting labor and market efficiency. Economic Computation and Economic Cybernetics Studies and Research, 54 (1), 287-302. doi: 10.24818/18423264/54.1.20.18
2020
Conference Publication
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolour L.) germination dynamics at extreme temperatures
Li, Mengwei, Eyre, Joseph X., Broad, Ian and Rodriguez, Daniel (2020). Sorghum (Sorghum bicolour L.) germination dynamics at extreme temperatures. The Third International Tropical Agriculture Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 11-13 November 2019. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI AG. doi: 10.3390/proceedings2019036040
2019
Book Chapter
Evolution of conservation agriculture in summer rainfall areas
Serafin, Loretta, Dang, Yash, Freebairn, David and Rodriguez, Daniel (2019). Evolution of conservation agriculture in summer rainfall areas. Australian Agriculture in 2020: From Conservation to Automation. (pp. 65-78) edited by J. Pratley and J. Kirkegaard. Wagga Wagga, NSW Australia: Agronomy Australia.
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Daniel Rodriguez is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
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Optimising sorghum agronomy
Background
Australia’s climate has warmed by about 1.4 °C since 1910, leading to an increase in the frequency of extreme heat events and the frequency and intensity of water stresses. Climate trends and ongoing climate change provide clear focus on the need to increase crop adaptation to water and heat stresses.
Here we propose that early sowing of sorghum could increase sowing opportunities and simultaneously avoid heat and water stress at flowering in some cropping systems and locations.
Previous research identified that early sown sorghum crops show high yield potentials with increased downside risk due to (i) poorly emerged crops when sown in cold soils, (ii) the likelihood of frost damage, and (iii) stunted growth due to lower than optimum air temperatures. However, there is no clear information on the benefits and trade-offs of the practice. Particularly there is limited information on low temperature thresholds for frost damage, cold temperature impacts on crop establishment, growth and development, water use dynamics, water use efficiency, yield potential and yield components, and the effects on subsequent crops in the cropping system for winter sown sorghum agronomic packages.
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Matching adapted pulse genotypes with soil and climate to maximise yield and profit, with manageable risk in Australian cropping systems
Pulses can increase profits, diversify income and increase sustainability. Megatrends in global food markets favour consumption of plant-based protein. However, significant productivity gaps remain, driven by lack of understanding of pulse physiology and agronomy. This project focuses on chickpea in Queensland, and will deliver location, soil and season-specific management options that optimise production to better enable growers to (i) attain water limited yield potential, (ii) increase profitability and (iii) reduce risk.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Designing Farming Systems with Whole Farm Models
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hamish McGowan, Dr Dongxue Zhao
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Doctor Philosophy
Improving the reliability and profitability of sorghum in north west NSW
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
De-risking Broadacre Cropping Options in Northern Australia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Adam Komarek
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Master Philosophy
Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor L. Moench) Germination in Cold and Drying Soil
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Yash Dang, Dr Joe Eyre
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Doctor Philosophy
Overcoming the root phenotyping bottleneck in cereals
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Alison Kelly, Professor David Jordan, Dr Dongxue Zhao
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Managing variable seasonal weather conditions in smallholder agriculture: Exposure, impacts, adaptations
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Christopher O'Donnell, Dr Dong-Hyuk Kim
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2023
Master Philosophy
Crop sensing as a tool to assist data collection in maize agronomic trials
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Joe Eyre, Associate Professor Andries Potgieter
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Risks and opportunities from more productive and resilient cropping system strategies in the Central and Southern Rift Valley of Ethiopia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Joe Eyre
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
Residue Management Strategies for the Rainfed N-Deprived Maize-legume Cropping Systems of Central Mozambique
Principal Advisor
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
Drivers for high yield in rainfed cropping: A comparative analysis between Manica, Mozambique and Queensland Australia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Joe Eyre
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
The role of intercropping and sole cropping across environments of contrasting level of productivity in Ethiopia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Shu Fukai
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
From complex to complicated: Addressing global phosphorus inefficiency with field scale agricultural systems models
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Susanne Schmidt
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Options for managing climate variability and market risks for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Thilak Mallawaarachchi
Media
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