Research interests

• Runoff water quality from intensively managed dairy pastures
• ‘Scaling-up’ of rainfall simulation runoff water quality data to sub-catchment scale
• The effect of strategic BMP implementation on water quality at sub-catchment scales 
• Development of improved nutrient accounting (budgeting) procedures for the Australian dairy industry
• Characterisation of soil organic and inorganic P using 31P NMR
• The role of various manufacturing by-products in the management of soil nutrients and metals for improved agronomic and environmental outcomes

Background

Warwick is a soil scientist with 15 years experience specialising in nutrient management in intensive agricultural industries. He has undertaken numerous research and consultancy projects on nutrient management in the dairy, broad-acre cropping, vegetable and recycled organics industries in NSW, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.

Warwick is particularly interested in collaborating with industries to refine nutrient management such that production and environmental outcomes are optimised. His current collaborations range from studies of the fundamental factors affecting P mobilisation, development of improved methods for organic P speciation and the use of these techniques on Australian soils, through to whole of farm nutrient management investigations and planning and the effect of implementing BMPs on water quality at the sub-catchment scale. In addition to working with industry in NSW, he is collaborating on research projects in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. He has published widely in peer reviewed journals and made numerous presentations at conferences in Australia and overseas.

*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. Hons (Agric) – University of Sydney, 1992 
• M. Nat. Res. Mgt. – University of New England, 1999 
• PhD Soil Science – University of Adelaide, 2006

Current projects

• The mobilisation of soil phosphorus in surface runoff from intensively managed pastures in south-east Australia
• Accounting for Nutrients on Australian Dairy Farms. Wawick is the Deputy Project Leader of the Dairy Australia funded national project. Improved techniques for the characterisation of soil organic phosphorus and their application to Australian soils
• Synchronisation of phosphorus application and pasture growth for improved agronomic and environmental outcomes

Recent Publications

Dougherty WJ, Nicholls PJ, Milham PJ, Havilah EJ, Lawrie RA (2008) Phosphorus fertilizer and grazing management effects on phosphorus in runoff from dairy pastures. Journal of Environmental Quality 37. In press.

Dougherty WJ (2007) What is the dairy industry is doing to ensure it sustains its soils? In 'Healthy Soils: Can Australian soils sustain our agricultural systems?' (Ed. E Price). (Land and Water Australia: Sunshine Coast, Qld).

Dougherty WJ, Smernik RJ, Buenemann EK, Chittleborough DJ (2007) On the use of HF pre-treatment of soils for 31P NMR analyses. Soil Science Society of America Journal 71, 1111-1118.

Smernik RJ, Dougherty WJ (2007) Identification of phytate in phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra: the need for spiking. Soil Science Society of America Journal 71, 1045-1050.

Gourley CJP, Aarons SR, Powell JM, Dougherty WJ, Weaver DM (2007a) Revising the paradigm for improved nutrient management on Australian dairy farms. In 'Australasian Dairy Science Symposium, Meeting the challenges for pasture-based dairying' University of Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA).

Gourley CJP, Powell JM, Dougherty WJ, Weaver DM (2007b) Nutrient budgeting as an approach to improve nutrient management on Australian dairy farms. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 1064-1076.

Downie A, Van Zwieten L, Dougherty W, Joseph S (2007) Nutrient retention characteristics of chars and the agronomic implications. In 'International Agrichar Initiative 2007 Conference'. Terrigal, NSW.

Davies PJ, Cox JW, Fleming NK, Dougherty WJ, Nash DM, Hutson JL (2006) Predicting runoff and phosphorus loads from variable source areas: a terrain-based spatial modelling approach. Journal of Spatial Hydrology 6, 82-104.

Dougherty WJ, Nash DM, Chittleborough DJ, Cox JW, Fleming NK (2006) Stratification, forms and mobility of phosphorus in the topsoil of a Chromosol used for dairying. Australian Journal of Soil Research 44, 277-284.

Dougherty WJ, Smernik RJ, Chittleborough DJ (2005) Application of spin counting to the solid-state P-31 NMR analysis of pasture soils with varying phosphorus content. Soil Science Society of America Journal 69, 2058-2070.

Dougherty WJ, Fleming NK, Cox JW, Chittleborough DJ (2004) Phosphorus transfer in surface runoff from intensive pasture systems at various scales: A review. Journal of Environmental Quality 33, 1973-1988.

Professional associations and activities

• Australian Society of Soil Science
• PhD supervisor  

Fields of Research

• 050304 Soil Chemistry
• 050301 Carbon Seuqestration Science
• 050399 Soil Sciences not elsewhere classified
• 050209 Natural Resource Management

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Organic phosphorus
• Nutrient budgeting 
• NMR
• Soil phosphorus
• Nutrient cycling
• Runoff
• Water quality