Physicochemical soil science
University of Southern Queensland
Unlike money, food and clothing do grow on trees. With a growing global population, unless we protect our soils, by 2050 we could all be hungry and naked! Dr Bennett’s research seeks to ensure there’s still food to eat and clothes to wear by maintaining soil stability. He is fascinated by the fact soils respond uniquely to equivalent human intervention. After more than 100 years of research we still cannot predict this specific soil structural response, meaning we cannot reliably predict agricultural production sustainability. John aims is to develop accurate predictions of site-specific soil response to ameliorants and irrigation-water. By understanding mechanisms causing soil specific response, and developing predictive conditional relationships, He hopes to minimise risk and protect viability.
John has conducted yearly school soils workshops through 4Girls2 and the Primary Industries Centre for Science Education. He is also on the National “Soils in Schools” initiative, with mandate to produce learning material and lobby inclusion of soil science in curriculum.
In addition to his 11 print media articles, John has been interviewed on Radio National concerning use of big-data in agriculture, participating in four other public interviews. My engagement expertise has also been requested internationally, presenting at Gansu Agricultural University (China), “Science Week” on conservation farming.