Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences - Summer Scholarships 2021/2022 - Lincoln University
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Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Summer Scholarships
2021/2022
Scholarship Information
The Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences will be offering a number of
research scholarships over the 2021/2022 summer vacation to capable
students who are considering continuing their university studies in 2022.
All scholarships are valued at $6,000 each (tax free), commencing after
the end of the semester two, for a period of 12 working weeks (includes
3 weeks University Christmas close down period).
The scholarships are an opportunity for students to experience working
in a research environment, to get a feel for what’s involved in
postgraduate research, and to gain valuable research skills. Many of the
students who have previously been awarded summer scholarships have
gone on to complete postgraduate degrees and establish successful
careers.
This booklet outlines the summer scholarship projects received to date.
Please consult the Lincoln University website for others that may have
been added subsequently.
https://www.lincoln.ac.nz/study/scholarships/
Browse Search Scholarships
Select Agriculture & Life Sciences Summer Scholarships
Applications close on Tuesday 31 August 2021, and should be sent to:
Robyn Wilson
Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences
PO Box 85084
Lincoln University
Lincoln 7647
Christchurch
Robyn.Wilson@lincoln.ac.nz
Phone: (64) (3) 423 0652
Science South - Room 45
Eligibility Applicants must be students intending to undertake full-time study in 2022. You may be continuing your Bachelors degree, or planning to begin an Honours, Masters, or PhD degree in 2022. PLEASE NOTE: Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions implemented by NZ Government, all applicants for this scholarship need to be currently residing in New Zealand. We can NOT accept applications from those living overseas at the time of application as there is no guarantee you will be granted entry in time for the scholarship start date. Applications (Note: there is no official application form) Please provide the following information: • Name, student ID, address and contact details (include email address) • Current degree being studied for • Intended qualification to study for in 2022 • Project(s) you would like to work on (include the project number) • Copy of your Academic Record • Relevant previous work and/or research experience An application for a maximum of 3 or 4 projects is considered appropriate. Please list in order of preference. NOTE: All applicants must contact the lead supervisor listed at the bottom of each project prior to submission of their application.
Financial information • Scholarship payments will be made fortnightly, with a final payment made on receipt of your approved project report, at the completion of the 12 working weeks. • For taxation purposes applicants must be intending to undertake full-time study in 2022. (You may be continuing your Bachelors degree, or planning to begin an Honours, Masters, or PhD degree in 2022.) • Students who receive Study Link funding should contact Study Link directly, prior to applying, as there may be implications for their funding. • Current Masters and PhD students are not eligible to apply for this scholarship. Timetable Monday 31 August 2021 Deadline for applications Friday 10 September 2021 Successful applicants notified Monday 1 November 2021 or Scholarship research period begins Monday 8 November 2021 (depending on supervisor) Friday 25 February 2022 Final scholarship report due Working conditions The minimum expected hours of work will be 37.5 per week to be worked between Monday and Friday inclusive, between the hours of 7:00 am and 9:00 pm. This includes a meal break of 30 minutes and a refreshment break of 10 minutes within each three-hour continuous work period. From time to time you may be required to work outside of normal working hours. Working hours are to be negotiated with your supervisor. If any deviation to the original plan is made, then this must be approved by the Faculty Research Committee.
Criteria for awarding these scholarships The criteria for awarding these scholarships take the following attributes of applicants into consideration: Academic achievement • Overall Grade Point Average (GPA) • Last Semester GPA Applicant’s background • Suitable subjects covered during study • Suitable work/research experience Intentions for future study • Continuing within Bachelors degree • Bachelors degree to be followed by Honours, Masters, or PhD Scholarships will be awarded based on academic merit. The Faculty reserves the right to award the number of scholarships for which it believes it has suitable candidates and funding.
Guidelines for Summer Scholarship Final Report Your final report for your scholarship should include the following: • Title page – including name, supervisors and project title. • Abstract – gives a brief summary of the project. • Introduction –outlines the background to your summer research project, concluding with an outline of the objectives of the research you were involved in. • Methods – this section covers the work carried out, described to a level equivalent to that given in a scientific paper. • Results – a summary of results or achievement. • Discussion – of results/achievements and how those linked with their objective and wider project objectives, if applicable. • Benefits of the scholarship – your reflection on what you gained from the scholarship. • References cited/appendices – if applicable. Please provide an electronic and printed copy of your report to your supervisor(s) by Friday 25 February 2022. Once your supervisor has approved your report and advised Robyn, the final scholarship payment will be made.
List of Projects
No. Project Title Supervisor and email
1 A pilot study on re-constructing market Dr Hannah Lee
desirable meat products using food 3D Hannah.Lee@lincoln.ac.nz
printing technology
2 Achieving bank and channel stability in Assoc. Prof. James Ross
stream restoration projects using James.Ross@lincoln.ac.nz
environmentally sensitive products
3 Aluminium toxicity in high country soils Dr Jim Moir
Jim.Moir@lincoln.ac.nz
4 Analysis of phenolic compounds in Dr Leandro Dias Araujo
juice and wine using ultra-performance leandro.araujo@lincoln.ac.nz
liquid chromatography (UPLC)
5 Application of inactive yeast cells in Dr Bin Tian
Sauvignon Blanc production Bin.Tian@lincoln.ac.nz
6 Assessing potential windblown spread Dr Sandy Slow
of Legionella longbeachae among pine Sandy.slow@lincoln.ac.nz
trees: Could this increase the
environmental load and contribute to
Legionnaires’ disease?
7 Assessing the influence of riparian Dr Henry Chau
plants on soil physical and hydraulic Henry.Chau@lincoln.ac.nz
properties
8 Bioassay testing of potential biocontrol Dr Seona Casonato
fungi for the noxious weed Nassella Seona.Casonato@lincoln.ac.nz
trichotomaNo. Project Title Supervisor and email
9 Caucasian clover (Cc) seed production Dr Tom Maxwell
and Cc / plantain pasture production Tom.Maxwell@lincoln.ac.nz
10 Climate change causing a shift in Dr Henry Chau
agricultural climate zones for avocado Henry.Chau@lincoln.ac.nz
production
11 Collection and curation of Mr Mike Bowie
entomological specimens for teaching Mike.Bowie@lincoln.ac.nz
12 Dryland Pasture Production (x2) Prof Derrick Moot
Derrick.Moot@lincoln.ac.nz
13 Effect of high moisture pastures on Dr Racheal Bryant
behaviour response to heat stress of Racheal.Bryant@lincoln.ac.nz
dairy cows
14 Evaluating the nematicidal activity of Dr Manjula Kularathna
selected synthetic and natural Manjula.Kularathna@lincoln.ac.nz
chemicals against plant pathogenic
nematodes
15 Fighting fire with food Assoc. Prof. Tim Curran
Timothy.Curran@lincoln.ac.nz
16 Going back in time to see the future: Dr Jon Sullivan
collating and adding to pre-digital age Jon.Sullivan@lincoln.ac.nz
plant elevational limit data and plant
data from cultural landscapes of
different ages, to understand how
elevation, habitat age, and climate
change affect Canterbury plant
communitiesNo. Project Title Supervisor and email
17 Integrated control of Sclerotinia Assoc. Prof. Eirian Jones
sclerotiorum Eirian.Jones@lincoln.ac.nz
18 Is there methane in Canterbury farm Dr Naomi Wells
drains and ponds? Naomi.Wells@lincoln.ac.nz
19 Lamb pH and meat quality Dr Hannah Lee
Hannah.Lee@lincoln.ac.nz
20 Novel mineral mediums to improve Dr Henry Chau
water and nutrient retention in soils Henry.Chau@lincoln.ac.nz
21 Pasture Persistence – determining Dr Tom Maxwell
factors that drive performance of Tom.Maxwell@lincoln.ac.nz
perennial grass cultivars over time
22 Pest Free Banks Peninsula lizard Mr Mike Bowie
monitoring Mike.Bowie@lincoln.ac.nz
23 Phytoremediation of impoverished Dr Tom Maxwell
soils on erosion pavements in the Tom.Maxwell@lincoln.ac.nz
Canterbury High Country
24 Plantain-based pasture to reduce Dr Omar Al-Marashdeh
nitrogen losses from grazing dairy Omar.Al-
systems Marashdeh@lincoln.ac.nz
25 Plants and their environment: testing Prof Rainer Hofmann
biotic and abiotic interactions Rainer.Hofmann@lincoln.ac.nzNo. Project Title Supervisor and email
26 Precision agriculture project: Prof Rainer Hofmann
Phenotyping biological nitrogen Rainer.Hofmann@lincoln.ac.nz
fixation
27 Preparing a vegetation map and Assoc. Prof. Tim Curran
restoration plan for Mt Hutt Forest Park Timothy.Curran@lincoln.ac.nz
28 Sclerotinia sclerotiorum: a potential Dr Seona Casonato
bioherbicide Seona.Casonato@lincoln.ac.nz
29 Screening mycoparasitic Pythium Assoc. Prof. Eirian Jones
species for biocontrol potential against Eirian.Jones@lincoln.ac.nz
fungal and Phytophthora tree
pathogens
30 Soil pH and nutrient dynamics of Dr Jim Moir
dryland pasture legume species in Jim.Moir@lincoln.ac.nz
high country.
31 Source and sink manipulation of wheat Dr Mariana Andreucci
cultivars Mariana.Andreucci@lincoln.ac.nz
32 Testing novel growing mediums for Dr Henry Chau
suitability in vertical farming? Henry.Chau@lincoln.ac.nz
33 The plant microbiome: a balance Assoc. Prof. Eirian Jones
between ‘good’ and bad’ microbes Eirian.Jones@lincoln.ac.nz
34 Using a plantain-based pasture to Dr Tom Maxwell
reduce nitrogen losses from sheep Tom.Maxwell@lincoln.ac.nz
grazing systems
35 What are the natural concentrations of Prof Rich McDowell
groundwater contaminants? Richard.McDowell@lincoln.ac.nzDetails of each project available are as follows:
1 A pilot study on re-constructing market desirable meat products
using food 3D printing technology.
The Department of Wine, Food and Molecular Biosciences has recently
invested in several 3D food printers (Foodini, manufactured by Natural
Machines) to create future food product concepts. 3D printing could be
used to up-cycle low value cut meats by re-shaping these materials to
desirable meat products, which, with the addition of natural food
ingredients, can offer functional and nutritional value to consumers. The
student will be involved in the method development by optimising key
parameters and generating 3D reconstructed meats with a range of
shapes and textures.
Supervisor: Dr Hannah Lee, Dr Damir Torrico Arispe
Email: Hannah.Lee@lincoln.ac.nz
2 Achieving bank and channel stability in stream restoration projects
using environmentally sensitive products
The Christchurch City Council is working in partnership with the local
community on a large-scale three-year enhancement project to restore
the ecological health of Cashmere Stream. The waterway is part of a
historically significant wetland that was traditionally used by Māori as a
food gathering area and it is home to a number of threatened species,
such as kōura (freshwater crayfish), kākahi (freshwater mussels), tuna
(eel), inanga (whitebait), pied stilts, oyster catchers and southern grass
skink. This project will involve researching what techniques can be used
to stabilise stream banks and channels and how these features can be
used, whilst providing habitat for fish and invertebrates. In particular, the
Council would like to move away from the commonly used plastic
products (e.g., Bidim) and hard armouring, to improve ecological
outcomes. The work will involve researching the literature and talking to
industry to understand current products and to investigate alternative
options, reviewing/monitoring the performance of features used in past
restoration projects, and recommending alternatives that the Council can
use to achieve good outcomes. Collaboration with others will be required
for the project, such as geotechnical engineers, ecologists and landscape
architects.
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. James Ross, Dr Belinda Margetts (Chch
City Council)
Email: James.Ross@lincoln.ac.nz3 Aluminium toxicity in high country soils.
Soil acidification is a critical issue which limits grassland and crop
production globally. In some soils acidification enhances the mobilization
of toxic metals including aluminium (Al), particularly at a pH5 Application of inactive yeast cells in Sauvignon Blanc production
Inactive yeast cells could be a good source of glutathione that can be
acting as an antioxidant in wine production. In Sauvignon Blanc
production, reductive fermentation and storage conditions are important
for maintaining aroma compounds of importance to varietal
characteristics. In this study, commercial inactive yeast products will be
used during the alcoholic fermentation and storage period prior to
bottling. This commercial inactive yeast product can have oxygen
scavenging capacity, providing extra protection against oxidation. The
ultimate goal of this project is to evaluate the impact of inactive yeasts on
preservation of varietal aroma compounds in Sauvignon Blanc.
Supervisor: Dr Bin Tian, Dr Leandro Dias Araujo
Email: Bin.Tian@lincoln.ac.nz
6 Assessing potential windblown spread of Legionella longbeachae
among pine trees: Could this increase the environmental load and
contribute to Legionnaires’ disease?
In New Zealand, the bacterium Legionella longbeachae is the
predominant cause of Legionnaires’ disease (LD), an often severe type
of pneumonia. Most cases occur in spring/summer, where gardeners,
particularly those that have used potting mix, are at greatest risk.
Previously, we identified pine bark as a likely source after detecting the
bacterium in the bark of live trees and in bark windrows used for potting
mix manufacture. In collaboration with researchers here and the
University of Otago, Christchurch (UoO,Chch), the student will assess if
L. longbeachae is consistently found in live pine tree bark and evaluate
any windblown tree-to-tree spread. The student will collect bark from live
trees as well as samples from spore trappers placed within a pine
plantation during peak LD season (Nov-Dec) and measure the
bacterium’s presence in the collected samples by qPCR. The student will
gain key skills in microbiology and molecular detection techniques in a
project combining both clinical and environmental microbiology, whilst
working with a strongly collaborative team of highly experienced
researchers.
Supervisor: Dr Sandy Slow, Assoc. Prof. Eirian Jones, Dr Amy
Scott-Thomas (UoO,Chch), Prof Stephen Chambers (UoO,Chch)
Email: Sandy.slow@lincoln.ac.nz7 Assessing the influence of riparian plants on soil physical and
hydraulic properties.
Excessive surface water runoff has detrimental effects on the ecosystem
through erosion and nonpoint-source pollution. Riparian plantings are
known to trap surface runoff, sediment and nutrients and provide a great
habitat for birds and water life. However, different riparian plant species
also have the potential to dry out surface water bodies such as wetlands.
Soil physical and hydraulic properties are key factors controlling the input
of water into runoff and soil water storage, and their knowledge is needed
for sound land management of surface water bodies. This study aims to
assess how native plantings in riparian areas may affect the soil physical
and hydraulic properties to control runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses
from the landscape. With an improved understanding of how riparian
plants may influence the soil physical and hydraulic properties, the water
quality and quantity within our surface water bodies can be maintained
and improved.
Supervisor: Dr Henry Wai Chau
Email: Henry.Chau@lincoln.ac.nz
8 Bioassay testing of potential biocontrol fungi for the noxious weed
Nassella trichotoma
Nassella trichotoma is a noxious weed that invades valuable pasture
land. A current project is investing the use of fungi as potential biocontrol
agents. This summer project will test fungi to assess their pathogenicity
on nassella tussock in an in vitro bioassay. The scholar will set up trials,
assess symptoms and collate data. There may be potential to undertake
research in the field.
Supervisor: Dr Seona Casonato, Amber Brooks (Landcare
Research)
Email: Seona.Casonato@lincoln.ac.nz
9 Caucasian clover (Cc) seed production and Cc/plantain pasture
production
Caucasian clover (Cc) seed has not been available commercially for over
ten years. Several farmers planted Cc for seed production in spring 2020
and it is hoped that limited amounts of seed will be available for hill and
high country farmers to sow in new pastures in spring 2022. Furthermore,
with restrictions on nitrogen fertiliser use on dairy pastures there will be
greater emphasis on biological nitrogen fixation by legumes in the dairy
industry. Caucasian clover will provide an alternative, more persistentlegume, to white clover (wc) in summer moist pastures because its tap
root is perennial compared with the short 15 month life of wc tap roots.
Also, Cc spreads vegetatively by developing a mass of rhizomes in
contrast to white clover’s stolons.
Field work during 2021 / 2022 summer will involve monitoring the growth
and development of a 2 ha Cc seed crop and measuring its responses to
agronomic treatments (fertiliser, herbicides, defoliation, and irrigation).
Production of five year old Cc / plantain plots will be compared with Cc /
grass and pure Cc plots under rotational grazing by sheep. A dairy farm
which grazes cows on ryegrass / Cc + wc pastures will be visited to
compare the clover contents of pastures of different ages. And, the
reproductive growth and development of the three ploidy levels of
Caucasian clover will be monitored.
Supervisor: Dr Thomas Maxwell, Dr Alastair Black, Dr Dick Lucas
Email: Tom.Maxwell@lincoln.ac.nz
10 Climate change causing a shift in agricultural climate zones for
avocado production
As agricultural areas are threatened by climate change, warming of
regions and increasing food demands may lead to a shift in agricultural
climate zones (Hardiness zone). The growing demand for avocado in
New Zealand and globally is increasing rapidly and the industry is
forecasted to triple productivity by 2023, however, the volume of
production can be variable and is sensitive to changes in climate. Climate
is known to affect the avocado industry in a range of ways through the
influence of growth, yield, frost risk, disease risk, fruit quality and
location. The climate in New Zealand is influenced by surrounding
oceans and buffered by mountains and can be variable from year to year.
However, amidst this variability and impending shifts in climate in
different regions in New Zealand, there is a significant opportunity to
assess whether agricultural climate zones can shift from certain regions
in New Zealand. As such, is there a potential for crops to grow in new
areas in New Zealand with proper management? This study aims to
assess the key challenges that will affect the ability to grow avocados in
certain regions in New Zealand and to identify key agronomic and
physiological factors affecting avocado performance, which can be
influenced easily by growers, to account for the change in the growing
region.
Supervisor: Dr Henry Wai Chau, Wei Hu (PFR)
Email: Henry.Chau@lincoln.ac.nz11 Collection and curation of entomological specimens for teaching Your time will be spent collecting, curating, and cataloguing specimens for use in our own teaching labs. You will be expected to collect a taxonomically diverse range of specimens covering as many different animal phyla as possible. These will come from a wide variety of different habitats, including terrestrial, freshwater, and this may require you to master a number of different collecting methods and curatorial techniques, although some of the specimens will need to be preserved in alcohol. You will also make an up-to-date inventory of all of our preserved specimens and slide collection, including their current physical condition, to assist with ongoing management and maintenance of the collection. You will be expected to organise your own collecting trips, so this will require a high level of independence, reasonable physical fitness, and your own transport. A knowledge of the local area and invertebrates would be an advantage, but is not essential. Supervisor: Mike Bowie Email: Mike.Bowie@lincoln.ac.nz 12 Dryland Pasture Production (x2) The Dryland Pasture Research group works with farmers and on campus to relate pasture production to the environment. Two scholarships are available to assist with our research programme working on farms and on campus through-out Canterbury. Supervisor: Prof Derrick Moot, Malcolm Smith Email: Derrick.Moot@lincoln.ac.nz 13 Effect of high moisture pastures on behaviour response to heat stress of dairy cows Using a combination of visual observations and behavioural sensors this study will look at the variation in cow response to heat during late spring and summer. Some pasture species contain more water than others (eg plantain and chicory) which influence timing and total amount of water intake, along with supply of minerals. In this project you will collect and evaluate data on pasture, grazing and drinking behaviour, respiration behaviour and milk yield and milk composition. The work carried out in this project will also contribute to practical work requirements for a dairy farm as you will become a member of the farm team at LURDF during your study period and enjoy learning a range of practical and technical skills.
Supervisor: Dr Racheal Bryant
Email: Racheal.Bryant@lincoln.ac.nz
14 Evaluating the nematicidal activity of selected synthetic and natural
chemicals against plant pathogenic nematodes
Plant-parasitic nematodes can cause substantial damage to the
horticultural industry and are known to be an issue when importing
horticultural planting materials. There had been reports indicating
unwanted nematodes entering countries, hidden within horticultural
planting materials such as tubers and rootstocks. This is a severe threat
to countries such as New Zealand where agriculture/horticulture
contributes to a significant percentage of their economy. The aim of this
project is to investigate the efficacy of a selected set of synthetic and
natural chemistries to evaluate their potential nematicidal effects. A
variety of laboratory experiments will be done to get an in-depth
understanding of the effects of these chemicals on selected nematode
species having a significant impact on NZ agriculture and horticulture.
Findings from these trials will be extremely important for MPI and other
organizations in NZ to protect our borders from unwanted nematodes in
the future. The results from this could be potentially used for publication
in a reputed peer-review journal. As the only New Zealand University
having expertise and resources in phtytonematology, this summer
scholarship will uniquely equip the potential candidate with qualifications
that will give him/her an extra edge in their future professional and/or
educational endeavours.
Supervisor: Dr Manjula Kularathna, Dr Farhat Ali Shah (Plant &
Food Research)
Email: Manjula.Kularathna@lincoln.ac.nz
15 Fighting fire with food
Destructive wildfires are becoming more common in many parts of the
world, including New Zealand. A key driver of fire behaviour is fuel and in
wildfires the main fuel is vegetation. This means that there is a clear
need to assess the flammability of different plant species and vegetation
types, including those that occur on rural lands. This project will measure
the shoot flammability of a range of plant species commonly found on
rural land, particularly crops and pastures, to identify those species with
high flammability (representing a high fire hazard) and those with low
flammability, which might be strategically planted to reduce fire spread
(green firebreaks). This project will involve collaboration with a
postdoctoral scholar (Dr Alam) and will comprise plant speciesidentification, field work to collect samples and laboratory work to burn
samples and measure their flammability (on a plant BBQ!). It is part of a
wider project, which is aimed providing nature‐based solutions to
pressing environmental problems (such as wildfire).
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Tim Curran, Dr Azhar Alam, Dr Tom
Maxwell
Email: Timothy.Curran@lincoln.ac.nz
16 Going back in time to see the future: collating and adding to pre-
digital age plant elevational limit data and plant data from cultural
landscapes of different ages, to understand how elevation, habitat
age, and climate change affect Canterbury plant communities
Colin Meurk’s field notebooks contain a large amount of data from
mountain traverses in the 1970s and 80s that document the elevational
limits of many native plant species. When digitised, this will be a valuable
baseline from which to understand how climate change is affecting plant
distributions. In this project you will help to digitise this notebook data
and add it to iNaturalist NZ – Mātaki Taiao, the biggest citizen bioscience
platform in the country. This project offers both opportunities in
processing and interpreting legacy data and establishing/developing a
project of own data. Some preliminary opportunities for determining
climate sensitive changes can be explored.
Secondly, one of the most visible vegetation types in the country are
hedgerows and road verges, and these are common objects of study in
Europe but much less so in NZ. In Europe “Hooper’s Rule” estimates
how many wild plants will have established in hedge rows using hedge
age. Many hedgerow and roadside plants have been recorded in
Christchurch but most hedgerow observations here haven’t currently
been collated together into an iNaturalist NZ project and analysed. Your
objective here would be to set up a NZ hedgerows and road verges
project and populate it with existing, and new, data, to explore broad
trends in species richness and how this relates to hedgerow age and
disturbance. This summer scholarship project will be a good fit for a
student wanting to build their botany and plant ecology skills.
Supervisor: Dr Jon Sullivan, Dr Colin Meurk
Email: Jon.Sullivan@lincoln.ac.nz17 Integrated control of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a major pathogen of a wide range of crops
worldwide. The pathogen produces sclerotia which can survive in soil for
a least 5 years. These sclerotia germinate to produce apothecia that
release ascospores to infect the above ground plant parts. Due to the
broad host range and the long-term survival of the sclerotia in soil make
control of the pathogen challenging. In this summer scholarship, the
student will work alongside a PhD student to evaluate the potential of
using biofumigation crops such as mustards in alone or in combination
with the biocontrol agent Conithyrium minitans on Sclerotinia
sclerotiorum using laboratory assays and a greenhouse pot experiment.
There is also a potential for you to conduct a side project to determine
the effect of different temperature conditioning treatments on the
germination and apothecial production by different Sclerotinia
sclerotiorum isolated which have been recovered from different plants
and New Zealand climatic regions. This summer scholarship project will
enable the student to gain key skills in plant pathology whilst working in a
vibrant research group.
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Eirian Jones, working with Madhavi
Dassanayaka (PhD candidate)
Email: Eirian.Jones@lincoln.ac.nz
18 Is there methane in Canterbury farm drains and ponds?
Aquatic ecosystems may produce 50% of global emissions of the
greenhouse gas methane, but we don’t yet know some waterways
produce more methane than others. Data from other parts of the world
show that small inland waterbodies like farm drains and ponds can emit
anywhere from 0.012 to 120 g CH4 m-2 y-1. Discovering the
environmental factors that control whether drainage features fall to the
low or high side of this range could thus become a critical component of
minimising on-farm greenhouse gas emissions. However, there is no
data on how, or how much, methane is emitted from the drainage
features across New Zealand landscapes. The goal of this project is to
develop techniques and then carry out field measurements of methane in
farm ditches across hydrologic, geologic, and land-use gradients around
Canterbury. This is an exciting new area of research, and provides a
unique opportunity to directly contribute data that will define the global
‘carbon footprint’ of small artificial waterbodies.
Supervisor: Dr Naomi Wells
Email: Naomi.Wells@lincoln.ac.nz19 Lamb pH and meat quality
New Zealand’s chilled lamb export industry relies on delivering a high
quality product to distant markets. The process of turning muscle to
meat involves a significant decrease in pH and if this does not happen
correctly the meat has poor colour and shortened shelf life. This project
will investigate the relationship between biochemical and physical
markers of quality and the rate and extent of pH decline in selected
muscles. It will be a collaborative project with the Proteins and
Metabolites team at AgResearch Ltd.
Supervisor: Dr Hannah Lee, Assoc. Prof. Jim Morton
Email: Hannah.Lee@lincoln.ac.nz
20 Novel mineral mediums to improve water and nutrient retention in
soils
Water conservation and environmental protection against nutrient loss in
soils are paramount for the sustainability of food production, ecosystem
resilience and climate change mitigation. Novel natural mineral mediums
are being developed and proposed as soil amendments to improve water
retention, reduce the irrigation requirement, increase plant water use and
conserve nutrients. This study aims to determine the effect of a novel
mineral medium on the water retention and water flow characteristics of
different textured soils. Properties measured in the amended soil will
include the water retention curve, saturated hydraulic conductivity,
macroporosity, plant available water, particle size distribution and
aggregate stability. With improved water and nutrient retention in soils,
intensive agricultural production will increase, while still mitigating against
environmental pollution.
Supervisor: Dr Henry Wai Chau
Email: Henry.Chau@lincoln.ac.nz
21 Pasture Persistence – determining factors that drive performance of
perennial grass cultivars over time
Unravelling the complex interacting biotic and abiotic factors that drive
pasture community change is important to develop the appropriate
pasture management to improve persistence. Identifying primary driving
factors (soil type, summer rainfall, plant N status, population survival
mechanisms) and secondary driving factors (invertebrate pest pressure,
diseases, weed ingress and high intensity grazing) which act and/or
interact to determine productive sown pasture longevity are critical to
understanding and therefore managing for pasture persistence. Toaddress this need, and provide the DairyNZ Forage Value Index with persistence trait data for perennial pasture grass species, a long-term pasture persistence trial, consisting of repeated annual sowings, commenced in Canterbury in 2015 and is planned to continue until 2024. This project measures pasture persistence traits of DM yield, botanical composition, grass morphology and density of ten grass cultivars from pasture plots continuously stocked with sheep. The trial site is located at the Ashley Dene Research and Development Station. Supervisor: Dr Thomas Maxwell Email: Tom.Maxwell@lincoln.ac.nz 22 Pest Free Banks Peninsula lizard monitoring The Pest Free Banks Peninsula (PFBP) programme is planning to eradicate possums and supress feral cats, mustelids and rats to low levels within the Extended Wildside area with the aim to protect and enhance native species in this area. This area covers approximately 23,000 ha of the south-eastern side of Banks Peninsula, from the Akaroa Heads to an approximate boundary that dissects the Peninsula from Duvauchelle across to Okains Bay and has been identified as a priority focus in the PFBP Strategy for intensive pest control from 2020 onwards. Biodiversity monitoring outcomes are important for many reasons and all taxa including invertebrates and lizards need to be monitored using a range of methods. Locations with historic monitoring sites will be selected where possible so that their baseline data can be used to determine if any changes occur with future pest control, the same methods used in past monitoring will be repeated. Tracking tunnels and artificial cover objects (ACOs) will be set up over the summer period to collect more baseline data before intensive predator control begins. The successful scholar will help set up and collect data for analysis. They will identify specimens and write a report outlining the methods used and results. Some invertebrate identification and data collection from weta motels and wooden discs setup in 2020 will also be under-taken, so would advantage those candidates with entomological experience (e.g. ENTO304/ENTO612). A driver’s licence would also be an advantage. Supervisor: Mike Bowie, Alice Webster (Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust – Wildside Coordinator) Email: Mike.Bowie@lincoln.ac.nz
23 Phytoremediation of impoverished soils on erosion pavements in
the Canterbury High Country
This project will be a study of the restoration ecology of degraded soils
associated with historic planting trials at higher altitudes (approximately
700 - 1400 m altitude) of the Craigieburn Forest Park.
This project uses a combination of historic data and field sampling to
investigate the potential and actual role of a range of nitrogen-fixing
species as ecosystem engineers. The focus will be exotic and native
species of nitrogen fixing plants in terms of their contribution towards
building sustainable, functional carbon-rich soils that support valuable
native plant communities. The aim of the project is to understand:
(i) How native plants in association with exotic legumes and native
legumes can be used as ecosystem engineers to rebuild the functionality
of impoverished high-country soils; and
(ii) Whether and how exotic legumes may be beneficial to native plant
communities.
The legumes of interest are detailed in the Table below.
Exotic species Native species
Trifolium spp. partic T. ambiguum Discaria toumatou (matagouri)
(Caucasian clover) Sophora spp. (kowhai)
Lotus pedunculatus Montigena novae-zelandiae
Coronilla (Securigera) varia (crown (formerly Swainsonia)
vetch) Carmichaelia spp.
Medicago falcata (yellow flowered
lucerne)
Supervisor: Dr Tom Maxwell, Prof Nick Dickinson
Email: Tom.Maxwell@lincoln.ac.nz
24 Plantain-based pasture to reduce nitrogen losses from grazing dairy
systems
Reducing the environmental footprint from the dairy farming sector has
increasingly become a research focus in New Zealand. The nitrogen (N)
deposited in urine patches of cow grazed perennial ryegrass, and white
clover pasture is a significant contributor to on-farm N pollution, due to
these swards delivering N in excess of animal requirements. Recently,
alternative forages such as plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) has been
identified to reduce nitrogen losses. However, testing the implementation
of plantain in a farm system is required. Currently, milk production andcomposition, nitrogen losses and pasture production of dairy cows
managed in sub-farms to graze on ryegrass-based pasture containing
different proportions of plantain are investigated at Lincoln University
Research Dairy Farm (LURDF). Summer scholars are required to help
with management of the farmlets, and animal and pasture data collection.
Please note that because the research is based at a dairy farm, the
project can contribute towards your practical work requirement for dairy.
Supervisor: Dr Omar Al-Marashdeh
Email: Omar.Al-Marashdeh@lincoln.ac.nz
25 Plants and their environment: testing biotic and abiotic interactions
Plants interact with a wide spectrum of environmental variables in nature.
This includes abiotic (e.g. availability of water or nutrients, temperature)
and biotic factors (e.g. pests and diseases). Examinations of the
interactions of abiotic and biotic environmental factors provide exciting
new research opportunities that are of fundamental importance for plant
science. This summer project studies such environmental interactions
and how they affect important crop plants. The project will enable the
student to learn key skills in plant physiology and aims to provide novel
insights to the understanding of plant performance in agricultural or
natural systems.
Supervisor: Prof Rainer Hofmann
Email: Rainer.Hofmann@lincoln.ac.nz
26 Precision agriculture project: Phenotyping biological nitrogen
fixation
This project is a collaboration between Lincoln University, Lincoln
Agritech Ltd and AgResearch NZ. You will be involved in developing an
entirely new method of measuring a key physiological plant response.
Legumes can utilise atmospheric nitrogen through biological nitrogen
fixation (BNF), together with beneficial bacteria. The project utilises
advances in optical spectroscopy techniques and hyperspectral sensing
to develop non-invasive methods for assessing BNF rates in plants. This
would enable plant breeders to develop legume cultivars high in BNF. It
also would help farmers to devise precision nitrogen fertiliser applications
when growing leguminous plants. In this project you will work in
controlled environment plant growth facilities and in plant biology
laboratories to grow experimental legume plants and conduct
measurements to identify differences in spectral BNF patterns between
several treatments.Supervisor: Prof Rainer Hofmann, Abbas Jafari (Lincoln Agritech),
Kritarth Seth (AgResearch)
Email: Rainer.Hofmann@lincoln.ac.nz
27 Preparing a vegetation map and restoration plan for Mt Hutt Forest
Park
Mt Hutt Forest Park is a private, multi-use area consisting of commercial
forestry, native (regenerating) bush, areas under weed/pest control, and
land set aside for recreational uses, including a mountain bike park,
walking tracks, and access to the Mt Hutt Ski area. This project will
develop a restoration plan for the area. This will include a broad-scale
vegetation mapping exercise to first identify the main plant community
types on site and then provide a plan for how certain areas could be
replanted to protect and enhance existing native vegetation. This project
is suited to a student who is able to work independently, has good plant
identification skills and experience, and experience in assembling and
analysing large datasets.
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Tim Curran, Dr Jon Sullivan, Mike Bowie
Email: Timothy.Curran@lincoln.ac.nz
28 Sclerotinia sclerotiorum: a potential bioherbicide
The ubiquitous fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is being trialled as a
potential active ingredient for a bioherbicide for giant buttercup and
Californian thistle. This summer project will involve setting up bioassays
that are developed for screening of fungal isolates of the given fungus
against the two plant posts. The student will be involved in experimental
design, laboratory and glasshouse work and the collation of data. This
project will be part of a larger program bioherbicide development for
noxious weeds.
Supervisor: Dr Seona Casonato
Email: Seona.Casonato@lincoln.ac.nz
29 Screening mycoparasitic Pythium species for biocontrol potential
against fungal and Phytophthora tree pathogens
Pythium species are well recognised as important soilborne plant
pathogens, however a few Pythium species are aggressive parasites of
other fungi and oomycetes, termed mycoparasites. These mycoparasitic
species are of interest for their potential as biocontrol agents of soil borne
plant pathogens. Recent work by a MSc student (Pratima Dhakal) atLincoln University has isolated mycoparasitic Pythium species from vineyard soils in Canterbury. This project will screen these isolates in vitro for antagonistic activity against fungal and oomycete pathogens of forest trees and seedlings. The need for alternative pest control strategies is increasingly important for all primary industries, with many of the pathogens of interest being important economic pathogens across a number of these industries. The control of soil pathogens that cause disease in forests are very hard to treat and very few options are available. Mycoparasitic Pythium species have the potential for use as biological control agents, and therefore could be used as a soil-based control agent for difficult soil-based diseases of trees and forests. They could also be used in a nursery setting for the control of nursery diseases such as damping-off. This summer scholarship project will provide an opportunity for the student to gain key skills in mycology and plant pathology. The student will have opportunity to work in research laboratories both at Lincoln University and Scion, Rotorua, and will also have opportunities to learn about and, if time allows, to be involved in other research carried out by the scientists and students in these research groups. Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Eirian Jones, Dr Rebecca McDougal (Scion, Rotorua) Email: Eirian.Jones@lincoln.ac.nz 30 Soil pH and nutrient dynamics of dryland pasture legume species in high country. The productivity of South Island high country is typified by a short, often soil moisture limited growing season, and acid soils (pH < 5.5). Traditionally, white clover has been sown as the key pasture legume, but fails to persist. The use of alternative pasture species, such as deep rooting Lucerne, has been suggested to improve dryland pasture production. However, lucerne is known to be intolerant of acid soil conditions, and related aluminium (Al) toxicity issues. Nutrient and trace element availability is also strongly influenced by soil pH. To offset increased soil acidity, lime must be applied, and where this cannot be done, soils may be too acidic for legumes and productivity declines sharply. This scholarship project will examine a suite of novel pasture legume species grown in acidic / high aluminium soil conditions under field and glasshouse conditions. Field work will be conducted in Central Otago. Supervisor: Dr Jim Moir Email: Jim.Moir@lincoln.ac.nz
31 Source and sink manipulation of wheat cultivars
This project will evaluate if the participation of different parts of the wheat
plant on final grain yield can change as the yield potential of sowing
dates change. This research is part of a larger project that investigates
growth and development of four wheat cultivars sown at four times. The
summer project will involve imposing treatments to manipulate source
and sink relationship on wheat plants. This will provide understanding of
how dry matter partitioning happens for these cultivars and if the
contribution changes as the yield potential of the sowing dates change.
The student will also participate in other parts of this trial and will have
the opportunity to help in other trials happening at the Field Research
Centre.
Supervisor: Dr Mariana Andreucci
Email: Mariana.Andreucci@lincoln.ac.nz
32 Testing novel growing mediums for suitability in vertical farming?
As the urban population continues to grow and as the degradation of
arable soil increasing rapidly across the globe, a new approach in crop
production is gaining steam. In particular, vertical farming is increasingly
needed in dense urban environments or where arable soil is unavailable.
Currently, microgreens are grown in soilless based mediums in shipping
containers under a climate-controlled environment. The need from this
industry is the development of a local, compostable and soilless growth
medium, as currently they are grown on imported sheets. This project
aims to test locally sourced compostable, soilless growth mediums that
will behave equivalent to the imported sheets in terms of water retention
ability, and to assess the suitability on crop growth and development. A
variety of plant-based products such as hemp, cellulose-based virgin
sourced materials and organic waste products have already been
examined as potential solutions. This study will also assess the feasibility
of the new novel growing media in a vertical farming setting.
Replacement with a local sourced compostable medium will improve the
sustainability of this industry.
Supervisor: Dr Henry Wai Chau, Jason Barry (Otago Polytechnic),
Chris Wilkinson (Gibbston Microgreens)
Email: Henry.Chau@lincoln.ac.nz
33 The plant microbiome: a balance between ‘good’ and bad’ microbes
Plant interact with a myriad of microbes, with many of these influencing
the growth and productivity of crops and native plants. The PlantPathology Research group has a number of research projects investigating the influence of the plant microbiome (all of the microbes on and in plants) on the plants resilience to stresses such as disease as well as overall plant productivity. In this summer scholarship, the student will work alongside PhD students in the Plant Pathology Research Group. The first project the student will be involved in is investigating how the microbiome influence the disease development of Woody trunk pathogens, namely Botryosphaeria and Eutypa dieback in grapevine, including identifying potential biocontrol agents. Previous work has identified the microbial communities associated with ‘disease escape’ vines that is apparently health vines within an otherwise heavily infected vineyard. The student will work alongside a PhD student to evaluate the potential of different microbial communities to control key woody trunk pathogens both using laboratory assays and in pot experiments. In the second project, the student will be involved in assisting a PhD student with experiments investigating the ecology and diversity of floral microbes in mānuka associated with the economically valuable mānuka honeys. In this project the student will assist in sampling of plant tissues from pot experiments and extraction of DNA from this tissue for next generation sequencing to determine the complete microbial community associated with the tissues. This summer scholarship project will enable the student to gain key skills in microbiology and plant pathology whilst working in a vibrant research group. Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Eirian Jones, working with PhD students Damola Adejoro and Justine Larrouy. Email: Eirian.Jones@lincoln.ac.nz 34 Using a plantain-based pasture to reduce nitrogen losses from sheep grazing systems Reducing the environmental footprint from the dairy farming sector has increasingly become a research focus in New Zealand. Reducing the environmental impact from the sheep grazing sector is a neglected area. The nitrogen (N) deposited in urine patches of ruminants grazing perennial ryegrass-white clover pasture can be a major contributor to on- farm N pollution, due to these swards delivering N in excess of animal requirements. Recently, alternative forages such as plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) have been identified as having a reduction effect on nitrogen loss. However, testing the implementation of plantain and Italian ryegrass under grazing in farm systems is required. Currently, the liveweight gain and nitrogen losses of breeding ewes and weaned lambs grazing on a plantain-Italian ryegrass-
red clover pasture or a perennial ryegrass pasture-white clover pasture are being investigated in a farmlet system at Ashley Dene Research and Development Station. A summer scholar is required to help with management of the farmlet, and to collect animal (liveweight, blood and urine), pasture (production and botanical composition) and soil (N availability) data. Supervisor: Dr Thomas Maxwell, Dr Omar Al-Marashdeh Email: Tom.Maxwell@lincoln.ac.nz 35 What are the natural concentrations of groundwater contaminants? Natural or reference state concentrations of contaminants in groundwater are important to gauge how much opportunity there is to decrease leaching losses from land use. Data are available nationally at c. 100 sites for current concentrations and trends in concentrations for contaminants (e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus species, E. coli) and indicator species of groundwater redox conditions. Hydrochemical approaches can discern old water from before colonisation, but there are few data. Statistical techniques can use more readily available groundwater data and catchment variables like land use intensity to back-cast and predict what natural concentrations would be like under minimal or no intensive land use. Back-casting for different groundwater types enables predictions to be made for where there are no data. Supervisor: Prof Rich McDowell Email: Richard.McDowell@lincoln.ac.nz
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