THREE new staff appointments will help the Trangie Agricultural Research Centre strive towards 100 years of service to the community in 2014.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Department of Primary Industries (DPI) director plant systems Dr Alison Bowman and Barwon MP Kevin Humphries have welcomed Trudie Atkinson, Greg Brooke and Leigh Jenkins to the fold.
Ms Atkinson is the development officer for pastures, slopes and rangelands, while her colleagues act in the same capacity for northern dryland cropping systems.
Dr Bowman said the appointments would strengthen Trangie's contribution to the region and the state's farming sector.
"These appointments of three highly experienced and capable staff at Trangie will ensure DPI can continue to deliver world class research and development to benefit farmers in the region and across the state," she said.
"Our staff are all highly respected in their fields, they have a wealth of practical experience and they are eager to work with the regional farming community."
Mr Humphries said his electorate was home to some of the most skilled agricultural specialists.
"It's exciting to know that our little part of the world is making a huge contribution, not only to the local industry, but the whole state," he said.
Ms Atkinson has 14 years' experience working in livestock production and rangeland management roles.
"I'm really looking forward to working with producers, researchers and industry networks to deliver projects that improve pasture, grazing, and natural resource management in a production systems context," she said.
"I have worked in Western NSW for the past 11 years and enjoyed working with the farming community in my previous role as livestock officer, sheep and wool, and I will continue to work with industry to improve on-farm productivity and sustainability."
Mr Brooke has taken up his new role at Trangie after previously being based in Wellington and Nyngan.
"I enjoy working with cropping producers to help them increase their productivity and get the most out of their farms and I look forward to delivering important services which are relevant to them," he said. "I have worked with the department for almost 20 years and as part of this role I will be concentrating on agronomy packages for new crop varieties in the central west region, as well as new herbicide and conservation farming management strategies.
"I'm looking forward to the opportunity of working with the farming community based out of Trangie."
Ms Jenkins is reported to have acquired a wealth of experience, including 28 years with the department based at Trangie and Warren and previously in southern NSW.
"I will be focused on where broadleaf rotation crops fit in to the overall farming system and looking at varieties, time of sowing, nutrition and disease interactions for pulse and canola crops, in rotation with winter cereal crops," she said.
"I have many years of experience working with both oilseed and pulse rotation crops, including canola, chickpea, field pea, faba bean and lupin.
"I'm looking forward to continuing the research I have been involved with at Trangie over the last five years, and ensuring that these trials remain relevant for growers in the western plains region of NSW."