Potential Student Projects
PhD and Honours students interested in any of the research projects described below can contact us directly.
Slow release sulfur fertilisers
Sulfate is plant available but can be readily leached in high rainfall environments. Elemental S is a slow release form of S but the extent and rate of release require further research. We are currently using stable and radioisotope labelling to trace S behaviour in soil-plant systems. Opportunities exist to look at interactions between S oxidation and microbial activities in Australian soils.
Phosphate availability
Phosphate efficiency is limited by sorption and fixation reactions in soils. A joint project between GRDC and The Mosaic Company is currently examining chemical methods to improve P efficiency in cropping systems. Opportunities exist for organic chemistry graduates to identify and/or synthesise candidate compounds which could improve the efficiency of fertiliser P use.
Nutrient transport
Previous research has shown huge benefits of fertilising infertile subsoils. The limitation has always been that there is no suitable method to apply fertiliser to subsoils. Opporunities exist to modify nutrient release and transport so that topsoil placement can also increase the fertility of subsoils in dryland agriculture.
Analytical techniques
Opportunities exist to apply new isotopic tracing techniques (e.g. natural abundance isotopic ratios) to trace fertiliser nutrient behaviour and crop uptake in agriculture systems. Advances in synchrotron-based techniques are also opening up new opportunities to study localisation and speciation of nutrients in fertilisers, plants and soils.
Micronutrients
Slow release technologies are more effective formulations for crop growth and biofortification. Opportunities exist for projects examining the following elements; Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, B, Mo, Se, etc.
