Research interests

Research underpinning the development of management options for farmers to: 

• overcome identified constraints;
• improve productivity;
• increase production;
• protect the natural resource base; and 
• cope with climate change

Background

Mr Oliver’s technical expertise is in cereal science. This commenced in 1972 with the Victorian Department of Agriculture as a cereal chemist working with the then three wheat breeding programs, barley, oats and rapeseed. From 1979-1987 he worked in the private sector as Chief Chemist for N B Love Flour Mills in North Melbourne before returning to the public sector as wheat cereal chemist at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute. 

From 1996 he has held various research leadership positions with the Department’s cereal research and crop breeding programs and within many inter-organisation programs. He had program management responsibilities within the Quality Wheat CRC and its successor the Value Added Wheat CRC; was a member of the steering committees that established the National Wheat Quality Improvement Program; ACAS Quality protocols; Enterprise Grains Australia, Barley Breeding Australia and the Australian National Durum Improvement Program.

In 2009 Mr Oliver was appointed Research Leader, Farming Systems South and Centre Director, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute. The Farming Systems South Unit research portfolio covers genetics, biotechnology, crop breeding, germplasm development agronomy, cereal science and agricultural economics, and comprises 25 research officers and 49 technical support staff. 

Qualifications

• Diploma Biochemistry 
• Diploma Applied Science (Applied Chemistry) 
• Certificate of Advanced Management 
• Graduate Certificate in Management

Current projects

• Research management addressing the key issues for farming systems in southern NSW 
• Research management of NSW Agricultural Genomics Centre projects on the interaction between climate and cereal quality 
• Management of E H Graham Centre 
• Chair, Barley Breeding Australia Advisory Board
• PISC Grains RDE Strategy Committee
• Development of Cereals CRC application

Recent Publications

Comparison of small-scale and large-scale extensibility of dough produced from wheat flour (2005). Gulay Mann, Helen Allen, Matthew K. Morell, Zena Nath, Peter Martin, John Oliver, Brian Cullis and Alison Smith 56 (12): 1387-1394.

Professional associations and activities

• Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

Fields of Research

• 070107 Farming Systems Research
• 060408 Genomics
• 070300 Crop and Pasture Production

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Farming Systems
• Mixed Farming
• Cereals 
• Oilseeds
• Pulses
• Pastures
• Genomics

Contact details