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Students visit the Mallee Research Station
Mallee Research Station - Year 10 VisitYear 10 students from Hopetoun Secondary College visited the Mallee Research Station to gain a better understanding of climate change issues and the impact on food production.
The students were instructed by Senior Research Agronomist Ivan Mock on how rain water enters and moves through the soil and how it affects plant growth. Changes in rainfall patterns were then linked to water use via crops or deep drainage to saline water tables.
They visited a carbon dioxide (CO2) research project where CO2 is released into the air above a wheat crop in computer controlled amounts. This duplicates the effect that climate change will have on CO2 in the atmosphere in the year 2050 and enables investigations into how it will affect plant growth and food production in the future. It is part of a project with national and international linkages which is researching impacts of climate change and developing strategies to deal with them.
The students saw a pasture project where Roy Latta, Senior Scientist, explained the role of perennial pastures and the importance of legumes in the crop rotation system.
After a BBQ lunch there was a field tour through wheat, barley and lupin trials. Students also saw impressive mustard agronomy research trials with mustard varieties that have canola quality, meaning that they can be used as cooking oil. The mustard looked healthy in the field considering the drought conditions. Students were really interested in the topic and asked a range of pertinent questions about research and farming practices under dryland conditions.
Abridged article submitted by Luise Mock
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Healthy Soil for Your Plants - Part 1
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