Introducing new staff

From left to right, Dr Danilo Guinto, Dr Thilini Ekanayake, and Dr Matt Hall have started work at Katherine Research Station and Berrimah Farm.

We are delighted to introduce three new staff to our Darwin and Katherine audiences:

Dr Danilo Guinto is the new research agronomist at Katherine Research Station.

Danny obtained his PhD at Griffith University and worked for a number of organisations in the Philippines, New Zealand and Samoa. His research experience includes soil fertility and soil health monitoring, environmental impact assessments, tropical agriculture and forestry. He has also worked on temperate horticultural crops including kiwifruit and pastures. He has supervised/advised postgraduate research students from the Philippines, the South Pacific and New Zealand universities.

Dr Thilini Ekanayake is the new entomologist at Katherine Research Station.

Thilini has a lot of experience with fruit fly research and a PhD on Queensland fruit fly mating system and courtship from Queensland University of Technology. During this time she found how Q flies locate their mating site and how they choose their mating partner. In addition to fruit fly research, she has a background in termite ecology.

Dr Matt Hall is the new senior extension officer in Darwin.

For the last 10 years Matt has been working with industry groups to advance their commercial interests through knowledge gained via applied research. During this time, he has worked across a range of disciplines including: agronomy, post-harvest storage, nutrient labelling, soil science, entomology, market access and biosecurity. Coming from a farming background in Young, New South Wales, he has a keen interest in supporting decision making processes to advance the profitability of farming businesses.

It is great to fill these key positions. All three new additions bring new skills, ideas and enthusiasm to the Plant Industries Division.