Each fortnight, the WA Agricultural Scientist Spotlight showcases one of the State’s leading agricultural scientists, highlighting their career journeys, current research, and insights into the future of agriculture.
This edition, we feature Professor Wallace Cowling, a renowned plant breeder at The University of Western Australia’s (UWA) Institute of Agriculture, whose work in lupin and canola breeding, and more recently in East Africa, is leaving a global legacy.
Breeding ground for innovation
Professor Cowling’s path into agricultural science began in the most unassuming of places: a school chemistry classroom in 1970 at Ringwood High School, in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
A keen student in Year 12, he was inspired by his chemistry teacher Mr Ivan Light, who had graduated with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from The University of Melbourne (UoM).
That encouragement set Professor Cowling on a lifelong journey of research and discovery in plant breeding.
“It was the best decision I ever made,” he said.
“In those days, a Bachelor of Agricultural Science was a four-year degree at UoM and covered everything from insects and fungi to animal and plant production, economics, soils, geology, biometrics, physics, and biochemistry.”
This broad-based education soon found its focus in genetics and breeding, a passion that would shape his entire career.
Professor Cowling later undertook a PhD in plant pathology at the University of California, Davis, followed by a prestigious CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowship at Cornell University.
“I had a six-year adventure in the USA before beginning lupin breeding at the then Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA) at South Perth in 1982,” he said.
His early career was grounded in the practicalities of breeding crops for local conditions.
Under the mentorship of the legendary Dr John Gladstones, he sowed, harvested, and rated lupin breeding trials across Western Australia.
“I became a lupin breeder in 1982 at DAFWA and learned the ropes of plant breeding the hard way,” Professor Cowling said.
“Lupins were an international inspiration and took me to Greece, Syria, UK, USA, Poland, France, Portugal, Chile, and the Soviet Union just prior to its collapse.”
After Dr Gladstones’ retirement in 1991, Professor Cowling took over leadership of the lupin breeding program and soon headed the national Australian Coordinated Lupin Improvement Program funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).
His work extended beyond science, engaging directly with farmers to understand their challenges.
Professor Cowling’s career then took another major turn in 1999 when he accepted a GRDC-funded position at UWA.
There, he expanded into canola breeding and co-founded Canola Breeders Western Australia Pty Ltd, a partnership between UWA, GRDC, the Council of Grain Grower Organisations, and German canola breeding company, Norddeutsche Pflanzenzucht Hans-Georg Lembke KG (NPZ).
“At UWA, I learned how to teach plant breeding, and in the process, I discovered that I had a lot to learn about plant breeding,” Professor Cowling said.
“During four decades of plant breeding, I have worked with great teams to release more than 50 impactful lupin and canola varieties in Australia.
“This was recognised in 2018 when I was awarded a Fellowship of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.”
A life in science and teaching
Today, Professor Cowling’s role in plant breeding at UWA involves juggling multiple roles – teaching genetics and breeding, supervising postgraduate students, and serving as principal canola breeder in a UWA-NPZ partnership.
“At UWA, we breed new canola varieties and NPZ commercialises them across Australia and internationally,” Professor Cowling said.
He is also Associate Director at The UWA Institute of Agriculture, helping to coordinate research efforts across the university, while continuing to lead several externally funded research projects.
A typical week may see him moving between the classroom, research fields, committee meetings, and international Zoom calls.
But the heart of his work remains firmly rooted in breeding more productive, resilient, and nutritious crop varieties.
Over the past decade, Professor Cowling and his team have developed a novel plant breeding method known as BRIO – an approach now gaining global attention.
“We developed the breeding system in canola at UWA, and our African colleagues are integrating it into common bean breeding and agronomy in East Africa,” he said.
One of the most exciting applications of BRIO is in a project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), focused on breeding rapid-cooking common beans in East Africa.
The goal is to enhance nutritional quality and reduce cooking time of common beans in Africa, a critical challenge in communities where cooking fuel is scarce and expensive.
“In another five years, we should develop common beans which cook in half the time of current varieties,” Professor Cowling said.
“This will result in a large saving in burning fuel (mostly wood or charcoal), less deforestation, less health problems from smoke inhalation, and higher consumption of this staple protein source in East Africa.”
The success of this project has already been significant, with the demonstration of a seven per cent reduction in cooking time per year of breeding.
Lessons for the next generation
For students and early-career scientists in agricultural science, Professor Cowling has one clear message: build a strong foundation and always be ready to learn.
“Strive for a broad education at BSc and MSc level – soils, animals, plants, economics. These are the four pillars of agricultural science that are important to learn,” he said.
He also emphasised the importance of real-world experience, strong communication, and critical thinking.
“If you want to become a plant breeder, you will need to learn quantitative and molecular genetics, and develop collaborations with a wide range of specialists,” he said.
But perhaps most importantly, Professor Cowling encouraged scientists to challenge the status quo.
“Don’t accept the standard procedure as the only procedure, and find better ways to do things,” he said.
“Be ready to accept when you are wrong, and to learn alternative ways of doing things.”
With decades of achievements behind him and new research opportunities still ahead, Professor Cowling continues to shape the future of crop breeding in WA and around the world.
From pioneering methods like BRIO to his work with African breeders, his contribution is not just to agricultural science, but to the global effort for food security, sustainability, and innovation.
His enduring passion and relentless curiosity serve as an inspiration to all who work in agriculture – and to those just beginning their journey in this vital field.
Through the WA Agricultural Scientist Spotlight series, WAARC celebrates the contributions of researchers like Wallace Cowling, 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.
