Combating subsoil acidity for sustainable production through managing plant cation-anion uptake. At least 50 million hectares of topsoil and 23 million ha of subsoil of Australian land are presently affected by acidity, with this area expanding due to the ongoing processes of acidification. Surface liming is ineffective in neutralizing subsoil acidity. The project will develop an innovative method that stimulates root proliferation and ameliorates subsoil acidity through manipulating the balance ....Combating subsoil acidity for sustainable production through managing plant cation-anion uptake. At least 50 million hectares of topsoil and 23 million ha of subsoil of Australian land are presently affected by acidity, with this area expanding due to the ongoing processes of acidification. Surface liming is ineffective in neutralizing subsoil acidity. The project will develop an innovative method that stimulates root proliferation and ameliorates subsoil acidity through manipulating the balance of nutrient uptake by plants. The effects of the developed method on nutrient use efficiency and leaching loss, and crop yields will be quantified under different soil types and climatic conditions.Read moreRead less
Explaining the interactions between drought and fertiliser use efficiency using tracing and imaging techniques. With climate change, Australian agriculture is faced with periods of increasing drought and changing rainfall patterns. At the same time, Australian farmers are faced with increasing costs of fertiliser inputs (their largest variable input cost), yet have little information on how they should change their nutrient management programs to suit the changing climatic conditions. This proje ....Explaining the interactions between drought and fertiliser use efficiency using tracing and imaging techniques. With climate change, Australian agriculture is faced with periods of increasing drought and changing rainfall patterns. At the same time, Australian farmers are faced with increasing costs of fertiliser inputs (their largest variable input cost), yet have little information on how they should change their nutrient management programs to suit the changing climatic conditions. This project aims to determine the effect of drought and rainfall patterns on the efficiency of fertiliser use by crops, through examination of the effects of soil moisture conditions on the interaction between soil and added fertilisers. Read moreRead less
Using modelling to optimise the structure and function of crop root systems for dryland agriculture. The crop root systems are poorly suited to harsh conditions in Australian agriculture, especially as climate is getting drier. Poor water-use efficiency lowers crop yields below the potential yield; moreover, unutilised water and nutrients contribute to environmental problems, eg salinity and eutrophication. This project will use our simulation model to develop computer-aided design of 3-D root s ....Using modelling to optimise the structure and function of crop root systems for dryland agriculture. The crop root systems are poorly suited to harsh conditions in Australian agriculture, especially as climate is getting drier. Poor water-use efficiency lowers crop yields below the potential yield; moreover, unutilised water and nutrients contribute to environmental problems, eg salinity and eutrophication. This project will use our simulation model to develop computer-aided design of 3-D root structure and function (water and nutrient uptake) tailored to particular environments. Modelling will also link suitable root traits to genetic markers in well-characterised lupin germplasm. The blueprint developed here will be adaptable to other crops. The project will enhance breeding for increased water- and nutrient-use efficiency.Read moreRead less
Alleviating herbicide damage to crops by using fulvate and manganese. Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide, but its drift can cause growth depression in sensitive plants such as wheat by reducing uptake of metallic micronutrients, particularly manganese. In pot and field trials, this project aims to assess the alleviating potential of fulvate and manganese on growth and micronutrient uptake by wheat exposed to glyphosate drift. The influence of land management on the effect of these treatments ....Alleviating herbicide damage to crops by using fulvate and manganese. Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide, but its drift can cause growth depression in sensitive plants such as wheat by reducing uptake of metallic micronutrients, particularly manganese. In pot and field trials, this project aims to assess the alleviating potential of fulvate and manganese on growth and micronutrient uptake by wheat exposed to glyphosate drift. The influence of land management on the effect of these treatments will also be assessed. The underlying mechanisms will be characterised, eg. by determining metal speciation in soil and assessing soil microbial community composition. The outcome of this project will contribute to sustainable agriculture by giving land managers options to reduce glyphosate damage in sensitive crops.Read moreRead less
Characterisation of soil microbial interactions for increased efficacy of herbicides using novel fertiliser management practices. Soil microbes are essential for nutrient cycling and plant root growth. This project aims to investigate whether herbicides influence soil biological processes when different types of fertilisers are used. It is expected that complex interactions between fertiliser practice and herbicides will alter herbicide efficacy in weed control. This project aims to compare nove ....Characterisation of soil microbial interactions for increased efficacy of herbicides using novel fertiliser management practices. Soil microbes are essential for nutrient cycling and plant root growth. This project aims to investigate whether herbicides influence soil biological processes when different types of fertilisers are used. It is expected that complex interactions between fertiliser practice and herbicides will alter herbicide efficacy in weed control. This project aims to compare novel fertiliser practices claimed to maximise benefits from soil microbial processes with traditional fertiliser practices which can override biological processes, including beneficial plant-microbial symbioses. This will enable a rigorous evaluation of fertiliser-herbicide interactions to clarify whether soil microbial benefits can be included as part of weed control programs.Read moreRead less