Christiaan Valentine
Research Scientist
My role in the department
Christaan is working to develop new and novel insect and disease traps. Smart traps are being erected in the grainbelt as part of a research project on the development of remote surveillance technology to improve crop pest and disease management over increasingly vast farming properties. These traps use sensors and cameras to remotely send information back to a server or website so data can be accessed live for pest populations in the Wheatbelt.
My background
Christaan has been working for the department for 19 years in both a technical and research capacity. He has researched the impact of aphids and Diamondback moth on crops and the development of new and established annual pasture legumes including establishing herbicide guidelines. He has also worked on projects investigating the impact of perennial pastures in the South West and North West of the Wheatbelt. Here, Christaan developed the successful establishment of perennial pastures and evaluated their suitability for these locations.
Projects
- Crop Protection Systems; Rapid pest and disease surveillance and monitoring
Key Expertise
Herbicide tolerance, perennial pastures, subtropical grasses, pasture, pasture legumes, clover, serradella, Panic, Kikuyu, Rhodes, establishing subtropical grasses, Smart Traps, Insect traps
Qualifications
- BA in Business (Agriculture), Muresk Institute of Agriculture
My articles
Harvesting MIG.JPG
The Geraldton Research Facility harvesting wheat plots at the Mingenew Irwin Group pasture cropping trial site.The summer active perennial grass can be seen under the wheat as it begins to grow though the warmer summer months.
Friday, 4 May 2018 - 9:09am
Nov 2012.jpg
This series of images show a representative crop rotation over one year. The Gatton panic grass plot shown has a narrow (36cm) row spacing, and was fertilised at the high nitrogen rate.Lupin crop just before harvest, showing early spring growth of panic grass in the understory (November 2012).
Friday, 4 May 2018 - 9:09am
harvesting plots of lupins sown into perennial pastures_cropped.JPG
Harvesting a lupin crop that was sown over subtropical perennial grasses. Lupins were harvested by DAFWA Geraldton Research Facility staff in November. The perennial grass beneath the crop was dormant in winter but resumed growth in spring and will provide an excellent source of green feed over summer.
Friday, 4 May 2018 - 9:09am
1_cropped.jpg
Perennial pasture at Dandaragan before seeding serradella (February 2013).
Friday, 4 May 2018 - 9:09am