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Dr Kirsten Verburg

Project Leader

https://people.csiro.au/V/K/Kirsten-Verburg

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Biography

Dr Kirsten Verburg is principal research scientist and project leader in CSIRO Agriculture and Food.

Dr Verburg applies her skills in soil and cropping systems modelling to improve the understanding of soil water and nitrogen dynamics in agricultural systems. This supports the development of management strategies and monitoring designs that improve agricultural productivity and reduce off-site environmental impacts. Applied research for growers and advisors is an important driver for her work. The projects she leads often combine different science disciplines and aim to translate scientific research into information that allows industry to better support decision making.

In her current research she uses simulation analysis to explore soil water availability in dryland agriculture, to study nitrogen dynamics in stubble retained systems and to assess the use of enhanced efficiency fertilisers to improve nitrogen use efficiency in sugarcane and other agricultural systems. Earlier projects in dryland agricultural systems considered the impact of fallow residue and weed management on soil water and nitrogen accumulation, the causes of accelerated soil acidification, the impact of climatic variability on deep drainage, and the feasibility of tactical management of lucerne phase farming transitions using soil water monitoring information.

Dr Verburg has also led research to identify sources of nutrients within catchments and their delivery pathways to the stream network. This work focused on the analysis of monitoring data and combining evidence for so-called ‘catchment water quality diagnoses.’ Project activities included the evaluation of high frequency nutrient monitoring in streams and the use of isotopic multi-tracer approaches.

Other Interests

Dr Verburg enjoys science communication and, as a volunteer, teaches extension mathematics at a local primary school for the Scientists in Schools program.

Current Roles

  • Project leader
    Methods to predict plant available water capacity (PAWC) (GRDC)

  • Project leader
    Decision support for choice of enhanced efficiency fertilisers - Herbert catchment pilot study (SRA)

  • Project leader
    Crop lower limit: Root water extraction responses to soil properties as key to variability in PAWC (GRDC)

  • Project team member
    Validating root system traits for enhanced nutrient capture in challenging environments (SRA)

We have publications by Dr Kirsten Verburg