The development of plant breeding and tissue culture techniques for commercial production in agriculture and horticulture and to solve environmental problems in mining and agriculture.
Leadership of a research group which, in collaboration with industry and government bodies has applied these techniques to commercial enterprises, including:-
- breeding 'Serena' cultivar of Medicago polymorpha for low rainfall pastures.
- the establishment of commercial plantations of Indian sandalwood in the Ord River Irrigation Area.
- commercial clonal plantations of Anigozanthos and Macropidium hybrids.
- selection and propagation of jarrah resistant to dieback disease for bauxite mining rehabilitation.
- development of submergence tolerant lines of rice.
- selection and propagation of salt tolerant species and breeding of eucalypt hybrids for salt tolerance and high pulp quality for commercially viable amelioration of saline land.