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Government of South Australia SARDI - South Australian Research and Development Institute

Mahalakshmi Mahadevan

Research Officer

Ph.D (Horticulture)Dr Mahalakshmi Mahadevan

Water Resources and Irrigated crops
Phone: + 61 8 83039430
Email: mahalakshmi.mahadevan@sa.gov.au

Roles and expertise:

  • Coordination of research trials; design, installation and monitoring of various equipments in soil and plants
  • Monitoring root zone moisture and solute movement
  • Entry, maintenance and interpretation of complex data sets for research findings
  • Preparation and presentation of research findings

Experience:

  • PhD research work focused on water and fertigation management studies in banana
  • Design, schedule and implementation of fertigation research in various horticultural crops
  • Installation of SoluSAMPLER, collection and analysis of soil solutions
  • Installation of sap flow sensors and related electronics equipment including data loggers; collection and processing sap flow data to estimate total plant water uptake
  • Consolidation and presentation of research findings in meetings, seminars and conferences

Current and recent projects:

  • GWRDC Project: 'Managing vineyard rootzone salinity and maximising water saving by sub-surface irrigation techniques'
  • Almond Board of Australia Project: 'Minimising Environmental Footprints from Irrigated Almonds by using new methods and tool'

Awards:

  • Best PhD Thesis in Horticulture, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India (2002)
  • Best Research Article Award, at National Seminar on “Changing scenario in the production systems of Horticultural crops”, 2001, India
  • Recipient of Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial fund fellowship for Ph.D (Horticulture), India, 1999 – 2000
  • Recipient of Indian Council of Agricultural Research Fellowship for M.Sc (Horticulture), India, 1994-1996

Recent publications:

Phogat V, Mahadevan M, Skewes M and Cox JW. 2011. Modelling soil water and salt dynamics under pulsed and continuous surface drip irrigation of almond and implications of system design. Irrigation Science (Published online: 06 May 2011)

Mahalakshmi.M., Fuentes.S., Skewes. M.A., Cox. J.W. and Green. S. Nocturnal sap flow of field grown almond trees and their response to water stress. 8th International workshop on sap flow, Volterra, Italy, May 8-12, 2011. Abstract: pp: 38

Mahalakshmi, M., N.Kumar and P.Selvaraj. 2006. Data envelopment analysis for fertigation studies in banana Cv. Robusta (AAA). National symposium on “Improving input use efficiency in Horticulture”, Bangalore, India, August 9–11 2006. Proceedings: 135-136

Mahalakshmi, M., N.Kumar and K.Soorianathasundaram, 2003. Effect of Fertigation and irrigation on the yield of high density plantations of banana cv. Robusta (AAA). InfoMusa, Vol.12 (No.1): 42-44

Mahalakshmi, M., N.Kumar, P.Jeyakumar and K.Soorianathasundaram. 2001. Fertigation studies in banana under normal system of planting. South Indian Horticulture, 49 (special): 80-85

Mahalakshmi, M., N.Kumar, P.Jeyakumar and K.Soorianathasundaram. 2001. Fertigation studies in banana under high density planting. South Indian Horticulture, 49 (special): 86-91

Mahalakshmi, M. and S.Sathiamoorthy.1999. Effect of post shoot application of potassium on yield characters in banana cv. Rasthali (AAB). South Indian Horticulture, Vol. 47: 155-157.