Today’s guest post comes from budding young plant doctor David Brunton

“I like to think that things that start as a dream usually turns into reality, if you are willing to work hard with diligence, motivation and passion towards it. These dreams usually seem unachievable at the start however the pathway on which we choose to chase these dreams ultimately determines the outcome”.

My name is David Brunton and my story begins as a young child on the farm, getting my hands dirty, driving the machinery and ultimately paving a pathway towards my future ambitions. Not only did I grow up in the best location for a child, the wide open spaces of the country, but I also never had to put up with any siblings. We (my parents and I) farm two hours west of Melbourne, at Vite Vite North in Victoria’s western district running a mixed farming enterprise of super fine merinos, prime lambs and winter cereals.

Since a young child my passion has revolved around growing crops, regardless of type so long as I had a patch of land on which I could grow my trial plots and this passion has grown to a point where my future career will see me spending my life focusing on the welfare of crops and the soils that support them.

My years at school were rewarding and enjoyable with the occasional challenge thrown in, mainly due to the fact that I really do not like sitting inside all day. At school friends and teachers remember me as the kid who planted every square meter of land to crop trials with the contents of my pencil box not being pencils or a calculator rather seed and fertilizer, as the time went on my passion grew stronger.

Before I knew it the final year was upon me which was ultimately the make or break for getting into university. I worked hard and prestigiously topped the state in agriculture and horticultural studies which opened a floodgate of opportunities.

Initially in my final year of school I had a position guaranteed, studying rural science at the University of New England however this all changed rather swiftly once I received an offer of a four year agricultural science scholarship from the University of Tasmania. Obviously at this time I was unsure of what sounded better, but I took the risk and grabbed the scholarship whilst it lasted. Many have asked me do I regret not going to UNE and the answer simply is no.

My time at the University of Tasmania has been one of the most life changing experiences. Not only does university teach you to think more broadly it helps to shape you as the person you will ultimately become by instilling important life requirements such as patience, tolerance and understanding to name a few. Now entering my final year, the big one honours I strongly believe that this year will be not only challenging and frustrating, but also extremely rewarding, another important step to preparing me for the life on the beyond the walls of the university.

My ambition once graduating is to pursue a career in the grains industry as an advisory or consultant agronomist, specialising in broad acre cropping focused towards herbicide resistance and resistance management. Resistance within pest populations globally is following a fairly consistent pathway and this challenge has potential to significantly undermine the advances science is making for agricultural production systems and our ability to feed an ever rapidly growing global population.

Over the past 12 months I have spent time on a weekly basis working side by side with an agronomist. This has not only given me the opportunity to both put theories taught at university into practice and enabled me to interact with clients. This has enable me to have a deeper understanding of what the job actually requires and to think laterally about crop recommendations and experience the challenge that comes with being a “plant doctor”.

I have also for the last three years been providing agronomic advice within our own cropping operation and this has once again exposed me to the next challenge which is making an independent decision which untimely has consequences. The following traits are something that I stick too on a daily basis no matter what the task. These words might not mean much on a page however when put into practice are more than able to shape a pathway towards success,

• Professionalism
• Thoroughness
• Tenacity

In my quest for success my mentors have inspired me to

1. Remain positive and having the right attitude
2. Take calculated risks
3. Stick to achievable goals
4. Reward myself and those around me for a job well done

Finally I would like to thank my parents for providing me with the opportunities…to never let anything get in my way. Their support, continuous encouragement and care have allowed me to become the person I am today. I look forward to the years ahead and look forward to contributing positively to Australian and global agriculture.

Please feel free to contact me dbrunton@utas.edu.au