Pongsathorn (Sam) Sukdanont
Theme 4
Nitrogen loss pathways and mitigation strategies in Australian sugarcane production systems
Improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is crucial to improving soil health, increasing crop yields, and reducing input costs. NUE also plays a pivotal role in the mitigation of climate change by reducing the production of nitrogenous greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide.
Enhanced efficiency fertilisers (EEFs), a developing technology which both manipulates nitrogen transformation processes in soils and controls the release of nitrogen into soils, reduces nitrogen losses and improve NUE. Consequently, understanding the nitrogen cycle, including not only plant-soil interactions but also the effects of EEFs, could help inform land management and fertiliser decisions in agriculture whilst informing future research.
Currently pursuing his PhD under the supervision of Dr Shu Kee (Raymond) Lam, Sam’s research focuses on the effect of EEFs on nitrous oxide and ammonia gas emissions in soils. Sam graduated with a Bachelor degree from Thailand’s King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang before completing a Masters degree majoring in soil science at Hokkaido University. His masters project investigated methane (CH4) emissions in Thai paddy soils. Sam has experience in in-vivo and in-situ soil and gas experiments, including the use of ArcGIS in soil mapping.
His real-world experience includes working as an intern at The Institute for Argo-Environmental Sciences at the Tohoku Agriculture Research Centre in Japan, where he gained experience in weed management and soil property mapping.