Professor Peter Kopittke

Professor - Soil Science

School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability
Faculty of Science
p.kopittke@uq.edu.au
+61 7 334 69149

Overview

Not only do soils provide humans with 98.8% of our food, they also provide humanity with a broad range of other services such as carbon storage and greenhouse gas regulation. However, soils are also the most complex ecosystem in the world – it is this complexity that forms the basis of Peter's research at The University of Queensland (UQ). As a Soil Scientist, Peter is actively involved in the management and conservation of soil; one of the basic elements which sustain life. Whilst soil takes hundreds or thousands of years to form, it can be destroyed in a matter of years if not managed correctly. The management and conservation of the soil-environment is arguably the biggest challenge we face as we move into the future. We need new ideas to solve the world’s problems.

The aim of Peter's research is to increase plant growth in soils that are degraded and infertile, both in Australia and developing countries. He has a demonstrated ability to lead outstanding research programs across a range of inter-connected themes, spanning in scale from fundamental research to landscape-scale projects, with this demonstrating a unique ability to link industry partners with high quality research. Peter's research spans the areas of agricultural production, water chemistry, and waste disposal, currently focusing on (i) the global development of advanced and novel methodologies for investigation of plants and soils, (ii) behaviour of nutrients, fertilizers, and carbon in soils, and (iii) plant growth in degraded soils.

Peter is Past President of Soil Science Australia (QLD), a former ARC Future Fellow, recipient of the JK Taylor Gold Medal in Soil Science (2018), and recipient of the CG Stephens Award in Soil Science (2005).

Research Interests

  • Behaviour of nutrients, fertilizers, and carbon in soils
    My research is providing important insights into the behaviour and cycling of nutrients in soils. This includes the behaviour of fertilizers upon their addition to soils, as well as the long-term effects of agricultural cropping on the cycling and loss of nutrients from soils. For example, my research is currently investigating how to increase farmer’s profitability when using deep-banded P fertilizers in soils of northern Australia. This research is utilizing novel approaches for understanding how P behaves following its addition to a range of soils, including synchrotron-based approaches that are allowing in situ analyses of the P within the soil. Research within my group is also investigating soil organic carbon, with the storage of carbon in soils is vital for maintaining soil fertility for food production. Indeed, soil carbon is the largest pool of terrestrial carbon (ca. 2,000 Gt). My research is combining advanced spectroscopic techniques with conventional approaches to understand the mechanisms influencing the sequestration and degradation of soil organic matter and the cycling of associated nutrients. My group is one of the first in the world to utilize high-flux synchrotron radiation to examine the speciation and distribution of carbon in soil micro-aggregates.
  • Plant growth in degraded soils
    Plant-ion interactions underlie many problems currently facing Australia’s environmental and agricultural systems. My research aims to improve our understanding of plant-ion interactions, including: (i) managing saline soils and acid soils, in which either salts or Al toxicity reduce agricultural yields, (ii) regulation and management of sites contaminated with trace metals at levels which are potentially toxic to plants, and (iii) improving nutrient use efficiency in order to reduce nutrient losses and water pollution. In addition, the beneficial of wastes (or potential wastes) can potentially result in improved environmental, agronomic, and social outcomes. However, the addition of these resources should not result in significant net change in the environment beyond acceptable limits. Thus, for waste-disposal systems, there is a need to identify how potentially limiting factors (such as excess salt or nutrients) impact upon the soil-plant-animal continuum and hence ecosystem functioning. My research is leading studies of the environmental sustainability of the land-disposal of a variety of wastes.
  • Leadership of the global development of advanced and novel methodologies for investigation of plants and soils
    My international leadership in the development of spectroscopic techniques has led to important advances in the study of various elements in soils and plants. Indeed, I have led the development of novel and technically-advanced methods to examine ion distribution and speciation within plants and soils, including synchrotron-based techniques, NanoSIMS, and analytical electron microscopy. My leadership in this area is internationally-recognised, with this being evident from the international synchrotron facilities that I have utilised, being in the USA, Canada, France, Italy, and Thailand. Collaborating with Prof Enzo Lombi (University of South Australia), we were the first in the world to obtain a tomogram showing metal distribution in fresh, hydrated plant roots. We were also the first in the world to obtain laterally-resolved speciation of metal(loid)s in situ within hydrated plant tissues. These approaches have facilitated several important discoveries, including the identification of an underlying mechanism which accounts for the toxicities of a range of trace metals. I was the first to conclusively demonstrate the primary lesion of toxic Al – this being the primary limiting factor in the 40% of worldwide arable soils that are acidic. Our data showed that Al reduces root growth within 5 min by binding to the cell wall and inhibiting loosening in the elongation zone. I was also one of the first to use NanoSIMS for the investigation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in soil systems, with this providing novel insights into how C and N are stabilized within soils.

Qualifications

  • Postgraduate Diploma, The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), The University of Queensland

Publications

  • Weng, Zhe (Han), Lehmann, Johannes, Van Zwieten, Lukas, Joseph, Stephen, Archanjo, Braulio S., Cowie, Bruce, Thomsen, Lars, Tobin, Mark J., Vongsvivut, Jitraporn, Klein, Annaleise, Doolette, Casey L., Hou, Helen, Mueller, Carsten W., Lombi, Enzo and Kopittke, Peter M. (2021). Probing the nature of soil organic matter. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 52 (22), 1-22. doi: 10.1080/10643389.2021.1980346

  • Kopittke, Peter M., Menzies, Neal W., Dalal, Ram C., McKenna, Brigid A., Husted, Søren, Wang, Peng and Lombi, Enzo (2021). The role of soil in defining planetary boundaries and the safe operating space for humanity. Environment International, 146 106245, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106245

  • Kopittke, Peter M., Menzies, Neal W., Wang, Peng, McKenna, Brigid A. and Lombi, Enzo (2019). Soil and the intensification of agriculture for global food security. Environment International, 132 105078, 105078. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105078

  • Kopittke, Peter M., Hernandez-Soriano, Maria C., Dalal, Ram C., Finn, Damien, Menzies, Neal W., Hoeschen, Carmen and Mueller, Carsten W. (2018). Nitrogen-rich microbial products provide new organo-mineral associations for the stabilization of soil organic matter. Global Change Biology, 24 (4), 1762-1770. doi: 10.1111/gcb.14009

  • Wang, Peng, Lombi, Enzo, Zhao, Fang-Jie and Kopittke, Peter M. (2016). Nanotechnology: a new opportunity in plant sciences. Trends in Plant Science, 21 (8), 699-712. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2016.04.005

  • Kopittke, Peter M., Moore, Katie L., Lombi, Enzo, Gianoncelli, Alessandra, Ferguson, Brett J., Blamey, F. Pax C., Menzies, Neal W., Nicholson, Timothy M., McKenna, Brigid A., Wang, Peng, Gresshoff, Peter M., Kourousias, George, Webb, Richard I., Green, Kathryn and Tollenaere, Alina (2015). Identification of the primary lesion of toxic aluminum in plant roots. Plant Physiology, 167 (4), 1402-1411. doi: 10.1104/pp.114.253229

View all Publications

Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

View all Supervision

Publications

Featured Publications

  • Weng, Zhe (Han), Lehmann, Johannes, Van Zwieten, Lukas, Joseph, Stephen, Archanjo, Braulio S., Cowie, Bruce, Thomsen, Lars, Tobin, Mark J., Vongsvivut, Jitraporn, Klein, Annaleise, Doolette, Casey L., Hou, Helen, Mueller, Carsten W., Lombi, Enzo and Kopittke, Peter M. (2021). Probing the nature of soil organic matter. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 52 (22), 1-22. doi: 10.1080/10643389.2021.1980346

  • Kopittke, Peter M., Menzies, Neal W., Dalal, Ram C., McKenna, Brigid A., Husted, Søren, Wang, Peng and Lombi, Enzo (2021). The role of soil in defining planetary boundaries and the safe operating space for humanity. Environment International, 146 106245, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106245

  • Kopittke, Peter M., Menzies, Neal W., Wang, Peng, McKenna, Brigid A. and Lombi, Enzo (2019). Soil and the intensification of agriculture for global food security. Environment International, 132 105078, 105078. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105078

  • Kopittke, Peter M., Hernandez-Soriano, Maria C., Dalal, Ram C., Finn, Damien, Menzies, Neal W., Hoeschen, Carmen and Mueller, Carsten W. (2018). Nitrogen-rich microbial products provide new organo-mineral associations for the stabilization of soil organic matter. Global Change Biology, 24 (4), 1762-1770. doi: 10.1111/gcb.14009

  • Wang, Peng, Lombi, Enzo, Zhao, Fang-Jie and Kopittke, Peter M. (2016). Nanotechnology: a new opportunity in plant sciences. Trends in Plant Science, 21 (8), 699-712. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2016.04.005

  • Kopittke, Peter M., Moore, Katie L., Lombi, Enzo, Gianoncelli, Alessandra, Ferguson, Brett J., Blamey, F. Pax C., Menzies, Neal W., Nicholson, Timothy M., McKenna, Brigid A., Wang, Peng, Gresshoff, Peter M., Kourousias, George, Webb, Richard I., Green, Kathryn and Tollenaere, Alina (2015). Identification of the primary lesion of toxic aluminum in plant roots. Plant Physiology, 167 (4), 1402-1411. doi: 10.1104/pp.114.253229

Book

Book Chapter

  • Wehr, Johannes Bernhard , Blamey, Frederick Paxton Cardell , Kopittke, Peter Martin and Menzies, Neal William (2020). Aluminum. Managing global resources and universal processes. (pp. 155-174) edited by Brian D. Fath and Sven Erik Jorgensen. Boca Raton, FL, United States: CRC Press/Routledge.

  • van der Ent, Antony, Purwadi, Imam, Harris, Hugh H., Kopittke, Peter M., Przybyłowicz, Wojciech J. and Mesjasz-Przybyłowicz, Jolanta (2020). Methods for elucidating elemental distribution in hyperaccumulator plants. Agromining: farming for metals: extracting unconventional resources from plants. (pp. 197-214) edited by Antony van der Ent, Alan J. M. Baker, Guillaume Echevarria, Marie-Odile Simonnot and Jean Louis Morel. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-58904-2_10

  • Gei, Vidiro, Erskine, Peter D., Harris, Hugh H., Echevarria, Guillaume, Mesjasz-Przybylowicz, Jolanta, Barnabas, Alban D., Kopittke, Peter M. and van der Ent, Antony (2018). Tools for the discovery of hyperaccumulator plant species and understanding their ecophysiology. Agromining: farming for metals. (pp. 117-133) edited by Antony Van der Ent, Guillaume Echevarria, Alan J. M. Baker and Jean Louis Morel. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-61899-9_7

  • Wang, Peng, Kopittke, Peter M., McGrath, Steve P. and Zhao, Fang-Jie (2017). Cadmium transfer from soil to plants and its potential risk to human health. The nexus of soils, plants, animals and human health. (pp. 138-147) edited by Bal Ram Singh, Michael J. McLaughlin and Eric Brevik. Stuttgart, Germany: Catena Soil Sciences.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Blamey, F. Pax C., Kopittke, Peter M., Wehr, J. Bernhard and Menzies, Neal W. (2015). Aluminum. Handbook of Plant Nutrition. (pp. 567-606) edited by Allen V. Barker and David J. Pilbeam. Boca Raton Florida, United States: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/b18458-21

  • Donner, Erica, de Jonge, Martin D., Kopittke, Peter M. and Lombi, Enzo (2013). Mapping element distributions in plant tissues using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence techniques. Plant mineral nutrients: methods and protocols. (pp. 143-159) edited by Frans J. M. Maathuis. New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-62703-152-3_9

  • Kopittke, Peter M., Lombi, Enzo, Menzies, Neal W. and Naidu, Ravi (2010). Principles of plant-based remediation of contaminated soils. Industrial crops and uses. (pp. 446-469) edited by Bharat P. Singh. Oxfordshire, U.K. ; Cambridge, MA., U.S.A.: CABI. doi: 10.1079/9781845936167.0446

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision