Timothy McLaren

Dr. Timothy I. McLaren is a Senior Lecturer in Soil Science within the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability at The University of Queensland, part of the Faculty of Science. His academic interests lie in soil nutrient dynamics, with a primary focus on phosphorus cycling, speciation, and bioavailability in agricultural soils. McLaren employs advanced analytical techniques, such as 31P NMR spectroscopy, to characterize organic phosphorus compounds in soils, particularly in Vertisols common to Australian cropping systems. His work addresses key challenges in sustainable agriculture, including improving phosphorus fertilizer use efficiency, crop recovery of applied nutrients, and evaluating alternative phosphorus sources like livestock manure and organic amendments for grain production.

McLaren's research career includes prior appointments at the University of Adelaide and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich). He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, including 'The Organic P Composition of Vertisols as Determined by 31P NMR Spectroscopy' (Soil Science Society of America Journal, 2014), 'Complex Forms of Soil Organic Phosphorus—A Major Component of Soil Phosphorus in Cultivated Vertisols' (Environmental Science & Technology, 2015), 'Soil phosphomonoesters in large molecular weight material originate from microbial biomass' (Soil Science Society of America Journal, 2021), 'Crop type exerts greater influence upon rhizosphere phosphorus mobilisation than P-acquisition strategy' (FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 2021), and 'Quantitative measures of myo-IP6 in soil using solution 31P NMR spectroscopy directly extracted with NaOH–EDTA' (Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 2020). Recent contributions explore functional group composition of soil organic carbon and phosphorus turnover dynamics. At UQ, he coordinates and lectures in courses such as CHEM1004 (Chemistry for Agriculture), AGRC2048, LAND2003, and AGRC7053 (Sustainable Soil Management). McLaren supervises PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in soil science and plant nutrition, and participates in Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) projects on phosphorus nutrition for wheat and canola. His efforts contribute to enhancing soil health and agricultural productivity.

Professional Email: tim.mclaren@uq.edu.au