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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?

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

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Master Philosophy

    Improving crop establishment with biogels in a variable and changing climate

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Joe Eyre, Dr Hima Haridevan

  • 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

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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