Research interests

• Water and nutrient management
• Managing water quality on coastal floodplains
• Improving soil health

Background

Over the last 25 years Peter has worked in the areas of soil conservation, management of acidic soils, salinity management in irrigation areas, remediation of contaminated soils, and management of coastal acid sulfate soils, restoration of tsunami affected land and produced over 70 publications. His research on salinity assessments using electromagnetic induction has involved international collaboration with China, Pakistan, Thailand, and Indonesia. He is currently leading large research and extension teams on soil and water management projects with partners in Indonesia and Vietnam.

Dr Slavich is currently the Director of Wollongbar Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries' Centre of Excellence for the Environment; the research leader for NSW DPI’s Soils, Recycled Organics and Environmental Health unit; and the Director of the Centre for Coastal Agricultural Landscapes which is an alliance between NSW DPI and Southern Cross University where he is an Adjunct Professor.

Qualifications

• BSc Ag (Environmental Horticulture)
• MSc Ag (Soils)
• PhD (Hydrology)

Current projects

• Restoration of annual cropping is tsunami-affected areas of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province, Indonesia.
• Improving the utilisation of water and soil resources for tree crop production in coastal areas of Vietnam and New South Wales.

Key Publications

Rosicky, M. A.; Slavich, P.; Sullivan, L. A.; Hughes, M. Techniques for revegetation of acid sulfate soil scalds in the coastal floodplains of New South Wales, Australia: ridging, mulching and liming in the absence of stock grazing. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia: 2006. 46: 12, 1589-1600.

Johnston, S. G.; Slavich, P. G.; Hirst, P. Changes in surface water quality after inundation of acid sulfate soils of different vegetation cover. Australian Journal of Soil Research. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia: 2005. 43: 1, 1-12. many ref.

Johnston, S. G.; Slavich, P. G.; Hirst, P. The effects of a weir on reducing acid flux from a drained coastal acid sulphate soil backswamp. Agricultural Water Management. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands: 2004. 69: 1, 43-67. 48 ref.

Johnston, S. G.; Slavich, P.; Hirst, P. The acid flux dynamics of two artificial drains in acid sulfate soil backswamps on the Clarence River floodplain, Australia. Australian Journal of Soil Research. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia: 2004. 42: 5/6, 623-637. 45 ref.

Johnston, S.; Kroon, F.; Slavich, P.; Cibilic, A.; Bruce, A. Restoring the balance: guidelines for managing floodgates and drainage systems on coastal floodplains. Restoring the balance: guidelines for managing floodgates and drainage systems on coastal floodplains. NSW Agriculture, Wollongbar, Australia: 2003. 47. Publication Type Miscellaneous.

Slavich, P. G.; Petterson, G. H.; Griffin, D. Effects of irrigation water salinity and sodicity on infiltration and lucerne growth over a shallow watertable. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia: 2002. 42: 3, 281-290. 16 ref.

Slavich, P.G. , Smith K.S., Tyerman S.D., and Walker G.R. (1999). Water use of grazed salt bush plantations with saline watertables. Agricultural Water Management 39:169-185. 

Slavich P.G., Walker G.R., Jolly I.D., Hattoan T.J. and Dawes W.R. (1999). Dynamics of Eucalyptus largiflorens growth and water use in response to modified watertable and flooding regimes on a saline floodplain. Agricultural Water Management 39:245-264.

Slavich P.G., Walker G.R., and Jolly I.D. (1999). Assessing flood impacts on health of vegetation on saline floodplain using a flood history weighted index of average soil salinity. Agricultural Water Management. 39:135-151.

Professional associations and activities

• Australian Soil Science Society

Research Fields, Courses and Disciplines

• 300 100 Soil and Water Sciences

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Soil salinity
• acid sulfate soils
• coastal agriculture
• soil fertility
• vegetation water use

Contact details