Passing of a legend in soil science
December 5, 2024
The Crawford Fund family has lost another significant member with Dr Albert Rovira AO FTSE having passed away on Saturday, 30 November. Many will know Albert as a legend in soil science, as CSIRO Chief Research Scientist in the CSIRO Division of Soils and foundation Director of the CRC for Soil and Land Management, but we were lucky to have Albert as our SA Coordinator from 2000 to 2014.
In that time, Albert was also involved in a number of significant Crawford Fund Master Classes. To celebrate 50 years of his research and leadership in the science of agriculture and Albert’s 80th birthday, we held the Rovira Rhizosphere Symposium in 2008. As part of the proceedings, we encourage you to read the paper “Albert Rovira and a half-century of rhizosphere research” from that event for a better appreciation of Albert Rovira’s significant discoveries and ideas for accomplishing the sustainable management of soil.
The symposium noted the Crawford Fund’s Master Classes on Soil Borne Pathogens (SBP) of Wheat held in Turkey in 2003, China in 2005 and Tunisia in 2008. These were so successful that they were subsequently followed by two more through to 2016.
A 2009 economic review of the 2005 Master Class in China by the Centre for International Economics noted “there is strong evidence to suggest that the MC directly lead to increased awareness of a very high prevalence and economic impact of the cereal cyst nematode (CCN) in wheat production in China….. conservative estimates indicate that controlling CCN in China will lead to significant economic benefits over time. The MC can reasonably claim a share of these benefits. Assuming that the MC has led to bringing these benefits forward by only one year yields estimates of the benefits of the MC of around $20 million.”
Current Victorian Crawford Fund Committee Member Dr Julie M Nicol reports that she had the privilege when at CIMMYT of working closely with Albert on the preparation and establishment of the first Master Class in Türkiye in 2003, with the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and a team of predominantly Australian wheat pathologists and breeders including Prof Lester Burgess – University of Sydney; Dr Hugh Wallwork – SARDI; Dr Ian Riley – University of Adelaide; Dr Grant Hollaway – formerly AgVic and Prof Stephen Neate – formerly CSIRO. Julie reports that Albert worked tirelessly to help her refine the courses and attract the co-investment of other donors. Julie recalls his knowledge and kindness along with his enthusiasm and determination to make a real difference to cereal production systems and the scientists working in these regions.
Dr Amer A Dababat, who now has the lead of the CIMMYT Soil Borne Pathogen (SBP) Program in Türkiye, organised and ran the Fifth Master Class and on hearing of Albert’s passing noted that the Master Classes produced a new generation of skilled scientists who are now in high professional positions, actively contributing to SBP research and innovation across politically and food-insecure regions and mentoring future generations to expand regional expertise in sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation.
The impact of Albert’s work has also been felt at home. Well-known SA grain grower and former plant breeder and researcher Andrew Barr, a current member of our SA Committee, noted:
The combined work of Albert, John Fisher, Alan Dube and the cereal breeders has consigned cereal cyst nematode (CCN) to history – many young farmers now would not recognise the symptoms of infection, yet in my father’s farming life, CCN was responsible for massive yield losses. Over the 5-year period where tools to manage CCN were implemented, he recorded a 25% rise in his wheat yields. This was repeated over much of SA and Victoria. I particularly admired Albert’s amazing communications skills – he was able to engage farmers and explain the science of root disease management in layman’s terms.
The following has been prepared by Dr John Radcliffe OAM, who chaired our SA Committee while Albert was the coordinator:
It is with great sadness that I have to advise that long-standing eminent CSIRO Chief Scientist, Dr Albert Rovira AO, FTSE, passed away on Saturday 30 November 2024. Albert ‘s work on soil microbiology was crucial to supporting the widespread adoption of minimum tillage in South Australia. Much of Albert’s work was based on field experiments conducted with farmers near Avon, SA. He also accompanied several of us with the then Chief Scientist, Professor Ralph Slatyer, to support a proposal to Federal Cabinet to establish a program of Cooperative Research Centres, involving collaboration with universities, state and commonwealth research agencies, including CSIRO, R&D Corporations and Industry. Albert subsequently became the Director of one of the first CRCs, the CRC for Soil and Land Management. His wisdom and experience will be sadly missed.
