Melbourne School of Land and Environment

Rob Norton

Position:

Principal Lecturer (Agronomy)

Location:

 Grains Innovation Park (formerly VIDA)

Address:

Private Bag 260, Horsham, Victoria, 3401

Phone:

+61-3-5362-2337

Fax:

+61-3-5362-2187

Email:

rnorton@unimelb.edu.au

Teaching:

In the general areas of crop science, plant and crop production and agronomy. Specific subjects at present are:

Research:

  1. Crop nutrition especially N and P stress on wheat and canola. Currently project leader of large GRDC Nutrient Management project.
  2. Crop adaptation and new crops - areas such as mallee canola (B. juncea), fenugreek, coriander, safflower, canaryseed are all areas of interest. GRDC project on safflower nearing completion. Work on mallee canola just started including aspects of drought response in canola and mustard.
  3. Canola and mustard - adaptation and agronomy of these crops, with particular emphasis on developing agronomy packages in for new areas such as low and high rainfall cropping zones. This involves some crop physiology, agronomy, simulation modelling and risk management strategies.
  4. Soil management and abiotic stress - work on soil salinity, boron and sodicity, as well as in the area of nutrient management such as nitrogen and phosphorus.

Other professional interests:

Close involvement with the development of the canola industry in Australia since 1984. Have strong links with public and private research agencies as well as with other universities and industry. I am a member of the Australian Society of Agronomy, the Association of Soil Science Societies of Australia and the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology. I am a member of the advisory board for the Victorian Institute for Dryland Agriculture, a board member and program leader for the Joint Centre for Crop Innovation and serve on several other industry associations.

Current research projects and consultancies:

Recent publications:

Norton RM and Wachsmann NG (2006). Differences in crop water use in southeastern Australia. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 57 (in print).

Norton RM, W Burton and P Salisbury (2005). Agronomy for canola quality Brassica juncea in modern cropping systems. Proceedings of the 14 h Australian Research Assembly on Brassica’s (Ed. Trent Potter) Port Lincolm 3 rd- 6 th October, 2005. p 28-31.

Wachsmann, N.G., Norton, R.M., Jochinke, D.J. and Knights, S.E (2005). A synopsis of a study into safflower south-eastern Australia. In, Proceedings of the 6th International Safflower Conference. Ed. E. Esendal. Istanbul, Turkey, 6 ­ 10 June, pp. 268 ­ 274.

Gardner WK, J Fawcett, R Fitzpatrick, and R Norton (2004). Chemical reduction causing land degradation. I Overview, Plant and Soil,267, 51-59.

Gardner WK, J Fawcett, R Fitzpatrick, R Norton and M. Trethowan (2004). Chemical reduction causing land degradation. II Detailed observations at a discharge site in the Eastern Dundas Tablelands, Victoria, Australia, Plant and Soil,267, 85-95.

Links:

Through my involvement in the JCCI and my location at Horsham, I am able to facilitate access to key people in the grains areas of Primary Industries Research Victoria. As well, I have linkages through current projects with agribusiness groups (e.g. Incitec/Pivot, Monsanto Australia, Bayer Crop Sciences), CSIRO (Plant Industry Canberra, APSRU Brisbane), Farming Systems Groups (Birchip Cropping Group, Wimmera Farming Systems, Southern Farming Systems) and private and public agricultural service providers.

Potential Third Year and Foruth Year Honours Projects

Potential PhD scholarship Areas.

  1. Response of canola and mustard to subsoil limitations – developing an understanding of the trends in canola yield and investigations into the causes (To commence in March 2007).
  2. Screening canola, mustard and other Brassica species for salinity tolerance – strategies and responses. (To commence March 2007).
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