12 August 2025 Understanding Reactive Nitrogen: Implications for Agriculture, Environment and Climate

Join us for the next event in Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University’s Excellence Series—an ongoing celebration of academic leadership and applied research that contributes to a thriving, sustainable Aotearoa New Zealand. These events highlight the work of leading scholars whose research is shaping both national and global conversations.

Internationally recognised for his expertise in soil nitrogen dynamics, Professor Tim Clough has led groundbreaking studies exploring how nitrogen behaves in pastoral systems—particularly how it transforms and moves through soil following urine deposition and fertiliser application. His work has been pivotal in understanding and mitigating nitrous oxide emissions, a potent greenhouse gas.

By combining field experimentation with advanced analytical techniques, including isotopic tracing, his research has directly informed sustainable land management practices and climate policy both in New Zealand and internationally. His insights have contributed to national greenhouse gas inventories and underpinned practical nutrient management strategies tailored to pastoral farming systems.

Join us for this Excellence Series event where Professor Clough shares his research insights into nitrogen cycling, greenhouse gas mitigation, and the critical role of science in supporting climate-resilient agriculture.

Tuesday 12 August

4.00pm-5.30pm

Patiki, Waimarie Building, Lincoln University

4.00 pm - Networking

4.15 pm  - Welcome & introduction from LU Vice-Chancellor

4.20 pm - Presentation from Speaker

4.50 pm - Summary

5.00 pm - Networking and questions over drinks and nibbles

5.30pm - Event Ends

Professor Tim Clough

Professor Tim Clough works in the area of terrestrial ecosystems, with a particular focus on agriculture and grazed pasture systems. His research centres on the use of stable isotope science to trace and understand the transformations and fate of nitrogen and carbon within these environments. He has a strong focus on quantifying and mitigating nitrogen loss pathways, bridging both fundamental and applied research.

On the applied side, Professor Clough has investigated the impacts of agricultural management practices—such as irrigation—on nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, as well as the effectiveness of mitigation strategies, including the manipulation of ruminant urinary constituents. His fundamental research aims to improve understanding of the integrated physical, biological, and chemical soil conditions that drive both the production of N₂O and its reduction to environmentally benign dinitrogen gas.

More recently, he has extended his expertise in nitrogen cycling to aquatic environments, exploring nitrate removal and N₂O emissions from the vadose zone, streams, and rivers. Professor Clough is a Fellow of the New Zealand Soil Science Society and a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America.