Shahab Pathan

• B.Sc Ag (Hons); M.Sc (UNSW); PhD (UWA)
• Senior Research Scientist at Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)

This study evaluated water application rates, leaching and quality of couch grass (Cynodon dactylon cv. Wintergreen) under a soil moisture sensor-controlled irrigation system, compared with plots under conventional irrigation scheduling as recommended for domestic lawns in Perth, Western Australia by the State’s water supplier. The cumulative volum...

Sandy soils pose a particular challenge for water and nutrient management due to the low water retention and low ionic adsorption capacities of these substrates. Fly ash is comprised primarily of fine sand-and silt-sized panicles so, if applied at sufficient rates, can permanently change soil texture. Fly ash from Kwinana Power Station (Western Aus...

The effects of four rates (0, 5, 10 and 20%, wt/wt) of fly ash amendment in a sandy soil (top 100–120 mm) on soil properties, turf (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., cv. Wintergreen) water relations, growth and colour, were assessed during 84 days of irrigation treatments (irrigated daily, every 3rd day, or every 4th day) imposed during summer in a Medi...

Field lysimeters of a sandy soil were amended to a depth of 100 mm with four rates (0, 5, 10 and 20%, wt/wt) of fly ash, and effects on soil water content, nutrient leaching, turf growth and nutrition, and uptake of trace elements by turf were assessed. Measurements were taken for 70 days for lysimeters either planted with rhizomes of Cynodon dacty...

Fly ash samples from five power stations in Western Australia and Queensland, and two soils used for horticulture in Western Australia, were evaluated for a series of physical and chemical properties. Soils were comprised primarily of coarse sand-sized particles, whereas most of the fly ashes were primarily fine sand- and silt-sized particles. Hydr...

Aluminum (Al) toxicity imposes a significant limitation to crop production in South Western Australia. This paper examines the impact of surface-applied lime and gypsum on soil solution chemistry in the short term (1 year) and the long-term (10 years) in water limited environments. In the experiments, we measured soil solution chemistry using a pas...

Soil acidity or aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major limitation to crop production. In this paper, we examine the effects of surface-applied lime and gypsum on soil profile chemical properties that affect Al toxicity in short-term (1 year), medium-term (2 years and 8 months) and long-term (10 years) experiments. Sulfate applied to the soil surface as...

Surface (0–10 cm) and subsoil (soil layers below 10 cm) acidity and resulting aluminum (Al) toxicity reduce crop grain yields. In South Western Australia (SWA), these constraints affect 14.2 million hectares or 53% of the agricultural area. Both lime (L, CaCO3) and gypsum (G, CaSO4) application can decrease the toxic effect of Al, leading to an inc...

Key messages • Depth of sowing is critical and difficult to control on deep ripped/cultivated heavy-textured soils. • Crop establishment was negatively affected by the deep ripping treatments, mainly due to cloddy seedbeds and furrow infill. • Wide row spacing (60 cm) has no yield benefits over narrow row spacing (30 cm), and treatments effects...

Zero tillage increases stratification of immobile nutrients such as P. However, it is unclear whether near-surface stratification of soil P eases or hampers P uptake by maize (Zea mays L.) which needs an optimum P supply at/before six–leaf–stage to achieve potential grain yield. The aim of the three-year study was to determine whether P stratificat...

Canola plant growth and grain yield were increased significantly as a result of deep ripping in acidic yellow deep sand.  Consider alleviating subsoil compaction to improve soil productivity and crop yield while ameliorating acidic yellow sand with lime.  On compacted and acidic yellow sand the combination of lime with appropriate deep tillage wi...

The surface band P placement method with ZT, CT and DT gave significantly higher yield than broadcast and deep band placements. The minimum tillage practices under broadcast and deep band placement methods showed the highest available and total P content in soil after harvesting of maize. Phosphorus was stratified in the topsoil with zero tillage a...

This publication provides a simple, standardised and easy-to-understand way to recognise the most common soils in Western Australia. It is designed to:  Provide a standard way of giving common names to the main soils of the State  Provide a simple method to identify them  Assist with the communication of soils information at a general level. Com...

Crop rows oriented at a right angle to sunlight direction (i.e., east-west within the winter cropping system in Western Australia) may suppress weed growth through greater shading of weeds in the interrow spaces. This was investigated in the districts of Merredin and Beverley, Western Australian (latitudes of 31° and 32°S) from 2002 to 2005 (four t...

Organic crops are on the increase worldwide and weed control is one of the main problems since chemicals cannot be used. Wide row lupin sowing systems (greater than 50 cm wide rows) are becoming common in Western Australia (WA) and this allows growers to control inter–row weeds by inter-row cultivation for organic crops or spraying non-selective he...

KEY MESSAGES • The growth of wild radish was significantly greater than that of lupins during the crop's reproductive stage. • Wild radish can significantly reduce lupin plant growth and grain yield. Even 3 radish plants/m 2 reduced lupin grain yield by 15 to 24%. • Early sown lupins were more competitive than late sown lupins and suffered less yie...

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Western Australia, 2003. Includes bibliographies.

Low ionic sorption capacities and high hydraulic conductivities of sandy soils contribute to the potential for leaching of nutrients applied to these soils. Batch sorption experiments were used to examine NO3–, NH4⁺, and Psorption/desorption isotherms for Karrakatta sand and Kwinana fly ash. Column experiments assessed leaching of these nutrients f...

Two experiments were conducted at Wongan Hills and Merredin in 2006 to examine on-row and inter-row weed control, and seed production of annual ryegrass in wide row lupins in Western Australia (WA). At Wongan Hills, annual ryegrass density on the inter-rows was reduced 99–100% by inter-row Spray. Seed ® (paraquat + diquat) or glyphosate; 61–63% by...