Department of Agriculture and Food virologist Brenda Coutts has been named the national vegetable industry’s researcher of the year for her recent work on Australia’s favourite vegetable, the potato.
Department Director General Rob Delane welcomed the announcement recently made at the AUSVEG National Awards for Excellence in Cairns.
“Ms Coutts’s work over the last few years, notably on potato virus Y, has been of great value to the industry nationally,” Mr Delane said.
“Viruses can reduce vegetable crop yields by half and reduce quality and marketing opportunities. Better understanding of their control and spread is vital.
“In addition to Brenda’s talent for high-calibre research, I am also impressed with her ability to share research findings with industry in ways they can understand and act on.”
Ms Coutts’s work on potato virus Y was initially funded in 2012 by Western Australian growers through the Agricultural Produce Commission’s fee for service.
Since then she has been invited to both Victoria and South Australia to address industry workshops and she is now involved in a scoping study to assess future national research directions for Horticulture Australia Limited.
The Researcher of the Year award is sponsored by Bayer CropScience and recognises research or extension work that has advanced industry and offered long-term benefits.
Ms Coutts’ research on potato virus Y forms part of a PhD research program being undertaken in conjunction with the University of WA’s School of Plant Biology and Institute of Agriculture.
She shared the award with New South Wales-based Professor Salah Sukkarieh who developed a farm robot.
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