Meet your future agronomists: The five Horizon Scholars getting a career head start

Jack McKay
Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Charles Sturt University | Sponsored by AgriFutures Australia

“My key outcomes from placement included strengthening my knowledge and understanding of intensive pasture systems. The practical skills used in pasture assessments, rotation planning, and species selection for dairy systems were a bonus to these learnings and something that will improve my self-development as I graduate in the near future,” said Jack, who shadowed agronomists at Gambier Seeds.

He added, “I continued to gain a clearer picture of the consultant’s role in supporting farm decisions and understand the value of tailored advice in intensive operations. The experience also improved my confidence in communication with colleagues and other people in the industry […] spending one-on-one time with Rick and Sophie was so valuable and I will continue to keep in touch with them in the future.”

Grace Hoey
Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Agronomy) at Charles Sturt University | Sponsored by Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)

Reflecting on her placement in Esperance, WA, Grace’s favourite moments included “engaging with younger farmers who showed a strong interest in digital agriculture, including variable rate technology and precision farming practices,” and “talking to growers with the GRDC panel members showcased the value farmers have in improving the productivity and overcoming uncertainty within their farming system whilst simultaneously mitigating economic and environmental risk.”

“As a result, I have given thought in choosing a digital agriculture subject in my university degree to further explore emerging technologies, remote sensing software and their role in driving more efficient and sustainable farming systems,” Grace explained.

Jamie Vincent
Bachelor of Agribusiness at The University of Western Australia | Sponsored by Grains Research and Development Corporation

Jamie’s placements took him from the WA Wheatbelt to Kununurra and Toowoomba, exposing him to a wide range of agricultural systems “to learn and experience the role of an agronomist […] learn the terminology and the ‘jigsaw puzzle’ of agronomy.” A highlight included attending the NAB Cotton Conference in Kununurra: “I was the youngest person in the room for the season and economic update with all of the Ord River growers, as well as National and State branch directors.”

Jamie summed up the value of his experiences across the country: “I could decipher well managed farms from lesser managed farms and how it made a difference in crop yield potential […] This will pay dividends in the future as I will have a diverse knowledge of what is out there, but importantly, how different systems operate and thrive.”

Jasmin Hanlon
Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Crop, Pasture & Animal Science) at Murdoch University | Sponsored by Grains Research and Development Corporation 

Jasmin’s placement with Western Ag in Victoria was all about bridging the gap between theory and practice. “The focus of my placement was to shadow an agronomist at Western Ag and assist with their day-to-day tasks. Activities included giving chemical recommendations to growers, assessing crops and pastures for weeds, disease and pest prevalence, completing plant tissue testing and looking at various crop trials.”

She named key outcomes of her placement as “personal and professional development, applying learning from university units to real life scenarios, broadening my knowledge of crop and pasture varieties that are used in different parts of Australia.”

Eloise Knox
Bachelor of Rural Science at The University of New England | Sponsored by Hort Innovation

Eloise spent her placement with Nutrien Ag Solutions in Ayr, QLD. “My time with Nutrien was spent predominantly with the hort team where the mornings were spent crop checking for their clients, walking through various fields and looking for pests and disease in the plants. Different crops that I saw were melons, pumpkins, capsicums, eggplants, and chilis.”

She reflected on her learnings “about the horticultural crops that I spent my time working with, and about the pests and diseases that burden this area; but I also got to experience first-hand what daily life looks like for a horticultural agronomist working in this region, which I found really insightful […] every day I got to have conversations about their experiences working in this sector.”