NOS program personnel update
Farewell Shuangx we wish you well on your new adventures with the grain industry.
Dr. Shuangxi Zhou has recently transitioned from the NOS project to another position within DPIRD focused on grains.
We would like to express our gratitude to Shuangxi for his dedication and commitment to enhancing the industry during his time at the Manjimup Research Office. Over the course of his one-year tenure in the project, he made significant contributions by planning and implementing the orchard, including its establishment.
Shuangxi also participated in an international conference and authored several articles, both scientific and industry-focused. Shuangx also played a key role in collaborating with the Chinese company LJTech to acquire an autonomous sprayer to be used in the orchard which will benefit the whole industry
Shuangx’s debut at Nannup Fresh Fruit Orchard Nannup at the Future Orchard Walk
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Welcome to the Pome fruit industry, Asad!
To fill Shuangxi’s shoes, the Manjimup team welcomes Dr Asad Ullah to the NOS project. Asad has previously worked on avocado projects at the Manjimup Horticultural Research Station and has a strong plant physiology background. Asad pictured with Dario Stefanelli DPIRD in the orchard at MHRI Manjimup
Dr Muhammad Asad Ullah (Asad) has over 5 years R&D experience working mainly with tropical and subtropical fruit crops, plant physiology, nutrition, and postharvest quality. Asad completed his PhD at the University of Queensland in 2023, on a CRC for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) funded project, to investigate the role of preharvest factors affecting postharvest mango quality in a soil-plant-environment context.
Asad has extensive research experience with establishing field trials, monDr. Muhammad Asad Ullah (Asad) has over five years of R&D experience, primarily focusing on tropical and subtropical fruit crops, plant physiology, nutrition, and postharvest quality.
He completed his PhD at the University of Queensland in 2023 as part of a project funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA). His research investigated the preharvest factors affecting postharvest mango quality in a soil-plant-environment context.
Asad has extensive experience in establishing field trials and monitoring, characterizing, and managing trial site variability using advanced automated smart sensor technologies. This includes sap flow sensors and fruit and trunk dendrometers. He has also collaborated on the CRC Food Agility project, which aimed to improve avocado fruit quality for export markets.
His collaborations extend to recognized horticulture companies such as Costa Group (avocado category), Nature Fruit Company Australia (avocado category), and Perfection Fresh Australia (mango category). He has worked closely with research and academic institutions, including the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Horticulture and Forestry Section) and the University of Queensland (School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, Centre of Microscopy and Microanalysis, and Centre of Advanced Imaging).
Over the past year, Asad has been involved in Hort Innovation-funded projects, including 'Growing Robust Avocados' and 'Serviced Supply Chains II.' His work has predominantly centered on fertilizer field trials, canopy management, fruit growth dynamics, postharvest quality, and supply chain research, development, and education (RD&E).itoring, characterising, and managing trial site variability using automated smart sensor technologies, including e.g., sap flow sensors, fruit and trunk dendrometers. Asad has previously collaborated on CRC Food Agility project to improve avocado fruit quality for export markets. Asad has experience collaborating with recognised horticulture companies, including Costa Group (avocado category), Nature Fruit Company Australia (avocado category), and Perfection Fresh Australia (mango category), and with research and academic agencies, including the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Horticulture and Forestry Section) and the University of Queensland (School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, Centre of Microscopy and Microanalysis, and Centre of Advanced Imaging). For the past year or so, Asad has been involved in Hort. Innovation funded project (AV21005) - ‘Growing Robust Avocados’ and AM21000 Serviced Supply Chains II, mainly around fertiliser field trial, canopy management, fruit growth dynamics, postharvest quality, & supply chain RD&E.