Legume expert recognised with national AW Howard Medal
MEDIA RELEASE 27 August 2026
Leading Australian agronomy scientist Professor John Howieson has been awarded the prestigious AW Howard Medal in recognition of a career that has significantly expanded pasture practices in Australia and overseas.
The Medal – named after Amos Howard, whose 1889 discovery and subsequent use of subterranean clover as a pasture plant was critical to Australia’s agricultural development – is awarded biennially to a person who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of pastures in Australia.
Professor Howieson is an internationally recognised expert in nitrogen fixation of legume crops. His work has led to the identification, domestication and commercialisation of new pasture species and the development of commercial rhizobia inoculants to enhance pasture and legume production.
It has been estimated his work generates more than $1.5 billion in economic benefits each year.
“My work was to develop alternative pasture legumes to use in our farming systems to meet the changing circumstances of agriculture,” Professor Howieson says.
“As soils change and rainfall events become less predictable, it challenges our pasture systems.
“The introduction of a different suite of pasture legumes that performed well on a range of soils has helped farmers choose a cultivar that works for them.”
The widespread adoption of serradella, biserrula and alternative clovers are now grown on millions of hectares across South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia.
“Seeing farmers grow these cultivars to suit their needs and being able to marry them with appropriate soil bacteriology has been interesting and rewarding,” he says.
“It means the work we’ve done has had the intended impact, and that farmers found these outputs useful.”
Professor Howieson’s leadership has extended internationally through major research programs in southern Africa, participation in an initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and addressing Oxford University’s Nitrogen Crisis conference.
“It’s always been great fun to work with likeminded scientists in different continents,” Professor Howieson says.
“My international work has focused on understanding where there might be other plants that could benefit the Australian system, and to get access to those, you’ve got to develop working relationships with scientists in those countries.”
Throughout his career, Professor Howieson has mentored and trained many pasture and soil microbiology researchers, supervising numerous PhD students and continuing to support the next generation as a post-graduate student supervisor.
“Students bring fresh ideas and energy and seeing them go out into the world and put their ideas into place is rewarding aspect of working with young people,” he says.
Professor Howieson recalled the industry’s challenges and played a key role in ensuring alternative pasture research continued in WA when funding support was withdrawn.
“It’s not easy to maintain a continuity of research when funding bodies pivot to the next whim,” he says.
“That is why the Howard Trust is so important. For more than 60 years they have continued to support students with funding and education, filling a very important niche by allowing young scientists to focus on pasture science.”
While Professor Howieson has semi-retired, he remains active through his business LegumeN Pty Ltd, launched in 2022 as a vehicle for continued commercialisation of new pasture legume varieties.
On receiving the Howard Medal, Professor Howieson says it’s a great honour to have his work acknowledged.
“It’s very humbling to be chosen, and a bit of a shock; it means a lot to be recognised in this way for what you do,” he says.
“It’s important that we continue to recognise people’s work to raise the profile of having a career in science.”
AW Howard Memorial Trust grants
Professor John Howieson encourages pasture researchers to apply for one of the scholarships and fellowships on offer through the not-for-profit AW Howard Memorial Trust Inc.
These awards encourage and promote research and investigation in the fields of natural science and social science (including economics) relating to the development, management and use of pastures.
Grants are available for a range of career stages, from students to established researchers, as well as graziers and pastoralists. Applications are currently being sought for Howard Trust Honours and Masters Scholarships, Postgraduate Research Fellowships and the Tim Healey Memorial Scholarship.
Established in 1964 to commemorate the unique contribution of Amos Howard, the Trust seeks applications each year from the research and academic community for its various awards, grants, scholarships and fellowships.
The Trust has awarded almost 6000 grants since it was established by the then Australian Institute of Agricultural Science (now Ag Institute Australia) through donations from benefactors.
The AW Howard Memorial Trust is managed by a committee drawn from Ag Institute Australia, The Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, the University of Adelaide, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), which is the research division of the SA Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), and scientists experienced in crops and pastures including tropical pastures.
Application forms and nomination guidelines are available via the SARDI website at https://bit.ly/3f3Pxkw.
More information is also available via the Trust’s executive officer at howard.trust@sa.gov.au.
ENDS
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Image caption:
Howard Trust Board Member Associate Professor Matt Denton presenting recipient Professor John Howieson with the Howard Medal.