Dr Brian Collins
Name | Dr Brian Collins |
---|---|
Email Address | brian.collins@unisq.edu.au |
Job Title | Senior Research Fellow (Cropping Systems Modelling) |
Qualifications | MAgEng Tehran, PhD Tehran |
Department | Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment (Research) |
Affiliations | Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems |
ORCID | https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2447-3892 |
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Biography
My expertise is at the interface of cropping systems, crop physiology, agrometeorology, ecophysiological modelling, and data science. Interested in a transdisciplinary approach to digital agriculture and water resources management, I specialise in mathematical modelling and computer simulation of biological and agrohydrological systems to study genotype × environment × management interactions, characterise abiotic stresses, assess climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, and identify promising avenues to move towards more resilient agricultural systems in a changing climate. I have employed my knowledge and experience in broadacre, rotational, dryland, and precision farming systems.
My work contributes to food security and environmental sustainability via field/control-environment impact and adaptation studies complemented by in silico investigations. I am keen to teach, promote, and utilise agricultural (digital) technologies to systematically investigate ecophysiological and agro-hydrological processes across spatial scales to develop adaptation and development pathways by building climate-smart systems. I aspire to help improve resource use efficiency and better understand the implications of genetic variability, climate change/variability, weather extremes, land use change, and management scenarios for agricultural systems and water management at the paddock, farm, landscape, national, continental, and global levels. As a hands-on data analyst and modeller, I am interested in the applications of GIS, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, deep learning, and agrohydrological and biophysical models in advancing our understanding of agroecosystems.
Employment
Position | Organisation | From | To |
---|---|---|---|
Senior Research Fellow | James Cook University, Australia | 2021 | 2023 |
Research Fellow | University of Queensland, Australia | 2017 | 2021 |
Co-Founder and Former CEO | Fannavaran Keyhan Danesh Novin Co, Iran | 2017 | 2017 |
Project Manager / Senior Engineer | Jarfab Payesh Consulting Engineers Co, Iran | 2016 | 2017 |
Research Associate | Limagrain Europe / INRA-SupAgro, France | 2015 | 2016 |
Senior Agricultural (Water) Engineer | Jarfab Payesh Consulting Engineers Co, Iran | 2006 | 2015 |
Head of the Agriculture and Water Resources Research Group | Mandatory Military Service, Iran | 2013 | 2014 |
Senior Flood Engineer | Lozan Civil Development Engineering Co, Iran | 2010 | 2012 |
PhD Research Assistant | University of Tehran, Iran | 2008 | 2012 |
Expertise
• Biophysical/crop modelling, agro-hydrological modelling, crop physiology, agrometeorology, hydrology.
• Precision farming, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable agriculture.
• Integrated water resources management and planning, flood management, land use management, and virtual water.
• Farm (irrigation and drainage) system design and management, hydraulic modelling, flood modelling, and water delivery systems.
• Computer programming (R, Python, MATLAB, C#, SQL), data analysis, machine learning, deep learning, and business intelligence.
• Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing (GIS and RS).
Fields of Research
- 300201. Agricultural hydrology
- 300202. Agricultural land management
- 300204. Agricultural management of nutrients
- 300205. Agricultural production systems simulation
- 300206. Agricultural spatial analysis and modelling
- 300207. Agricultural systems analysis and modelling
- 300210. Sustainable agricultural development
- 300403. Agronomy
- 400513. Water resources engineering
Completed Supervisions
Research Title | Supervisor Type | Level of Study | Completed |
---|---|---|---|
Optimisation of wheat cultivation area based on water and food security in Iran | Associate | Doctoral | 2022 |
Integrating crop modelling and genomics to improve plant breeding | Associate | Doctoral | 2021 |
Applicability of gridded weather datasets for simulation of field crop growth | Associate | Masters | 2020 |
Genotypic variability in transpiration efficiency in wheat (MSc Postgraduate Course Work; Internship) | Principal | Masters | 2019 |
Using sensitivity analysis for reducing calibration parameters of crop models | Principal | Masters | 2019 |
Estimation of actual water requirements of strategic crops in Qazvin and Moghan plains | Principal | Masters | 2017 |
Assessment of applicability of CFSR climate data for modelling river discharge in diverse climates of Iran | Principal | Masters | 2017 |
Performance evaluation of crop models under different levels of irrigation and nitrogen fertiliser (case study: maize) | Associate | Masters | 2015 |
Simulation and optimisation of lateral depth according to moisture and salinity distribution in subsurface drip irrigation | Associate | Doctoral | 2013 |
Surface soil moisture simulation with SWAT (Ziyarat watershed case study) | Associate | Masters | 2013 |
Development of an optimisation model for water allocation in irrigated and rainfed lands to increase economic productivity | Associate | Doctoral | 2012 |
Project title | Details | Year |
---|---|---|
i-RAT: An irrigation Rapid Assessment Tool | Great Barrier Reef Foundation. James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. $419,906 (December 2022 – May 2024) | 2022 |
Impacts of transpiration efficiency and its components (photosynthesis and stomatal conductance) in promising wheat lines: a new step towards further genetic improvement | ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis Agility Grant. QAAFI, The University of Queensland. Toowoomba, Australia. $50,000 | 2020 |
Genetic variability and yield impact of transpiration efficiency and its components in wheat | ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis Agility Grant. QAAFI, The University of Queensland. Toowoomba, Australia. $85,000 | 2019 |
Development of an AquaCrop-based modelling system to quantify actual water requirements of strategic field crops in Iran | Qazvin Science and Technology Park. Qazvin, Iran | 2017 |
Estimation of CN and S parameters for the sub-basins of the North Khorasan province using the SWAT model | North Khorasan Regional Water Company, North Khorasan, Iran | 2014 |
• Development and application of a planning support system to assess strategies related to land and water resources for adaptation to climate change | Iranian Ministry of Energy. Tehran, Iran | 2009 |
Assessment of SWAT model performance in Zayandeh-Rud watershed | Iranian Ministry of Energy. Tehran, Iran | 2006 |