Dr Kenton Porker appointed research director of FAR Australia
Australian based field applied researcher, developer and extension provider announced today the appointment of Dr Kenton Porker as its new Research Director.
Confirming the appointment, Field Applied Research (FAR) Australia’s managing director Nick Poole said Dr Porker joins the organisation bringing with him a combination of skills and expertise as a science leader, field researcher and communicator.
“Dr Porker is well-respected among the Australian grains industry for his technical expertise in wheat and barley both at a regional and national level. His passion for taking science to the field has undoubtedly impacted positively on the industry with him being recipient of the GRDC southern region 2019 Emerging Leader Award and the Australian Society of Agronomy 2019 Young Agronomist Award. We are delighted to welcome Kenton to the team and look forward to working closely with him in positioning FAR Australia as a leader in the grains research and extension arena in Australia.”
Dr Porker said “FAR Australia has earned a reputation for applying science innovation to profitable outcomes in the field at the grass roots level, through excellence in applied field research and interpretation of research for use on farm. As research director, I am excited about continuing to build on this reputation and fostering strong partnerships both nationally and internationally that will benefit growers, advisors and researchers. I look forward to working with the team in the development and delivery of a long-term research strategy that will continue to add value to the Australian grains industry.”
Andrew Rice, FAR Australia’s board chairman said the appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the organisation. “Dr Porker’s passion and communication skills for increasing productivity in the grains sector will not only add significant capacity and innovation within our current research portfolio but will also assist us to achieve our strategic objectives as a science-based service provider to Australian agriculture.”
Dr Porker will commence his new appointment on 8th March 2021 and will be based at FAR Australia’s head office in Bannockburn, Victoria.
About Dr Kenton Porker
Kenton was educated at the University of Adelaide where he completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, First Class Honours in Plant Nutrition and in March 2018 completed a PhD looking at barley phenology to maximise yield potential.
Kenton is a practical and industry focused research scientist who has been based at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) leading the Waite cereal agronomy group
combining disciplines of plant physiology, genetics, breeding, and farming systems research across South Australia. He is passionate about “taking science to the field”.
He is recognised as a leading technical expert in wheat and barley agronomy both nationally and internationally and was recently awarded the GRDC Southern Region 2019 Emerging Leader Award and the Australian Society of Agronomy 2019 Young Agronomist Award.
Kenton grew up in the Mallee and started his career at SARDI in 2010 as a durum and barley agronomist before returning to the University of Adelaide to embark on a PhD with GRDC investment in 2014. Kenton returned to SARDI in 2017 to lead the Waite cereal agronomy group and now holds an affiliate lecturer position with the University of Adelaide.