Former NSW DPI research agronomist, Rohan Brill has been awarded the GRDC's 2020 Northern Region Emerging Leader Award.
The GRDC acknowledged his significant contribution to the Optimised Canola Profitability project, along with his effective communication skills.
Mr Brill started his career with NSW DPI in 2007 and worked as a district agronomist in the Coonamble region from 2008-2013 before moving to the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute.
He said the last five to six years he had been doing 90 per cent canola work.
"The highlight has been working in a really good team, from technical staff up to agronomists, physiologists and modellers," Mr Brill said.
"I think we put some fundamental information into canola that was probably lacking a little bit, like why does a canola plant flower when it does? How does that affect growth and biomass?
"I think it was really good to make canola more professional and bring it into the 21st century."
Mr Brill said the project had allowed producers to get the most out of their canola crops, helping them tailor sowing dates to varieties and improve biomass.
"Our biomass work has helped underpin the confidence in canola because it has actually become a forage and a hay commodity," Mr Brill said.
"There's this back up with canola in terms of hay or grazing that probably wasn't recognised 10 years ago.
"Where it used to be the crop that was a disaster in a drought, in the last couple of years it's been the crop that's been the highest income because of those back up options."
Mr Brill said he is now preparing to take his next step, leaving the NSW DPI to start up a agronomy business and farm his property at Ganmain.
"I will be trying to keep in the research game, probably in the development extension level," Mr Brill said.