Tasmanian soil expert Dr Doris Blaesing has been recognised for her dedication to improving Australian soil and crop health by being named 2024 Bayer Horticulture Researcher of the Year.
Doris has been studying soil health and its impacts on crops and their nutrition throughout her extensive career, empowering growers to maximise yields and combat disease from the ground up.
“I believe soils are really the essence of having a healthy environment, healthy food, and healthy people, and it's an area I find very fascinating,” Doris says.
As an associate consultant at RM Consulting Group (RMCG), Doris specialises in analysing research, giving recommendations and supporting growers to implement innovative on-farm practices.
She has a wealth of knowledge in developing concepts, multi-disciplinary project management and communication; expertise she has applied across public and private research, export, education and agribusiness.
“With RMCG I do work that uses my technical skills and analytical and strategic thinking,” Doris explains.
“I've done work, for instance, reviewing plant health research for Hort Innovation Australia and looking at what the next steps are.”
She’s also collaborated with Bayer Crop Science on trials addressing white rot in onions and contributed to southern aspects of the Soil Wealth and Integrated Crop Protection project.
“Soil Wealth and Integrated Crop Protection has been important because it was one of the first big research-to-practice extension projects that Hort Innovation supported for the vegetable industry,” she says.
“The project has a national focus for a quite diverse industry, and its strength is working with farmers, advisors and agronomists and everybody who has inputs for agriculture and engaging them in on-farm practice change to get healthier soils, healthier crops and reduce inputs.”
Doris’ passion for a humble soil sample is obvious as she describes what she looks for in a healthy, optimised paddock.
“Healthy soil has a good structure, it filters water, deals with toxins, has healthy microbiology and it feeds plants with minimum inputs. It's easy to work and it looks good,” Doris says.
Based in Tasmania and working extensively across southern states, Doris is a well-known and respected industry figure, however she laughs that it can be embarrassing when people tell her, “everybody knows Doris”.
“In agriculture I've built networks over the years with agronomists, with resellers, with agribusiness, with lots of suppliers and researchers, which helps me to bring value to farms,” she says.
“Agriculture very much relies on good relationships and understanding each other.
“We often facilitate communication between agronomists and farmers or clients and consumers, so that's a really important part and the communication of what farmers do is very important.”
Doris says she was surprised and humbled to receive the prestigious award, which was presented at the 2024 Hort Connections national conference.
She says it was also great recognition for her colleagues at RMCG and the growers, agronomists and researchers who support them.
“I really see it as an award for the team and the people and growers I've been working with,” Doris says.
“Without them and our broader networks, we couldn't do this work. So it's not me, it's everybody.”
Doris takes pride in nurturing the next generation of agricultural researchers and encourages young people to embark on careers in horticulture.
“I really hope I'm leaving a legacy of people who are mentored and developed, that do great work and will keep doing so in the agricultural industry,” Doris says.
“It's not only about being in the paddock and getting dirty, it's about technology. It's about psychology a lot and it's about great networks and working with really lovely people.”
