Background

Ron Hutton was appointed to NSW Agriculture in 1970 as a Public Service Trainee. He has over 33 years research experience in perennial horticulture cropping systems and irrigation management. He currently has the combined roles of Deputy Director of the National Wine & Grape Industry Centre (a collaborative venture with Charles Sturt University at Wagga Wagga) and Research Leader (Viticulture), NSW Department of Primary Industries. His current positions reflect his national and international reputation in viticultural research and research management in irrigated viticultural cropping systems and environmental physiology.

Qualifications

• BScAgr University of Sydney – February 1973
• MScAgr University of Sydney -  March 1986
• PhD  University of Sydney – October 2005

Key research

• Tree establishment and training guidelines in high density plantings
• Development of mechanised production and harvesting systems
• Demonstrated yield benefits in intensive tree cropping systems
• Modelled Optimal yield potential of quality fruit in tree crops
• Irrigation & cultural management of high density citrus 
• Citrus water relations investigations to increase WUE
• Evaluation of Near Infrared Reflectance (NIR) to determine foliar elemental status
• Heat Unit Mapping as an aid to selection and evaluation of Citrus Cultivars 
• Improving the Water Use Efficiency of Horticultural Crops.
• Sustainable low input viticultural management systems
• Irrigation and nutrient strategies to minimise deep drainage in wine grape production
• Vine response to atmospheric demand and regulation of plant water use
• Semillon water relations and response to heat stress

Current projects

Ron is the supervisor and manager of viticultural research conducted by DPI research and CSU academic staff of the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) at Wagga Wagga. The NWGIC currently has a staff establishment of 40 and its annual budget of $6.4 M includes more than $3.5 M from competitive external industry levy fund support. His responsibilities include:

• Directing and lead DPI’s research and development in viticultural research, including policy setting, strategic planning, research direction and priority setting, resource and financial management
• Initiating and coordinate the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre’s collaborative R&D and industry alliances
• Coordinating R&D submissions and manage the operation of R&D projects
• Identifying strategic research directions and delivery of application-ready project outcomes for industry
• Representing NSW DPI on state and national industry R&D committees

Selected publications

Tesic, D., Keller, M and Hutton, R. 2006. Vineyard floor management practices affect grapevine vegetative growth, yield and fruit composition. Accepted, AJEV (December, 2006). Published: Am. J. Enol. 58:1 (2007).

Hutton, R.J., Landsberg, J.J and Sutton, B.G. (2007). Timing irrigation to suit citrus phenology: A means to reduce water use without compromising fruit yield and quality? Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 2007, 47, 71-80.

Hutton. R.J. and Landsberg, J.J. (2000). Temperature sums experienced before harvest partially determine the post maturation juicing quality of oranges grown in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas (MIA) of New South Wales. J.Sc.Food.Agric. 80: 275-283.

Hutton, R.J., Broadbent, P. and Bevington, K.B. (2000). Viroid Dwarfing For High Density Citrus Plantings. In: Horticultural Reviews 24: 6 (277-317).

Coops, N., Loughhead, A., Ryan, P. and Hutton, R.J. (2000). Development of Daily Spatial Heat Unit Mapping from Monthly Climatic Surfaces for the Australian Continent. IJGIS. 15(4): 345-361.

Hutton, R.J. (1992). Improving fruit size and packout of Late Valencia oranges with ethephon
 fruit-thinning sprays. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 32, (6) 753-758.

Hutton, R.J. and McFadyen, L.M. (1989). Yield Response of Canning Peach Trees Grown in
Three Different Orchard Systems Under a Common Soil and Water Management Regime. Acta Horticulturae. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. Feb 1989. (240) p. 95-99.

Hutton, R.J. (1988). Relative Productivity and Yield Efficiency of Canning Peach Trees in Three Orchard Systems. The Peach Training Systems, Chapter VIII:466 490. Ed. Norman F. Childers and Wayne B. Sherman. Somerset Press, P.O. Box 699, Somerville. N.J. 08876 for Horticultural Publications 3906 NW31 PL, GAINESVILLE, FL. 32606.  U.S.A.

Hutton, R.J., McFadyen, L.M. and Lill, W.J. (1987) Relative Productivity and Yield Efficiency of Canning Peach Trees in Three Intensive Growing Systems. (In "Orchard Systems Research with Deciduous Trees). HortScience 22(4):552 560.

Hutton, R.J. (1986). The influence of tree size control and plant density on citrus productivity. (In "Physiology of Tree Fruits"). Acta. Hortic. 175 : 249-254.

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