Professor Richard Haynes works in the areas of soil and environmental science. His current research interests are the rehabilitation and revegetation of mine tailings storage areas, the use of constructed wetlands to treat drainage from such areas and the role of silicon in crop production. He has extensive experience as an applied research scientist and a university professor and has worked in New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. He has published over 190 original research papers in international journals, more than 25 review papers in international volumes and many conference and extension papers and contract reports. He has been an invited keynote speaker at many international conferences and has served on the editorial boards of four international research journals. As well, he has acted as a principal supervisor and co-supervisor of Ph.D., M.Sc. and honours students in both South Africa and Australia. Professor Haynes has carried out research in commercial horticultural, pastoral, arable and forestry production and in smallholder semi-subsistence agriculture. He has also worked on bioremediation of soils contaminated with organic pollutants, rehabilitation of mined sites, application of organic and inorganic wastes to soils and the effects of heavy metal contaminants on soil processes.