Research interests

• Grassland ecology
• Soil carbon and soil health
• Measurement of soil water content
• Pasture species evaluation
• Grazing management systems
• Biophysical modelling and climate variability

Background

Greg Lodge has spent over 35 years researching temperate native pastures including seasonal variations in species quality and quantity, grazing management systems, population dynamics, seed and seedling ecology and the domestication and management of native grass cultivars. Plant evaluation studies have also been undertaken for lucerne, subterranean clover, annual medics, introduced and native perennial grasses, alternative perennial legumes and herbs, tropical grasses and salt tolerant species as part of regional or national evaluation programs.

He commenced as a trainee in 1970 and was appointed to tamworth in 1974 and has undertaken research projects in pastures, grasslands, livestock and wool, working closely with university, advisory staff and collaborative industry groups.

Currently within Industry & Investment NSW he is a Principal Research Scientist, located at the Tamworth Agricultural Institute.

*NSW Department of Primary Industries was formed on July 1, 2004 through an amalgamation of NSW Agriculture, NSW Fisheries, State Forests of NSW and the NSW Department of Mineral Resources.

Qualifications

• BSc. Agr.
• Ph.D.

Current projects

• Tropical grass agronomy, population dynamics, seed quality and physiology 
• Matching pasture feed availability to livestock feed requirements 
• Effects of species mixtures on soil water content 
• Biophysical modelling for climate change mitigation and examining effects of climate variability on pasture and livestock production 
  

Recent Publications

Lodge GM, Brennan MA, Harden S (2010) Field studies of the effects of pre-sowing weed control and time of sowing on tropical perennial grass establishment, North-West Slopes, New South Wales. Crop & Pasture Science 61, 182-191.

Lodge GM, Harden S (2009) Effects of depth and time of sowing and over-wintering on tropical perennial grass seedling emergence in northern New South Wales. Crop & Pasture Science 60, 954-962.

Lodge GM, Johnson IR, Cullen BR (2009) Effects of climate scenarios on simulated intake of sheep grazing native pastures in northern New South Wales, Australia. Animal Production Science 49, 1015-1022.

Lodge GM, Johnson IR (2008) Agricultural drought analyses for temperate Australia using a biophysical pasture model. 1. Identifying and characterising drought periods. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 59, 1049-1060.

Lodge GM, Johnson IR (2008) Agricultural drought analyses for temperate Australia using a biophysical pasture model. 2. Relationship between rainfall and the start and end of predicted drought periods. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 59, 1061-1067.

Lodge GM, Harden S (2007a) Evaluation of annual legumes in northern New South Wales. 1. Trifolium subterraneum cultivars and lines. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 57, 551-562.

Lodge GM, Harden S (2007b) Evaluation of annual legumes in northern New South Wales. 2. Trifolium and Medicago spp. and other legumes. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 57, 563-574.

Lodge GM, Murphy SR (2006) Root depth of native and sown perennial grass-based pastures, North-West Slopes, New South Wales. 1. Estimates from cores and effects of grazing treatments. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45, 337-345.

Lodge GM, King KL (2006) Soil microbial biomass, labile and total carbon levels of grazed sown and native pastures in northern New South Wales. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 837-845.

Lodge GM, King KL, Harden S (2006) Effects of pasture treatments on detached pasture litter mass, quality, litter loss, decomposition rates and residence time in northern New South Wales. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 1073-1085.

Lodge GM, McCormick LH, Harden S (2005) Grazing studies of a Hyparrhenia hirta (Coolatai grass) pasture in northern New South Wales. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45, 1603-1611.

Lodge GM (2004) Seed dormancy, germination, seedling emergence and survival of some temperate perennial pasture grasses in northern New South Wales. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 55, 345-355.

Lodge GM, Murphy SR, Harden S (2003b) Effects of grazing and management on herbage mass, persistence, animal production and soil water content of native pastures. 1. A redgrass-wallaby grass pasture, Barraba, North-West Slopes, New South Wales. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, 875-890.

Fields of Research

• 070302 Agronomy

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Native pastures 
• pasture species 
• grazing management 
• biophysical modelling