Dr Rodrigo Coqui da Silva

I am a soil scientist with broad interests spanning nutrient cycling, crop fertilisation, soil use & management, farming systems and agronomy. In October 2024, I joined UniSA’s Future Industries Institute as a Soil Scientist to investigate the reaction of a multi-nutrient fertiliser with contrasting global soils and its nutrient availability to the crops. This project is carried out in collaboration with the University of Queensland and Anglo-American Woodsmith Limited. In this role, I employ cutting-edge techniques (e.g. DGT, XANES) to investigate the dissolution of fertiliser granules and the release of nutrients in various soils, aiming to enhance their agronomic performance. Prior to this role, I worked at The University of Adelaide and CSIRO Agriculture & Food.

I have extensive experience working with fertiliser research. I conducted experimental work under laboratory, glasshouse, and field conditions to develop more effective fertilisers that optimise their efficiency and minimise potential environmental risks. More specifically, my research involved formulating and producing novel fertiliser formulations through advanced isotopic and spectroscopic investigations.

Throughout recent collaborative research, I maintained close connections with the Farming Systems Groups (Hart, BCG, SFS, AIR EP, EPAG), government agencies (GRDC, CRDC), Universities and scientific organisations, industry partners, agronomists and consultants from Southern Australia. I recently led research streams within significant GRDC investments: (i) Sandy Soils - a multiseason and geographically dispersed project addressing the amelioration of cropping conditions under sandy soils in the Southern Australian region. My primary role was characterising and understanding the physical constraints to root growth in underperforming sandy soils; (ii) Farming Systems South - the project is motivated by the perceived 'gap' in profitability and efficiency (e.g. gross margin per mm rainfall) despite good single-crop agronomy. The project aims to better understand the drivers of profitability and sustainability in farming systems in the southern region and better realise water-limited potential. I managed the project's agronomy activities, including supporting the farming systems groups running the nine field trials across Victoria and South Australia, where more than 300 treatments are under investigation for multiple seasons.

Before moving to Australia, I completed my post-graduate training in Soils and Plant Nutrition at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. In addition to the university-based work, my research experiments and analyses were carried out in collaboration with Mato Grosso Research Foundation (MT, Brazil) and the Centre for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (SP, Brazil), together with collaborators at Argonne National Laboratory (IL, USA) and Kansas State University (KS, USA), where I spent a doctorate 'sandwich' program (2011-12). Prior to this, I obtained my Agronomic Engineering degree from the São Paulo State University, Brazil, where I was awarded scholarships based on my academic performance to conduct scientific research for three years.

I am based at the UniSA's Future Industries Institute, Mawson Lakes Campus.

Further information: www.rcdasilva.com

Scientific societies membership:

• Soil Science Australia (since 2013)
• Crop Science Society of South Australia (2022-24)
• Soil Science Society of America (since 2011)
• Crop Science Society of America (since 2011)
• Agronomy Society of America (since 2011)
• Brazilian Society of Soil Science (since 2010)

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy Univeristy of Sao Paulo

• Master in Soils and Plant Nutrition University of Sao Paulo

• Agronomy Sao Paulo State University

Work history

• 2025-current: Research Fellow - University of South Australia, Future Industries Institute

• 2024-25: Soil Scientist - University of South Australia, Future Industries Institute

• 2023-24: Research Agronomist - University of Adelaide, Department of Agricultural Science

• 2020-23: Researcher (via secondment Univ. of Adelaide) - CSIRO Agriculture and Food

• 2013-19: Postdoctoral Research Fellow - University of Adelaide, Fertiliser Technology Research Centre