Adjunct Professor Ram Dalal AM
Adjunct Professor

Ram Dalal AM

Email: 

Background

Professor Ram Dalal is a Professor in the School of Agriculture and Food Science at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. He has contributed significantly to create awareness in the farming, scientific and general community to the seriousness and insidious nature of soil degradation. As a consequence, restorative practices for sustainable land management were developed and promoted. The international nature of the program was demonstrated by the fact that it was part of the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Program. It is now nationally recognized by policy makers and politicians that land degradation and sustainable land management are the national and international priorities. These projects have made significant contribution towards these issues.

In the last 30 years Dr Dalal has worked towards sustainable land management systems, nitrogen management and soil carbon dynamics. He was the co-leader of soil carbon program in the CRC for Greenhouse Accounting (199-2006), leader of soil carbon changes following land clearing funded by the Australian Greenhouse Office (1998-2002), reviewer for the IPCC Good Practice Guidance (2006) for the land sector, and leader of the National Soil Carbon Program (2012-2015) and Soil Constraints Initiative - Management of Sodic, Magnesic or Dispersive Soils (2015). He has been a consultant and project research contributor to the International Atomic Energy Agency (2004-2009). Recently, he has led a number of projects on estimating soil carbon stock following land use change from native vegetation to croplands, grazing lands, and management of croplands and grazing lands and rangelands (2009-2015) funded by the Department of Environment and Heritage, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Department of Agriculture, Commonwealth of Australia. In addition, he has also been involved in estimating nitrous oxide and methane emissions/ uptake from different ecosystems including agriculture, grassland, plantation forestry and estuarine/ mangrove systems (2000 – 2015). He led the National Soil Carbon Program from 2012 to 2015.

Availability

Adjunct Professor Ram Dalal AM is:
Available for supervision

Fields of research

Crop and pasture production Environmental Sciences

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Indian Agricultural Research Institute

Research interests

  • Soil and Land Management

    Soil fertility, soil biology, soil chemistry, soil and water conservation, landscape restoration, soil carbon sequestration in cropping, pasture and forestry systems and nitrogen management in cropping and pasture systems, phosphorus and zinc nutrition, soil constraints including sodicity and salinity

  • Crop and Pasture Production

    Sustainable crop rotations, sustainable pasture production systems, crop and pasture rotations, crop and pasture nutrition, fertiliser use and nutrient use efficiency, water use efficiency

  • Greenhouse Gases Mitigation

    Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane emissions and uptake in soil-plant systems, carbon sequestration

Research impacts

My research programs created or contributed significantly to create awareness in the rural, scientific and general community in Queensland, nationwide and internationally to the seriousness and insidious nature of land degradation, carbon loss, sustainability indicators and landscape processes that lead among others, to poor soil and land quality, fertility decline and stream and groundwater quality deterioration. For the last 25 years, landscape restoration, soil organic matter management, carbon sequestration and nitrogen management, and site-specific management for soil and subsoil and other constraints and sustainable crop and pasture rotations and vegetation management have been the central research platforms across cropping, rangelands and forestry ecosystems. The international nature of the program is demonstrated by the fact that it was one of only two sites listed from Australia with the International Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Program. The Fertility Restoration Site of this program was frequently visited by national and international scientists.

Policy makers and politicians now nationally recognize that land degradation, carbon loss and landscape degradation processes lead to deteriorating water quality, and that sustainable land, vegetation and water use, and greenhouse gas mitigation and climate change are the state and national priorities. These projects have been pioneer in Australia in these fields and made significant contribution towards resolving these issues, and provided impetus to initiating similar studies in Australia and worldwide.

Search Professor Ram Dalal AM’s works on UQ eSpace

314 works between 1972 and 2025
All (314) Journal Article (267) Book Chapter (12) Conference Publication (31) Book (3) Other Outputs (1)

101 - 120 of 314 works

2017

Journal Article

Biochar and biomass organic amendments shaped different dominance of lithoautotrophs and organoheterotrophs in microbial communities colonizing neutral copper(Cu)-molybdenum(Mo)-gold(Au) tailings

You, Fang, Dalal, Ram and Huang, Longbin (2017). Biochar and biomass organic amendments shaped different dominance of lithoautotrophs and organoheterotrophs in microbial communities colonizing neutral copper(Cu)-molybdenum(Mo)-gold(Au) tailings. Geoderma, 309, 100-110. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.09.010

Biochar and biomass organic amendments shaped different dominance of lithoautotrophs and organoheterotrophs in microbial communities colonizing neutral copper(Cu)-molybdenum(Mo)-gold(Au) tailings

2017

Journal Article

The effect of salinity on plant-available water

Sheldon, Anna R., Dalal, Ram C., Kirchhof, Gunnar, Kopittke, Peter M. and Menzies, Neal W. (2017). The effect of salinity on plant-available water. Plant and Soil, 418 (1-2), 477-491. doi: 10.1007/s11104-017-3309-7

The effect of salinity on plant-available water

2017

Journal Article

Global changes in soil stocks of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur as influenced by long-term agricultural production

Kopittke, Peter M., Dalal, Ram C., Finn, Damien and Menzies, Neal W. (2017). Global changes in soil stocks of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur as influenced by long-term agricultural production. Global Change Biology, 23 (6), 2509-2519. doi: 10.1111/gcb.13513

Global changes in soil stocks of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur as influenced by long-term agricultural production

2017

Journal Article

Responses of nitrous oxide emissions from crop rotation systems to four projected future climate change scenarios on a black Vertosol in subtropical Australia

Li, Yong, Liu, De Li, Schwenke, Graeme, Wang, Bin, Macadam, Ian, Wang, Weijin, Li, Guangdi and Dalal, Ram C. (2017). Responses of nitrous oxide emissions from crop rotation systems to four projected future climate change scenarios on a black Vertosol in subtropical Australia. Climatic Change, 142 (3-4), 545-558. doi: 10.1007/s10584-017-1973-5

Responses of nitrous oxide emissions from crop rotation systems to four projected future climate change scenarios on a black Vertosol in subtropical Australia

2017

Journal Article

Impact of 47 years of no tillage and stubble retention on soil aggregation and carbon distribution in a vertisol

Somasundaram, Jayaraman, Reeves, Steven, Wang, Weijin, Heenan, Marijke and Dalal, Ram (2017). Impact of 47 years of no tillage and stubble retention on soil aggregation and carbon distribution in a vertisol. Land Degradation and Development, 28 (5), 1589-1602. doi: 10.1002/ldr.2689

Impact of 47 years of no tillage and stubble retention on soil aggregation and carbon distribution in a vertisol

2017

Journal Article

Microbial energy and matter transformation in agricultural soils

Finn, Damien, Kopittke, Peter M., Dennis, Paul G. and Dalal, Ram C. (2017). Microbial energy and matter transformation in agricultural soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 111, 176-192. doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2017.04.010

Microbial energy and matter transformation in agricultural soils

2017

Journal Article

Enrichment of natural 15N abundance during soil N losses under 20 years of continuous cereal cropping

Jones, Andrew R. and Dalal, Ram C. (2017). Enrichment of natural 15N abundance during soil N losses under 20 years of continuous cereal cropping. Science of the Total Environment, 574, 282-287. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.08.192

Enrichment of natural 15N abundance during soil N losses under 20 years of continuous cereal cropping

2017

Conference Publication

Soil sodicity – a threat to agricultural sustainability in semi-arid tropics

Niaz, Sara, Dalal, Ram C., Kopittke, Peter M., Wehr, J. B. and Menzies, Neal W. (2017). Soil sodicity – a threat to agricultural sustainability in semi-arid tropics. TropAg2017, Brisbane, Australia, 20-22 November 2017.

Soil sodicity – a threat to agricultural sustainability in semi-arid tropics

2017

Journal Article

Changes in exchangeable cations and micronutrients in soils and grains of long-term, low input cropping systems of subtropical Australia

Kopittke, Peter M., Dalal, Ram C. and Menzies, Neal W. (2017). Changes in exchangeable cations and micronutrients in soils and grains of long-term, low input cropping systems of subtropical Australia. Geoderma, 285 (1-2), 293-300. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.10.011

Changes in exchangeable cations and micronutrients in soils and grains of long-term, low input cropping systems of subtropical Australia

2017

Book Chapter

Impact of climate change on soil carbon storage

Dalal, Ram C., Kopittke, Peter M. and Menzies, Neal W. (2017). Impact of climate change on soil carbon storage. The nexus of soils, plants, animals and human health. (pp. 156-163) edited by Bal Ram Singh, Michael J. McLaughlin and Eric Brevik. Stuttgart, Germany: Catena Soil Sciences.

Impact of climate change on soil carbon storage

2017

Conference Publication

Differential gene expression in the model Actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) during soil organic carbon priming

Finn, Damien, Catton, Kerrilyn, Heenan, Marijke, Kopittke, Peter M., Cadillo, Hinsby, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Klieve, Athol and Dalal, Ram C. (2017). Differential gene expression in the model Actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) during soil organic carbon priming. 56th Annual American Society of Microbiology Meeting, Tucson, AZ, United States, 1 April 2017.

Differential gene expression in the model Actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) during soil organic carbon priming

2017

Book Chapter

Soil physicochemical properties impacting upon animal and human health

Kopittke, Peter M., Wang, Peng and Dalal, Ram C. (2017). Soil physicochemical properties impacting upon animal and human health. The Nexus of Soils, Plants, Animals and Human Health. (pp. 34-41) edited by Bal Ram Singh, Michael J. McLaughlin and Eric Brevik. Stuttgart, Germany: Catena Soil Sciences.

Soil physicochemical properties impacting upon animal and human health

2016

Journal Article

Genetic diversity in barley and wheat for tolerance to soil constraints

Dang, Yash P, Christopher, Jack T. and Dalal, Ram C. (2016). Genetic diversity in barley and wheat for tolerance to soil constraints. Agronomy, 6 (4) 55, 55. doi: 10.3390/agronomy6040055

Genetic diversity in barley and wheat for tolerance to soil constraints

2016

Journal Article

Design and validation of an assay for isotope ratio mass spectrometry analysis of biologically relevant dissolved and heat-extracted organic carbon with neutral potassium phosphate buffer

Finn, Damien, Oudyn, Fred, Catton, Kerrilyn and Dalal, Ram (2016). Design and validation of an assay for isotope ratio mass spectrometry analysis of biologically relevant dissolved and heat-extracted organic carbon with neutral potassium phosphate buffer. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 47 (17), 2017-2025. doi: 10.1080/00103624.2016.1225080

Design and validation of an assay for isotope ratio mass spectrometry analysis of biologically relevant dissolved and heat-extracted organic carbon with neutral potassium phosphate buffer

2016

Journal Article

Effects of land-use change and management on soil carbon and nitrogen in the Brigalow Belt, Australia: II. statistical models to unravel the climate-soil-management interaction

Pringle, M. J., Allen, D. E., Orton, T. G., Bishop, T. F. A., Butler, D. W., Henry, B. K. and Dalal, R. C. (2016). Effects of land-use change and management on soil carbon and nitrogen in the Brigalow Belt, Australia: II. statistical models to unravel the climate-soil-management interaction. Rangeland Journal, 38 (5), 453-466. doi: 10.1071/RJ16010

Effects of land-use change and management on soil carbon and nitrogen in the Brigalow Belt, Australia: II. statistical models to unravel the climate-soil-management interaction

2016

Journal Article

Effects of land-use change and management on soil carbon and nitrogen in the Brigalow Belt, Australia: I. overview and inventory

Allen, D. E., Pringle, M. J., Butler, D. W., Henry, B. K., Bishop, T. F. A., Bray, S. G., Orton, T. G. and Dalal, R. C. (2016). Effects of land-use change and management on soil carbon and nitrogen in the Brigalow Belt, Australia: I. overview and inventory. Rangeland Journal, 38 (5), 443-452. doi: 10.1071/RJ16009

Effects of land-use change and management on soil carbon and nitrogen in the Brigalow Belt, Australia: I. overview and inventory

2016

Journal Article

Ecological stoichiometry controls the transformation and retention of plant-derived organic matter to humus in response to nitrogen fertilisation

Finn, Damien, Page, Kathryn, Catton, Kerrilyn, Kienzle, Marco, Robertson, Fiona, Armstrong, Roger and Dalal, Ram (2016). Ecological stoichiometry controls the transformation and retention of plant-derived organic matter to humus in response to nitrogen fertilisation. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 99, 117-127. doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2016.05.006

Ecological stoichiometry controls the transformation and retention of plant-derived organic matter to humus in response to nitrogen fertilisation

2016

Journal Article

Conversion of sub-tropical native vegetation to introduced conifer forest: impacts on below-ground and above-ground carbon pools

Lewis, Tom, Smith, Timothy E., Hogg, Bruce, Swift, Scott, Verstraten, Luke, Bryant, Phillipa, Wehr, Bernhard J., Tindale, Neil, Menzies, Neal W and Dalal, Ram C. (2016). Conversion of sub-tropical native vegetation to introduced conifer forest: impacts on below-ground and above-ground carbon pools. Forest Ecology and Management, 370, 65-75. doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2016.03.058

Conversion of sub-tropical native vegetation to introduced conifer forest: impacts on below-ground and above-ground carbon pools

2016

Journal Article

Sulfur dynamics in sub-tropical soils of Australia as influenced by long-term cultivation

Kopittke, Peter M., Dalal, Ram C. and Menzies, Neal W. (2016). Sulfur dynamics in sub-tropical soils of Australia as influenced by long-term cultivation. Plant and Soil, 402 (1), 211-219. doi: 10.1007/s11104-015-2789-6

Sulfur dynamics in sub-tropical soils of Australia as influenced by long-term cultivation

2016

Journal Article

Soil warming and liming impacts on the recovery of 15N in an acidic soil under soybean cropping

Ahmad, Waqar, Dijkstra, Feike A., Dalal, Ram C. and Singh, Balwant (2016). Soil warming and liming impacts on the recovery of 15N in an acidic soil under soybean cropping. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 179 (2), 193-197. doi: 10.1002/jpln.201500378

Soil warming and liming impacts on the recovery of 15N in an acidic soil under soybean cropping

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2027
    Role of nitrogen-rich compounds for increasing carbon sequestration in soil
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2028
    Enhancing soil health and climate resilience in the Northern Territory
    Climate-Smart Agriculture Program ¿ Capacity Building
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2027
    Mineral Biosequestration of Organic Carbon in Early Pedogenesis of Tailings
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2025
    Phosphorus in soil used for long-term agriculture: Increasing efficiency and food production
    Soil Science Challenge
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2022 - 2024
    Improving the drought resilience of Queensland cropping soils by removing barriers to the identification and management of soil constraints
    Future Drought Fund: Drought Resilient Soils and Landscapes Grants
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2023
    Carbon ID: A remote sensing decision support tool to identify the impact of agricultural land management on soil carbon stock
    Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    Breaking critical barriers in soil formation of bauxite residues
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2022
    Economics of ameliorating soil constraints in the Northern Region: Spatial soil constraint diagnoses in the northern region (Project A)
    Grains Research & Development Corporation
    Open grant

Availability

Adjunct Professor Ram Dalal AM is:
Available for supervision

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Available projects

  • Sustainable and resilient farming systems intensification in the eastern Gangetic plains

    The overall aim of the project is to reduce poverty in the eastern Gangetic plains by improving the productivity, profitability and sustainability of smallholder agriculture.

    The project has four objectives that will lead towards sustainable and resilient farming systems intensification in the EGP:

    1. Understand farmer circumstances with respect to cropping systems, natural and economic resources base, livelihood strategies, and capacity to bear risk and undertake technological innovation.

    2. Develop, with farmers more productive and sustainable technologies that are resilient and profitable for smallholders.

    3. Catalyse, support and evaluate institutional and policy changes that establish an enabling environment for the adoption of high-impact technologies from Objective 2.

    4. Facilitate widespread adoption of sustainable, resilient and more profitable farming systems.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Understanding the mechanisms of general disease suppressiveness in organic fields

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Peter Kopittke

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Understanding the mechanisms of general disease suppressiveness in organic fields

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Peter Kopittke

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Dynamics of Soil Organic Matter: Storage, Composition, and Responses to Land Use Change

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Han Weng, Professor Peter Kopittke

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Dynamics of Soil Organic Matter: Storage, Composition, and Responses to Land Use Change

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Han Weng, Professor Peter Kopittke

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Ameliorating soil constraints using inorganic and organic amendments under rainfed conditions

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Bernhard Wehr, Dr Yash Dang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Organic matter decomposition and turnover in rhizobiomes of bauxite residue technosols

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Longbin Huang, Dr Fang You

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Understanding the mechanisms of general disease suppressiveness in organic fields

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Peter Kopittke

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Investigating the Impact of Fungal Activity on Soil Carbon Dynamics - Tracing Carbon Fluxes Across Plant-Fungi-Mineral Networks

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Vijaya Singh

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Exploring the influence of long-term land use change on the chemical speciation of C, S and P in SOM fractions isolated using density and physical fractionation

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Brigid McKenna, Dr Tim McLaren, Professor Peter Kopittke

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Mechanisms driving the persistence of soil organic matter

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Peter Kopittke

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Ameliorating soil constraints using inorganic and organic amendments under rainfed conditions

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Bernhard Wehr, Dr Yash Dang

Completed supervision

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