Dr Mark Farrell is a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO, where he leads the Biogeochemistry Team. Mark holds a BSc (Hons) and PhD from The University of Wales, Bangor in the UK. His PhD centred on finding novel remediation uses for mixed waste and other poor quality composts and organic waste resources. He undertook postdoctoral research at Bangor and Lancaster Universities in the UK with a focus on the hitherto unrecognised role of peptides (short chains of amino acids) and the broader dissolved organic nitrogen pool in plant amnd microbial nitrogen nutrition.

Mark’s present research areas are soil organic matter and nitrogen dynamics, and the microbial and plant interactions that drive these. Mark conducts his research across systems, both natural and managed, but with a main focus being dryland grains. Currently leading the scientific component of a National Landcare Programme project on Mixed Cover Crops, Mark is exploring options to increase soil carbon stocks and nitrogen availability whilst having a positive impact on soil health and agronomic productivity.

Mark was Chair of the 2019 International Symposium on Soil Organic Matter held in Adelaide, and recently spoke at a national soil carbon policy workshop hosted by The Office of the National Soils Advocate at The National Press Club in Canberra. He is Associate Editor at Soil Research and Deputy Editor at the European Journal of Soil Science.