A ‘new look’ BCG research committee met for their first time on 20 June to discuss ‘Blue Sky’ research opportunities for BCG.
The committee boasts 11 members who possess a broad range off skills and have local, national and international experience.
The role of the committee is to review BCG’s research program and to discuss the organisation’s future research direction.
At last month’s meeting, BCG research manager Claire Browne updated the committee on BCG’s current research. She said their feedback was gratefully received.
“The committee has a breadth of experience in the delivery of high-end science and can direct us towards potential projects we should be applying for,” she said.
“I was really excited after the meeting. It gave me a renewed sense of enthusiasm for the work we do.”
The BCG research committee comprises both farmers and researchers, but all members have a research background.
Members include: Julia Haeusler (farmer and GrainGrowers Ltd. Policy group), Dr Cherie Reilly (farmer), Dr Sally Norton (DEDJTR), Dr Geoff Hunt (farmer), Dr James Hunt (LaTrobe University), Ian McClelland (farmer and BCG Board), Dr Zvi Hochman (CSIRO and BCG Board), Dr Tony Gregson (farmer), Chris Sounness (BCG CEO), Claire Browne (BCG research manager) and Caroline Welsh (Research Committee Chair and BCG Board Chair).
Chairperson Caroline Welsh said the committee members had expertise in a broad range of areas including, grain marketing, field and laboratory research, private and public sectors and farming.
“I’m confident that this mix of people will work well together to create a melting pot of ideas,” she said.
Last month’s discussion ranged from very specific research concepts to broader industry issues around the increasing need for provenance and biosecurity.
Ms Welsh said the ‘top five ideas’, as presented by Dr Gregson, reflected the breadth of topics discussed.
These included big data, provenance, resilient farms, the yield gap and young farmer business skills.
The committee also discussed the constitutional and statutory roles of committee and reviewed current BCG research projects including the Stubble Initiative, More Profit from Crop Nutrition, the National Paddock Survey and the National Frost Initiative, as well as the 2016 member-funded trials, a precision agriculture initiative and the ‘Blue Sky’ ideas for potential future research.
BCG is a nationally recognised research provider for Australian agriculture and the Research Committee has an important role to play in ensuring BCG continues to add research value to its members in the long term.
Dr James Hunt said he was hoping the legacy of the committee would be a more strategic approach to research by BCG, particularly member-funded work.
“Hopefully some novel research ideas can also get developed into projects that attract external funding and bring real benefits to farmers in the BCG region,” he said.
“It is a long term process though and will take more than one meeting to achieve that.”
