Donnelly's outstanding contribution to agriculture lies in pioneering work
developing cutting-edge decision
support tools taking the guesswork out of farming decisions. The tools are used widely by leading farm consultants and have contributed to more profitable production for farmers, with lower business and environmental risks.

His leadership of a large multi-disciplinary research team is impressive, delivering practical and profitable solutions to major production and environmental issues confronting Australia's farmers.

The research has a unique focus on managing the key profit-drivers to achieve environmentally sustainable use of farm resources. The annual benefit to Australian agriculture is conservatively estimated to exceed $200M.