Fields of Research

Animal management
Animal nutrition
Agronomy
Agro-ecosystem function and prediction
Crop and pasture production
Animal production
Agriculture, land and farm management
Sustainable agricultural development
Agricultural systems analysis and modelling
Animal reproduction and breeding
Agricultural hydrology
Natural resource management
Crop and pasture improvement (incl. selection and breeding)
Animal behaviour
Agricultural land management
Small business organisation and management
Crop and pasture biochemistry and physiology
Soil sciences
Information modelling, management and ontologies

Research Objectives

Dairy cattle
Sown pastures (excl. lucerne)
Other animal production and animal primary products
Environmentally sustainable animal production
Climate change adaptation measures (excl. ecosystem)
Environmentally sustainable plant production
Pasture, browse and fodder crops
Autonomous and robotic systems
Climate change mitigation strategies
Browse crops
Field grown vegetable crops
Expanding knowledge in the agricultural, food and veterinary sciences
Non-cereal crops (non-cereal crops for hay/silage/green feed)
Honey
Expanding knowledge in engineering
Evaluation, allocation, and impacts of land use
Management of greenhouse gas emissions from animal production

Career Best Publications

Research Publications

Assisting Tasmanian Farmers to Develop Strategies of Adaptation and Mitigation to Cope with Climate Change
Can irrigating more frequently mitigate detrimental heat wave effects on perennial ryegrass growth and persistence?; Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
Changes in grazing behaviour associated with concentrate feeding in dairy cows; 6th Annual Australian and New Zealand Spatially Enabled Livestock Management (SELM) Symposium
Characterising dairy cattle behaviours by observation, accelerometers and video; 6th Annual Australian and New Zealand Spatially Enabled Livestock Management (SELM) Symposium
Detecting heat events in dairy cows using accelerometers and unsupervised learning; Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
Do's and Don'ts of Calf Rearing
Don't Forget Your Calves
DOs and DON'Ts of calf rearing
Effect of dietary supplementation of pasture-based primiparous Holstein-Friesian cows with degummed crude canola oil on body condition score, liveweight, milk yield and composition; Journal of Applied Animal Research
Effect of stubble height and irrigation management on the growth, botanical composition and persistence of perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and chicory swards in cool-temperate Tasmania; Crop and Pasture Science
Effect of stubble-height management on crown temperature of perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and chicory; Crop and Pasture Science
Feeding During the Transition Period
Grazing behaviour of dairy cows fed different levels of concentrates; Precision Dairy Farming 2016
Grazing behaviour of dairy cows fed differing levels of concentrates; 17th Symposium on Precision Agriculture Research and Application in Australasia
Heat event detection in dairy cows with collar sensors: An unsupervised machine learning approach; 2015 IEEE SENSORS
Improving the Utilization of Red Wheat by Lactating Dairy Cows
Introducing A New Pasture Consumption Calculator
Mid-lactation response of cows grazing pasture mixtures containing perennial plantain, white clover, and ryegrass; The Dairy Research Foundation's Symposium 2013
Milking robot utilization, a successful precision livestock farming evolution; Animal
Monitoring grazing behaviour of dairy cows in pasture based systems; The Dairy Research Foundation's Symposium 2013
More milk from forage: Milk production, blood metabolites, and forage intake of dairy cows grazing pasture mixtures and spatially adjacent monocultures; Journal of Dairy Science
Non-acid-base factors are partly responsible for increaseNon-increased urinary calcium excretion when anionic salts are fed; Journal of Dairy Science
Pasture management in two high performing automatic milking systems; The Dairy Research Foundation's Symposium 2013
Pasture optimization and decision support tools for the dairy and beef industries: report 1 May to 31 July 2013
Potential of deficit irrigation to increase marginal irrigation response of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) on Tasmanian dairy farms; Crop & Pasture Science
Potential of summer-active temperate (C₃) perennial forages to mitigate the detrimental effects of supraoptimal temperatures on summer home-grown feed production in south-eastern Australian dairying regions; Crop and Pasture Science
Precision feeding and grazing management for temperate pasture-based dairy systems; Conference on Precision Dairy Farming 2016
Preliminary Evaluation of Remote-Sensing Technologies for the Detection of Oestrus in Dairy Cows
Red wheats vs white wheats - results from a local independent dairy feeding trial; Grains Research Update
Reproduction and fertility parameters of dairy cows supplemented with omega-3 fatty acid-rich canola oil; Annual Research and Review in Biology
Robot utilisation of pasture-based dairy cows with varying levels of milking frequency; Animal
Sense-T: Pasture optimization and decision support tools for the dairy and beef industries. Final Report
Short Communication: Responses to supplemental Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product and triticale grain in dairy cows grazing high-quality pasture in early lactation; Journal of Dairy Science
Tassie Dairy News
Tassie Dairy News
The 20.12 Project - Utilisation of 20 Tonnes of Pasture Dry Matter/ha Under Irrigated and 12 Tonnes Under Dryland Conditions
The behaviour and productivity of mid-lactation dairy cows provided daily pasture allowance over 2 or 7 intensively grazed strips; Animals
The diurnal intake and behavior of dairy cows when access to a feed of consistent nutritive value is restricted; Journal of Dairy Science
The effect of grazing residual control methods on cow intake and milk production in late spring; Australasian Dairy Science Symposium: Meeting the Challenges for Pasture-Based Dairying
The effect of pasture quantity temporal variation on milking robot utilization; Journal of Dairy Science
The effect of supplementation with a rumen-protected fat (Megalac^®) on fertility and blood metabolite concentration of lactating dairy cows in a pasture-based dairy system in Tasmania; Science with Impact - Annual Conference 2015
The effect of supplementation with a rumen-protected fat (Megalac^®) through an extended period of lactation on milk production of dairy cows in a pasture-based dairy system in Tasmania; Science with Impact - Annual Conference 2015
The effect of temporal variation in feed quality and quantity on the diurnal feeding behaviour of dairy cows; Animal
TIAR Dairy and Vegetable Centres Election Commitment, May 2009
Virtual fencing technology to intensively graze lactating dairy cattle I: Technology efficacy and pasture utilization; Journal of Dairy Science

Research Projects

Accelerated calf rearing; DairyTas (DAIRYTAS)
AMS and AMR Support ; Dairy Australia Limited (DAL)
Assisting Tasmanian Farmers to Develop Strategies of Adaptation and Mitigation to Cope with Climate Change; DairyTas (DAIRYTAS)
Beyond 20.12 - Managing Cool Temperate Pasture Based Dairy Systems for the Future; Dairy Australia Limited (DAL)
Dairy Feedbase Stocktake; Dairy Australia Limited (DAL)
Dairy on PAR; Dairy Australia Limited (DAL)
Determining the Effect of a Reduced Dietary Cation-Anion Difference (DCAD) on the Outcome of the Incidence of Milk Fever in a Milk Fever-Prone Dairy Herd; DairyTas (DAIRYTAS)
Development of a More Relevant Forage Base for the Tasmanian Dairy Industry ; Dairy Australia Limited (DAL)
Development of a Nutrient Budgeting Framework at Elliott Research and Development Station; DairyTas (DAIRYTAS)
Direct Drilling Turnips to Achieve High Yields Under Irrigated Conditions; DairyTas (DAIRYTAS)
Enhancing the profitability and productivity of livestock farming through virtual herding technology; Department of Agriculture (DoA (Cwth))
Improving the Utilization of Red Wheat by Lactating Dairy Cows; Dairy Australia Limited (DAL)
Investigating and Demonstrating the Management Factors Associated with High Utilisation of Irrigated Pasture; DairyTas (DAIRYTAS)
Investigating the dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) of Plantago lanceolata and its potential as a pre-calving forage for dairy; Dairy Australia Limited (DAL)
Investigating the Management Requirements of Cocksfoot and Prairie Grass to Maximise Production, Persistence and Quality Under Dryland and Irrigated Conditions; Dairy Australia Limited (DAL)
Investigating the Potential of Deficit Irrigation Strategies to Improve the Efficiency of Water Use in Irrigated Temperate Pastures; DairyTas (DAIRYTAS)
Investigating the Potential of Deficit Irrigation Strategies to Improve the Efficiency of Water Use in Irrigated Temperate Pastures Phase 2; DairyTas (DAIRYTAS)
More Milk From Forage: Developing forage systems to meet the challenge for cool temperate pasture based dairy systems; Dairy Australia Limited (DAL)
Preliminary Evaluation of Remote-Sensing Technologies for the Detection of Oestrus in Dairy Cows; DairyTas (DAIRYTAS)
Smarter Irrigation for profit; Department of Agriculture (DoA (Cwth))
The 20:12 Project - Utilisation of 20 Tonnes of Pasture Dry Matter/ha Under Irrigated and 12 Tonnes Under Dryland Conditions; Dairy Australia Limited (DAL)
An evaluation of the effect of feeding Megalac rumen-protected fat in a pasturebased dairy system in Tasmania
Detecting pyrethrum residual in milk from cows fed pellets containing pyrethrum marc.
Effect of encapsulated Calcium Butyrate (ButiPEARL) on growth performance and GIT epithelial development of Neonatal Calves
Sense-T Stage 2: Pasture Productivity and on-animal sensing
Sense-T: Agriculture - Pasture optimisation and decision support tools for the dairy and beef industries
Using Cashew Nut Shell Liquid as a feed additive to a grain based supplement for increase milk production in pasture-based dairy cows

Research Candidate Supervision