Doctoral Thesis
Novel Materials for Improving Grain and Sandy Soil Qualities
Murdoch University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Murdoch University
2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60867/00000045
Abstract
This study investigated the application of novel clays and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) for two agricultural challenges: non-wetting soils and micronutrient-deficient grains. Soil water repellency (SWR) is a constraint of sandy soils affecting the grains industry on six of the seven continents. It is estimated to cost upwards of $300 million annually in Western Australia alone in management and lost productivity. Several materials, including silica nanoparticles and layered clays were investigated for the amelioration of soil water repellency on naturally hydrophobic soil and artificially hydrophobic sand. Molarity of ethanol drop (MED) tests were used to evaluate changes in soil water repellency. Calcined hydrotalcite clay (HTC) effectively reduced SWR at a 1% w/w amendment/soil loading.
Lack of essential trace elements, commonly occurring in sandy agricultural soil, leads to micronutrient-deficiency in crops. Foliar fertilisers efficiently increase micronutrient content within plants, and the incorporation of nanomaterial adjuvants can improve uptake and provide controlled release of micronutrients targeting the grain. Glasshouse pot trials with wheat plants showed that a small application of zinc (150 μL ZnSO4·7H2O, 0.4% v/v) to the flag leaves assisted with defence against pests and disease. Whereas larger foliar applications of zinc (~3 mL ZnSO4·7H2O, 0.5% v/v) incorporating functionalised MSNs (0.0339% w/v) enabled targeted delivery to the seed grain, resulting in higher zinc content. Radiotracer studies investigating zinc-to-nanoparticle interactions revealed that adsorption and desorption quantities of zinc varied greatly between MSNs with different surface functionalisation. Overall, these studies produced valuable data about the efficacy of various materials for overcoming some of the soil constraints faced by the Western Australian grains industry.
Details
- Title
- Novel Materials for Improving Grain and Sandy Soil Qualities
- Authors/Creators
- Owen Horoch
- Contributors
- David Henry (Supervisor) - Murdoch University, School of Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry and PhysicsRichard Bell (Supervisor) - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
- Awarding Institution
- Murdoch University; Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Publisher
- Murdoch University
- Identifiers
- 991005845960207891
- Murdoch Affiliation
- College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
- Resource Type
- Doctoral Thesis
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