26-03-2003

Pioneering work on rehabilitation of ravaged land has featured strongly in the nation's top dryland salinity scientific award.

Dr Ed Barrett-Lennard has been awarded Australia's most prestigious accolade for innovation in salinity research and development - the National Dryland Salinity Program's 2002 W.E. Wood Award.

Western Australian-based Dr Barrett-Lennard, who is currently a principal research officer with the WA Department of Agriculture, was presented with the award by ABC Science broadcaster Robyn Williams at a special ceremony at the Adelaide Town Hall.

Dr Barrett-Lennard is internationally and nationally acknowledged as a leading researcher in the field of saltland revegetation and productive use and rehabilitation of saline land. At a time when research on salt-affected land was not in favour, he showed great innovation and leadership to ensure the issue stayed on the agenda through his unfailing advocacy for research investment and activity in this area.

Australia's National Dryland Salinity Program (NDSP) sponsors this important award for outstanding scientific or technical excellence, which recognises a unique contribution to managing salinity by an individual over a sustained period of many years.

The award recalls Walter Ernest Wood, a railway engineer who observed the link between land clearing and the development of salinity in railway dams in Western Australia. His distinguished and far-sighted observations regarding this relationship were first published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia in March 1924.

Previous recipients of the award include inaugural winner, Dr Tom Hatton, CSIRO, in 1999, Dr Richard George, salinity manager with the WA Department of Agriculture, in 2000 and South Australian Dr Glen Walker, CSIRO, in 2001.

NDSP Management Board Chair, Kevin Goss, congratulated Dr Barrett-Lennard on his achievement and cited his work as a major contribution to improving international understanding that land affected by dryland salinity could often be rehabilitated and used in a productive and profitable manner.

The NDSP's W.E. Wood Award is synonomous with innovation and persistence,"said Mr Goss. "The judging panel was unanimous in its opinion that this year's award winner symbolises these two qualities.

"Dr Barrett-Lennard has met several challenges in his career as a research scientist, including overcoming conflicting data on the productivity of saline land. He pioneered variations in agricultural systems to overcome this and has been a passionate communicator of those outcomes."

Dr Barrett-Lennard's early research influenced the management of dryland salinity through his significant leadership role in the development of saltland pastures and associated management systems for agricultural land affected by dryland salinity.

Key aspects of Dr Barrett-LennardÕs work leading to his selection as winner of the 2002 WE Wood Award include:

• Studies of waterlogging/saltland interaction - Dr Barrett-Lennard's early studies were instrumental in identifying control of waterlogging as an important component of managing saline lands.
• Saltbush studies - Dr Barrett-Lennard determined more reliable processes for establishing pastures than direct seeding, including demonstrating new methods for establishing saltbush.
• 'Reinventing' saltland pastures - In collaboration with other researchers, Dr Barrett-Lennard radically redesigned the saltland pasture model based on combinations of annual and perennial species to improve ground water utilisation and nutritional value to livestock.
• PUR$L advocacy - Dr Barrett-Lennard has been a member and long-term advocate of the national committed of the Productive Uses and Rehabilitation of Saline Lands (PUR$L) group since 1991. His consistent messages have included: (a) areas of saltland will increase in Australia affecting valley floors most seriously; (b) a range of industries have potential for saline land; and (c) Australia urgently needs a reformed policy environment and an increased research focus to develop these solutions. Dr Barrett-Lennard is currently assisting with research program development for the recently launched $4 million Sustainable Grazing on Saline Lands initiative.
  
  

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Please contact Land & Water Australia
Email: land&wateraustralia@lwa.gov.au
Phone: 02 6263 6000