Collaborative planning support tools for optimising farming systems (CPSTOF). What you know about what you can grow is becoming a key issue in farm management. Better guidance on alternative land cropping systems that can be grown to optimise farm productivity is needed. Micro-level land classes maps have been identified hby AgWA, farmers and regional development and community groups as an urgent need to enable them to design resilient and diversified farming systems. To this end, we propose ....Collaborative planning support tools for optimising farming systems (CPSTOF). What you know about what you can grow is becoming a key issue in farm management. Better guidance on alternative land cropping systems that can be grown to optimise farm productivity is needed. Micro-level land classes maps have been identified hby AgWA, farmers and regional development and community groups as an urgent need to enable them to design resilient and diversified farming systems. To this end, we propose integrating high resolution digital multispectral images, GIS and multi-criteria decision analysis techniques to help farmers use input appropriate to the productive capacity of their paddocks and to elaborate sound farm planning based on the potential of the land for specific land uses.Read moreRead less
Devising a methodology for the digital soil map of the world. Soil mapping is a key part of land-resource assessment for sustainable environmental management. The output will enable the use of soil data and information to give a clear understanding of the status of, and changes in, the nation's land, vegetation and water resources and implications for their sustainable use. This global good will be used by district agricultural extension workers, and policy decision makers in developing countri ....Devising a methodology for the digital soil map of the world. Soil mapping is a key part of land-resource assessment for sustainable environmental management. The output will enable the use of soil data and information to give a clear understanding of the status of, and changes in, the nation's land, vegetation and water resources and implications for their sustainable use. This global good will be used by district agricultural extension workers, and policy decision makers in developing countries to assist in improved crop production and sustainable land management. Read moreRead less
Coal-ash as a resource for sustainable soil-management in plant production systems. Acidification and salinisation are major causes of land degradation in Australia, costing $1-2 billion to combat. Farmers used 1.9M t of lime and 1.0M t of gypsum to manage their soils in 2000. Power stations annually produce 12M t of coal-ash that have functional characteristics of lime and gypsum and can potentially ameliorate degraded land. Presently only 43% of the ash is used and almost entirely for constr ....Coal-ash as a resource for sustainable soil-management in plant production systems. Acidification and salinisation are major causes of land degradation in Australia, costing $1-2 billion to combat. Farmers used 1.9M t of lime and 1.0M t of gypsum to manage their soils in 2000. Power stations annually produce 12M t of coal-ash that have functional characteristics of lime and gypsum and can potentially ameliorate degraded land. Presently only 43% of the ash is used and almost entirely for construction with the rest going into landfills. This project will determine the sustainable use of coal-ash to improve structure and nutritive properties of the soil and to raise crop yield across several sites in Australia.Read moreRead less
Theoretically derived calibration of the neutron moisture meter. The moisture content of soils is of key importance in a wide range of situations including agriculture, engineering and land and water management. The measurement of soil moisture contents in the field is problematic, and even commonly used methods like the neutron probe give results of limited accuracy. This research will enable calibration curves for the neutron probe to be determined theoretically, thereby improving the accuracy ....Theoretically derived calibration of the neutron moisture meter. The moisture content of soils is of key importance in a wide range of situations including agriculture, engineering and land and water management. The measurement of soil moisture contents in the field is problematic, and even commonly used methods like the neutron probe give results of limited accuracy. This research will enable calibration curves for the neutron probe to be determined theoretically, thereby improving the accuracy of moisture content measurements and enhancing its usefulness to industry and research.Read moreRead less