Dr. James L. Davidson

Jim Davidson's official retirement date from CSIRO Plant Industry, Canberra, Australia, was 28 April, 1997. His legacy has been an irrevocable change in agriculture in the high rainfall zones of Australia.

In the early 1970s, after 15 years as a pasture agronomist, Jim Davidson decided to develop cropping opportunities for meat and wool producers in the high rainfall zone. He began this because of the extent of poverty among primary producers in these areas brought on by the crash in the price of both wool and beef in the early 70s.

Jim had the view that the development of dual-purpose winter wheats would provide green feed during periods of severe winter shortage and would then recover to provide grain as a cash crop for growers. Such wheats were not available in Australia

Jim argued that cropping was urgently required in this zone, beginning with wheat production, to diversify production, increase incomes, accelerate recovery following droughts, and reveal nutritional problems. Jim also argued that the high rainfall zone should not be restricted to grazing, and that these regions provided the most favorable conditions for high and stable crop yields in Australia.

To identify the appropriate wheat to develop, Jim first conducted a broad survey of germplasm to identify types that might be suited to both grazing and grain production. He also established important principles for the management of dual-purpose wheats and ways to capitalize on the different rates of biomass accumulation between spring and winter wheats to increase the amount of winter feed available.

Setting out to develop feed wheats, Jim began a creative breeding program using wheats from CIMMYT and the United Kingdom as parents. Winter wheats from the UK were chosen for their high yield potential and long vegetative period, whereas spring wheats from CIMMYT were chosen to reduce photoperiod sensitivity and for their broad adaptability. The first variety released from this program was Lawson in 1994; later releases with improved rust resistance were Paterson and Gordon. Varieties with resistance to barley yellow dwarf virus are expected to be released around 2001. The highest yielding commercial wheat crops reported in mainland Australia were achieved by these varieties.

Jim Davidson's first degrees were from the University of Adelaide, Australia, and his PhD was from the University of Nottingham, England. He joined CSIRO Plant Industry in 1956. Jim is recognized with distinction nationally. He was elected Federal President of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science in 1984 and a Fellow in 1988. He also has been awarded the Australian Medal of Agricultural Science, a CSIRO Medal, and the C.M. Donald Medal.

In retirement, Jim remains committed to ensuring that his wheats benefit growers in the high-rainfall zone by continuing his involvement in the CSIRO breeding program and advocating appropriate management practices for these wheats. In his spare time, he is challenged by the problems associated with raising sheep in a hungry environment and by being closest to the jack in lawn bowls. He also enjoys the writings of Australian authors, from which the names of his varieties are derived. Like many of these authors, he is also a pioneer.