Adjunct Professor Ram Dalal AM
Adjunct Professor

Ram Dalal AM

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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)

121 - 140 of 314 works

2016

Journal Article

Efficient nitrogen and water management for the soybean–wheat system of Madhya Pradesh, Central India, assessed using APSIM model

Mohanty, M., Sammi Reddy, K., Probert, M. E., Dalal, R. C., Sinha, N. K., Subba Rao, A. and Menzies, N. W. (2016). Efficient nitrogen and water management for the soybean–wheat system of Madhya Pradesh, Central India, assessed using APSIM model. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences India Section B: Biological Sciences, 86 (1), 217-228. doi: 10.1007/s40011-014-0443-3

Efficient nitrogen and water management for the soybean–wheat system of Madhya Pradesh, Central India, assessed using APSIM model

2016

Journal Article

Modelling soil organic carbon 2. Changes under a range of cropping and grazing farming systems in eastern Australia

Liu, De Li, O'Leary, Garry J., Ma, Yuchun, Cowie, Annette, Li, Frank Yonghong, McCaskill, Malcolm, Conyers, Mark, Dalal, Ram, Robertson, Fiona and Dougherty, Warwick (2016). Modelling soil organic carbon 2. Changes under a range of cropping and grazing farming systems in eastern Australia. Geoderma, 265, 164-175. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.11.005

Modelling soil organic carbon 2. Changes under a range of cropping and grazing farming systems in eastern Australia

2016

Journal Article

Modelling soil organic carbon 1. Performance of APSIM crop and pasture modules against long-term experimental data

O'Leary, Garry J., Liu, De Li, Ma, Yuchun, Li, Frank Yonghong, McCaskill, Malcolm, Conyers, Mark, Dalal, Ram, Reeves, Steven, Page, Kathryn, Dang, Yash P. and Robertson, Fiona (2016). Modelling soil organic carbon 1. Performance of APSIM crop and pasture modules against long-term experimental data. Geoderma, 264 (Part A), 227-237. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.11.004

Modelling soil organic carbon 1. Performance of APSIM crop and pasture modules against long-term experimental data

2016

Journal Article

Effects of urea formulations, application rates and crop residue retention on N2O emissions from sugarcane fields in Australia

Wang, W. J., Reeves, S. H., Salter, B., Moody, P. W. and Dalal, R. C. (2016). Effects of urea formulations, application rates and crop residue retention on N2O emissions from sugarcane fields in Australia. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 216, 137-146. doi: 10.1016/j.agee.2015.09.035

Effects of urea formulations, application rates and crop residue retention on N2O emissions from sugarcane fields in Australia

2016

Journal Article

The legacy of cropping history reduces the recovery of soil carbon and nitrogen after conversion from continuous cropping to permanent pasture

Jones, Andrew R., Orton, Thomas G. and Dalal, Ram C. (2016). The legacy of cropping history reduces the recovery of soil carbon and nitrogen after conversion from continuous cropping to permanent pasture. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 216, 166-176. doi: 10.1016/j.agee.2015.09.029

The legacy of cropping history reduces the recovery of soil carbon and nitrogen after conversion from continuous cropping to permanent pasture

2016

Book Chapter

Functional relationships of soil acidification, liming, and greenhouse gas flux

Kunhikrishnan, A., Thangarajan, R., Bolan, N. S., Xu, Y., Mandal, S., Gleeson, D. B., Seshadri, B., Zaman, M., Barton, L., Tang, C., Luo, J., Dalal, R., Ding, W., Kirkham, M. B. and Naidu, R. (2016). Functional relationships of soil acidification, liming, and greenhouse gas flux. Advances in agronomy. (pp. 1-71) edited by Donald L. Sparks. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/bs.agron.2016.05.001

Functional relationships of soil acidification, liming, and greenhouse gas flux

2016

Journal Article

Is land condition a useful indicator of soil organic carbon stock in Australia's northern grazing land?

Bray, S. G., Allen, D. E., Harms, B. P., Reid, D. J., Fraser, G. W., Dalal, R. C., Walsh, D., Phelps, D. G. and Gunther, R. (2016). Is land condition a useful indicator of soil organic carbon stock in Australia's northern grazing land?. Rangeland Journal, 38 (3), 229-243. doi: 10.1071/RJ15097

Is land condition a useful indicator of soil organic carbon stock in Australia's northern grazing land?

2016

Journal Article

Biochemical properties of highly mineralised and infertile soil modified by acacia and spinifex plants in northwest Queensland, Australia

You, Fang, Dalal, Ram C. and Huang, Longbin (2016). Biochemical properties of highly mineralised and infertile soil modified by acacia and spinifex plants in northwest Queensland, Australia. Soil Research, 54 (3), 265-275. doi: 10.1071/SR15069

Biochemical properties of highly mineralised and infertile soil modified by acacia and spinifex plants in northwest Queensland, Australia

2015

Journal Article

Climate and soil properties limit the positive effects of land use reversion on carbon storage in Eastern Australia

Rabbi, S. M. F., Tighe, Matthew, Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel, Cowie, Annette, Robertson, Fiona, Dalal, Ram, Page, Kathryn, Crawford, Doug, Wilson, Brian R., Schwenke, Graeme, Mcleod, Malem, Badgery, Warwick, Dang, Yash P., Bell, Mike, O'Leary, Garry, Liu, De Li and Baldock, Jeff (2015). Climate and soil properties limit the positive effects of land use reversion on carbon storage in Eastern Australia. Scientific Reports, 5 (17866) 17866, 17866. doi: 10.1038/srep17866

Climate and soil properties limit the positive effects of land use reversion on carbon storage in Eastern Australia

2015

Journal Article

Effect of added nitrogen on plant litter decomposition depends on initial soil carbon and nitrogen stoichiometry

Finn, Damien, Page, Kathryn, Catton, Karrilyn, Strounina, Ekaterina, Kienzle, Marco, Robertson, Fiona, Armstrong, Roger and Dalal, Ram (2015). Effect of added nitrogen on plant litter decomposition depends on initial soil carbon and nitrogen stoichiometry. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 91, 160-168. doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.09.001

Effect of added nitrogen on plant litter decomposition depends on initial soil carbon and nitrogen stoichiometry

2015

Journal Article

A geostatistical method to account for the number of aliquots in composite samples for normal and lognormal random variables

Orton, T. G., Pringle, M. J., Allen, D. E., Dalal, R. C. and Bishop, T. F. A. (2015). A geostatistical method to account for the number of aliquots in composite samples for normal and lognormal random variables. European Journal of Soil Science, 66 (6), 1023-1032. doi: 10.1111/ejss.12297

A geostatistical method to account for the number of aliquots in composite samples for normal and lognormal random variables

2015

Journal Article

Strategic tillage in no-till farming systems in Australia's northern grains-growing regions: II. Implications for agronomy, soil and environment

Dang, Y. P., Moody, P. W., Bell, M. J., Seymour, N. P., Dalal, R. C., Freebairn, D. M. and Walker, S. R. (2015). Strategic tillage in no-till farming systems in Australia's northern grains-growing regions: II. Implications for agronomy, soil and environment. Soil and Tillage Research, 152, 115-123. doi: 10.1016/j.still.2014.12.013

Strategic tillage in no-till farming systems in Australia's northern grains-growing regions: II. Implications for agronomy, soil and environment

2015

Journal Article

Nitrogen management is the key for low-emission wheat production in Australia: a life cycle perspective

Wang, Weijin and Dalal, Ram C. (2015). Nitrogen management is the key for low-emission wheat production in Australia: a life cycle perspective. European Journal of Agronomy, 66, 74-82. doi: 10.1016/j.eja.2015.02.007

Nitrogen management is the key for low-emission wheat production in Australia: a life cycle perspective

2015

Journal Article

Subtropical giant podzol chronosequence reveals that soil carbon stabilisation is not governed by litter quality

Jones, Andrew R, Sanderman J., Allen, Diane, Dalal, Ram and Schmidt, Susanne (2015). Subtropical giant podzol chronosequence reveals that soil carbon stabilisation is not governed by litter quality. Biogeochemistry, 124 (1-3), 205-217. doi: 10.1007/s10533-015-0093-4

Subtropical giant podzol chronosequence reveals that soil carbon stabilisation is not governed by litter quality

2015

Journal Article

Carbon dynamics from carbonate dissolution in Australian agricultural soils

Ahmad, Waqar, Singh, Balwant, Dalal, Ram C. and Dijkstra, Feike A. (2015). Carbon dynamics from carbonate dissolution in Australian agricultural soils. Soil Research, 53 (2), 144-153. doi: 10.1071/SR14060

Carbon dynamics from carbonate dissolution in Australian agricultural soils

2015

Journal Article

Methane in Australian agriculture: current emissions, sources and sinks, and potential mitigation strategies

Finn, Damien, Dalal, Ram and Klieve, Athol (2015). Methane in Australian agriculture: current emissions, sources and sinks, and potential mitigation strategies. Crop and Pasture Science, 66 (1), 1-22. doi: 10.1071/CP14116

Methane in Australian agriculture: current emissions, sources and sinks, and potential mitigation strategies

2015

Journal Article

Nutrient mass balances and leaching losses from a farmyard manure pit in Madhya Pradesh

Reddy, K. Sammi, Mohanty, M., Rao, D. L. N., Muneshwar, Singh, Subba, Rao, A., Pandey, M., Blamey, F. Pax, C., Dalal Ram, C., Dixit, S. K. and Menzies, Neal W. (2015). Nutrient mass balances and leaching losses from a farmyard manure pit in Madhya Pradesh. Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science, 63 (1), 64-68. doi: 10.5958/0974-0228.2015.00008.0

Nutrient mass balances and leaching losses from a farmyard manure pit in Madhya Pradesh

2015

Conference Publication

Synchrotron-based Infrared-microspectroscopy reveals the impact of land management on carbon storage in soil micro-aggregates

Hernandez-Soriano, M. C., Dalal, R. C., Menzies, N. W, and Kopittke, P. M. (2015). Synchrotron-based Infrared-microspectroscopy reveals the impact of land management on carbon storage in soil micro-aggregates. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2015, Vienna AUSTRIA, 12-17 April 2015.

Synchrotron-based Infrared-microspectroscopy reveals the impact of land management on carbon storage in soil micro-aggregates

2015

Journal Article

Farmer involvement in the development and adoption of improved nutrient management technologies using the Mother–Baby Trial approach in vertisols

Reddy, K. Sammi, Mohanty, M., Rao, D. L. N., Rao, A. Subba, Pandey, M., Singh, M., Dixit, S. K., Dalal, Ram C., Blamey, F. Pax C. and Menzies, N.W. (2015). Farmer involvement in the development and adoption of improved nutrient management technologies using the Mother–Baby Trial approach in vertisols. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India, Section B Biological Sciences, 85 (1), 51-62. doi: 10.1007/s40011-013-0243-1

Farmer involvement in the development and adoption of improved nutrient management technologies using the Mother–Baby Trial approach in vertisols

2015

Journal Article

Quantitative Measurement of Organic Carbon in Mine Wastes: Methods Comparison for Inorganic Carbon Removal and Organic Carbon Recovery

You, Fang, Dalal, Ram, Mulligan, David and Huang, Longbin (2015). Quantitative Measurement of Organic Carbon in Mine Wastes: Methods Comparison for Inorganic Carbon Removal and Organic Carbon Recovery. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 46 (Supplement 1), 375-389. doi: 10.1080/00103624.2014.989113

Quantitative Measurement of Organic Carbon in Mine Wastes: Methods Comparison for Inorganic Carbon Removal and Organic Carbon Recovery

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

    Mechanisms driving the persistence of soil organic matter

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Peter Kopittke

  • 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

    Understanding the mechanisms of general disease suppressiveness in organic fields

    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

  • 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

    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

    Organic matter decomposition and turnover in rhizobiomes of bauxite residue technosols

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Longbin Huang, Dr Fang You

  • 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

    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

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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