Dr Timothy Cavagnaro - Researcher Profile

Timothy Cavagnaro

Address

School of Biological Sciences
Building 18, Clayton

Contact Details

Tel: +61 3 990 55793

Email: Timothy.Cavagnaro@monash.edu


Biography

Food security from the ground up

Cassava is the staple food for more than 800 million people worldwide, including 45 per cent of those living in sub-Saharan Africa. It is also highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, says soil ecologist Dr Tim Cavagaro. His research suggests climate change may make the plant increasingly toxic to the people who rely on it for survival. Helping communities respond to climate change underpins much of his research, which focuses on soil health and sustainability.

Studying cassava, Tim and his colleagues have found that elevated carbon dioxide levels can reduce yields and increase toxicity in plants’ leaves under some circumstances. He has also found that drought conditions can increase the toxicity of this important crop. Both these factors have significant implications for African communities.

Reduced yields mean less food for the growing population, while increased toxicity in the plants can cause serious health problems. Cassava plants contain cyanide and many cultivars can be toxic if they are eaten without the proper processing. Cyanide poisoning can induce Konzo disease, which causes permanent paralysis of the limbs.

Building on this earlier research, Tim is also investigating links between agricultural production and increased cyanide concentrations in Mozambique’s cassava crops. This project is being funded by the Australian Government’s AusAID program, in collaboration with Mozambique’s Eduardo Mondlane University and the Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique.

Tim says the broader social and economic context of communities in developing regions is an important consideration in the quest for food security. Increased health risks often coincide with periods of social stress because people are less likely to properly prepare cassava for consumption at these times.

Communicating the significance of research findings is also an essential part of his work. “I can do the best science in the world, but if I can’t communicate the significance to someone making policy decisions then that’s a problem. As researchers we need to span the science-policy interface,” he says.

Tim has already been successful in bridging this gap in the United States, where he investigated how climate change has affected agriculture in California. His findings in part provided the basis for changes in Californian legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

He is also working to understand nutrient cycling in the soil as part of his overarching goal to improve environmental and agricultural sustainability. Phosphorus fertiliser helps crops to sustain yields. But it is a non-renewable resource, derived from phosphate rock. Projections indicate that the existing global reserves could be depleted in 50 to 100 years. “If we’re going to produce enough food to feed the world’s population, we will need to find ways of more efficiently using the phosphorus that’s in the soil.”

Tim’s enthusiasm for soil ecology developed as a child when his father, an engineer and a keen amateur geologist, would lead the family on field trips. A handful of soil contains more microbes than the sum of all people who have ever lived, he says. “It supports some of the most diverse terrestrial communities on the planet. We’re only just starting to understand the complex nature of the biology in soil.” At this stage, scientists have described about five per cent of the microbes living in soil.

Tim says a better understanding of soil health is critical to protecting the soil as a resource that is fundamental to the existence of humans and ecosystems. “Achieving food security in systems that enable the natural environment and agricultural practices to co-exist is a big challenge. But I don’t think we have a choice about finding that balance. We need to feed the world population, but we also rely on natural ecosystems for clean air and healthy waterways.”

 

Keywords

soil ecology, nutrient cycling, plant nutrition, food security and climate change

Qualifications

PHD
Institution: University of Adelaide
Year awarded: 2001
BAHELOR OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE (HONS)
Institution: Adelaide University
Year awarded: 1998

Publications

Books

Williams, L., Cavagnaro, T., Reich, P., Lake, P.S., 2009, Phalaris in Australian Ecosystems: Understanding its Biology and Ecology as the First Step Towards Effective Management in Riparian Zones, The Australian Centre for Biodiversity, Clayton Vic Australia.

Journal Articles

Cavagnaro, T., Barrios-Masias, F., Jackson, L., 2012, Arbuscular mycorrhizas and their role in plant growth, nitrogen interception and soil gas efflux in an organic production system, Plant And Soil [P], vol e, Springer Netherlands, Netherlands, pp. 1-14.

Watts-Williams, S., Cavagnaro, T., 2012, Arbuscular mycorrhizas modify tomato responses to soil zinc and phosphorus addition, Biology And Fertility Of Soils [P], vol 48, issue 3, Springer, New York USA, pp. 285-294.

Asghari, H.R., Cavagnaro, T., 2012, Arbuscular mycorrhizas reduce nitrogen loss via leaching, PLoS ONE [P], vol 7, issue 1, Public Library Science, San Francisco USA, pp. 151-155.

Rosenthal, D.M., Slattery, R.A., Miller, R.E., Grennan, A.K., Cavagnaro, T., Fauquet, C.M., Gleadow, R.M., Ort, D.R., 2012, Cassava about-FACE: Greater than expected yield stimulation of cassava (Manihot esculenta) by future CO2 levels, Global Change Biology [P], vol 18, issue 8, Wiley-Blackwell, New Jersey USA, pp. 2661-2675.

Cunningham, S.C., Metzeling, K., Mac Nally, R.C., Thomson, J.R., Cavagnaro, T., 2012, Changes in soil carbon of pastures after afforestation with mixed species: Sampling, heterogeneity and surrogates, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment [P], vol 158, Elsevier BV, Netherlands, pp. 58-65.

Hoogmoed, M., Cunningham, S.C., Thomson, J.R., Baker, P.J., Beringer, J., Cavagnaro, T., 2012, Does afforestation of pastures increase sequestration of soil carbon in Mediterranean climates?, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment [P], vol 159, Elsevier Science BV, Amsterdam Netherlands, pp. 176-183.

Mosse, K.P.M., Patti, A.F., Smernik, R., Christen, E., Cavagnaro, T., 2012, Physicochemical and microbiological effects of long- and short-term winery wastewater application to soils, Journal of Hazardous Materials [P], vol 201-202, Elsevier BV, Netherlands, pp. 219-228.

Smith, M., Conte, P., Berns, A.E., Thomson, J.R., Cavagnaro, T., 2012, Spatial patterns of, and environmental controls on, soil properties at a riparian-paddock interface, Soil Biology and Biochemistry [P], vol 49, Pergamon-Elsevier Science, Oxford United Kingdom, pp. 38-45.

Mosse, K.P.M., Verheyen, V., Cruickshank, A.J., Patti, A.F., Cavagnaro, T., 2012, Thermochemolysis of winery wastewater particulates-molecular structural implications for water reuse, Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis [P], vol 97, Elsevier BV, Netherlands, pp. 164-170.

Burns, A., Bradbury, J., Cavagnaro, T., Gleadow, R., 2012, Total cyanide content of cassava food products in Australia, Journal Of Food Composition And Analysis [P], vol 25, issue 1, Academic Press, USA, pp. 79-82.

Burns, A.E., Gleadow, R.M., Zacarias, A., Cuambe, C.E., Miller, R.E., Cavagnaro, T., 2012, Variations in the chemical composition of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) leaves and roots as affected by genotypic and environmental variation, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry [P], vol 60, issue 19, American Chemical Society, Washington USA, pp. 4946-4956.

Asghari, H., Cavagnaro, T., 2011, Arbuscular mycorrhizas enhance plant interception of leached nutrients, Functional Plant Biology [P], vol 38, issue 3, CSIRO, Australia, pp. 219-226.

Cavagnaro, T., Martin, A., 2011, Arbuscular mycorrhizas in southeastern Australian processing tomato farm soils, Plant And Soil [P], vol 340, issue 1-2, Springer, Dordrecht Netherlands, pp. 327-336.

Williams, L., Hale, R., Cavagnaro, T., Reich, P., Lake, P., 2011, Developing a vision for improved monitoring and reporting of riparian restoration projects: MDBA Riparian Restoration Experiment Workshop, Melbourne, 16 November 2010, Ecological Management and Restoration [P], vol 12, issue 1, Wiley Blackwell Publishing Asia, Richmond Australia, pp. 11-16.

Cavagnaro, T., Gleadow, R., Miller, R., 2011, Plant nutrient acquisition and utilisation in a high carbon dioxide world, Functional Plant Biology [P], vol 38, issue 2, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood Vic Australia, pp. 87-96.

Mosse, K., Patti, A., Christen, E., Cavagnaro, T., 2011, Review: winery wastewater quality and treatment options in Australia, Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research [E], vol 17, issue 2, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia, Australia, pp. 111-122.

Cavagnaro, T., Dixon, S., Smith, F.A., 2010, Arbuscular mycorrhizas modify plant responses to soil zinc addition, Plant And Soil [P], vol 329, issue 1-2, Springer, GZ Dordrecht Netherlands, pp. 307-313.

Burns, A., Gleadow, R., Cliff, J., Zacarias, A., Cavagnaro, T., 2010, Cassava: the drought, war and famine crop in a changing world, Sustainability [E], vol 2, issue 11, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Switzerland, pp. 3572-3607.

McKey, D., Cavagnaro, T., Cliff, J., Gleadow, R., 2010, Chemical ecology in coupled human and natural systems: people, manioc, multitrophic interactions and global change, Chemoecology [P], vol 20, issue 2, Birkhaeuser Verlag AG, Basel Switzerland, pp. 109-133.

Burns, A., Gleadow, R., Cliff, J., Cavagnaro, T., 2010, Effects of increasing carbon dioxide emissions and climate change on nutritional quality of food crops: a case study on cassava, United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition. News [P], vol 38, SCN News, UK, pp. 49-53.

Tran, J., Cavagnaro, T., 2010, Growth and mycorrhizal colonization of two grasses in soils with different inundation histories, Journal Of Arid Environments [P], vol 74, Elsevier, UK, pp. 715-717.

Burger, B.L., Reich, P., Cavagnaro, T., 2010, Trajectories of change: riparian vegetation and soil conditions following livestock removal and replanting, Austral Ecology [P], vol 35, issue 8, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc, Malden Massachusetts USA, pp. 980-987.

Mosse, K.P.M., Patti, A.F., Christen, E., Cavagnaro, T., 2010, Winery wastewater inhibits seed germination and vegetative growth of common crop species, Journal of Hazardous Materials [P], vol 180, Elsevier Science BV, The Netherlands, pp. 63-70.

Li, X., Zhu, Y.-., Cavagnaro, T.R., Chen, M., Sun, J., Chen, X., Qiao, M., 2009, Do ammonia-oxidizing archaea respond to soil Cu contamination similarly asammonia-oxidizing bacteria?, Plant And Soil [P], vol 324, Springer, UK, pp. 209-217.

Gleadow, R.M., Evans, J.R., McCaffery, S., Cavagnaro, T.R., 2009, Growth and nutritive value of cassava (Manihot esculenta Cranz.) are reduced when grown in elevated CO., Plant Biology [P], vol 11 Suppl 1, Wiley Blackwell, UK, pp. 76-82.

Cavagnaro, T., Langley, A., Jackson, L., Smukler, S., Koch, G.M.W., 2008, Growth, nutrition, and soil respiration of a mycorrhiza-defective tomato mutant and its mycorrhizal wild-type progenitor, Functional Plant Biology, vol 35, CSIRO, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 228-235.

Jackson, L., Burger, M., Cavagnaro, T., 2008, Roots, nitrogen transformations, and ecosystem services, Annual Review of Plant Biology, vol 59, Annual Reviews, USA, pp. 341-363.

Cavagnaro, T., Jackson, L., Hristova, K.F., Scow, K., 2008, Short-term population dynamics of ammonia oxidizing bacteria in an agricultural soil, Applied Soil Ecology, vol 40, Elsevier, Netherlands, pp. 13-18.

Cavagnaro, T., 2008, The role of arbuscular mycorrhizas in improving plant zinc nutrition under low soil zinc concentrations: A review, Plant and Soil, vol 304, Springer, Netherlands, pp. 315-325.

Cavagnaro, T., Jackson, L.E., Scow, K.M., Hristova, K.R., 2007, Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizas on ammonia oxidizing bacteria in an organic farm soil, Microbial Ecology, vol 54, issue 4, Springer New York LLC, USA, pp. 618-626.

Cavagnaro, T., Jackson, L.E., 2007, Isotopic fractionation of zinc in field grown tomato, Canadian Journal of Botany, vol 85, National Research Council Canada, Ontario, pp. 230-235.

Cavagnaro, T., Sokolow, S.K., Jackson, L.E., 2007, Mycorrhizal effects on growth and nutrition of tomato under elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide, Functional Plant Biology, vol 34, issue 8, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood Victoria, pp. 730-736.

Minoshima, H., Jackson, L.E., Cavagnaro, T., Ferris, H., 2007, Short-term fates of carbon-13-depleted cowpea shoots in no-till and standard tillage soils, Soil Science Society of America Journal, vol 71, issue 3, Soil Science Society of America, United States, pp. 1859-1866.

Minoshima, H., Jackson, L.E., Cavagnaro, T., Sanchez-Moreno, S., Ferris, H., Temple, S.R., Goyal, S., Mitchell, J.P., 2007, Soil food webs and carbon dynamics in response to conservation tillage in California, Soil Science Society of America Journal, vol 71, issue 3, Soil Science Society of America, United States, pp. 952-963.

Cavagnaro, T.R., Jackson, L.E., Six, J., Ferris, H., Goyal, S., Asami, D., Scow, K.M., 2006, Arbuscular mycorrhizas, microbial communities, nutrient availability, and soil aggregates in organic tomato production, Plant and Soil, vol 282, Springer, Netherlands, pp. 209-225.

Cavagnaro, T., Smith, F.A., Smith, S., Jakobsen, I., 2005, Functional diversity in arbuscular mycorrhizas: Exploitation of soil patches with different phosphate enrichment differs among fungal species, Plant, Cell and Environment, vol 28, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford England, pp. 642-650.

van Aarle, I.M., Cavagnaro, T., Smith, S., Smith, F.A., Dickson, S., 2005, Metabolic activity of Glomus intraradices in Arum- and Paris-type arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization, New Phytologist, vol 166, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford England, pp. 611-618.

Cavagnaro, T., Smith, F.A., Hay, G., Carne-Cavagnaro, V.L., Smith, S., 2004, Inoculum type does not affect overall resistance of an arbuscular mycorrhiza-defective tomato mutant to colonisation but inoculation does change competitive interactions with wild-type tomato, New Phytologist, vol 161, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford England, pp. 485-494.

Cavagnaro, T., Smith, F.A., Smith, S., 2004, Interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and a mycorrhiza-defective mutant tomato: Does a noninfective fungus alter the ability of an infective fungus to colonise the roots - and vice versa?, New Phytologist, vol 164, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford England, pp. 485-491.

Cavagnaro, T.R., Smith, F.A., Ayling, S.M., Smith, S., 2003, Growth and phosphorus nutrition of a Paris-type arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, New Phytologist, vol 157, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford England, pp. 127-134.

Ezawa, T., Cavagnaro, T.R., Smith, S.E., Smith, F.A., Ohtomo, R., 2003, Rapid accumulation of polyphosphate in extraradical hyphae of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus as revealed by histochemistry and a polyphosphate kinase/luciferase system, New Phytologist, vol 161, issue 2, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford England, pp. 387-392.

Burleigh, S.H., Cavagnaro, T., Jakobsen, I., 2002, Functional diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizas extends to the expression of plant genes involved in P nutrition, Journal of Experimental Botany, vol 53, issue 374, Oxford University Press, UK, pp. 1593-1601.

Cavagnaro, T., 2002, The 6th Symposium of the International Society of Root Research: a mycorrhizast's point of view, Mycorrhiza, vol 12, Springer Verlag, Germany, pp. 103-104.

Cavagnaro, T., Smith, F.A., Kolesik, P., Ayling, S.M., Smith, S.E., 2001, Arbuscular mycorrhizas formed by Asphodelus fistulosus and Glomus coronatum: three-dimensional analysis of plant nuclear shift using laser scanning confocal microscopy, Symbiosis, vol 30, Balaban Publishers, Israel, pp. 109-121.

Cavagnaro, T.R., Smith, S.E., Dickson, S., 2001, Backseat driving? Accessing phosphate beyond the rhizosphere-depletion zone, Trends in Plant Science, vol 6, issue 5, Elsevier Ltd, UK, pp. 194-195.

Bakhtiar, Y., Miller, D., Cavagnaro, T., Smith, S., 2001, Interactions between two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and fungivorous nematodes and control of the nematode with fenamifos, Applied Soil Ecology, vol 17, Elsevier BV, Netherlands, pp. 107-117.

Cavagnaro, T., Gao, L., Smith, F.A., Smith, S.E., 2001, Morphology of arbuscular mycorrhizas is influenced by fungal identity, New Phytologist, vol 151, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford England, pp. 469-475.

Cavagnaro, T., Smith, F.A., Lorimer, M.F., Haskard, K.A., Ayling, S.M., Smith, S.E., 2001, Quantitative development of Paris-type arbuscular mycorrhizas formed between Asphodelus fistulosus and Glomus coronatum, New Phytologist, vol 149, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford England, pp. 105-113.

Conference Proceedings

Gleadow, R., Burns, A., Zacarias, A., Cliff, J., Miller, R., Bradbury, H., Cavagnaro, T., 2010, Predicting climate change impacts on yield and cyanogen levels of cassava, an important African staple, Proceedings of the 33rd annaul AFSAAP conference, 2 December 2010 to 4 December 2010, The African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific, Melbourne Australia, p. 1.

Gleadow, R., Cavagnaro, T., 2008, Climate change and food security: predicted changes in nutritional quality of cassava, 31st annual AFSAAP conference (African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific), The African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific, Melbourne, Australia, p. 1.

Other

Cavagnaro, T., Jackson, L., Scow, K., 2006, Climate change: Challenges and solutions for California agricultural landscapes, California Energy Commission & California EPA, California USA, pp. 1-114.

Postgraduate Research Supervisions

Current Supervision

Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
"Enhancing fertility in sandy soils using Biochar and Protected Diffusion Zones".
Supervisors:
Cavagnaro, T (Joint-co), Patti, A (Joint).
Program of Study:
(MASTER'S BY RESEARCH).
Supervisors:
Cavagnaro, T (Main), Patti, A (Associate), Rose, M (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Carbon cycling of revegetated agricultural landscapes under a dry climate.
Supervisors:
Cavagnaro, T (Joint-co), Cunningham, S (Joint), Baker, P (Associate), Beringer, J (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Environmental controls on plant toxicity in a changing climate.
Supervisors:
Cavagnaro, T (Main), Chown, S (Associate), Cunningham, S (Associate), Mcgeoch, M (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Evaluating humic coated phosphate/and ammonium phosphate fertilisers.
Supervisors:
Cavagnaro, T (Joint), Patti, A (Joint-co), Rose, M (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Genetic Modification of Microalagae for Biodiesel Production.
Supervisors:
Beardall, J (Main), Cavagnaro, T (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Nutrient recovery from agricultural wastewaters using adsorbents with brown coal and its derivatives.
Supervisors:
Chaffee, A (Joint), Patti, A (Joint-co), Cavagnaro, T (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Plant tissue culture for the production of Crystalline biomaterials.
Supervisors:
Beardall, J (Main), Cavagnaro, T (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
SE Australian agrosystems: linking carbon to nutrient dynamics & biotic responses.
Supervisors:
Cavagnaro, T (Main), Patti, A (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Sustainable soil carbon and soil health through brown coal-derived products..
Supervisors:
Cavagnaro, T (Joint), Patti, A (Joint-co), Jackson, W (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
The effect of agricultural intensification on soil and plant properties in managed grazing systems.
Supervisors:
Cavagnaro, T (Main), Reich, P (Associate), Rose, M (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
The role of arbuscular mycorrhizas in plant zinc nutrition..
Supervisors:
Cavagnaro, T (Main), Patti, A (Associate).

Completed Supervision

Student:
Iyer, R.
Program of Study:
The influence of nitrogen supply and deficit irrigation on growth and quality parameters in wine grapes: susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea Pers.:Fr infection. (PHD) 2012.
Supervisors:
Teicher, J (Main), Beardall, J (Associate), Cavagnaro, T (Associate).
Student:
Mosse, K.
Program of Study:
Treatment and management options for sustainable winery wastewater reuse. (PHD) 2011.
Supervisors:
Cavagnaro, T (Joint), Patti, A (Joint-Co).
Student:
Yu, V.
Program of Study:
Isolation and identification of plant-associated bacteria for plant biotechnology applications. 2009.
Supervisors:
Walmsley, A (Main), Cavagnaro, T (Joint).