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People

Professor Terry Rose

Director, Centre for Organics Research

t: +61 2 6620 3457
f: +61 2 6622 2080
e: terry.rose@scu.edu.au 

ORCiD

Education

BSc in Agr ( University of Sydney)
PhD in Plant Nutrition (University of Western Australia)

Research Interests

Prior to undertaking a PhD, I worked as an extension agronomist with NSW Department of Agriculture in Wagga Wagga and then the Hunter Valley, and worked for a private agronomic company in the United Kingdom. From April 2010 until August 2011, I worked in plant biosecurity for Plant Health Australia, a not-for-profit company funded by industry and government based in Canberra.

Current research areas include:

• Agronomy and nutrition of aerobic rice
• Herbicide residues in soils and implications for crop growth
• Phosphorus efficiency of crop plants, focussing on loading of phosphate into grains
• Enhanced efficiency fertilisers in the subtropics
• Cover cropping and intercropping in field crops and horticulture
• Coffee varietal performance in the Australian subtropics and the Pacific
• Organic agricultural systems (see details at Organic Research Centre website)
• Recycled organics: impacts of amendments on soils and crops
• Nitrogen efficiency in subtropical sugarcane systems
• Subtropical grazing systems
• New high value crops for coastal cropping systems in the subtropics

Recent grants, awards and publications

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Dr Ruth Huwer

Email: ruth.huwer@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Research interests: Integrated pest management, Chemical ecology, Biological control

Background: Ruth Huwer is a research entomologist at the Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute, located on the far north coast of NSW, where she is leading the Entomology team. She joined NSW Agriculture* in 2002 and has undertaken research in pest management in subtropical and tropical horticultural crops, developing more sustainable pest management strategies with the aim of reducing the use of broad-spectrum insecticides.

Her research includes advancing IPM in macadamias. Particular aspects of this research include biological control, pest–host plant interaction (specifically host preferences), semiochemicals and chemical ecology, alternative hosts, trap crops and evaluating new insecticides. Management of fruitspotting bug (Amblypelta spp.) a key pest, is driving the IPM strategy. Ruth has 20 years scientific research experience in Australia, and has published a number of scientific papers, including peer-reviewed publications.

Current projects: Ruth is currently leading the research on the development of an IPM program for the Australian Macadamia Industry. This includes monitoring strategies, cultural control, enhancing biological control and targeted IPM that is compatible with chemical control for pests in macadamias.

Recent research includes multi-disciplinary and multi-industry projects on fruitspotting bug management, including chemical control, trap crops, pheromone traps and biological control.

Ruth and her team have also been involved in investigating management options for a girdling moth in blueberries and for green stink bugs in raspberries, including the use of egg parasitoids.

In a previous study the team investigated the management of scarab beetles in blueberries. This study included pesticide trials and using different cover crops in the inter-rows.

As part of a management strategy of longicorn beetles in lychees, the optimum timing of chemical application and efficacy of different chemicals were evaluated.
(current projects source: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/ruth-huwer 21/10/2019)

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Adam Willson

MSc Candidate

Email: willson.13@student.scu.edu.au

Research Title: Effect of organic and conventional fertilisation on secondary metabolites of broccoli

Background: Meta analysis studies from Europe indicate organic vegetables contain more beneficial secondary metabolites than conventionally grown vegetable.
Currently there is no Australian research investigating the nutritional differences between organic and conventionally grown vegetables
Project focussed on glucosinolates in broccoli which has proven nutritional and health benefits
Aim is not only to investigate the differences between the fertilisers used but also to identify any other factors that lead to improving broccoli nutrition

Reference: Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses
Barański et al., 2014
DOI: doi.org/10.1017/S0007114514001366

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Staff