Western Australia
February 24, 2009
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GRDC
Western Region 2009 Seed of Light winner, Dr Bill Bowden
(right) of DAFWA with GRDC Western Panel Chairman Neil
Young of Kojonup. |
Iconoclast, pre-eminent
agricultural scientist, helpful colleague and living treasure
are apt and diverse descriptions for 2009
Grains Research and Development
Corporation (GRDC) Western Region Seed of Light award
recipient, Dr Bill Bowden of the
Department of Agriculture
and Food WA (DAFWA).
Perth-based Dr Bowden received the award today at the
GRDC-supported 2009 WA Agribusiness Crop Updates, an annual
event organised by DAFWA for researchers and agribusiness at
Burswood.
Dr Bowden began his career as a cadet with DAFWA in 1961.
After presenting the award for excellence in communication, GRDC
Western Panel Chairman and Kojonup grower, Neil Young said Dr
Bowden had significantly contributed to the development of
agriculture, to the philosophy of agricultural science and the
professional development of three generations of agricultural
scientists.
“A measure of Bill’s reputation is that he takes a critical
approach and challenges existing dogma and simplistic solutions.
He has never accepted simple packages or slogans that ignore the
wide range of farming situations and has sought to instil the
same level of critical thinking in students and young scientists
he mentors,” Mr Young said.
“A tangible legacy of Bill’s career are the well-known modelling
tools he developed, which extended the results of his research
beyond the site, season and management practices under which
they were collected.
“Farmers, advisers, agribusiness, researchers and students have
used the tools to assist decision making and evaluate management
options,” Mr Young said.
Mr Young outlined Dr Bowden’s career which began with research
on phosphorus nutrition of crops and pastures and was extended
in his PhD by developing models for ion adsorption in crops and
pastures. Dr Bowden graduated with a PhD in soil chemistry from
the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 1973.
This research contributed to the development of ‘Decide’ – the
first fertiliser decision support system (DSS) used in
Australia, which remains the basis for recommendations for
profitable fertiliser applications to crops and pastures.
“Other DSS developed by Bill, collaboratively or individually,
include Woolmodel, NPDecide, SPLAT, the TopCrop Nitrogen
Calculator, WA Wheat and commercial fertiliser recommendation
systems.” Mr Young said.
He is a key contributor to four major inter-institutional and
national GRDC research initiatives: Subsoil Constraints,
Precision Agriculture, Nutrient Management and Soil Biology.
Dr Bowden’s work has impacted in WA, nationally and
internationally.
In 1972 he toured Argentina and the former Soviet Union to study
agrichemical services.
In 1980 he received a Reserve Bank Fellowship and worked on
fertiliser dissolution, placement and effectiveness while on
study leave at the New England University, NSW.
During the 1980s he consulted to the Department of Primary
Industry, Canberra, on soil improvement in China.
He helped establish the Cooperative Research Centre for Legumes
in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA) at UWA and was a
Sub-program leader there from 1992-1997.
In 2006, he was awarded the Donald Medal for his impact on the
science and practice of agriculture in Australia.
Dr Bowden has supervised numerous Honours and PhD students
during his long career.
Mr Young said Dr Bowden will be fondly recalled by many grain
growers as the straight talking soil commentator standing in a
soil pit wearing his trademark blue crocheted hat at grower
group field days.
Previous GRDC Western Region Seed of Light Winners were Peter
Newman (’08), Peter Mangano (’07), Bill Crabtree (’06), Cameron
Weeks (’05), Peter Nelson (’04), Ros Jettner (’03), Vanessa
Stewart (’02) and Fran Hoyle (’01).
Other news
from the
Department of Agriculture and Food WA |
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