Paul is a agriculture graduate of the University of Queensland, and completed his PhD in 2000, also at UQ, on assassin bugs, which are natural enemies of major cotton pests such as Helicoverpa. After a stint in Biloela, where he contributed significantly to the development of integrated pest management of cotton in central Queensland, Paul relocated to Ayr where he has been the Principal Researcher for CRC Project 1.4.30, which is entitled Is a sustainable cotton industry possible in the Burdekin?
Though Paul would quickly acknowledge the contribution of other researchers to this project, especially Steve Yeates of CSIRO, and the support he has received from the cotton industry in general, the truth is that he has been very much “our man in the Burdekin”. He has operated in often difficult environmental conditions without the infrastructure and equipment that many other researchers take for granted. He has been required to develop skills across the whole spectrum of cotton farming systems, in areas often far removed from his initial training in insect pest management. His energy, enthusiasm and ability to improvise has been the key to the success of the Burdekin project. Paul received the ACGRA Young Achiever of the Year award in 2007, but we feel things have gone so well in the Burdekin that we should again recognise his contribution.
Together with our Communications Officer, Yvette Cunningham, and Narrabri District Agronomist Tracey Farrell, I visited the Burdekin last week to participate in a field day organised by Paul. A more detailed report on this field day and on cotton in the Burdekin is included in this Cotton Chat. The enthusiasm of growers was palpable. The cotton crops varied from excellent to poor. There had been problems with a particularly long and intense wet season, and with other aspects of cotton agronomy which were unfamiliar to these new tropical producers. Nevertheless all of the new growers we spoke to, both locals and imports from established cotton areas, were more than willing to give it a go again next season. In Paul’s words, “There were problems – but none that don’t have solutions”. It is that “can do” attitude, which the CRC promotes as one of our core values, that has led to our selection of Paul as this month’s Achiever. Well done, Paul!
More on Paul's Projects
