GRDC in Conversation: James Manson

James Manson’s pathway into agriculture has been anything but conventional. Growing up in Chiang Mai, Thailand, he spent his early years immersed in a cross-cultural environment before discovering agriculture through an internship with an agricultural development NGO working alongside hill tribe communities near the Myanmar border. What began as an adventure quickly became a passion, leading him to study agriculture and international development before building a career in applied crop research. Today, James is a Crop Systems Researcher with CSIRO and the 2026 GRDC Emerging Leader for the Southern Region. His research has helped growers better understand faba bean yield formation and now focuses on developing critical period benchmarks for wheat and barley, helping bridge the gap between crop science and practical on-farm decision-making. Driven by a desire to understand how crops work and why they respond the way they do, James is passionate about turning complex agronomic theory into knowledge that growers can use to improve outcomes in the paddock. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, James reflects on the experiences that shaped his journey from Thailand to Australian agriculture, the lessons learned working alongside growers, and how curiosity continues to drive his research. He shares insights into crop yield formation, the science behind critical periods, and why understanding the way plants grow can help unlock better decisions across farming systems. This episode explores: - How growing up in Thailand shaped James’ curiosity, worldview and approach to agriculture - The internship that introduced him to agriculture and sparked a passion for research and development - Why working closely with growers helped shape his career and approach to communicating science - The journey from Southern Farming Systems to completing a PhD focused on faba bean yield formation - How critical period research is helping improve decision-making in wheat and barley crops - The challenge of translating complex crop science into practical outcomes for growers - What being named the 2026 GRDC Emerging Leader for the Southern Region means to him Watch this episode as a video on YouTube https://youtu.be/WW_5rd8DTK0 More information https://www.csiro.au/en/news/all/articles/2026/march/james-manson-farming-systems-research https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/grdc/awardsscholarships/young-researcher-wins-emerging-leader-award GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties. GRDC Project Code: HAG2507-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices