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 | Biography |  |
In addition to my primary area of post-harvest horticulture, I am also interested in environmental systems (e.g. EMS) and new exotic crops (e.g. red bay berry). What I do: I am a horticulturist with 20 years of applied research experience with ornamental, fruit and vegetable industries in several states of Australia (W.A., Qld., Vic.), and also overseas (Calif., U.K.). I was recently appointed as the Director of The Centre for Native Floriculture. In addition to my primary area of post-harvest horticulture, I am also interested in environmental systems (e.g. EMS) and new exotic crops (e.g. red bay berry). I am an Associate Editor of the Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology.
Background: Since submitting my PhD in 1984, I have worked in research, teaching and technology transfer primarily in the area of post-harvest biology and technology. Work on Australian native species used in the cut-flower trade has been a consistent thread through, and generally a primary focus of, my post-harvest work. I have also worked on traditional species, including rose.
Topics of particular interest to me in the post-harvest biology area include: pre-harvest effects on post-harvest quality (including plant nutrition; e.g. calcium), senescence physiology (including respiration and ethylene physiology), and, host-pathogen biology (including botrytis and natural defense compounds). Allied interests in the post-harvest technology area include: post-harvest handling systems (e.g. quality assurance, packaging), anti-ethylene treatments (e.g. silver thiosulphate, 1-methylcyclopropene), and, disease management (viz. chemical, physical and biological controls in an integrated disease management [IDM] context). Most of my work on native Australian flowers has been with Geraldton waxflower. However, I have also worked on eucalypt, grevillea, kangaroo paw and verticordia. Among fruits, I have worked mostly on sub-tropical species, including bananas and mangoes.
I have authored or co-authored approximately 100 peer-reviewed or edited scientific papers, plus a significantly larger number of conference contributions, popular publications, reports, etc., and also a post-harvest text book (Wills, R., McGlasson, B., Graham, D., and Joyce, D. (1998) Postharvest - An Introduction to the Physiology & Handling of Fruit, Vegetables & Ornamentals. 4th edition. UNSW Press, Sydney. 262 pp.).
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