Staff profile

Graduated B.Agr.Sc (1963) from the University of Melbourne, M.Agr.Sc (1977) from La Trobe University, and Ph.D. (1981) from the University of Adelaide. After working as an industrial microbiologist with Kraf Foods Ltd, she joined the Institute of Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture at Tatura in 1968 as a soil scientist. At La Trobe University she was appointed Honourary Research Fellow in 1991, Lecturer in Viticultural Science in 1998, and promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2006. She is co-ordinator of Viticultural Science and Wine Production in the Department of Agricultural Sciences. She was Distinguished Visiting Scietist at the University of Adelaide in 1993, and has been on the Editorial Advisory Board of Soil & Tillage Research from 2002.

Research interests

• Soil science
• Dynamics of soil aggregation
• Soil structure
• Soil biology (including earthworms, fungal hyphae, and microbial activity)
• Soil management for horticultural crops, row crops and pasture
• Effect of soils on the growth of roots
• Soil management for rice and vegetables on Vertisols in Indonesia

• Viticultural science
• Sustainable salt exclusion by salt tolerant rootstocks
• Flowering and fruit set
• Potassium and quality of berries
• Soil management

Teaching

• AGR1SYS - Agricultural Systems
• AGR3LSM - Land and Soil Management
• AGR3VWA - Viticulture and Wine Production Issues A
• AGR3VWB - Viticulture and Wine Production Issues B
• AGR3VTS - Viticultural Science

Publications

- view a list of recent publications (PDF 70KB)

1. Hirth J, McKenzie BM, Tisdall, JM. Ability of seedling roots of Lolium perenne L. to penetrate soil from artificial biopores is modified by soil bulk density, biopores angle and biopores relief. Plant and Soil 272, 327-336, 2005.
2. Mahrup, Borrell A, Ma’shum M, Kusnarta IGM, Sukartono, Tisdall J, Gill JS. Soil management systems improve water use efficiency of rainfed rice in the semi-arid tropics of Southern Lombok, Eastern Indonesia. Plant Production Science 8, 342-344, 2005.
3. Tisdall, JM. Fauna and microflora: Macrofauna, Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Ed Rattan Lal, Dekkar, New York, pp 535-537, 2002.
4. Tregeagle JM, Walker RR, Tisdall JM, Blackmore DH. A diminished capacity for chloride exclusion by grapevine rootstocks following long-term saline irrigation in an inland versus coastal region of Australia. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 12, 178-191, 2006.
5. Wheaton A, McKenzie BM, Tisdall JM. Management to increase the depth of soft soil improves soil conditions and grapevine performance in an irrigated vineyard Soil & Tillage Research In Press, 2007.