Plants play an essential role in sustaining life on earth, from animals and humans to the global environment and plant growth is dependent upon four factors - sun, soil, water and nutrients. Through the study of foundation sciences in biology, chemistry and landscape process, you will gain extensive knowledge of the interrelatedness of biophysical processes within Australian climate, water and landscape systems, soil formation, the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils and how these affect the availability of nutrients, toxins and plant growth. You will examine physiological processes, using a whole plant approach, and their response to environmental variables and their dynamics in relation to canopies and root profiles. Using the interrelationships of plant genetics and environment, you will explore the role of plant breeding in sustainable cropping systems and devise integrated strategies for managing factors influencing plant and environmental health.

With increasing pressure to create environmentally sustainable food production systems, there is a high demand for soil and plant specialists in the agricultural sector, in government departments, research organizations and conservation and environmental agencies. You may be employed in many diverse roles and could work onsite to manage natural resources; in the laboratory monitoring plant and food products or developing new technologies to increase crop yield or in an office mapping and classifying land use, creating policy or communicating recommendations and project outcomes to landowners and other stakeholders.