AHRI Snapshots
AHRI Snapshots is a podcast that provides information on what we do at the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, as well as finding out what other researchers in weed science are up to around the country and the world. AHRI's researchers work out of the University of Western Australia, right next to the beautiful Swan River in WA's capital, Perth.
AHRI Snapshots
The benefits of 3D mapping soil moisture
In our first episode back for AHRI Snapshots this year, we chat with Dr Hira Shaukat, who previously was an AHRI PhD candidate.
Hira worked on 3D mapping of soil moisture throughout her PhD. Part of her work involved looking at how farmers could utilise degraded land affected by salinity. This involved figuring out what soil conditions would be suit the plant Leptospermum nitens. Nectar from this plant is a source of high-value medicinal honey production and can provide income from agriculturally marginal lands.
This is a deviation a bit away from the themes of weed control we usually cover in this podcast, however, looking at farming systems holistically is important. Land not suitable for crops can be a haven for weeds to proliferate, which in turn can end up in the crop. Planting a valuable species like Leptospermum nitens can provide an additional income source, and reduce the land availability for weeds to grow.
Hira chats to us about her findings, as well as the other applications 3D mapping can provide growers.
You can follow AHRI on Twitter here. To learn more about AHRI's research and team, check out the website here.