Rate My Professor Marcus Hardie

Marcus Hardie is an Associate Professor in Soil Physics at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA), a research institute within the University of Tasmania's College of Sciences and Engineering. He serves as a tenured Senior Lecturer in Soils, a position he has held since 2025 in Hobart, Australia. Hardie completed his PhD in Soil Physics at the University of Tasmania between 2007 and 2011, following an MSc (Applied) in Soil Physics from Federation University Australia in 1996, and a BSc (Hons) in Geography and Zoology from Monash University in 1992. His academic career at the University of Tasmania commenced in 2012 as a Research Associate affiliated with the School of Agricultural Science and TIA, where he has progressed through research and teaching roles in agriculture and food systems.

Hardie's research specializations encompass soil physics, hydrology, soil water retention and availability, preferential flow in texture-contrast soils, biochar applications, soil aggregate stability, salinity measurement, and proximal soil moisture sensors for agriculture. He has made significant contributions to AgTech, including developments in smart soil sensors and underground wireless communication systems for field applications. His scholarly impact is evidenced by over 2,100 citations across 80 publications. Notable works include 'Does biochar influence soil physical properties and soil water availability?' (Plant and Soil, 2014, cited 655 times), 'Effect of antecedent soil moisture on preferential flow in a texture-contrast soil' (Hydrological Processes, 2011, cited 268 times), 'Measuring soil salinity' (2012, cited 250 times), 'Evaluation of methods for determining soil aggregate stability' (Soil Research, 2017, cited 184 times), and 'Review of novel and emerging proximal soil moisture sensors for use in agriculture' (Sensors, 2020, cited 174 times). Hardie coordinates the advanced Soil Science unit (KLA397) and supervises six higher degree by research students while contributing to additional undergraduate units. His work supports sustainable agriculture through projects on soil health in apple orchards, fertigation, and erosion rehabilitation.