About me
The research that I lead falls within four main themes:
Crop nutrition: Since 2010 through research investments by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), my group has focussed on crop nutrition with an emphasis on nutrient management for field crops. Our current nutrition research focuses on the relationship between plant K and crop stress (drought, frost and sodium). Since 2018, I have led an ACIAR project with Bangladesh on Nutrient Management for Diversified Cropping Systems in Bangladesh. Recent research in WA has focussed on the emergence of K deficiency in crops on loam soils, on novel means to fortify the zinc concentrations in wheat grain, and on improved acid tolerance of chickpea. GRDC has been the main investor in this latter work.
Conservation agriculture for smallholders: Since 2006, we have been engaged in a systematic programme of research to develop a form of Conservation Agriculture that was adoptable by smallholder farmers in Bangladesh. This has involved the development of machinery for seeding, agronomic practices, weed control practices, and the examination of change in soil properties such as organic matter and nutrient availability, and the effects on water balance and greenhouse gas emissions. This work is supported by ACIAR.
Salinity management: To enable cropping systems intensification in saline-waterlogged soils in the coastal zone of Bangladesh and West Bengal, we are partnering with national researchers on re-designing the cropping seasons for early sowing in the dry season. Studies on tillage, mulch, drainage, fertiliser management and time of sowing are being underpinned by research into the physiological mechanisms of crop response. This work is supported by ACIAR.
Managing and Re-engineering of sandy soils: We developed integrated nutrient management technologies for horticulture and annual crops in south-central coastal Vietnam to improve nutrient and water use efficiency and boost productivity of crops on sands. It has focussed on more efficient irrigation methods, and on K and S management for crops in this region. With GRDC funding, we examined the effect of clay-amendment of sands on crop nutrition and found that clays varied in their potential to alleviate K deficiency. Subsequent work on water repellence in sands determined that provided uniform seedling establishment could be obtained, the channeling of water below seedlings would strongly enhance water and nutrient use efficiency on such sands. With funding from the Soil CRC, we are now examing novel clay and organic products that could enhance water and nutrient use efficiency on sands. This work is supported by GRDC and Soil CRC.
I have provided research training, mentoring and supervision to 10 Postdoctoral fellows, 48 PhDs, 25 MSc/MPhil, 21 Honours students, and 12 visiting scientists.
Through GRDC, ACIAR and Soil CRC projects, I have built enduring research collaborations with other Universities (University of WA, University of Adelaide), CSIRO, and state departments (NSWDPI, DPIRD of WA, PIRSA/SARDI) and grower groups (Facey Group, Corrigin Farm Improvement Group, West Midland Group). Internationally I have collaborated with the Cambodia Agricultural Research Institute since 2001, the Federal University of Vicosa, Brazil since 2014, Bangladesh Agricultural University since 2015 plus numerous other research institutes and universities in Bangladesh, India, Laos and Vietnam.