Dr Peter Weir
Research Associate
Peter commenced his PhD at CeRDI in February 2020. The aim of his research was to develop a conceptual model, using existing spatio-temporal data as the basis for predictions of within-paddock variability in plant-available water (PAW), which will consider publicly available data sets including satellite imagery, landscape metrics, soil moisture measurements, digital soil data, and meteorological data. Peter’s PhD was confirmed in 2025.
After many years in irrigated horticulture in the Riverland, South Australia, both as a farmer and a software developer, Peter returned to fulltime study in 2008 at the University of South Australia, Adelaide, obtaining an Information Technology degree with Honours (2012). His Honours thesis was titled "Evaluation of Psychophysical Effects in High Quality Augmented Reality Environments". At that time, his research interest was the objective measurement of the perceptual experiences of individuals using Augmented Reality systems, studying how our brains process multimodal sensory stimulation as we experience the world around us.
Peter moved to Ballarat in 2016 commencing PhD studies at CeRDI in 2020. His previous interests in soils and soil moisture management and as a co-inventor/developer of the EnviroScan soil moisture monitoring systems, providing a strong background for the research work he undertook.
Peter was enrolled with Federation University with Associate Professor Peter Dahlhaus in the role of principal supervisor, and Dr Nathan Robinson and Associate Professor Peter Vamplew as associate supervisors.
Peter Weir was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Fee-Offset Scholarship through Federation University Australia and by the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils whose activities are funded by the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centre Program.
Email: p.weir@federation.edu.au
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1748-5094 
In-Paddock Variability of Plant Available Water
With the adoption of Precision Agriculture (PA) and implementation of site-specific crop management (SSCM) by farmers, there is a better understanding of both spatial and temporal variabilities in cropping fields and to a lesser extent, pastures.
- Journal papers
Weir, P., & Dahlhaus, P. (2024). Beyond soil moisture probes: improving field scale soil moisture mapping. Discover Soil, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44378-024-00025-0
Weir, P., & Dahlhaus, P. (2024). Merging weather radar and rain gauges for dryland agriculture. Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science 74, ES23023. doi.org/10.1071/ES23023
Weir, P., & Dahlhaus, P. (2023). In search of pragmatic soil moisture mapping at the field scale: A review. Smart Agricultural Technology, 6, 100330. doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2023.100330
- Conference Presentations
Weir, P. (2024). Better understanding of within-field spatial variability of soil water. Joint NZ Society of Soil Science and Soil Science Australia 2024 Conference, 2-5 December, 2024, Rotorua, NZ. www.soilscience.org.nz/_files/ugd/623971_adbb562b5278428f8884ff93d6092013.pdf
Weir, P.C. In-paddock soil moisture spatial variability for dryland cropping. Soil Science of Australia Riverina Branch – Soil Physics Workshop, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 23 – 24th June 2022.
Weir, P.C. In-paddock variability of plant available water. Federation University HDR Research Conference, 21 July 2022.
Weir, P.C. PhD presentation: Variability of soil moisture at field scale. Soil CRC Participants Conference 2022, 23 – 25 August 2022. Intercontinental Hotel, Adelaide, South Australia.