Over more than 40 years, David held diverse roles at NSW DPI/Bayer (Australian Cotton Research Institute). Throughout his tenure, he was engaged in tasks such as creating SoilPAK, distributing extension resources to the cotton sector, serving as a Quality Assurance Officer, and fulfilling the position of ACRI Site Manager. He was a member of the core team that delivered SIRATAC to the cotton industry, and was influential in raising the industry’s awareness of IPM and IPM approaches.
David also worked for many years supporting efforts to improve soil management, especially issues such as compaction. Together with Ian Daniels, he was instrumental in influencing growers and consultants to use soil pits to help diagnose soil structural issues as a basis for developing improved management.
David has been a pioneer in developing approaches to convey information to industry. He has been an early adopter of any new technologies that he saw value in. He was also instrumental in developing and populating the CRCs and ultimately the industry’s websites, and also developed key content.
Awarded the AACS Service to Cotton Science award in 2015 to recognize his outstanding contribution towards innovation, collaboration, and impact on cotton science, David’s contribution to delivering Australian Cotton Science to the industry has been of immense value to the industry, to researchers, and the broader extension effort.