Cropping expert celebrates 40 years of dedicated service
Cropping expert celebrates 40 years of dedicated service
Nick Poole (Pooley), a prominent figure in the Australian grains industry, is today celebrating 40 years of dedicated service in the field. Born and raised in the UK, Nick developed a passion for agriculture at a young age and over the past four decades has contributed significantly to the growth and development of the industry.
Nick graduated with honours from Exeter University in the UK with a degree in biology, specialising in microbiology and cell biology. His 40 years of service as a research agronomist spans the UK, New Zealand and Australia.
He commenced his career at the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester working for Arable Research Centres in the UK (now known as NIAB TAG). In 2003 he became a fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society of England for his work on reducing tramline passes in UK cereal crops.
In 2003, Nick and his family emigrated to New Zealand where he took up a position with the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) NZ where he worked primarily on collaborative projects in Australia until 2012 when FAR Australia, national field applied R,D & E provider was formed. He was awarded the GRDC Seed of Light in 2005 for his work in disease management following the worst stripe rust outbreak in Australia for 20 years, and earlier this year was awarded the prestigious Harm van Rees Award for his expertise and commitment to extending best practice in canopy and fungicide management to farmers across the Wimmera and Mallee region.
Speaking about this milestone, Mr Poole said, “I feel tremendously grateful and honoured to have spent my career in agriculture. It’s a challenging but rewarding field that requires hard work and dedication. I have been fortunate to always have a great team to work alongside in delivering positive outcomes for growers internationally. I’m extremely proud of the work that my teams and I have done, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to the industry in the years to come.”
Longstanding colleague and FAR Australia senior management team member Tracey Wylie commented “Having worked alongside Nick both in New Zealand and here in Australia, his wealth of knowledge, attention to detail and ability to communicate has Nick held in high regard on both sides of the Tasman by so many in an industry to which he is so passionate.”
Throughout his career, Nick has led national research projects funded by GRDC and worked collaboratively with universities, CSIRO, state departments, farming groups and the wider supply industry. His specific interests are farming systems research, disease and canopy management, crop establishment and challenging the current boundaries of wheat productivity worldwide.
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