Post-Doctoral Fellowship: Understanding causes of physical constraints in sandy soils and implications for targeted deep tillage

Physical constraints to crop water-use are prevalent in sandy soils of the southern region, but the nature of the physical constraint and crop responses to strategic deep tillage varies significantly. Barriers to adoption of strategic tillage include variable yield responses, concerns over short-term ripping effects, and the erosion risk of spading/mixing approaches. The relative role of high bulk density and/or chemical cementing in limiting crop water-use in different sand types is thought to play a role in the different responses to amelioration but is poorly understood. This investment will identify the underlying causes of high soil strength in a range of sandy soil type and model the behaviour of soil strength in response to profile moisture in soils with and without cementing behaviour.