Each fortnight, the WA Agricultural Scientist Spotlight showcases one of the State’s leading minds in agricultural research.
In this edition, we speak to Associate Professor Lars Kamphuis, Theme Leader at Curtin University’s Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM), whose research is helping make pulse and oilseed crops more resilient to disease, both locally and around the world.
From scalpel to science
A/Prof Lars Kamphuis didn’t always envision a future in agricultural science.
Growing up in the Netherlands, his early ambition was to become a veterinarian, however he soon discovered that surgery and seeing organs and blood wasn’t for him.
Instead, his passion grew from a more grounded place – his backyard.
“I always liked growing my own fruit and veggies and am a keen gardener, but sometimes my plants would get diseased,” A/Prof Kamphuis said.
“I always wondered, ‘what if we could make them more resilient to pests and diseases?’”
That curiosity led him to pursue a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Plant Breeding and Crop Protection at Wageningen University.
It was during these studies that A/Prof Kamphuis first crossed paths with Australian science.
In 2002, as part of his Master’s program, he undertook work experience with Professor Richard Oliver at the Australian Centre for Necrotrophic Fungal Pathogens at Murdoch University.
It was Professor Oliver who provided A/Prof Kamphuis with the opportunity to return to Australia and start his PhD.
His PhD focused on foliar diseases of legumes and used the model legume Medicago truncatula, commonly known as barrel medic, to get insights into the genetic control of disease resistance to foliar legume diseases.
“This was really the start of my research interest in legumes, where I learned the important role they play in Australian agricultural rotations,” A/Prof Kamphuis said.
A career grounded in legume science
After completing his PhD, A/Prof Kamphuis secured a prestigious Post-doctoral Fellowship at CSIRO Plant Industry’s Office of the Chief Scientist, working under Professor Karam Singh.
Over the next 15 years, he deepened his expertise in legume pests and diseases, developing genomic resources for narrow-leafed lupin – the dominant pulse crop in Western Australia.
During this period, he also held a joint role with The UWA Institute of Agriculture and co-supervised students with Professor Kadambot Siddique on a range of legume projects.
In 2016, he joined Curtin University part-time, leading a project on sclerotinia stem rot in canola.
By 2021, he had transitioned to a full-time leadership role at CCDM, heading the Oilseed and Pulse Diseases theme.
This comprises research projects with co-investment from Australia Research Council (ARC), BioPlatforms, Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), and WA Agricultural Research Collaboration (WAARC).
Building better crops through science
At the heart of A/Prof Kamphuis’ work is a goal to make crops more resilient to the pests and diseases that threaten their productivity.
His team focuses on diseases such as ascochyta blight and botrytis grey mould in chickpeas and lentils, and sclerotinia in canola and lupins.
“We develop robust phenotyping approaches and identify sources of resistance,” A/Prof Kamphuis said.
“Once we identify these resistance sources, we want to understand the genetic control so we can provide breeders with solutions to improve their varieties.”
On the other side of the equation, the team is also studying the pathogens themselves.
“We are building knowledge about the pathogens to understand which genes, proteins or metabolites are important to cause disease, and we call these effectors,” A/Prof Kamphuis said.
“Effectors often interact with receptors in the host plant that will either result in triggering their immune system or evading them.”
These insights are invaluable for plant breeders, as these effectors can be used to help identify beneficial and detrimental receptors in their crops.
While his early career was spent in greenhouses, labs and paddocks, A/Prof Kamphuis now spends most of his time in the office, overseeing project development, mentoring, and managing partnerships.
Much of A/Prof Kamphuis’ current work is supported through a GRDC and WAARC co-investment, focused on sclerotinia in lupins.
With increased canola production and crop rotations involving cereals and lupins, there has been a growing incidence of sclerotinia disease, not just in canola but also in lupins.
“There are currently no resistant varieties to sclerotinia,” A/Prof Kamphuis said.
“In this investment, we aim to identify sources of partial resistance.”
In 2023 and 2024, the team established phenotyping methods and will soon begin screening a panel of about 500 lupin lines.
The implications of this research extend far beyond our state borders.
“Western Australia produces about 85 per cent of the world’s lupin grain,” A/Prof Kamphuis said.
“As lupins get more recognition overseas, with interest in North America to develop varieties adapted to their growing conditions, our research will also have an impact globally.”
Celebrating research breakthroughs
Among many career achievements, A/Prof Kamphuis singles out a major discovery in lentil disease resistance.
“Our work on ascochyta blight in lentils discovered the first major effector for this pathogen that interacts with a key resistance gene in certain lentil varieties,” he said.
This research also led to a reclassification of the pathogen from necrotrophic to hemi-biotrophic, changing the scientific understanding of how the disease operates.
Follow-up work resulted in a high-throughput laboratory test that differentiates between the two pathotypes present in Australia, providing a valuable tool for breeders and researchers.
But scientific breakthroughs aren’t the only milestones he’s proud of.
“Whilst I love my role as an agricultural scientist, I am also a proud father of three kids,” A/Prof Kamphuis said.
“Seeing them grow up and develop into young adults is something I am very proud of,” he said.
And in 2025, A/Prof Kamphuis will achieve another personal highlight – bringing the world of legume science to Perth.
From September 15 to 19, the State will play host to the eighth International Food Legume Research Conference and fifth Australian Pulse Conference at the Pan Pacific in Perth.
This conference will bring world-leading legume researchers together and will cover topics from pulses in the paddock to the plate,” A/Prof Kamphuis said.
“So for those students and early-career scientists interested in legumes, this is a great opportunity.”
A/Prof Kamphuis is deeply committed to mentoring young scientists.
He is passionate about training the next generation of agricultural scientists, and believes it is never too late to change and pursue a career in agriculture.
He encourages university students and early-career researchers to take advantage of the many opportunities available.
“The scientific field is moving fast and learning and adopting the latest technologies is something we embrace in CCDM, and our students often explore these as part of their projects,” A/Prof Kamphuis said.
“There are some fantastic undergraduate degrees at the WA universities and both GRDC and WAARC have amazing PhD scholarship opportunities.”
Feeding the future
For A/Prof Kamphuis, the reward of agricultural science lies in its global impact.
With a growing world population and shrinking availability of arable land, he sees crop resilience as central to meeting future food needs.
“The most rewarding part of our jobs is knowing that it contributes to improving varieties our farmers grow, and globally leads to improved food production and food security,” he said.
“Making our crops more resilient to the pests and diseases they face is really important.”
Through his work at CCDM, his leadership in national and international collaborations, and his commitment to mentoring young researchers, A/Prof Lars Kamphuis is helping ensure that pulse and oilseed crops continue to play a vital role in Australia’s agricultural future.
Through the WA Agricultural Scientist Spotlight series, WAARC celebrates the contributions of researchers like Lars Kamphuis, whose work exemplifies the dedication and innovation needed to advance agricultural science in Western Australia.
By sharing their stories, the series aims to inspire a new generation to pursue careers in this vital field, ensuring the State remains at the forefront of agricultural research and sustainability.