Agricultural Futures
The production of agricultural commodities is shifting under the influence of climate change, oil and water prices, amongst other drivers. This is likely to affect communities and settlements dependent on those farmed products. There is a pressing need for knowledge about opportunities that may exist for new production regimes and about new forms of resilience amongst rural dwellers. At the same time the prospects for enhanced food production in cities and increased food security for cities needs to be closely examined. The leader of this research theme is David Chapman.
Research Leader Profile - David Chapman
Faculty: Melbourne School of Land and Environment
Research Interests: Agriculture and food systems
Prof. Chapman has nearly 30 years research experience in pasture ecology and ecophysiology, grazing management, pasture-animal interactions, and development of grazing systems. His career began in New Zealand with the Grasslands Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Resarch, Palmerston North, which later became part of AgResearch. Prof. Chapman's research in New Zealand was principally directed toward understanding the impacts of grazing management on pasture plant population dynamics, pasture composition, and pasture utilisation in hill country.
Prof. Chapman moved to the University of Melbourne in 1996 to take up his present position as Foundation Professor of Pasture Science. His major research activities since then have revolved around the development of simulation models of the soil-plant-animal system and their application to problems of improving pasture consumption and adaptation; the effects of grazing method on the productivity and sustainability of perennial pastures in the medium-high rainfall zone of south-east Australia (as part of the Sustainable Grazing Systems program 1997 - 2003); the role of perennial grasses, legumes and herbs for improved growth and feeding value of non-irrigated dairy pastures; development of more productive forage base systems for non-irrigated dairying including integration of forage crops and pastures; and the nutritional basis of diet selection in ruminants. Much of this research is funded by the dairy industry through Dairy Australia and associated Regional Development Programs of Dairy Australia, and is directed toward improved profitability and resilience of dairy businesses.