Meet Crop Protection team member – Dr Kylie Chambers
Dr Kylie Chambers is a plant pathologist who enjoys hiking, however she is more commonly found off the beaten track taking photos of fungi.
Originally from Melbourne, Kylie graduated from LaTrobe University with a degree in Biosciences. She then earnt her PhD in plant pathology at the University of Melbourne, with a focus on plant pathology and molecular biology. Kylie’s PhD involved identifying and characterising pathogenicity genes in Leptosphaeria maculans. The fungus that causes blackleg disease of canola.
In 2016, Kylie joined DPIRD as a Regional Research Agronomist based in Merredin, focusing on crop pathology. In 2019 Kylie joined the plant pathology team in Northam as a Research Scientist focusing on foliar plant pathogens. Her research aims to understand how disease constraints affect the yield and quality of broadacre crops, and how growers can effectively and economically manage disease on farm. During her time at DPIRD, Kylie has carried out surveillance and research activities across a wide range of crops and diseases, including root and crown diseases of cereals in the eastern wheatbelt, canola blackleg and the Blackleg CM app. Kylie has also researched oat diseases that impact hay and grain production, saprophytic staining of oaten hay and economical management of spot form net blotch (SFNB) in low rainfall environments.
She is passionate about all things mycology and plant pathology and is also currently the WA regional councillor for the Australasian Plant Pathology Society.
When Kylie is not at work you can find her bushwalking, reading, preparing and consuming a cheese/charcuterie board and supporting (or playing for) her local hockey team with a craft beer in hand.