22. A Lifetime of Crop Innovation with Wallace Cowling

In Episode 22 of the 4Farmers Podcast, Bill Crabtree sits down with Professor Wallace Cowling, one of Western Australia’s most respected plant breeders, to explore the science and history behind lupins, canola and modern crop breeding. Wallace shares how his career took him from Melbourne and the United States to the WA Department of Agriculture, where he worked alongside renowned agricultural scientist John Gladstones. He reflects on the discoveries that helped domesticate lupins, the changing role of legumes in farming systems and the long-term breeding programs that brought better-adapted canola varieties to the WA wheatbelt. The conversation also tackles common misconceptions about hybrid and genetically modified crops, explains how herbicide-tolerant canola transformed weed control and crop rotations, and explores the importance of maintaining genetic diversity for future farming conditions. Drawing on a lifetime of research, Professor Wallace Cowling leaves young agricultural scientists with one enduring piece of advice: talk to farmers, understand their problems and ensure research delivers practical value in the paddock.