Research interests

• Agricultural hydrology
• Ecosystem services from agriculture
• Shelter belts within grazing systems

Background

Iain Hume has provided agricultural hyrolology leadership for dryland farming systems in the southern part of the state. He joined NSW Agriculture* in 1988 in Deniliquin and measured and modelled the waterbalance of farming systems to optimise their resource use with minimal environmental impact.

Following PhD study of the remote sensing of forage growth at the Australian National University Iain returned to the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute to continue his agricultural hydrology research.

*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

• B.Sc. – Cranfield Institute of Technology, UK
• PhD Remote Sensing of Forage – Australian National University

Current projects

• Providing ecosystem services from agriculture
• The role of shelter in grazing systems

Recent Publications

Conyers MK, Hume IH, Summerell G, Slinger D, Mitchell M, Cawley R (In Press) The ionic composition of the streams of the mid Murrumbidgee River and its implications to manage downstream salinity by landuse change. Agricultural Water Management.

Nordblom T, Hume I, Bathgate A and Reynolds M (2006) Mathematical optimisation of drainage and economic land use for target water and salt yields. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 50(3): 381-402.

Lefroy EC, Flugge F, Avery A and Hume I (2005) Potential of current perennial plant-based farming systems to deliver salinity management outcomes and improve prospects for native biodiversity: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45(11): 1357-1367.

Fields of Research

• 050305 Soil Physics
• 050302 Land Capability and Soil Degradation
• 079901 Applied Hydrology (Drainage, Flooding, Irrigation, Quality, etc)
• 050209 Natural Resource Management
• 140201 Agricultural Economics

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Natural Resource Management
• Modelling agricultural systems
• Agricultural Hydrology
• Pasture utilisation