(B.Bus Agriculture Curtin University) Tim has developed his agronomy and agricultural production systems knowledge through working closely with farmers throughout the Great Southern, Upper Great Southern and Central Wheatbelt of Western Australia over the last 26 years. Tim believes agricultural innovation and research begins and is nurtured at farm level, and that working closely with farmers can deliver important learning and problem solving outcomes and incremental advances. Tim is focused on delivering a full service agronomy model from rotation planning, soil and plant testing and nutritional advice, to in-crop implementation of integrated and sustainable herbicide, insecticide and fungicide programs. Tim is focussed on the fundamentals of crop and pasture production to deliver profitable and sustainable cropping outcomes for his clients. Tim has a passion for soil science and soils research with particular focus on nutrition and amelioration of soil constraints.

Dr Melissa Fraser is the Director and Principal Consultant at Soil Function Consulting, with over 20 years’ experience in agricultural research and extension across South Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory. Melissa specialises in overcoming constraints on sandy soils to enhance productivity in low and medium rainfall zones. She collaborates with CSIRO and PIRSA on research trials in SA and Vic and is a leading educator in soil management. Passionate about extension, she plays a key role in supporting growers through GRDC projects and industry events across the Southern Region.

Quenten Knight is a consulting agronomist based in Esperance with his business Agronomy Focus, Quenten has broad agronomy experience with particular interest in soils, precision ag and hyper yielding crops. Quenten graduated from Muresk in 1991 with a Bachelor Business (Agriculture) and has worked in a diverse range of regions across the WA wheatbelt from Morawa, Lake Grace and now Esperance. Quenten has a long involvement with GRDC as an inaugural and long serving RCSN member for the Esperance Zone and currently a steering committee member for Soils West, he is a strong advocate for investment in good science and extension with practical profitable outcomes for growers.