Professor Wayne Meyer

Biography/ Background

Wayne is an Irrigation, Crop and Resource Management Scientist with extensive experience in irrigated crop water use, evapotranspiration, soil water balance measurement, crop system modelling and regional natural resource management. He has lead research in irrigation scheduling systems and developed a range of experimental facilities for studying crop response at both the 'wet' and 'dry' end of the irrigation cycle. In recent times he has worked with researchers from a range of organisations on sustainable farming systems, the application of precision agriculture techniques and modelling natural resource management systems.

Wayne has an Agricultural Science degree from the University of Adelaide (1973). He completed a PhD in Agronomy in 1977 at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute on water uptake of wheat root systems. During 1976 and 1977 he was Assistant Professor at Texas A and M University where he worked with Dr Joe Ritchie on water flow in sorghum and cotton root systems. From 1977 to 1980, Wayne was employed by the Water Research Commission of South Africa studying water use and irrigation scheduling of wheat, soybean and citrus.

In late 1980, Wayne joined CSIRO, Division of Irrigation Research in Griffith, New South Wales. His research stimulated national and international interest in lysimetry, plant root systems in slowly draining clay soils and adaptation of crop growth, water use and yield models. In 1994 he was appointed to the Foundation Chair in Irrigation at Charles Sturt University a position he held for 4 years.

In 1998, Prof Meyer was appointed as the Leader of the Sustainable Agriculture program in CSIRO Land and Water in Adelaide. From July 2002 until June 2004, Prof Meyer was Deputy Chief and Business Director for CSIRO Land and Water. In this role, and as Interim CEO, he lead the successful bid for the CRC for Irrigation Futures. From 2003 until 2006 he was Chief Scientist and for a period Interim CEO of the CRC. In this role he provided a research facilitating and advisor role to the Board and senior management. Professor Meyer was appointed to the inaugural Chair of Natural Resource Science within the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences in March 2007.

Prof Meyer has developed systems wide research programs that explore the management options for improving agricultural productivity while conserving and restoring natural ecosystems. Prof Meyer instigated and guided the Lower Murray Landscape Futures (LMLF) project.  This was an ambitious collaborative and multi-regional project with agencies and stakeholders from SA, Vic. and NSW.  The aims were to analyse the effectiveness of existing regional NRM plans and to identify options for improved agricultural and conservation systems that consider the possible effects of climate change. This collaborative development of land use options to achieve renewable production and resource conservation is the ongoing focus of Prof Meyer's research.

Areas of Research

• Modelling systems for natural resource management
• Irrigated crop water use
• Evapotranspiration estimation
  
• Soil water, groundwater and salinity modelling

Academic Record

• BAgSc, University of Adelaide (1973)
• PhD (Agronomy), University of Adelaide (1977)

Awards and Professional recognition

• Graduate Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors
• Fellow, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology
• CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement
• Urrbrae Medal for Research Leadership

Recent consulting experience

• Reviews of water management projects in regional South Australia, irrigation research projects and irrigation best management plans (2009)
  
• Expert witness for Environmental Defender's Office (NSW) Ltd in Wilson v Bourke Shire case concerning licensing requirements for cotton irrigation (Aug 2000)
• Soil Scoping Study to identify key areas where strategic investigation, research or education is required to retain or improve soil productivity in irrigation areas. Report for Murray Darling Basin Commission (Sept 2001)
• Member, external review panel, International Water Management Institute (IWMI) commissioned by CGIAR (Feb 2000).
• Technical panel member IAEA - Use of isotope techniques for evaluating the impacts of irrigation practice on groundwater quality and quantity (Nov 2003).
• Reviewer, Land system modelling developments, Victorian DPI (Jan 2005).

Professional affiliations

• Advisory Editor for Irrigation Science (international journal published by Springer)
• Australian Soil Science Society Inc.
• American Society Agronomy
• Australian Institute Agricultural Science and Technology
• Board Member, International Consortium for Agricultural Systems Applications
  

Files

• Prof wayne Meyer Publication List to 2006 - Prof_Wayne_Meyer_Publication_list.doc [104.5K] (application/msword)
• Prof Wayne Meyer key publications - Prof_Wayne_Meyer_Publ_Overview.doc [34.5K] (application/msword)

Expertise for Media Contact

Categories	Environment, Sustainability
Expertise	water;salinity;salt;irrigation;crop water use;groundwater;evaporation;plant water use;evapo-transpiration;water loss;precision agriculture;soil water;roots;sustainability;natural resources;climate change;water for food;virtual water;
Notes	Fellow, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (FAIAST), August 2002. Graduate Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Mobile	0407 953 544

Entry last updated: Wednesday, 12 Sep 2012