PhD: Classifying the suitability of Murrumbidgee valley soils for cotton production

Soil constraints are one of the major challenges for long term profitability in southern New South Wales (NSW) cotton growing areas. While extensive work has been done on soil–cotton relationships, most of this research has focused on grey–black vertosols which dominate northern growing regions and are well understood. As the Australian cotton industry is expanding in southern NSW there is a need for further research on these soils for row cropping. This PhD study is focussed on examining the physical, chemical and morphological characteristics of the soils in southern NSW and digitally mapping these. Identifying those areas of high production potential will allow producers to prioritise water usage and infrastructure investment.