DIGGING LIFE

An interview with University of Adelaide Plant Scientist, Alison Gill, about her experience as a Fulbright Scholar in California.

Ali Gill

is passionate about sustainable agriculture and climate change. Alison’s PhD research focuses on the drought tolerance and water-use efficiency of industrial hemp. Research is desperately needed to establish whether hemp has a place in low wateruse cropping systems, such as those in southern Australia and California. While the Australian hemp industry is only just developing, the U.S. industry is far more established.

Through her Fulbright Future Scholarship, Ali investigated the effect of soil management and variety on the productivity of dry farmed tomatoes in the Agroecology lab of Assistant Professor Tim Bowles at the University of California, Berkeley.

Ali - Tell us about your Fulbright project at UC Berkeley.

My project investigated the effect of soil management and variety on the productivity of dry farmed tomatoes.

Dry farming is a method of growing crops without irrigation during a dry season, historically used by Indigenous groups and Mediterranean farmers, and now implemented in coastal regions of the western U.S.

We grew five varieties of tomato without irrigation (or rain), from May to October. Our project had three aims -- to determine if soil disturbance influenced tomato properties when dry farmed; to compare the plant physiology and fruit characteristics of the five dry farmed tomato varieties; and to investigate the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on dry farmed tomato productivity. AM has a symbiotic relationship with plants, improving the supply of water and nutrients to its host.

We found that soil disturbance such as no-till may not impact tomato yields or quality, nor affect plant water stress, at least in the small scale at which the practice and field trial was implemented.

Tomato variety had a greater influence on fruit properties than soil disturbancethe current commercial standard had the greatest yield and marketability, as well as flavour.

AM fungi did not impact plants water stress or result in better fruit yields, although levels of root colonisation were very low.

Although dry farming reduces yields, it produces tastier, more intensely flavoured fruits that are prized by consumers and chefs.

The hundreds of kilograms of fruits produced were donated to food pantries around Berkeley, which was a great bonus of the research.

With drought severity and frequency increasing in areas like California, methods of production that limit irrigation usage will become increasingly important. This research will contribute to the currently lacking peer-reviewed dry farming literature, providing options for farmers in water-limited climates or scenarios.

What were some highlights of your time in the U.S?

The 9 months of my Fulbright Scholarship were a whirlwind and flew by way too fast. The experience was as fulfilling as I had hoped, but not without a few unexpected challenges. One of the most rewarding highlights was the friendships I made with people from the US and other parts of the world.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have met such wonderful people, many of whom were from my department at the university, within my lab group, or housemates, and I miss them very much. I was also fortunate to explore incredible places across the US, especially during a time when COVID restricted travel for many.

Highlights included visiting nine US National Parks, backpacking in the Sierras, and skiing in Tahoe. My partner, who joined me for six months of my scholarship, and I explored Southern California and Colorado on road trips and travelled around the East Coast over Christmas. Together we experienced living in the Bay Area (expensive!!) and saw many amazing places further afield.

The Fulbright Scholarship provided me with a unique opportunity to immerse myself in American culture and explore the US beyond the academic setting.

Moving overseas also tested my resilience and forced me to be highly independent.

I discovered that the US is full of extremes, where there are amazing experiences such as breathtaking nature, magnificent landmarks, and bustling city life, but also unsettling issues like homelessness, violence, and dirtiness of cities. Dealing with these extremes was both daunting and uniquely American.

Settling into a new country and then (all too soon) preparing to return home also presented its own set of challenges, but the positive experiences certainly outweighed the challenges and gave me a fresh perspective on life in Australia.

What advice would you give to any other aspiring Fulbright Scholars?

If you are thinking of applying, I highly recommend starting early as the application process is long and involved.

For me, the most important decision I made was which lab group to join and this must be included in your initial proposal.

This important decision defined my experience, and I suggest applying to visit somewhere with a personal connection to supervisors to ensure you’ll be well looked after.

I found that talking to previous applicants and scholars allowed me to tailor my application and I would be happy to chat with anyone interested in applying.

Fulbright is an incredibly fulfilling, exciting, and impactful experience. I applied in 2020, at the start of my PhD, and now, as I near the end of my PhD, I am acutely aware of the meaningful impact Fulbright has had on this portion of my life.

I am grateful to Fulbright Australia, Tim Bowles and the Bowles lab group, as well as everyone who made this experience possible and who supported me throughout.

- Ali Gill

A version of this article originally appeared on TheWaite.org