Melbourne School of Land and Environment

Dr Rob Fitzpatrick

Chief Research Scientist and Group Leader of Soil Biochemistry in CSIRO Land and Water

G.W. Leeper Memorial Lecture in association with the Victorian Branch of the Australian Society of Soil Science Inc. (ASSSI)

One goal of soil science is to apply pedological information to understand, predict and solve practical problems. This is appropriately defined as “pedotechnology”. Pedotechnology research is becoming highly multi- and inter-disciplinary. Pedo technologists are collaborating closely with geologists, hydrologists, wetland ecologists, water scientists, engineers, microbiologists, viticulturists, agriculturists and police/detectives, like never before to help understand, predict and solve complex soil problems for a multiplicity of practical purposes. This work provides value among the jurisdictions of the environment, agriculture, industry, mineral exploration, engineering, military and forensic science. [more]

Previous Deans Lecture Series Events

Professor David Pannell

ARC Federation Fellow Professor, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Western Australia

Researchers can find the process of engaging with policy to be both rewarding and frustrating. In the context of land-use policy, David will discuss various aspects of the research-policy nexus, including the various influences of research and policy on land use, the adoption of research results by policy makers, differences between policy and research, and the roles that researchers can play in policy. He will present a case study from Australia in which a range of research into land use was integrated to develop an investment framework for policy makers and natural resource managers. David’s experience highlights that to enhance their influence on policy researchers should strive to: understand the policy maker’s perspective, practice excellent communication, be solution oriented, find a champion, avoid appearances of vested interest, and be simple, patient, persistent, resilient, responsive and timely. [more]

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Melbourne’s Love Affair with Forested Water Catchments; What is its future?

Melbourne has been proud of the quality of water from its forested catchments for over a century. These have quietly and consistently fed the city with a flow of high quality and high energy water – so much so that the average citizen has little knowledge of where the water comes from.

At the same time, conservation of the catchment vegetation has been regarded as synonymous with water supply management.

As the city grows, augmentation of this water from more land, improved catchment yields, or alternatives such as desalination is becoming necessary and even urgent. [more]

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Professor Alan Robson

Vice-Chancellor AM, BAgrSc Melb., PhD W.Aust., FTSE, FACE, FACEL, FAIAS, Hackett Professor of Agriculture

Universities and publicly funded research organisations are complex institutions. How can leaders within these organisations achieve the required outcomes? What are the personal qualities required? In this lecture I will reflect on the basis of a long career and its associated challenges. [more]

Download the presentation here - Leadership in universities and research organisations

Professor Peter Vitousek

Clifford G. Morrison Professor of Population and Resource Studies,
Stanford University

The Miegunyah Distinguished Visiting Fellowship Program was established in 1993 on the recommendation of the Russell and Mab Grimwade Fund Committee. This is a prestigious program open to academics residing outside Australia, of international distinction in a field of interest to the University of Melbourne.

Humans have had an impact on the Earth of the scale of major geological processes, and as such the term Anthopocene refers to the current period of human influence. Climate change is a notorious example of this; however there are several other major perturbations. Professor Vitousek will present an explanation of the scale and nature of human-induced global change, including changes to the Earth’s atmosphere, land, water, biogeochemical cycling and biota. He will then discuss options for preparing to face the implications of these changes. [more]

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Professor Ross Garnaut

Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow and Professorial Fellow in Economics
The University of Melbourne

Professor of Economics
Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies
Australian National University

Mainstream science and standard economic analysis tell us that the Australian agricultural and resource industries are likely to be affected profoundly both by climate change and the global response to it. They are likely to be affected profoundly whether or not there is an effective global mitigation effort, and whatever the nature of Australia’s contribution to that effort.

Based on comprehensive research as part of the Climate Change Review in 2007-08, the likely affect of climate change and its mitigation on Australian agricultural and resource industries will be investigated. The focus will then shift to one important and difficult issue. The issue of the application of policies which support trade-exposed, emissions-intensive industries prior to the application of a comprehensive global agreement and similar emissions pricing in all substantial economies. [more]

Download the presentation here - Climate Change and the Australian Agricultural and Land Use Industries

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Mr Russell Johnstone

Environmental Sustainability Manager
Pernod Ricard Pacific

The Australian Wine Industry, with a total value of A$5.5 billion and exports of A$2.4 billion, is a significant contributor to the Australian economy and particularly important for maintaining vibrant rural and regional economies. Technical excellence of our grapegrowers and winemakers has been vital to growth and success of the industry.

However, the industry faces significant challenges related to consolidating retail power, international competition, drought and oversupply that threaten our hard won position as the fourth largest exporter of wine in the world.

This Dean’s lecture will describe the current status of the wine industry and identify and explore our most significant challenges, including climate change, the vagaries of consumer preference and pressures from retailers and knowledgeable consumers, Finally, the role research will need to play in helping to address these challenges will be discussed. [more]

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Adjunct Professor Roger Leakey

Faculty of Science and Engineering
James Cook University

As advocated by the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), multi-functional agriculture aims to achieve economic, social and environmentally sustainable rural development. Agroforestry offers a mechanism to implement multi-functional agriculture by addressing the issues of soil fertility management; the rehabilitation of degraded farming systems; loss of biodiversity above and below ground; carbon sequestration; and soil and watershed protection. Agroforestry provides three other crucial outputs: useful and marketable tree products for income generation, fuel, food and nutritional security/health and the enhancement of local livelihoods; complex mature and functioning agroecosystems akin to natural woodlands and forests; linkages with culture through the food and other products of traditional importance to local people. Consequently, through agroforestry, sustainable rural development can be achieved by rebuilding natural capital, restoring agroecological function and improving farmer livelihoods through income generation, enhanced food and nutritional security, better health and the creation of employment. This will be illustrated by examples from Cameroon. [more]

Professor John Langford

Professor Snow Barlow

The Goulburn Valley has experienced an unbroken sequence of 12 dry years, the longest in the historical record. The jury is still out on whether to blame Australia's historical highly variable climate, or climate change.

Darwin famously reminded us that ‘it is not the biggest or the swiftest who survive, but rather those who act to adapt first'.

The process of adaptation is already well underway in the Goulburn Valley, with Agri-food industries and water industry managers responding to these drier conditions. Whatever rainfall in the future is, it is clear that we should adopt “no regrets” strategies leading to the more efficient use of water. State and federal governments are also providing substantial insurance against the risk of climate change with massive investments in new water infrastructure including the $2 billion Northern Victorian Irrigation Renewal (Food Bowl) Project to modernize the irrigation systems in the Goulburn Valley. Water policy reform has also been stimulated by the dry conditions.

The University of Melbourne is assisting this process through a major multi-disciplinary research project, Farms, Rivers and Markets , funded by the National Water Commission and the Victorian Water Trust and centered on its Dookie campus.

This Dean's lecture by two of Australia's leaders in water research and policy and climate change adaptation will explore progress in adaptation and discuss future research needs to assist future adaptation through an examination of

• Water resources and allocation in the Goulburn Valley and water policy responses over the last 2 decades.
• Agri-food production trends associated with these large reductions in water allocation.
• Future opportunities in the light of the predicted drier climates.
• Research requirements to meet these changed conditions, particularly the current University of Melbourne Farms, Rivers and Markets Project.

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Professor David Karoly

Dr Kevin Tolhurst

Dr Patrick Lane

The experience of the Victorian bushfires in February 2009 has left our community with questions about the science of bushfires. Is this the result of climate change? Can we expect more of these fires? What are the risks to our water supply? How can we understand and manage the risks of these catastrophic fires? The Melbourne School of Land and Environment is presenting a public forum to discuss these critical issues featuring:

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Professor Julian Alston

Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics - University of California

Many researchers and commentators underestimate the length and importance of the time lags between initial research investment and ultimate impacts on the development and adoption of technological innovations. Researchers typically impose untested assumptions about the R&D lag, which can have profound implications for underestimating the value of research investments. This seminar will present a range of evidence on agricultural R&D lags and some specific details on the timelines for the research, development, and adoption processes for particular mechanical and biological innovations in U.S. agriculture. The aggregative analysis makes it possible to test hypotheses about the R&D lag and to evaluate the implications for the specification of models of production and for findings regarding the rate of return to public research investments. The results support the use of a longer lag than is typically imposed in studies of industrial R&D. These findings are supported by the timelines for specific technological innovations, including new crop varieties, as well as tractors and other mechanical innovations. [more]

Download the presentation here - U.S. Agricultural Productivity Growth and the Benefits from Public R&D Spending

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