Honours in Agriculture
As an agricultural science honours student you become a member of the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine and part of a research group.
The school has a range of industry, research and teaching partners. These partnerships will assist you in gaining industry experience and in developing contacts within your areas of chosen specialisation.

Honours projects
Supervisors with available agricultural science projects have been added to the 'honours project finder'. If you are interested in their research you should talk with the respective supervisors to discuss potential projects.
If you are interested in a particular area of research that's not included, talk with the honours coordinator to discuss other opportunities to develop an honours project.
A majority of agricultural science projects are based at the University's Waite campus.
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Agricultural science
Agricultural science projects
Nutrient cycling and soil respiration
Honours project: Investigate how soil microbial activity and nutrient availability are influenced by changes in water content or exposure to high temperature.
Read more about Nutrient cycling and soil respirationUnderstanding pollination processes between bees and flowers
Honours project: Investigate the molecular basis of extrorse anther outcrossing mechanism in flowering plants.
Read more about Understanding pollination processes between bees and flowersFlower development in barley
Honours project: Participate in a plant breeding project on controlling organ development in barley by MADS-box transcription factors.
Read more about Flower development in barleyCRISPR genome editing approach for vetch improvement
Honours project: Opportunities to use state-of-the-art next generation breeding technology to improve vetch seed nutrition.
Read more about CRISPR genome editing approach for vetch improvementEnhancing wheat yield and drought tolerance
Honours project: Join an international project that aims to increase yield potential in wheat.
Read more about Enhancing wheat yield and drought toleranceNutrition & collective movement in the Australian plague locust
Honours project: Investigate the movement of plague locusts using laboratory and field experiments.
Read more about Nutrition & collective movement in the Australian plague locustMade-in-SA: Advanced materials derived from local growers’ agricultural waste
Honours project: Turn fruit and vegetable waste into functional products
Read more about Advanced materials derived from local growers’ agricultural wasteAnalysing compostable plastics
Honours project: Are compostable plastics really what they say on the packet? Research opportunities are available to test a new fully compostable type of plastic.
Read more about Analysing compostable plasticsAgave spirits: Using wild yeasts to ferment fructose
Honours project: Fermentation of wild yeasts to create Australia's first agave spirit.
Read more about Using wild yeasts to ferment fructoseDisease resistance in plants: Chickpea
Honours project: Combine your passion for agriculture, plant science and bioinformatics to investigate genetic resistance to disease in chickpea.
Read more about ChickpeaDisease resistance in plants: Oat
Honours project: Combine your passion for agriculture, plant science and bioinformatics to investigate the genetics of septoria leaf blotch to aid the development of resistant oat varieties.
Read more about OatImpact of thermal environment and melatonin on animal body temperature and reproduction
Honours project: Research opportunities are available to investigate how body temperature variation in pigs and sheep impact reproduction.
Read more about Impact of thermal environment and melatonin on animal body temperature and reproductionCan compost reduce diseases in potato?
Honours project: Investigate the potential of compost to reduce diseases and improve potato yield and quality.
Read more about Can compost reduce diseases in potato?Advanced research in plant hormones
Honours project: Contribute to new research on ways to make plants more resilient.
Read more about Advanced research in plant hormonesPlant nematode-interactions: parasitism and defence
Honours project: Discover how parasitic nematodes affect cereal plant roots and exactly which genes help the plants fight back.
Read more about parasitism and defenceMaternal supplementation to improve lamb survival
Honours project: Test the level of caffeine supplementation fed to outdoor, semi-intensive grazing ewes during late gestation.
Read more about Maternal supplementation to improve lamb survivalWater restriction practices in broiler breeder hens: effect on egg albumen composition
Honours project: Determine the effects of maternal water restriction on egg development by investigating key proteins in the albumen of fertile chicken eggs which are vital for the survival and growth of the chicken embryo.
Read more about effect on egg albumen compositionImproving abiotic stress tolerance in durum wheat
Honours project: Improving abiotic stress tolerance in durum wheat – stress priming via microRNAs.
Read more about Improving abiotic stress tolerance in durum wheatImproving plant responses to sub-optimal conditions through plant hormones
Honours project: Make fundamental discoveries about how strigolactones act to alter the growth of plant root cells or applying the latest knowledge of strigolactones to crops.
Read more about Improving plant responses to sub-optimal conditions through plant hormonesUse of drones to assess the performance of wheat in sodic soils
Honours project: Investigate wheat growth and yield in high-sodium soils using drone-mounted imaging techniques
Read more about Use of drones to assess the performance of wheat in sodic soilsIdentifying novel tolerance to subsoil constraints in a FIGS wheat set
Honours project: Identify wheat lines from around the world that are tolerant to subsoil challenges such as high salinity and soil pH
Read more about Identifying novel tolerance to subsoil constraints in a FIGS wheat setImproving wheat yields in dispersive soils
Honours project: Examine how wheat yield can be improved by increasing tolerance to different soil constraints
Read more about Improving wheat yields in dispersive soilsBrood guarding in a gregarious parasitoid wasp
Honours project: Examine how a variety of factors influences the brood guarding behaviour of a parasitoid wasp species
Read more about Brood guarding in a gregarious parasitoid waspEffect of micronutrients on the growth of wheat in sodic soils
Honours project: Examine how micronutrient interactions alter the growth and ion concentrations of wheat in sodic soils
Read more about Effect of micronutrients on the growth of wheat in sodic soilsManagement practices to enable early wet season forage production in lowland rice production systems of The Lao PDR
Honours project: Explore management options to improve early wet season crop production in Lao PDR, southeast Asia
Read more about Management practices to enable early wet season forage production in lowland rice production systems of The Lao PDRExploring the function of MADS-box genes in barley inflorescence development
Honours project: Learn about functional gene research combined with molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, and developmental biology
Read more about Exploring the function of MADS-box genes in barley inflorescence developmentImproving drought and salt tolerance of wheat
Honours project: Examine wheat water use efficiency under saline conditions.
Read more about Improving drought and salt tolerance of wheatRole of an RNA m5C methyltransferase during plant reproduction
Honours project: Investigate the role of an RNA m5C methyltransferase during early reproductive development as mutants abort early during seed development.
Read more about Role of an RNA m5C methyltransferase during plant reproductionDesign of biomimetic coatings to understand plant-pathogen relations
Honours project: Investigate how plant fungal pathogens adhere to and infect plant surfaces.
Read more about Design of biomimetic coatings to understand plant-pathogen relationsCharacterisation of the fungal extracellular matrix and its role in adhesion
Honours project: Determine the composition and role of plant fungal pathogen secretions
Read more about Characterisation of the fungal extracellular matrix and its role in adhesion
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Shoots or roots - which controls plant-fungal interactions?
Honours project: Investigate the origin of signals affecting colonisation of plant roots by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
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Structural studies of cell wall proteins involved during pathogenesis
Honours project: Study the structure of fungal cell wall proteins using ion mobility mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography.
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Improving food safety using plasma sterilisation
Honours project: Investigate the use of a high energy form of matter (plasma) to improve food safety.
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Ecological & evolutionary genetics of plants, wildlife forensic biology
Honours project: How about a research project in ecological and evolutionary genetics of plants and wildlife forensic biology?
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Environmental monitoring with drones: Koalas
Honours project: Use drones to assist with wildlife conservation and research.
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Honours project: Research projects with fieldwork including differences in spatial heterogeneity between grazed and ungrazed areas.
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Interactions between microbes & plants
Honours project: Learn about the success of invasive species and how we can help increase our ability restore native vegetation.
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Restoring grassy woodlands: interaction between native & invasive grasses
Honours project: Contribute to research into various strategies to restore grassy woodland.
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Interactions between plant parasites & their hosts
Honours project: Join the investigation into the use of parasites as biological control agents.
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Mighty macrophytes: Ecology & management of common reed & bulrush
Honours project: Investigate the ecology and management of common reed and bulrush.
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Food and nutrition science (related projects)
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Horticulture (related projects)
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Plant science (related projects)
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Production animal health (related projects)
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Soil science (related projects)
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Viticulture (related projects)
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Wine science (related projects)
Honours handbook
For more specific details about honours program structure, assessment criteria and key contacts, read the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine honours handbook.