Dr Don Gaydon’s research is helping farmers increase water productivity and manage climatic risk in Australian and South Asian cropping systems.Dr Gaydon’s research combines field experimentation, participatory engagement, and cropping systems modelling to improve management options for farmers. His leadership of significant national and international collaborative initiatives and research projects have led to substantial impacts on rural industries in Australia and smallholder farming systems in Asia, as well as significantly enhancing CSIRO & partners’ modelling capacity in Asia. He is now CSIRO’s leading rice-based cropping systems scientist.He has a broad interest in issues relating to water and climate in both Australian and South Asian farming systems, particularly in irrigated operations facing reduced and more variable water supplies. His doctoral thesis title was Adapting to less water - on-farm management options for Riverina Irrigators, conducted through Wageningen University in The Netherlands.

Field experimentation