Paul Nelson

paul.nelson@jcu.edu.au
Associate Professor - Soil Science

Projects

8

Publications

94

Awards

1

Contact Details

Soil Scientist

+61 7 4232 1375
paul.nelson@jcu.edu.au
JCU Nguma-bada campus, Cairns
MacGregor Road, Smithfield Qld 4878, Australia

Biography

Paul Nelson is an agricultural/environmental scientist with research, education and leadership experience in industry, government and university sectors. His current research focuses on how human management and natural processes influence the sustainability and environmental impact of agriculture, including productivity, soil condition, water quality, carbon and nutrient cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, and other biogeochemical processes.

Prior to joining James Cook University, Paul led the Agronomy program of the Papua New Guinea Oil Palm Research Association. He has also worked with CSIRO, the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations, the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, the Australian Centre for Water Treatment and Water Quality Research, the French National Agricultural Research Institute (INRA) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

His recently published synthesis 'Sustainable management of soil in tropical agriculture' (2023, in Jayaraman, Dalal & Lal (Eds.) Sustainable Soil Management – Beyond Food Production. Cambridge Scholars Publishing) is available on request.

Research

Research Interests

Carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, particularly through enhanced mineral weathering
Reducing nutrient and contaminant export from agriculture and aquaculture using novel techniques such as denitrifying bioreactors
Understanding and managing effects of soil physicochemical conditions on soil biological health
Modelling and managing water and nutrient cycling in tropical agriculture and aquaculture

Projects

Enhanced weathering for carbon dioxide removal under tropical soil conditions

01 Jul 2024 - 30 Dec 2027

Carbon sequestration via enhanced weathering of basalt applied to dry tropical rangeland

03 Jun 2024 - 02 Jun 2028

Improving the quality of water for release from land-based aquaculture in northern Australia (Old ID 26373)

01 Apr 2019 - 31 Mar 2020

Denitrification bioreactor trial in the Russell catchment of the Wet Tropics (Old ID 23408)

01 Nov 2017 - 30 May 2020

Sequestering carbon and improving sugarcane productivity by enhanced weathering of basalt (Old ID 23432)

01 Jun 2017 - 31 May 2026

Activity 2.6 (Banana soil physico-chemical properties) of 'Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 Research program (BA14014)' (Old ID 22760)

30 May 2016 - 01 Jun 2020

Strengthening Livelihoods for Food Security Amongst Cocoa and Oil Palm Farming Communities in Papua New Guinea (Old ID 21641)

01 Jul 2014 - 28 Feb 2019

Validation of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Methods in Banana and Mango Tree Crops Across Tropical Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia (Old ID 21116)

01 Jul 2013 - 30 Apr 2017

Teaching

Teaching Interests

Soil matters: it is the most biologically diverse and active part of the earth, where minerals, water, air and living things interact in complex and fascinating ways that are critical for human well-being and ecosystem functioning. Having a good grasp of soil properties and processes is invaluable for graduates in environmental science and management.