Professor Deli Chen (AO)

Hub Director

Deli Chen is a Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor and the discipline leader in the Soil and the Environment Research Group, School of Agriculture and Food, in the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Science at The University of Melbourne.  As Hub Director he provides strategic and practical leadership as well as oversight of Hub operations and engagement with stakeholders. Deli has extensive experience working with industry and government in major research collaborations in Australia and internationally.  He is recognized as a global expert in water and nitrogen dynamics in plant-soil systems, GIS based agroecosystem modelling and decision support systems for optimal fertilizer management. Deli’s research involves measurement, modelling and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from land sources, including the role of enhanced efficiency N fertilizers, and uses agricultural ‘big data’ approaches to develop ‘sustainability indices’ that aim to facilitate adoption of suitable N management strategies in agriculture. His work has been recognized through national and international awards such as the Kingenta Agricultural Science Award, the JA Prescott Medal for excellence and achievement in the field of soil science by the Australian Society of Soil Science and a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, the Soil Science Society of America, and Soil Science Australia.