Jim Davidson is responsible for irrevocably changing the geography and direction of wheatgrowing in Australia. He set out to develop a new wheat industry for the extensive high-rainfall zone. which was previously a grazing zone with the highest number of primary producers and the lowest average incomes. It was also a zone of severe feed shortages for stock in winter.

He demonstrated that the zone offered the highest yield potentials in Australia and set out to provide both green feed for winter grazing plus high yields of grain following recovery from grazing. He has bred two new dual-purpose feed wheats.

Lawson and Paterson, which were the beginnings of a new industry established by the Australian Wheat Board, and now predicted by a study commissioned by the Grains Research and Development Corporation to reach 5 million tonnes valued at about $1000 million for domestic use alone by 2000. The A WB expects additional substantial demands for industrial purposes and export feed grain.

His work is the basis for a rapidly transforming agriculture. He is recognized nationally and internationally for his studies on crop physiology which have underpinned his unique contribution to Australian primary production.