Sub sections:
Postgraduate Research Opportunities
Postgraduate Research Opportunities
Biochar for Enhancing Poultry Litter and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Biochar is a highly sorptive material made from the pyrolysis of biomass. Biochar made from poultry litter has been shown to enhance crop production and contribute to climate change mitigation. Its unique properties make biochar an ideal candidate to improve the efficacy of litter used as bedding in chicken sheds. Poultry manure contains uric acid and proteins, which microbially convert to ammonium in the litter. Due to the unique sorptive properties of biochar, it is hypothesised that ammonium will be trapped in the litter, reducing odours, and potentially increasing the life-span of the litter. Further, the biochar-enhanced poultry manure litter is likely to have a high agronomic value as a soil amendment, and could reduce nitrous oxide emissions from decomposition of poultry litter.
A PhD scholarship is available for a project to investigate the use of different biochars as a component of poultry litter. Impacts on N capture/cycling, odour, bird health, and agronomic value of the biochar-enhanced spent litter will be assessed.
The candidate will be primarily located at the UNE campus in Armidale, though research may be conducted at other locations around NSW. The student is expected to have strong chemistry and soil/environmental science background. There will be opportunities to work with state-of-art analytical equipment. A PhD stipend to the value of $25,000 pa will be available to the successful candidate.
PhD eligibility criteria can be obtained from: http://www.une.edu.au/courses/2011/courses/PHD. Informal inquiries can be emailed to Annette Cowie annette.cowie@une.edu.au.
Assessing the Impacts of Biochar on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Soil
Biochar potentially has a major role in climate change mitigation and in enhancing sustainability of Australian agriculture. There is growing evidence that biochar can enhance plant growth, improve nutrient and water use efficiency, enhance soil properties, sequester carbon for hundreds to thousands of years. New research indicates that some biochars can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from soil.
A PhD candidate is sought for a project to assess the impacts of biochar on greenhouse gas emissions from soil. The candidate will be primarily located at Industry & Investment NSW's Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute near Lismore but will also be required to spend time at the UNE campus in Armidale. The PhD project will be part of a National project administered through the CSIRO and funded by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry. The student will be expected to have sound chemistry and soil/environmental science background. There will be opportunities to work with state-of-art analytical equipment. A PhD stipend to the value of $25,000pa will be available to the successful candidate.
PhD eligibility criteria can be obtained from: http://www.une.edu.au/courses/2009/courses/PHD. Informal inquiries can be emailed to Dr Lukas Van Zwieten or phone +61 2 6626 1126. Closing date: 30 November 2010.
Identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for drought stress tolerance and crop adaption in durum wheat.
Traits associated with drought stress tolerance and adaptation are of great importance to achieving consistent crop yields in durum wheat. These traits are also expected to be of critical importance for plant breeders in anticipation of future production environments due to climate change.
A PhD candidate is sought to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) or genomic regions under selection associated with drought stress tolerance and adaption traits in durum wheat that are critical for the crops to adapt the stress posed by global climate change. Breeding populations such as recombinant inbred lines, backcross, selected breeding lines and/or germplasm collections will be used for QTL detection. QTL mapping involves standard QTL detection techniques for self-pollinated crop species and/or association mapping. The candidate will be primarily located at the UNE campus in Armidale but will also be required to spend time at Industry & Investment NSW's Tamworth Agricultural Institute. The student will become familiar with basic techniques in plant breeding, DNA marker genotyping, Data analysis, QTL analysis, genetic mapping and bioinformatics. A PhD stipend to the value of $25,000pa will be available to the successful candidate.
PhD eligibility criteria can be obtained from: http://www.une.edu.au/courses/2009/courses/PHD. Informal inquiries can be emailed to Dr Bert Collard (bertrand.collard@industry.nsw.gov.au) or phone +61 2 6763 1232.
Development and characterisation of pasta as a functional food
A PhD candidate is sought for a project on the development and characterisation of pasta as a functional food, a project that is a collaboration between UNE, Industry & Investment NSW and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. A top-up of $3000 per annum will be available to the APA. The candidate will investigate:
- effect of various combinations of fibres on the benefits to pasta
- structure-function relationships in modified pastas
- use of enzymes in selected functional pastas
PhD eligibility criteria can be obtained from: http://www.une.edu.au/courses/2009/courses/PHD. Informal inquiries can be emailed to Dr. Chris Fellows or phone +61 2 6773 2470. Scholarships are competitively available through the UNE's postgraduate program. Application forms can be obtained from: http://www.une.edu.au/research-services/forms/domesticappform.doc.