Dr Phil Ward: measuring plant water use

Dr Phil Ward researches plant water use to improve the productivity and sustainability of Australian farming.

• 3 May 2006 | Updated 24 November 2011

Overview

• Current activities
• Background
• Academic qualifications

Current activities 

Dr Phil Ward’s research involves measuring, under both rainfed and irrigated conditions:

• plant water use
• soil water storage
• evapotranspiration from plant communities.

Understanding how these interact allows for increasing the productivity and sustainability of agricultural and native plant communities.

One of Dr Ward’s principal interests is in determining the impact of perennial plants on groundwater recharge and salinity prevention.

Background 

Dr Ward has research experience in water repellent soils, measurement of soil water content, and micrometeorology for the measurement of water and carbon fluxes into the atmosphere.

Academic qualifications

Dr Ward holds the following qualifications:

• Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours Soil Science), University of Adelaide, South Australia
• Doctor of Philosophy (Soil Science), University of Adelaide, South Australia.

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