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 Plant
nutritionist
Graeme Blair,
Professor at the University of New England (UNE),
Australia, was nominated for the 2000 International Fertilizer Award
by IFA's member Incitec Ltd. The Award honours Professor Blair for a
career dedicated to research work in the field of sulphur in
agricultural systems that has led to considerable improvements in
sulphur fertilizer use efficiency. In particular, Prof. Blair's
research led to substantial increases in rapeseed yield and oil
concentration, increased profits to farmers and more environmentally
friendly fertilizer use.
A unique feature of the research approach adopted by Blair has been
the use of radioactive and stable tracers of sulphur. By
understanding the transformations between organic and inorganic
forms of sulphur in soil he, and his colleagues, were able to
develop the KCl-40 sulphur soil test, which is used in all major
soil testing laboratories in Australia. The Plant Nutrition team at
UNE, under Professor Blair's leadership, has developed and patented
a sulphur coating process to add elemental sulphur to
non-sulphur-containing fertilizers such as triple superphosphate,
diammonium phosphate and urea. His sulphur research in Indonesia,
with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), led to the
introduction of sulphur into the national fertilizer package in that
country.
The high calibre of Blair's research has been recognized by many
international and national agencies through invitations to advise
them on sulphur research and development. The results of his sulphur
research have been communicated directly to farmers through field
days and brochures, to government extension agencies and commercial
service providers, to the scientific community through publications
and to students. A key feature of the communication programme has
been his organization of three international symposia on sulphur and
invitations to speak at almost every major sulphur meeting held
throughout the world.
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