DPIRD scientist's research journey to revolutionise soil management
Project name and GRDC Code
Recognising and Rewarding Excellence: DAW2307-003AWX
Research recognised
In 2023 the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) presented principal research scientist from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Dr Gaus Azam with a successful travel scholarship, called the Recognising and Rewarding Excellence Award (for the western region).
The annual awards celebrate the grains sector’s most committed researchers and innovators by offering them an international travel bursary.
This can be used to extend their professional networks and conduct collaborative research for the benefit of the wider grains industry.
A soil scientist with more than 20 years’ experience in Australia and overseas, Dr Gaus Azam grew up in a small village in Bangladesh which inspired him to study agricultural sciences in tertiary education.
He has been involved in agricultural research in the areas of soil and plant interactions for improving soil water and nutrient use efficiencies.
Dr Azam is the lead researcher on a $22 million project, supported by GRDC, to define grain yield potential in the absence of soil constraints, with a view to developing the most profitable and long-lasting strategies.
The project focuses on 12 million hectares of arable land covering diverse soil types in the low to high-rainfall areas of WA, where subsoil compaction, subsoil acidity, sodicity and water repellence regularly occur in combination.
Outcomes from the project are hoped to have an impact across Australia.
Previously, Gaus successfully managed the DPIRD/GRDC-funded project, Innovative approaches to managing subsoil acidity in the wheatbelt of Western Australia.
Germany
Dr. Azam's international research journey began last month with a visit to the University of Bonn in Germany, a leading institution in agricultural machinery development.
Dr Azam said during the visit he discovered that we need to build a soil mixing implement that will fix the subsoil while minimum disturbance to the topsoil. Topsoil is very important for successful establishment of the crop.
“Our topsoils are generally good as we have fixed soil water repellence and acidity in the topsoil. We need to improve our subsoil, so the machine for the future should focus on fixing subsoil while minimum intervention to the topsoil. German scientists are also thinking in the same way,” Gaus understood.
There is opportunity to work with German engineers to build such a machine.
German soils are more fertile than the soils of WA.
Their soil has high organic matter and clay contents.
Given they get rainfall all year round, they can crop throughout the year.
Their winter barley can yield as high as 12 t/ha, but obviously need inputs such as 300 kg of nitrogen per cropping cycle.
USA and Canada
In September, Dr. Azam will travel to Canada and the USA to collaborate with top crop and soil researchers.
His itinerary includes visits to the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Swift Current Research and Development Centre and the United States Department of Agriculture in Raleigh, North Carolina.
These institutions are at the forefront of technologies such as soil mapping, breeding crops with optimal root systems, in situ imaging of root architecture, and precision application of fertilisers and soil amendments.
Dr. Azam aims to bring back practical insights into machinery development and new agronomic practices to maximise soil reengineering benefits, which he looks forward to sharing with colleagues and stakeholders in the Western Australian grains industry.
Funding partners / project collaborators
Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
More information
Read more about Dr Gaus Azam here
Read Dr Gaus Azam’ research papers here
Contact
Dr Gaus Azam
DPIRD Principal Soil Scientist
E: Gaus.Azam@dpird.wa.gov.au
P: (08) 9690 2159