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Dr Gunnar Kirchhof
Dr

Gunnar Kirchhof

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Overview

Background

May 2002–ongoing: Senior Lecturer Land Resources Sciences, Principla Research Fellow, School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences; The University of Queensland, Australia

As lecturer of Land Resources Sciences at the University of Queensland, Dr Kirchhof has both led and collaborated on over half a dozen projects, and supervised numerous research staff and students. His research has focussed on:

  • Soil–Water relationships;
  • Conservation Agriculture and Irrigation scheduling
  • Soil erosion
  • Water and Nutrient Balances;
  • Spatial Variability of Soil Properties from Ped to Landscape Scales;
  • Dry-land Salinity Management;
  • Water Recycling
  • Computer Modelling of Water Flow with Special Reference to Variability and assessment of deep drainage
  • Knowledge Management;

2011-15 Course leader: Australia Awards in Africa Dryland Farming/Soil and Water conservation Short Course Awards, UniQuest; Australia and Africa, Dr Kirchhof led the design and delivery of the AusAID-funded Dryland Farming Short Course Award, contracted to UniQuest/UQ-ID through GRM International, which was delivered twice a year in 2011 and 2014.

Countries of work experience: Indonesia, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Burkino Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Kenya, Tunisia, Australia.

Previous postions:

Oct 1997–May 2002: Senior Soil Scientist, Soil Conservation, NSW Agriculture; Australia

Mar 1996–Oct 1997: Soil Physicist, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture; Ibadan, Nigeria

Dec 1991–Mar 1996: Research Fellow, Department of Agriculture, The University of Queensland; Brisbane

Jan 1989–Dec 1991: Soil Scientist, CASSIRO Ltd, Wauchope, NSW

Availability

Dr Gunnar Kirchhof is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Qualifications

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Education, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Soil and Water Management

    Water in the soil environment and landscapes: even though it is usually not considered a nutrient, it can in fact be seen as the most important nutrient. It drives productivity of our ago-ecosystems as well their sustainability. Water must be used efficiently, what can efficient water use achieve? What are the limits of this efficiency?

  • Conservation Agriculture

    Conservation Agriculture (CA) is considered the current best management practice for sustainable and productive ago-ecosystems. Is this correct? - May be not? We need to know more about practical suitability of CA in a range of environments, especially in Africa as wholesale promotion of CA can be detrimental to its adoption potential. The big questions are: is it a management method to satisfy world food demand? Can it be used to mitigate or manage climate change? What are its limitations?

Works

Search Professor Gunnar Kirchhof’s works on UQ eSpace

72 works between 1994 and 2025

1 - 20 of 72 works

2025

Journal Article

Synergy of Organic Fertilizer and Mulch in Improving Soil Chemical Properties for Golden Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Cultivation in Dry Land of North Lombok, Indonesia

Azizah, Isnaniar Rahmatul, Sukartono, Bakti, Lalu Arifin Aria, Kusumo, Bambang Hari, Kusnarta, I Gusti Made and Kirchhof, Gunnar (2025). Synergy of Organic Fertilizer and Mulch in Improving Soil Chemical Properties for Golden Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Cultivation in Dry Land of North Lombok, Indonesia. Malaysian Journal of Soil Science, 29, 317-330.

Synergy of Organic Fertilizer and Mulch in Improving Soil Chemical Properties for Golden Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Cultivation in Dry Land of North Lombok, Indonesia

2025

Journal Article

Carbon Sequestration in Australian Vertisols under Conservation Agriculture – Facts and Public Perception

Faehnrich, Bettina, Kirchhof, Gunnar, Hulugalle, Nilantha and Goebel, Bernhard (2025). Carbon Sequestration in Australian Vertisols under Conservation Agriculture – Facts and Public Perception. International Soil and Water Conservation Research. doi: 10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.07.013

Carbon Sequestration in Australian Vertisols under Conservation Agriculture – Facts and Public Perception

2025

Journal Article

Tissue paper-based hydrogels for soil water maintenance and nitrogen release

Kuneski, Ana Carla, Haridevan, Hima, Ninkovic, Elena, McLeary, Ena, Martin, Darren and Kirchhof, Gunnar (2025). Tissue paper-based hydrogels for soil water maintenance and nitrogen release. Gels, 11 (8) 599, 599-8. doi: 10.3390/gels11080599

Tissue paper-based hydrogels for soil water maintenance and nitrogen release

2025

Journal Article

Pinelands: Impacts of Different Long-Term Land Uses on Soil Physical Properties in Red Ferrosols

Avila, Ana Carolina de Mattos e, Albuquerque, Jackson Adriano and Kirchhof, Gunnar (2025). Pinelands: Impacts of Different Long-Term Land Uses on Soil Physical Properties in Red Ferrosols. Land, 14 (7) 1471, 1471. doi: 10.3390/land14071471

Pinelands: Impacts of Different Long-Term Land Uses on Soil Physical Properties in Red Ferrosols

2022

Other Outputs

Strengthening capacities to innovate through North-South collaborative agricultural research in Papua New Guinea

Kirchhof, Gunnar (2022). Strengthening capacities to innovate through North-South collaborative agricultural research in Papua New Guinea. Asia-Pacific Islands Rural Advisory Services Network (APIRAS) Hyderabad Telangana, India: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Strengthening capacities to innovate through North-South collaborative agricultural research in Papua New Guinea

2022

Journal Article

Responses of soil organic carbon, aggregate diameters, and hydraulic properties to long-term organic and conventional farming on a Vertisol in India

Schweizer, Steffen A., Graf-Rosenfellner, Markus, Bhat, Nisar A., Kayser, Gilles, Sisodia, Bhupendra S., Kirchhof, Gunnar, Zikeli, Sabine, Cadisch, Georg and Bhullar, Gurbir S. (2022). Responses of soil organic carbon, aggregate diameters, and hydraulic properties to long-term organic and conventional farming on a Vertisol in India. Land Degradation and Development, 33 (5), 785-797. doi: 10.1002/ldr.4216

Responses of soil organic carbon, aggregate diameters, and hydraulic properties to long-term organic and conventional farming on a Vertisol in India

2021

Journal Article

50 years of continuous no-tillage, stubble retention and nitrogen fertilization enhanced macro-aggregate formation and stabilisation in a Vertisol

Hati, Kuntal M., Jha, Pramod, Dalal, Ram C., Jayaraman, Somasundaram, Dang, Yash P., Kopittke, Peter M., Kirchhof, Gunnar and Menzies, Neal W. (2021). 50 years of continuous no-tillage, stubble retention and nitrogen fertilization enhanced macro-aggregate formation and stabilisation in a Vertisol. Soil and Tillage Research, 214 105163, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.still.2021.105163

50 years of continuous no-tillage, stubble retention and nitrogen fertilization enhanced macro-aggregate formation and stabilisation in a Vertisol

2021

Conference Publication

Sweetpotato yield comparison from pathogen tested and non-pathogen tested vines with coffee pulp in the PNG Highlands

Yeffrey, Yapo, Sirabis, William, Wehr, Bernhard, Menzies, Neal and Kirchhof, Gunnar (2021). Sweetpotato yield comparison from pathogen tested and non-pathogen tested vines with coffee pulp in the PNG Highlands. The Soil Science Australia and the New Zealand Society of Soil Science Joint Conference., Cairns, QLD Australia, 27 June - 2 July 2021.

Sweetpotato yield comparison from pathogen tested and non-pathogen tested vines with coffee pulp in the PNG Highlands

2021

Conference Publication

Soil fertility management techniques for increased sweetpotato root yield in Papua New Guinea (PNG) highlands

Jeffrey, Yapo, Sirabis, William, Atung, Cyril, Ramakrishna, Akkinapally, Wehr, Bernhard, Menzies, Neal and Kirchhof, Gunnar (2021). Soil fertility management techniques for increased sweetpotato root yield in Papua New Guinea (PNG) highlands. The Soil Science Australia and the New Zealand Society of Soil Science Joint Conference, Cairns, QLD Australia, 27 June - 2 July 2021.

Soil fertility management techniques for increased sweetpotato root yield in Papua New Guinea (PNG) highlands

2021

Journal Article

Gamma irradiation with 50 kGy has a limited effect on agronomic properties of air-dry soil

Wehr, J. Bernhard and Kirchhof, Gunnar (2021). Gamma irradiation with 50 kGy has a limited effect on agronomic properties of air-dry soil. Soil Systems, 5 (2) 28, 28. doi: 10.3390/soilsystems5020028

Gamma irradiation with 50 kGy has a limited effect on agronomic properties of air-dry soil

2020

Other Outputs

Sustaining soil fertility in support of intensification of Sweetpotato cropping systems

Wehr, Bernhard, Kirchhof, Gunnar and Menzies, Neal (2020). Sustaining soil fertility in support of intensification of Sweetpotato cropping systems. Canberra, ACT, Australia: ACIAR.

Sustaining soil fertility in support of intensification of Sweetpotato cropping systems

2020

Conference Publication

Assessment of soil structural properties in relation to land use change in South-East Asia

Lastic, Rachel de, Hoàng, Thảo, Nguyen, Phuong, Son, Sovanda, Suos, Vuthy and Kirchhof, Gunnar (2020). Assessment of soil structural properties in relation to land use change in South-East Asia. The Third International Tropical Agriculture Conference TropAg 2019 , Brisbane, QLD Australia, 11–13 November 2019. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI. doi: 10.3390/proceedings2019036182

Assessment of soil structural properties in relation to land use change in South-East Asia

2020

Conference Publication

Jatropha curcas development as intervention potential to tackling land, energy and food challenges of rural communities in dryland sub-Saharan Africa

Ogunwole, Joshua, Kirchhof, Gunnar, Birhanu, Birhanu Z., Duiker, Sjoerd and Pires, Luiz F. (2020). Jatropha curcas development as intervention potential to tackling land, energy and food challenges of rural communities in dryland sub-Saharan Africa. Third International Tropical Agriculture Conference (TROPAG 2019), Brisbane, Australia, 11-13 November 2019. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI . doi: 10.3390/proceedings2019036085

Jatropha curcas development as intervention potential to tackling land, energy and food challenges of rural communities in dryland sub-Saharan Africa

2019

Other Outputs

Sustaining soil fertility in support of intensification of Sweetpotato cropping systems

Wehr, Bernhard, Kirchhoff, Gunnar and Menzies, Neal (2019). Sustaining soil fertility in support of intensification of Sweetpotato cropping systems. Canberra, ACT, Australia: ACIAR.

Sustaining soil fertility in support of intensification of Sweetpotato cropping systems

2018

Journal Article

Management of the major chemical soil constraints affecting yields in the grain growing region of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia – a review

Page, K. L., Dalal, R. C., Wehr, J. B., Dang, Y. P., Kopittke, P. M., Kirchhof, G., Fujinuma, R. and Menzies, N. W. (2018). Management of the major chemical soil constraints affecting yields in the grain growing region of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia – a review. Soil Research, 56 (8), 765-779. doi: 10.1071/sr18233

Management of the major chemical soil constraints affecting yields in the grain growing region of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia – a review

2018

Journal Article

Root zone temperature alters storage root formation and growth of sweetpotato

Taranet, P., Kirchhof, G., Fujinuma, R. and Menzies, N. (2018). Root zone temperature alters storage root formation and growth of sweetpotato. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 204 (3), 313-324. doi: 10.1111/jac.12262

Root zone temperature alters storage root formation and growth of sweetpotato

2018

Journal Article

Intensified sweetpotato production in Papua New Guinea drives plant nutrient decline over the last decade

Fujinuma, Ryosuke, Kirchhof, Gunnar, Ramakrishna, Akkinapally, Sirabis, William, Yapo, Jeffery, Woruba, Deane, Gurr, Geoff and Menzies, Neal (2018). Intensified sweetpotato production in Papua New Guinea drives plant nutrient decline over the last decade. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 254, 10-19. doi: 10.1016/j.agee.2017.11.012

Intensified sweetpotato production in Papua New Guinea drives plant nutrient decline over the last decade

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

Growth and yield response of glasshouse- and field-grown sweetpotato to nitrogen supply

Taranet, Prapa, Harper, Stephen, Kirchhof, Gunnar, Fujinuma, Ryosuke and Menzies, Neal (2017). Growth and yield response of glasshouse- and field-grown sweetpotato to nitrogen supply. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 108 (3), 309-321. doi: 10.1007/s10705-017-9858-6

Growth and yield response of glasshouse- and field-grown sweetpotato to nitrogen supply

2017

Book

Technical Management of soil physical and chemical constraints to grains cropping in Queensland and New South Wales: A review. Technical Final report (UQ00084)

Menzies, Neal , Page, Kathryn , Dalal, Ram , Dang, Yash , Kopittke, Peter , Wehr, Bernhard , Orton, Thomas , Kirchhof, G. and Fujinuma, R. (2017). Technical Management of soil physical and chemical constraints to grains cropping in Queensland and New South Wales: A review. Technical Final report (UQ00084). Canberra, ACT, Australia: GRDC.

Technical Management of soil physical and chemical constraints to grains cropping in Queensland and New South Wales: A review. Technical Final report (UQ00084)

Funding

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2027
    Understanding crop development and yield responses to mitigate high soil strength in Australian soils
    GRDC - PROC-9176764 - Understanding crop development and yield responses to mitigate high soil strength in Australian soils.
    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
  • 2016 - 2025
    Sustaining soil fertility in support of intensification of sweetpotato cropping systems
    Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
    Open grant
  • 2013
    Review of research needs on natural resource management and crop protection for sweet potato based cropping systems in Papua New Guinea
    Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2014
    Assessment of Soil Management Options under Power Line Easements
    Powerlink Queensland (Government Entity)
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2013
    Soil fertility management in the PNG highlands for sweet potato based cropping systems
    Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
    Open grant
  • 2005
    Upland Farming Better Practice Workshop - Bohol Central Visayas, Philippines
    Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2006
    Analysis of biophysical and socio-economic constraints to soil fertility management in the PNG Highlands
    Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
    Open grant
  • 2004
    Atrazine residues in Australian subtropical soils
    University of Queensland Research Development Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2006
    Sustainable urban water - schemes and technologies - Phase 1 and 2A.
    CRC Water Quality Treatment
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2006
    Conservation tillage and its potential to affect catchment salt and water balances
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2002 - 2003
    Assessment of spatial variability of soil properties
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2002 - 2004
    Land disposal as a final treatment for saline industrial effluent
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Dr Gunnar Kirchhof is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Impact of Soil Organic Carbon on Nitrogen and Water Dynamics under Rainfed and Irrigated Sweetpotato Production in Papua New Guinea Highlands

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Vilim Filipović

  • Master Philosophy

    Improving crop establishment with biogels in a variable and changing climate

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Darren Martin, Dr Joe Eyre, Dr Hima Haridevan

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

Contact Dr Gunnar Kirchhof directly for media enquiries about:

  • Agro-ecosystems - tropical
  • Conservation agriculture
  • Papua New Guinea - farming
  • Papua New Guinea - highland soil
  • Soil - fertility decline
  • Soil management
  • Soil science
  • Tropical and temperate regions - soil
  • Urban water recycling
  • Water management
  • Water recycling
  • Water utilities

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