Dr Chris Saunders

University Transfer People, Talent and Culture

Mawson Lakes Campus (M2-17)
tel +61 8 830 23664

email chris.saunders@unisa.edu.au

Available for media comment
Research Degree Supervisor

About me

I am a research fellow within UniSA STEM where my research is focused on the engineering for sustainable Agricultural. Find out more about my research on the website AMRDC .

People, Talent and Culture

Supporting a wide-spread human resources environment and encouraging best practice staff management at UniSA.

Tweets by @UniversitySA

Research

Research focus

Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
Biological Sciences
Other Engineering
Agriculture, Land and Farm Management
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary

Highlights

Agricultural Machinery Technologies,Agricultural Machinery Design,Agricultural Machinery Operation and Efficiency,Soil / Machine Dynamics,Sensors and sensing for Agriculture,Computers and Automation for Agriculture,Grain Harvesting,Mouldboard Ploughs,Discrete Element Method (DEM) for soil tillage simulations

Research

Projects

Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.

Sandy Soils II: Management to sustain production potential in the low to medium rainfall environments of the Southern cropping region, CSIRO Australia, 19/11/2024 - 30/06/2027
Proof of concept - Oscillatory tillage in broad acre agriculture, Grains Research and Development Corporation, 25/08/2023 - 31/08/2025
Increasing production on sandy soils in low and medium rainfall areas of the Southern Region - Amelioration Dem Component, Grains Research and Development Corporation, 01/07/2016 - 30/11/2023
Increasing production on sandy soils in low and medium rainfall areas of the Southern Region - Mitigation Trials, Grains Research and Development Corporation, 01/07/2016 - 30/11/2023
PIRSA New Horizons - Engineering phase (2015-19), SA Dept of Primary Industries and Regions, 01/06/2015 - 30/06/2021
Delivering enhanced agronomic strategies for improved crop performance on water repellent soils in Western Australia, Grains Research and Development Corporation - Agronomy, Soils and Environment, 01/07/2014 - 30/06/2019
Minimising the impact of soil compaction on crop yield, Grains Research and Development Corporation, 01/07/2017 - 20/06/2019
Advanced Processing of Almonds, Hort Innovation, 01/09/2012 - 01/06/2019
2014 Farmer Evaluation of Prototype Impact Mills, Sargent Trading, 01/09/2014 - 30/06/2018

Research

Outputs

Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID, ResearcherID or Scopus

Open access indicates that an output is open access.

Highlights

Year	Output
2021	Saunders, C, Ucgul, M & Godwin, RJ 2021, 'Discrete element method (DEM) simulation to improve performance of a mouldboard skimmer', Soil and Tillage Research, vol. 205, article no. 104764, pp. 1-13. Open access 59 52 2
2020	Li, P, Ucgul, M, Lee, S-H & Saunders, C 2020, 'A new approach for the automatic measurement of the angle of repose of granular materials with maximal least square using digital image processing', Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, vol. 172, pp. 1-10. Open access 31 27
2020	Ucgul, M & Saunders, C 2020, 'Simulation of tillage forces and furrow profile during soil-mouldboard plough interaction using discrete element modelling', Biosystems Engineering, vol. 190, pp. 58-70. Open access 74 59
2019	Li, P, Ucgul, M, Lee, S-H & Saunders, C 2019, 'A new method to analyse the soil movement during tillage operations using a novel digital image processing algorithm', Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, vol. 156, pp. 43-50. 8 8
2018	Ucgul, M, Saunders, C & Fielke, JM 2018, 'Comparison of the discrete element and finite element methods to model the interaction of soil and tool cutting edge', Biosystems Engineering, vol. 169, pp. 199-208. Open access 89 62

Chapters

Year	Output
2024	McBeath, T, Unkovich, M, Ouzman, J, da Silva, RC, Moodie, M, Fraser, M, Saunders, C & Desbiolles, J 2024, 'Ameliorating sandy soil constraints for sustainable gains in productivity in Southern Australia', in AE Hartemink & J Huang (eds), Sandy Soils, Springer International Publishing, Switzerland, ch. 19, pp. 211-219.
2009	Shahgoly, G, Fielke, J, Desbiolles, J & Saunders, C 2009, 'Modeling oscillation angle effects on the motion characteristics of oscillatory tillage', in S Pandalai (ed.), Advances in soil and tillage research, Transworld Research Network, India, pp. 81-104.

Journal Articles

Year	Output
2025	Ucgul, M, Saunders, C & Desbiolles, JM 2025, 'Pilot study into the performance of inclusion plates used in deep ripping', Soil and Tillage Research, vol. 253, article no. 106673, pp. 1-11. Open access
2023	Khosravani , A, Desbiolles, JM, Fielke, JM, Ucgul, M & Saunders, C 2023, 'Prediction of single disc seeding system forces, using a semi-analytical and discrete element method (DEM)', Agriculture (Switzerland), vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 1-18. Open access 4 4
2023	Khosravani, A, Desbiolles, JM, Saunders, C, Ucgul, M & Fielke, JM 2023, 'Prediction of single disc seeding system forces, using a semi-analytical and discrete element method (DEM) considering rotation effects', Agriculture (Switzerland), vol. 13, no. 1, article no. 202 pp. 1-17. Open access 5 4
2021	Saunders, C, Ucgul, M & Godwin, RJ 2021, 'Discrete element method (DEM) simulation to improve performance of a mouldboard skimmer', Soil and Tillage Research, vol. 205, article no. 104764, pp. 1-13. Open access 59 52 2
2020	Li, P, Ucgul, M, Lee, S-H & Saunders, C 2020, 'A new approach for the automatic measurement of the angle of repose of granular materials with maximal least square using digital image processing', Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, vol. 172, pp. 1-10. Open access 31 27
2020	Ucgul, M & Saunders, C 2020, 'Simulation of tillage forces and furrow profile during soil-mouldboard plough interaction using discrete element modelling', Biosystems Engineering, vol. 190, pp. 58-70. Open access 74 59
2019	Li, P, Ucgul, M, Lee, S-H & Saunders, C 2019, 'A new method to analyse the soil movement during tillage operations using a novel digital image processing algorithm', Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, vol. 156, pp. 43-50. 8 8
2018	Ucgul, M, Saunders, C & Fielke, JM 2018, 'Comparison of the discrete element and finite element methods to model the interaction of soil and tool cutting edge', Biosystems Engineering, vol. 169, pp. 199-208. Open access 89 62
2018	Ucgul, M, Saunders, C, Li , P & Lee, S-H 2018, 'Analyzing the mixing performance of a rotary spader using digital image processing and discrete element modelling (DEM)', Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, vol. 151, pp. 1-10. Open access 72 54
2018	Üçgül, M, Saunders, C & Aybek, A 2018, 'A research on utilizing of discrete element method in the design of agricultural machineries', Kahramanmara? Sütçüimam University Journal of Natural Sciences, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 44-50. Open access
2017	Guzzomi, A, Ryan, M, Saunders, C & Walsh, M 2017, 'Reducing the integrated Harrington Seed Destructor power requirements through chaff fraction optimization', Applied Engineering in Agriculture, vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 695-701. 5 5
2017	Ucgul, M, Saunders, C & Fielke, JM 2017, 'Discrete element modelling of tillage forces and soil movement of a one-third scale mouldboard plough', Biosystems Engineering, vol. 155, pp. 44-54. 112 83
2015	Berry, N, Fielke, J & Saunders, C 2015, 'A Mastercurve to predict annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) seed devitalisation when exposed to multiple single sided impacts', Biosystems Engineering, vol. 133, pp. 56-63. 6 5
2015	Ucgul, M, Fielke, JM & Saunders, C 2015, 'Defining the effect of sweep tillage tool cutting edge geometry on tillage forces using 3D discrete element modelling', Information Processing in Agriculture, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 130-141. Open access 85
2015	Ucgul, M, Fielke, JM & Saunders, C 2015, 'Three-dimensional discrete element modelling (DEM) of tillage: accounting for soil cohesion and adhesion', Biosystems Engineering, vol. 129, pp. 298-306. 224 158
2014	Berry, NK, Fielke, JM & Saunders, C 2014, 'Determination of impact energy to devitalise annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) seed from one impact using double and single sided impacts', Biosystems Engineering, vol. 118, no. 1, pp. 138-146. 8 7
2014	Liu, H, Lee, SH & Saunders, C 2014, 'Development of a machine vision system for weed detection during both of off-season and in-season in broadacre no-tillage cropping lands', American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences, vol. 9 no. 2, pp. 174-193. Open access 24
2014	Solhjou, A, Fielke, JM, Desbiolles, JM & Saunders, C 2014, 'Soil translocation by narrow openers with various bent leg geometries', Biosystems Engineering, vol. 127, pp. 41-49. 11 27
2014	Ucgul, M, Fielke, JM & Saunders, C 2014, '3D DEM tillage simulation: validation of a hysteretic spring (plastic) contact model for a sweep tool operating in a cohesionless soil', Soil and Tillage Research, vol. 144, pp. 220-227. 37 130
2014	Ucgul, M, Fielke, JM & Saunders, C 2014, 'Three-dimensional discrete element modelling of tillage: determination of a suitable contact model and parameters for a cohesionless soil', Biosystems Engineering, vol. 121, pp. 105-117. 271 189
2013	Liu, H, Saunders, C & Lee, S 2013, 'Development of a proximal machine vision system for off-season weed mapping in broadacre no-tillage fallows', Journal of Computer Science, vol. 9, no. 12, pp. 1803-1821. Open access 12
2011	Banhazi, T, Saunders, C, Nieuwe, N, Lu, V & Banhazi, A 2011, 'Oil Spraying as an air quality improvement technique in livestock building: development and utilisation of a testing device', Australian Journal of Multi-Disciplinary Engineering, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 169-179.
2011	Banhazi, T, Tscharke, M, Ferdous, W, Saunders, C & Lee, S 2011, 'Improved image analysis based system to reliably predict the live weight of pigs on farm: preliminary results', Australian Journal of Multi-Disciplinary Engineering, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 107-117.
2011	Kurkuri, M, Saunders, C, Collins, P, Pavic, H & Losic, D 2011, 'Combining Micro and Nanoscale Structures: Emerging Applications of Diatoms', Micro and Nanosystems, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 277-283. 6
2010	Shahgoli, G, Fielke, J, Saunders, C & Desbiolles, J 2010, 'Simulation of the dynamic behaviour of a tractor-oscillating subsoiler system', Biosystems Engineering, vol. 106, no. 2, pp. 147-155. 39 23
2009	Shahgoli, G, Fielke, J, Desbiolles, J & Saunders, C 2009, 'Optimising oscillation frequency in oscillatory tillage', Soil and Tillage Research, vol. 106, no. 2, pp. 202-210. 84 44
2009	Shahgoli, G, Saunders, C, Desbiolles, J & Fielke, J 2009, 'The effect of oscillation angle on the performance of oscillatory tillage', Soil and Tillage Research, vol. 104, no. 1, pp. 97-105. 37 25
2009	Shahgoly, G, Fielke, JM & Saunders, C 2009, 'Application of power spectral density to recognize the important factors of tractor-subsoiler system vibration', Australian Journal of Multi-Disciplinary Engineering, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 39-46.

Conferences

Year	Output
2020	Moodie, M, Saunders, C, Ucgul, M & Macdonald, L 2020, 'The how's and whys for ripping deep sandy soils of the low rainfall Mallee', 2020 Bendigo GRDC Grains Research Updates, GRDC, pp. 221-230. Open access
2019	MacDonald, L, McBeath, T, Llewellyn, R, Moodie, M, Desbiolles, J, Saunders, C, Ucgul, M, Fraser, M, Wilhelm, N, Davenport, D, Trengove, S, Haskins, B & Whitworth, R 2019, 'Underperforming sandy soils - targeting constraints for cost effective amelioration', 2019 Adelaide GRDC Grains Research Updates, Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), pp. 79-84. Open access
2019	Macdonald, LM, McBeath, T, Fraser, M, Wilhelm, N, Davenport, D, Trengove, S, Moodie, M, Whitworth, R, Haskins, B, Desbiolles, J, Saunders, C, Ucgul, M & Llewellyn, R 2019, 'Mind the gap: targeting profile amelioration in Southern region sandy soils', 19th Australian Society of Agronomy Conference: 2019 Cells to Satellites, Australian Society of Agronomy, pp. 1-4. Open access
2019	Ucgul, M, Saunders, C & Desbiolles, J 2019, 'The use of computer simulation as a decision-making tool to improve machinery set-up, usage and performance', 19th Australian Society of Agronomy Conference, Australian Society of Agronomy, pp. 1-4. Open access
2019	Ucgul, M, Saunders, C, Desbiolles, J, Davies, S & Parker, W 2019, 'Improving the effectiveness of soil amelioration by optimising soil machine interaction', 2019 Perth GRDC Grains Research Update, GRDC, pp. 1-8. Open access
2018	Ucgul, M, Saunders, C & Fielke, JM 2018, 'Investigating the top-down burial capability of a cultivator using discrete element method (DEM)', 2018 ASABE Annual international meeting, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, pp. 1-8. Open access
2017	Ucgul, M, Saunders, C & Fielke, JM 2017, 'Particle and geometry scaling of the hysteretic spring/linear cohesion contact model for discrete element modelling of soil-tool simulation', 2017 ASABE Annual International Meeting, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, paper no. 1701372, pp. 1-12. Open access 7
2016	Ucgul, M, Saunders, C & Fielke, J 2016, 'A method of quantifying discrete element method simulations of top soil burial from a mouldboard plough', 2016 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting, ASABE 2016, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, paper no. 162460870, pp. 1-12. Open access 6
2016	Ucgul, M, Saunders, C & Fielke, J 2016, 'The effect of discrete element particle parameters on angle of repose and soil-tool force simulation results', 2016 ASABE Annual International Meeting, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, paper no. 162460861. Open access 5
2015	Desbiolles, J, Saunders, C & Barr, J 2015, 'Farm machinery research at UniSA: what's the latest?', EPARF Member Day 2015, Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation, pp. 1-9.
2013	Berry, N, Saunders, C & Fielke, J 2013, 'Opportunities to reduce the chaff processing requirements of a harvester weed seed destructor', 2013 Society for Engineering in Agriculture (SEAg) Conference, Engineers Australia Pty Ltd, pp. 371-379.
2013	Coates, M, Saunders, C & Fielke, J 2013, 'Review of aeration methods used within bulk storage systems for application with almonds', 2013 Society for Engineering in Agriculture (SEAg) Conference, Engineers Australia, pp. 326-335.
2013	Fielke, JM, Ucgul, M & Saunders, C 2013, 'Discrete element modeling of soil-implement interaction considering soil plasticity, cohesion and adhesion', 2013 Annual Meeting for the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, article no. 131618800, pp. 3558-3566.
2013	Liu, H, Li, P, Saunders, C & Lee, S 2013, 'Development of a green plant image segmentation method of machine vision system for no-tillage fallow weed detection', 2013 Society for Engineering in Agriculture (SEAg) Conference, Engineers Australia, pp. 95-108.
2013	Nair, N, Saunders, C & Lee, S 2013, 'Implementing a hybrid bug algorithm using low cost ultrasonic sensors for navigation on free range chicken farms', 2013 Society for Engineering in Agriculture (SEAg) Conference, Engineers Australia, paper no. 68, pp. 299-305.
2013	Skelton, P, Creek, A, Smith, T, Saunders, C & Lee, S 2013, 'Review of autonomous systems and research on autonomy for agricultural vehicles', 2013 Society for Engineering in Agriculture (SEAg) Conference, Engineers Australia, pp. 1-9.
2013	Zrna, B, Fielke, J & Saunders, C 2013, 'Investigating the use of acoustic vibrations to harvest winegrapes', 2013 Society for Engineering in Agriculture (SEAg) Conference, Engineers Australia, pp. 320-324.
2011	Ucgul, M, Fielke, J & Saunders, C 2011, '3D discrete element model simulation of a sinkage test', 2011 Society for Engineering in Agriculture Conference, Engineers Australia, pp. 497-505. Open access
2009	Banhazi, T, Tscharke, M, Ferdous, W, Saunders, C & Lee, S-H 2009, 'Using image processing and statistical modelling to achieve improved pig weight predictions', in T Banhazi & C Saunders (eds), CIGR International symposium of the Australian Society for Engineering in Agriculture, Society of Engineering in Agriculture, pp. 1-11.
2009	Bol, A, Banhazi, T & Saunders, C 2009, 'Evaluating Laser-Scanning a a Potential Technology for Measurement of Livestock Body Dimensions', in Dr. T Banhazi & C Saunders, The 2009 CIGR International Symposium of the Australian Society for Engineering in Agriculture, SAEG, pp. 1-8.
2009	Nieuwe Weme, N, Banhazi, T & Saunders, C 2009, 'Reducing the Concentrations of Airborne Partiles in Bedded Livestock Buildings: Development of a Testing Equipment', in Dr. T Banhazi & C Saunders, The 2009 CIGR Internaitonal Symposium of the Australian Society for Engineering in Agriculture, SAEG, pp. 1-8.
2008	Berruto, R, Saunders, C & Busato, P 2008, 'Logistics and efficiency of Grain harvest and transport systems in a South Australian context', 2008 ASABE Annual International Meeting, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. 4

Reports

Year	Output
2017	Ucgul, M & Saunders, C 2017, Evaluating the performance characteristics of mouldboard plough using computer simulation, Mallee Sustainable Farming, Australia. Open access
2017	Ucgul, M, Saunders, C & Desbiolles, J 2017, Evaluating the uniformity of spading on sandy soils using computer simulation, Mallee Sustainable Farming, Australia. Open access

External engagement & recognition

Collaborations

External engagement & recognition

Collaborations

Organisation	Country
AgGrow Agronomy and Research	AUSTRALIA
CSIRO Australia (Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research organisation)	AUSTRALIA
Department of Agriculture, WA	AUSTRALIA
Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation	AUSTRALIA
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development	AUSTRALIA
Frontier Farming Systems	AUSTRALIA
Grains Research and Development Corporation	AUSTRALIA
Harper Adams University	UNITED KINGDOM
Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University	TURKEY
Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc	AUSTRALIA
Mark MacKillop College	AUSTRALIA
Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA)	AUSTRALIA
South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI)	AUSTRALIA
Southern Cross University	AUSTRALIA
Trengove Consulting	AUSTRALIA
University of Adelaide	AUSTRALIA
University of Mohaghegh Ardabili	IRAN
University of South Australia	AUSTRALIA
University of Southern Queensland	AUSTRALIA
University of Sydney	AUSTRALIA
University of Turin	ITALY
University of Western Australia	AUSTRALIA

External engagement & recognition

Engagement/recognition	Year
Associate Member (AMIAgrE) Institute of Agricultural Engineers, United Kingdom	2018
Member Society for Engineering in Agriculture, Australia	2018

Teaching & student supervision

Highlights

Previous teaching experience includes: Engineering Design,Computers for Engineering,Research for Engineers

Teaching & student supervision

Research degree supervision

Supervisions from 2010 shown

Thesis title	Student status
Defining and modelling the boundaries for mechanised dehydration to produce high quality almonds	Completed
Development of an efficient complete area coverage strategy for low cost mobile agricultural robots employing navigation sensors with limited angular resolution and having applications in covering large areas with small obstacles	Completed
Development of the algorithms and mechanism of a machine vision system for both summer and in-season weed mapping in broadacre no-till cropping lands	Completed
Optimisation of an impact mill that processes chaff exiting a combine harvester to devitalise annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) seeds	Completed
Robust visual simultaneous localisation and mapping, and place recognition systems for autonomous field robots	Completed
Simulation of sweep tillage using discrete element modelling	Completed

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Dr Chris Saunders

About me

About me

People, Talent and Culture

About me

Professional Associations

Experience

Qualifications

Research

Research focus

Highlights

Projects

Outputs

Highlights

Chapters

Journal Articles

Conferences

Reports

Current research & highlights

External engagement & recognition

Collaborations

Collaborations

External engagement & recognition

Associate Member (AMIAgrE)

Member

Teaching & student supervision

Highlights

Courses and programs

Research degree supervision

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