Australia’s leading authority on long fallow disorder in cereal cropping soils has been recognised in the Australia Day awards.

Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries principal soil microbiologist at the Leslie Research Centre in Toowoomba, John Thompson, will receive a public service medal for his significant advances in resolving constraints to crop production systems.

The research has benefited the grains industry by tens of millions of dollars.

Dr Thompson has worked at the Leslie Research Centre for 42 years, with most of his work devoted to the study of long fallow disorder, which is the failure of crops to do well despite adequate moisture

His discovery of the importance of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae (VAM) and Root Lesion Nematodes (RLN) in this disorder has resulted in extensive studies of both organisms. 

Dr Thompson’s VAM research established the need to maintain high populations of these fungi in soil to keep plants healthy. 

His studies of root lesion nematodes have led to state, interstate and international recognition of the importance of these nematodes in cereal and grain legume production.

 In 1998, annual losses due to these nematodes in bread wheat grown in the northern grains region of Australia were estimated at $36M.

Dr Thompson’s work has given growers options to reduce these losses considerably.

Wheat varieties with tolerance to these nematodes have been released in recent years and breeding continues to incorporate RLN resistance as well. 

Dr Thompson has been closely involved in these breeding programs, continually seeking to employ new technologies such as molecular biology to enhance his research.

He has also maintained an active interest in nitrogen and carbon cycling in the soil and of microbiological processes associated with these transformations. 

He conducted extensive studies of the usefulness of stubble retention and nitrogen fertiliser in a long-term experiment at Hermitage Research Station, near Warwick.

Dr Thompson has written more than 80 journal, 200 conference and numerous rural media articles, contributing greatly to knowledge on soil microbiology and its impacts on grain production. 

He has contributed significantly to subsequent generations of scientists, having supervised several Honours, Masters and PhD students throughout his career. He has also refereed numerous journal articles and theses.