Snow Barlow

FTSE

veski fellow and past veski chair

Professor Snow Barlow is a professor of horticulture and viticulture at the University of Melbourne. He is also the Chair of the Expert Assessment Panel of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Climate Change Research Program, and a Non-Executive Director of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

As a plant scientist, Professor Barlow’s own work is in one of the hottest areas of science. He investigates the potential impacts of climate change on agricultural crops, particularly in Australia’s important viticulture sector.

His research includes:

  • Plant Physiology, Environment (H2O,CO2,Temp) determinants of grape growth and wine quality
  • Water use efficiency
  • Australian Viticultural Terroirs
  • Impact of climate change on Australian Agricultural Systems

He has published more than a 100 papers in environmental plant biology including plant water use efficiency and impacts of climate change on Australian agriculture.

Professor Barlow is a former President of Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies and was a member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council.

Prior to joining Melbourne University he was Foundation Professor of Horticulture and Plant Physiology and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture at the University of Western Sydney.

Professor Barlow has also held the position of Chief Scientist, in the Bureau of Resource Sciences and Chief of Agriculture, Forestry and Quarantine Sciences with the Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry Australia where he had responsibility for Scientific Policy advice to the Minister of Agriculture.

He was born and grew up at Mungindi at the Darling River in North-Western NSW prior to completing an Honours degree in Rural Science at the University of New England where he was also awarded Cricket and Rugby blues. He then traveled to Oregon State University where he completed a PhD in Soil-Plant-Water relations.

Together with his partner Ms Winsome McCaughey, he operates a commercial farm incorporating vineyards, grazing and farm forestry enterprises in the Strathbogie Ranges in North Eastern Victoria and markets wine under the Baddaginnie Run label.

 

“Understanding ‘friendly microbes’ may well hold the key to preventing allergic diseases including asthma.”

Professor Benjamin Marsland

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