The dynamics of organic matter turnover in soils to improve the productivity of Australia's agricultural industries. Two recent national reports on the soils issues facing Australian agriculture (Reeves et al, 1997; CSIRO, 2000) concluded that soil structural degradation remains, after salinisation, our major threat to the sustainability of agricultural production. This research will provide fundamental understanding of how the dynamics of organic matter turnover benefit aggregate formation and ....The dynamics of organic matter turnover in soils to improve the productivity of Australia's agricultural industries. Two recent national reports on the soils issues facing Australian agriculture (Reeves et al, 1997; CSIRO, 2000) concluded that soil structural degradation remains, after salinisation, our major threat to the sustainability of agricultural production. This research will provide fundamental understanding of how the dynamics of organic matter turnover benefit aggregate formation and stability. This will advance the understanding of organic matter from simply considering the quantity of carbon present, to one of predicting the short- and long-term benefits to soil structure. This approach is innovative in the study of soil health, and has the potential to greatly advance the development of conservation farming systems.Read moreRead less
Formation of Nanoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2) by Anodization of Titanium Thin Films. The development of nanoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2), with pore diameter less than 25 nm, represents a significant advance for both R&D and industrial applications. It is an invaluable material for the manufacture of a range of electronic and optical devices. These structures can be employed for the development of efficient thermoelectric coolers, highly sensitive biosensors as well as optical micro-devices w ....Formation of Nanoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2) by Anodization of Titanium Thin Films. The development of nanoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2), with pore diameter less than 25 nm, represents a significant advance for both R&D and industrial applications. It is an invaluable material for the manufacture of a range of electronic and optical devices. These structures can be employed for the development of efficient thermoelectric coolers, highly sensitive biosensors as well as optical micro-devices with high refractive index. In addition, nanoporous TiO2 has numerous applications in the fields of nanotechnology, bioengineering, diagnostics, materials science, and in the building industry. Australia will greatly benefit from the research and development of such a product with its promising market.Read moreRead less
Towards operational monitoring of key climate parameters from synthetic aperture radar. Agricultural productivity is a major contributor to the Australian economy, but is experiencing significant stress in response to climate change. Moreover, soil moisture controls vegetation dynamics that contribute to carbon storage, atmospheric processes leading to severe weather, and runoff generation processes leading to floods and runoff yield from urban water storage catchments. Consequently, high reso ....Towards operational monitoring of key climate parameters from synthetic aperture radar. Agricultural productivity is a major contributor to the Australian economy, but is experiencing significant stress in response to climate change. Moreover, soil moisture controls vegetation dynamics that contribute to carbon storage, atmospheric processes leading to severe weather, and runoff generation processes leading to floods and runoff yield from urban water storage catchments. Consequently, high resolution time-series information on soil moisture and vegetation status from space represents a powerful tool for understanding climate change impacts on Australia. It is therefore imperative that products be developed specifically for the Australian environment to take full advantage of radar data from satellites.Read moreRead less