Rate My Professor Craig Birchall

Craig Birchall is a Lecturer in the School of Environmental and Rural Science at the University of New England, focusing on Agronomy and Soil Science within the agriculture discipline. He currently works on farming systems agronomy, including projects addressing soil constraints by amending sodic and compacted soil profiles. Birchall contributes to international development research, such as evaluating carbon sequestration potential in different land use ecosystems in Ethiopia and legume-based farming systems in the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar. His research also covers barley yellow dwarf virus in cereals, potassium dynamics in vertosol soils, and sustainable grains production. He has participated in initiatives like the soil constraints project, which demonstrates economic returns from long-term soil amelioration strategies in northern grain-growing regions, and efforts to improve soil health through deep amendments, as seen in field trials at sites including Armatree, NSW.

In addition to research, Birchall plays a key role in education, coordinating units such as Broadacre Crop Protection (GRNS301 and GRNS501), Pulse Production (GRNS500), and Plant Biosecurity (AGRO514). These courses equip students with advanced knowledge of crop protection, pest management, and biosecurity practices. His scholarly output includes peer-reviewed articles and conference papers, such as 'Potential in detection of cereal yellow dwarf virus in cereals through VisNIR spectroscopy' (2025), 'Demonstrating the value of soil testing to support Australian farmers' local soil knowledge through a digital tool and action learning' (2024), 'Factors affecting the competitive ability of triticale (× Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus.) against annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin)' (2020), 'Rainfall-related opportunities, risks and constraints to rainfed cropping in the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar as defined by soil water balance modelling' (2018), 'A screening method to detect BYDV-PAV resistance in cereals under glasshouse conditions' (2018), 'Effect of Frost on Triticale and Wheat Varieties at Flowering in the North Eastern Australian Cereal Belt' (2017), and 'Influence of nitrogen fertilization and isoxaflutole on the nodulation of chickpea (Cicer arietinum)' (2011). His work has garnered 144 citations on Google Scholar.