Agricultural, Fisheries and Forestry Scientists
Advise farmers, primary industries and government on aspects of farming, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry, develop techniques for increasing productivity, and study and develop plans and policies for the management of land, fisheries and forest areas.
A farm visit in a dry spring
You are an agronomist visiting a cropping farm in a dry spring, where the wheat is struggling and the farmer is under pressure. It is 10am and the paddocks look patchy. The farmer, his daughter and a neighbour are all waiting at the gate. The lab results on your samples are not due until tomorrow.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
That patch is dying and I think it is a disease. I've already got a product in the shed. Just tell me I'm right and I will spray this afternoon, before the weather turns. I have not got time to wait on lab results.
Tell Col he is right, so he can act before the weather turns
He sprays, spending money, and the patch keeps dying. The lab later finds the cause is a lack of moisture in that part of the paddock. A confident answer was not the same as a correct one.
Walk the patch with Col, dig a few plants and look at roots and soil, and explain what you can and can't tell without the lab
The roots and soil tell a story the leaves did not. Col decides to wait one day for the results, and avoids spending money on the wrong thing.
Tell Col you cannot advise until the lab results come in
You are being careful, but Col feels left alone with a problem. You could have shared what you saw and what it suggested, while being honest about what you didn't yet know.
Dad listens to you more than he listens to me, but I have been looking at moisture readings from the sensors we put in. The deeper layer is much drier than the top one. Does that mean anything to you?
Look at her readings carefully and ask her to show you the pattern across the paddock
The pattern matches the patchy areas exactly. Maddie's data becomes the most useful evidence of the day, and Col starts to take her seriously.
Thank her, but tell her the sensor readings are not as reliable as your own samples
She nods, a little deflated. Your own samples are valuable, but her data was a second source you could have used.
Tell her it is good that she is interested, and that it's best to leave the advice to you
Maddie stops offering information. You miss the best data on the farm and a young person who might have been a good ally.
If Col is spraying, I want to know. My bees are on the fence line, and I have had trouble before. Can you tell me what he is using, and when? You are the one who knows.
Tell Graham exactly what Col plans to use and when, since the bees could be in real danger this week
Graham is relieved, but Col feels you shared his business without asking. Your concern for the bees was right, but the way you handled it cost trust.
Say you'll pass his concern on and encourage the two of them to speak before any spraying
Col and Graham talk over the fence that evening and agree a time. You protected both the bees and Col's trust.
Tell Graham that what Col does on his own farm is his own business and not yours
Graham leaves angry. A neighbour who feels ignored becomes a complaint, and avoiding the conversation could have harmed his bees.
How it went
You leave Col with a clear plan for tomorrow, Maddie's sensors on the map and a conversation between neighbours. Agronomists advise people who must decide fast with high stakes, and the job is to give honest, useful advice. Do you enjoy working out what a crop is trying to tell you?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The oyster lease that stopped growing
A fictional case set in farms across a farming district, an agronomy practice and the shed of an oyster grower.
The situation
Ravi was an aquaculture scientist working with the Ferris family, who grew oysters in a coastal lake near Merimbula Point. Their oysters had slowed down badly over the summer, and some were dying. Mr Ferris was sure it was a bad batch of baby oysters from the hatchery, and was ready to demand a refund. The hatchery owner, who had known the family for years, insisted that the batch had been fine when it left.
What they did
Ravi did not take either side. He tested the water in the lake at different places and times, and checked the oysters for signs of stress and disease. He found that after a hot spell and heavy rain the water had become less salty and low in oxygen near the bottom, where the oysters were racked. Together with the Ferris family he raised the racks and moved some to a different part of the lake. He also shared the water results with the hatchery, so the two sides were talking about the same facts.
How it turned out
The surviving oysters recovered and the next batch grew better. Mr Ferris did not get the refund, and he was upset at first. He later said that checking the lake before blaming anyone saved him a fight and probably a season.
What would you do?
- How would you handle two people who are each sure the other is at fault?
- What would you want to measure before deciding what went wrong?
- Why is it useful for a scientist to share results with everyone involved?