World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Roel Merckx

Roel Merckx

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Plant Science and Agronomy
Belgium
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Plant Science and Agronomy

D-Index
98
Citations
29564
World Ranking
183
National Ranking
3

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in Belgium Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in Belgium Leader Award
  • 2023 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in Belgium Leader Award
  • 2022 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in Belgium Leader Award

Overview

What is he best known for?

The fields of study he is best known for:

  • Ecology
  • Agriculture
  • Botany

The scientist’s investigation covers issues in Soil water, Agronomy, Organic matter, Soil organic matter and Soil fertility. Many of his studies involve connections with topics such as Environmental chemistry and Soil water. His study in Agronomy is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing from both Nutrient, Mineralization, Crop residue, Rhizosphere and Nitrate.

His study focuses on the intersection of Organic matter and fields such as Soil structure with connections in the field of Mollisol and Field capacity. His Soil organic matter research is multidisciplinary, incorporating elements of Soil test, Terrestrial ecosystem and Cycling. His Soil fertility study combines topics in areas such as Agroforestry, Fertilizer, Land management, Manure and Soil management.

His most cited work include:

  • The impact of agricultural soil erosion on the global carbon cycle (621 citations)
  • Influence of dry–wet cycles on the interrelationship between aggregate, particulate organic matter, and microbial community dynamics (487 citations)
  • An Improved Colorimetric Method to Quantify Sugar Content of Plant Tissue (376 citations)

What are the main themes of his work throughout his whole career to date?

Roel Merckx mostly deals with Agronomy, Soil water, Soil fertility, Environmental chemistry and Organic matter. His studies in Agronomy integrate themes in fields like Phosphorus and Nutrient. Soil science covers Roel Merckx research in Soil water.

His work in Soil fertility addresses subjects such as Agroforestry, which are connected to disciplines such as Agriculture. His Environmental chemistry study integrates concerns from other disciplines, such as Soil contamination, Mineralogy and Cadmium. As part of the same scientific family, he usually focuses on Organic matter, concentrating on Soil organic matter and intersecting with Soil carbon.

He most often published in these fields:

  • Agronomy (39.74%)
  • Soil water (31.17%)
  • Soil fertility (17.40%)

What were the highlights of his more recent work (between 2011-2021)?

  • Agronomy (39.74%)
  • Phosphorus (13.25%)
  • Fertilizer (12.73%)

In recent papers he was focusing on the following fields of study:

Agronomy, Phosphorus, Fertilizer, Soil water and Nutrient are his primary areas of study. His Agronomy study incorporates themes from Soil management, Leaching and Soil fertility. His Phosphorus research includes themes of Environmental chemistry, Shoot, Surface water and Tropical soils.

His Fertilizer research is multidisciplinary, incorporating elements of Crop yield, Zea mays, Yield and Sowing. His research investigates the link between Soil water and topics such as Organic matter that cross with problems in Dissolved organic carbon. Biodiversity is closely connected to Soil pH in his research, which is encompassed under the umbrella topic of Nutrient.

Between 2011 and 2021, his most popular works were:

  • Soil carbon storage controlled by interactions between geochemistry and climate (232 citations)
  • Integrated soil fertility management in sub-Saharan Africa: unravelling local adaptation (152 citations)
  • Understanding the Process of Agricultural Technology Adoption: Mineral Fertilizer in Eastern DR Congo (80 citations)

In his most recent research, the most cited papers focused on:

  • Agriculture
  • Ecology
  • Botany

Roel Merckx mainly investigates Agronomy, Soil water, Phosphorus, Soil fertility and Fertilizer. The various areas that Roel Merckx examines in his Agronomy study include Loam, Leaching and Soil horizon. His Soil water research is multidisciplinary, incorporating perspectives in Organic matter and Total organic carbon.

His research in Phosphorus intersects with topics in Environmental chemistry, Agriculture, Crop yield and Plant physiology. His study in Soil fertility is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing from both Agroforestry, Soil test, Nutrient, Phosphorus deficiency and Soil management. As a part of the same scientific study, Roel Merckx usually deals with the Fertilizer, concentrating on Crop and frequently concerns with Agricultural intensification.

Best Publications

  • The impact of agricultural soil erosion on the global carbon cycle

    K. Van Oost;T. A. Quine;G. Govers;S. De Gryze

  • Influence of dry–wet cycles on the interrelationship between aggregate, particulate organic matter, and microbial community dynamics

    Karolien Denef;Karolien Denef;Johan Six;Heleen Bossuyt;Heleen Bossuyt;Serita D. Frey

  • An Improved Colorimetric Method to Quantify Sugar Content of Plant Tissue

    Jan Buysse;Roel Merckx

  • Integrated soil fertility management: Operational definition and consequences for implementation and dissemination

    B Vanlauwe;A Bationo;J Chianu;K.E. Giller

  • Soil carbon storage controlled by interactions between geochemistry and climate

    Sebastian Doetterl;Sebastian Doetterl;Antoine Stevens;Antoine Stevens;Johan Six;Roel Merckx

  • Influence of microbial populations and residue quality on aggregate stability

    H Bossuyt;H Bossuyt;Karolien Denef;Karolien Denef;J Six;S.D Frey

  • Microbial biomass responses to soil drying and rewetting: The fate of fast- and slow-growing microorganisms in soils from different climates

    M Van Gestel;Roel Merckx;Karel Vlassak

  • Integrated soil fertility management in sub-Saharan Africa: unravelling local adaptation

    B. Vanlauwe;K.K.E. Descheemaeker;K.E. Giller;J. Huising

  • Soil organic carbon pool changes following land-use conversions

    Steven DeGryze;Steven DeGryze;Johan Six;Johan Six;Keith Paustian;Sherri J. Morris

  • Importance of macroaggregate dynamics in controlling soil carbon stabilization: short-term effects of physical disturbance induced by dry–wet cycles

    Karolien Denef;Karolien Denef;Johan Six;Keith Paustian;Roel Merckx

  • Carbon Sequestration in Microaggregates of No-Tillage Soils with Different Clay Mineralogy

    Karolien Denef;Johan Six;Roel Merckx;Keith Paustian

  • A staggered maize-legume intercrop arrangement robustly increases crop yields and economic returns in the highlands of Central Kenya.

    Monicah Mucheru-Muna;Pieter Pypers;Daniel Mugendi;James Kung’u

  • Production of root-derived material and associated microbial growth in soil at different nutrient levels

    Roel Merckx;A Dijkstra;A den Hartog;J.A van Veen

  • Short-term effects of biological and physical forces on aggregate formation in soils with different clay mineralogy

    Karolien Denef;Johan Six;Johan Six;Roel Merckx;Keith Paustian

  • Soil organic matter dynamics and sustainability of Tropical Agriculture

    K Mulongoy;Roel Merckx

  • Determinants of annual fluxes of CO2 and N2O in long-term no-tillage and conventional tillage systems in northern France

    Katrien Oorts;Roel Merckx;Eric Gréhan;Jérôme Labreuche

  • A quantification of short-term macroaggregate dynamics: influences of wheat residue input and texture

    Steven De Gryze;Steven De Gryze;Johan Six;Cynthia Brits;Roel Merckx

  • Plant-and soil-related controls of the flow of carbon from roots through the soil microbial biomass

    J.A Van Veen;Roel Merckx;S.C Van de Geijn

  • Metal complexation properties of freshwater dissolved organic matter are explained by its aromaticity and by anthropogenic ligands.

    Stijn Baken;Fien Degryse;Liesbeth Verheyen;Roel Merckx

  • Spatial location of carbon decomposition in the soil pore system

    D.T Strong;H De Wever;Roel Merckx;S Recous

  • Turnover of root-derived material and related microbial biomass formation in soils of different texture

    Roel Merckx;A den Hartog;J.A van Veen

Frequent Co-Authors

Erik Smolders
Erik Smolders KU Leuven
Bernard Vanlauwe
Bernard Vanlauwe International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
Nteranya Sanginga
Nteranya Sanginga International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
Gerard Govers
Gerard Govers KU Leuven
Johan Six
Johan Six ETH Zurich
Daniel N. Mugendi
Daniel N. Mugendi Kenyatta University
Fien Degryse
Fien Degryse University of Adelaide
Jozef Deckers
Jozef Deckers KU Leuven
J.A. Van Veen
J.A. Van Veen Leiden University

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