Dr James Hunt, improving water-use efficiency of mixed farms.

Dr James Hunt: improving water use efficiency in mixed broadacre farming

Dr James Hunt studies aspects of water use efficiency in mixed broadacre farming systems through field experiments and investigations using farming system models.

• 5 February 2010 | Updated 14 October 2011

Overview

• Current activities
• Background
• Academic qualifications

Current activities

Dr James Hunt's current role involves researching aspects of water use efficiency (WUE) in mixed broadacre farming systems in southern and western Australia.

This includes the application of farming systems models such as APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator) and Yield Prophet™ to water-limited production problems.

His current projects include:

• identifying farm-scale opportunities to improve WUE: A nationally coordinated systems approach (Grains Research and Development Corporation - GRDC)
• integrating soil and crop management to improve whole farm water use efficiency in the mixed farming zone of Southern New South Wales (NSW) (GRDC through FarmLink Research)
• mustard (Brassica juncea) Agronomy (GRDC through NSW Industry & Investment)
• optimising cereal profitability in the high rainfall zone through integration of disease management and canopy management principles (GRDC through Southern Farming Systems) 
  “Farming systems models such as Yield Prophet and APSIM are useful for on-farm decision making.”

  Dr James Hunt, CSIRO Plant Industry

Background

Dr Hunt joined CSIRO in 2009 after working for the Birchip Cropping Group for several years, where he was directly involved in participatory research into the farm management applications of crop growth models (APSIM) and forecasting.

He also researched seasonal climate forecasting systems, their relevance to different cropping regions, and potential uses in on-farm decision making.

Dr Hunt received his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Melbourne, Victoria, in 2004 for studying the ecology of common heliotrope (Heliotropium europaeum L.) in a Mediterranean dryland cropping system.

Academic qualifications

Dr Hunt has been awarded a:

• Bachelor of Science in Botany (First Class Honours) from The University of Melbourne, 1999.
• Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Science, Faculty of Land and Food Resources, The University of Melbourne, 2006.

See a list of scientific papers published by Dr Hunt on the next page.

Read more about CSIRO's research in the Sustainable farming overview.