KIM MOSSE

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2009 Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship

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“In these days of water shortages the ability to reuse winery wastewater as an irrigation source would be of significant benefit to wine grape growers. There are many issues associated with such a practice, due to the variability in wastewater composition, different treatment practices, and the risk of causing long term damage to the soil and plant ecosystem.”

Kim Mosse, PhD Candidate at Monash University, has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to spend nine months at the University of California, Davis. Kim’s research will examine the effects of irrigation with winery wastewater on soil and plant health in nearby regions.

“I will use a variety of cutting edge molecular biological techniques to assess the effects that winery wastewater application has on soil microbial populations.”

Kim said she has two key reasons for wanting to study in the US.

“Firstly, there are numerous experts in all relevant areas on campus at UC Davis; the research group that I wish to join has significant experience in both soil ecology and vineyard management.”

“Secondly, the US is a major wine producer, also facing issues of wastewater management (California in particular), and it would therefore be highly valuable to work with the US industry, and to perform studies that are similar to those done in Australia.”

When she returns to Australia, Kim will apply the new methods to compare vineyard soils between southern Australia and California

Kim said that one of her supervisors was based at UC Davis for four years and her placement will further strengthen the linkage between research groups in Australia and the US, with future collaborations likely to result from her stay.

“Ideally, my research will result in the production of a ‘toolkit’, which can then be used by industry to determine the likely impacts of their wastewater on plant and soil health.”

Kim has a BSc from Monash University. She has won various awards and scholarships including the Sir John Monash Award, a Baden-Württemberg Stipendium (German state government scholarship, 2005) and the Australian Society for Microbiology Prize.