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Dr Matthew Nelson

Team Leader

https://people.csiro.au/N/M/matthew-nelson

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Biography

I am a geneticist and plant breeder with a passion to enhance food production through genetic improvement of crops. To that end, I have engaged in a range of basic and applied research in public and private organisations in the UK, The Netherlands, Canada and Australia. My basic research interests include plant domestication, genome evolution and the diversity of crops and their wild relatives, resulting in over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles to date. In my applied research, I have managed molecular marker and tissue culture programs underpinning vegetable, oilseed and forage commercial crop breeding programs, contributing to the development of 25 cultivars.

I joined CSIRO in 2018 where I am responsible for leading and developing a national research program around the advancement of canola. My research interests include canola adaptation (esp. establishment), seed quality, and the effective use of wild germplasm in crop improvement. I currently lead the GRDC-supported Long Hypocotyl Canola and Brassica B genome projects.

Academic Qualifications

  • 1995

    B.Sc. (First Class Honours) in Agricultural Botany
    University of Glasgow

  • 2000

    Ph.D. in Plant Genetics
    University of East Anglia

Achievements and Awards

  • 2026-2027

    OECD Cooperative Research Programme Fellowship
    CSIRO

  • 2026-2026

    Springer Nature Editor of Distinction Award
    CSIRO

  • 2018-2021

    Adjunct Associate Professor, UWA Institute of Agriculture
    The University of Western Australia

  • 2018-2021

    Honorary Research Associate, Natural Capital & Plant Health
    Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

  • 2015-2018

    Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Plant Biology
    The University of Western Australia

  • 2011-2011

    Fay Gale Fellowship
    The University of Western Australia

Current Roles

  • Team Leader
    Adapting broadacre crops to changing agronomic practices and climate.

  • Project Leader - GRDC Long Hypocotyl Canola for improved field establishment
    Canola crops have an unfortunate tendency to establish poorly leading to incomplete or delayed canopy closure, which compromises yield potential and complicates weed management. We are seeking genetic solutions to improve the reliability of canola establishment.

  • Project Leader - GRDC Utilising the B genome diversity in canola
    Closely related species of canola contain B genomes that are rich in diversity for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. This diversity has been scarcely used in commercial canola. In this project, a multi-organisational team has been assembled to develop methodologies to help access valuable B genome diversity for canola improvement.

  • Adjunct Professor, The University of Western Australia
    The UWA Institute of Agriculture

Fields of Research

Current

Grants

  • 2025-2029

    CSP2507-001RTX: Accelerating Genetic Gain: Utilising the B genome diversity in canola (GRDC).

  • 2023-2028

    CSP2307-002RTX: Accelerating development and deployment of long-hypocotyl canola to improve establishment (GRDC)

  • 2019-2023

    CSP1907-001RTX: Increasing return on investment from canola seed through improved establishment (GRDC)

  • 2017-2018

    ELFF - Ethiopian Lupins for Food and Feed (Innovate UK AgriTech Catalyst)

  • 2014-2018

    Development of lupin molecular markers tagging yield QTL genes and yield-related phenology traits (UWA component) (GRDC)

  • 2011-2015

    Unleashing the power of genomics for lupin marker development and crop improvement (GRDC)

  • 2011-2014

    LP110100341: Improving heat and drought tolerance in canola through genomic selection in Brassica rapa (GRDC)

  • 2011-2014

    Breeding new cultivars of the perennial forage legume tedera: UWA component (Future Farm Industries CRC)

  • 2007-2010

    UWA00120: Capacity building for plant breeding education and research at The University of Western Australia (GRDC)

  • 2006-2008

    LP0667805: Expanding the gene pool of canola (Brassica napus) by introgressing valuable genes from related species (ARC)

  • 2005-2009

    CSI/1999/072 Oilseed Brassica Improvement in China, India, and Australia (ACIAR)

  • 2003-2005

    UWA372. Development of molecular marker and mapping technology for lupin breeding: UWA component (GRDC)

Professional Experiences

  • 2015-2018

    Research Leader – Crop Plants
    Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

  • 2011-2015

    Senior Research Fellow
    The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

  • 2002-2011

    Research Fellow
    The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

  • 2002-2013

    Molecular Breeder
    Canola Breeders WA Pty Ltd, Perth, Australia

  • 2001-2002

    Molecular marker scientist
    Seminis Vegetable Seeds, The Netherlands

Community and Corporate Citizenship

  • 2025-Present

    Australian representative on the GCIRC, the global peak industry body for canola

  • 2015-Present

    Editorial board member for Theoretical & Applied Genetics journal

  • 2020-2022

    Impact area lead for Future Crops

  • 2020-Present

    UniMentor, UWA

  • 2010-2010

    Co-author of industry standards for the management of adventitious presence of transgenes in canola, Australian Seed Federation

Publications

We have publications by Dr Matthew Nelson