Biography and expertise
Biography
I am a Plant Pathologist with over 20 years-experience working with a range of tropical and subtropical horticultural crops. I am based at NSW Department of Primary Industries at Wollongbar and I enjoy working closely with farmers, industry and my colleagues on the development of practical solutions for disease problems.
Professor is a member of SCU's Research Clusters:
- Harvest to Health
Jays's work contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals
Research
My research interest is integrated disease management using techniques such as plant breeding and plant selection for resistance, optimised plant nutrition, use of defence activators and biological control organisms, and better understanding infection processes of pathogens to better target control and reduce losses due to disease.
Community engagement
I have shared my knowledge through soil health masterclasses for sugarcane growers, participation in field days and roadshows for growers, volunteering for the Australian Volunteers Program in Lao PDR, publication of scientific papers and through teaching plant pathology and molecular diagnostics in plant protection at the University of Queensland.