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Research Thesis Topic

Biophysical Modelling of Weed Germination and Emergence


Topic ID:
315

Thesis Topic/Title:
Biophysical Modelling of Weed Germination and Emergence

Description

Every year farmers on the Darling Downs spend $70-$100 per hectare for weed management but weeds remain a problem and herbicide resistance is an emerging issue. Currently, the overall cost of weeds to Australian grain growers is $3.3 billion annually. In Queensland the cost is estimated to be $600 million every year. The timing of herbicide application is critical for weed removal. The spray has to occur in the early stage of plant growth in order to effectively remove the weeds, prevent herbicide resistance, and over time, remove the weed seed pool from the paddock. USQ is tackling this challenge by developing a warning and management system to predict weed emergence using climate forecast and on-farm data. Dr Ghahramani is building a mathematical model-based intelligent weed management system based on cloud services and infrastructure. Experimental field results will be used to develop a biophysical model that can use, for example, soil moisture and temperature to predict the emergence of different weed species in the paddocks. The student will explore different approaches to building a mathematical model, converting to simulation models, and performing parametrisations, verifications, calibrations, and validations. The student will gain unique experience and skills in modelling and software development in applied agriculture and scientific computing. The results of this project will be publishable in a top-quartile peer-reviewed journal. This topic is suitable for students with a background in agriculture (with a passion for computer modelling, and coding), agricultural engineering, mathematics, statistics, IT, computer science, software engineering, plant biology, or engineering in general.


Principal Supervisor


Associate Supervisors

Research Affiliations
  • Institute for Agriculture and the Environment
  • National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture
  • School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
  • School of Engineering and Built Environment

Field of Research
  • Agriculture, Land and Farm Management
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Computer Software
  • Crop and Pasture Production
  • Ecological Applications
  • Environmental Science and Management
  • Other Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
  • Other Environmental Sciences
  • Soil Sciences

Available Academic Programs
  • Master of Research (MRES)
  • Master of Research (MRES)

Application Open Date
17/11/2017

Application Close Date
17/11/2019

USQ Scholarship Applications

Pre-approved for Ethics
Not Applicable

Admission Requirements

Please review the admission requirements for the academic program associated with this Thesis Topic





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