Volume 55 No 2 April 2007 - New Zealand Society of Soil Science

pedological capability of the department was enhanced with the appointment of Dr Robert F. Allbrook
in 1975, David J. Lowe in 1979, Richard Chapman in 1986, Vicki G. Moon in 1987, and Megan R.
Balks in 1988. Dr Allbrook was a graduate of Newcastle on Tyne University, and had spent a period
as a soil surveyor in Nigeria before completing his doctorate at the University of Malaya studying the
genesis of rice soils. Dr Lowe (now Associate Professor) is a graduate of the University of Waikato
where he specialises in teaching pedology and tephrostratigraphy among his many interests that
include geoarchaeology, Quaternary climate change, and volcanic-ash derived soils. Previously he had
short stints with Soil Bureau (Hamilton office), working on the Matamata County survey, and
preparing benzene in the fledgling Waikato Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory prior to his doctoral
studies. Dr Balks, a graduate of Massey and Waikato universities, was a contract employee with Soil
Bureau DSIR on soil surveys in Central Otago. Professor Gibbs retired in 1979, Professor McCraw in
1987, Dr Allbrook in 1993 and Professor Selby in 2002 (as Deputy Vice Chancellor). Pedology is
included within the mix of undergraduate training together with other subjects relevant to teaching and
research in soil geomorphology, Quaternary stratigraphy and soil and rock mechanics. In more recent
years, programmes in land evaluation including soil-landscape modelling and environmental
evaluation and resource planning have developed. Numerous post-graduate studies have included
aspects of pedology and soil survey in their geological, environmental and palaeoecological research.
Professor Selby initially worked on pumice erosion in the Taupo region using factor analysis and later
developed a geomechanics programme. He wrote five textbooks thereby helping to establish the
Department’s reputation in the surface Earth sciences. Waikato University carried out a national
survey of peat resources for National Water and Soil Conservation Authority in 1975. This survey
team was led by Professor McCraw and Dr Tony Davoren and was carried out by staff and students of
the Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences departments.
news from correspondents
Invermay
Congratulations to Jane Campbell on the birth of her baby daughter Louisa at Dunedin Hospital in
January of this year. Whilst on maternity leave Jane’s Research Associate position will be filled by
Ben Lumsden. Ben joins us from Otago University where he has recently completed a B.Sc (hons)
for which his dissertation investigated cadmium mobility under hill country fertilised with
superphosphate.
Cecile de Klein successfully lead the pastoral 21 industry/FRST bid for the environment programme
which has gained 4.25 million dollars per annum for collaborative research to be undertaken
predominantly by AgResearch, Crop and Food Research, NIWA, Landcare Research, ESR, Dexcel,
Massey University, Lincoln University and the University of Waikato. Contracts are currently being
put together with work due to begin shortly. In February Cecile was visited by Kathy Phelps from
Dairy Australia and Warwick MacDonald from Dexcel to discuss environmental dairy research.
Cecile de Klein also recently managed to find some time for science with the completion of N 2 0
measurements from the wise use of N trial completed. This research compared the effect of different N
fertiliser application rates and nitrification inhibitors on N 2 0 emissions and was carried out at
Invermay by Alison Rutherford and at Ballantrae by Coby Hoogendoorn.
Ross Monaghan and Chris Smith have completed the first year of measuring N leaching losses
under winter forage cropping with and without nitrification inhibitors at the Woodlands Research
station trial site. Ross Monaghan made a trip to the Inchbonnie catchment in the West coast to present
at a field day on BMP’s for dairy farming under extremely high rainfall. Ross Monaghan, Chris
Smith and David Houlbrooke presented research findings on water quality from mole pipe drained
land and soil compaction under dairy farming from the Southland Tussock creek field research site.
71