Richard Flavel

After practising as a broadacre agronomist in Narrabri, Northern NSW, Richard completed a PhD “Visualising and quantifying cereal root responses to phosphorus” using x-ray CT. Richard then worked as a Research Fellow in plant-soil interactions for the Cooperative Research Centre for Polymers on non-wetting soils and the interactions between the wheat root systems, the soil physical structure and ‘functionalized polymers’ capable of moderating the soil moisture dynamics.

In his current role, Richard’s research interests are in the soil physico-chemical interactions that occur at the root interface and the implications that mechanisms at this locus have for crop and plant productivity. Richard is also strongly involved in projects ameliorating sub-soil sodicity, quantifying phosphorus requirements in tropical legume species and determining the interaction between plant nutrition and disease progression. As a Rural Science graduate, ‘systems’ research is a key interest and as such Richard is involved with a broad range of topics from the selection and breeding of pasture species for improved palatability and environmental outcomes, through animal behaviour to novel fertilisers for improved cropping efficiency. If it has dirt and plants he is probably interested!