Rate My Professor David Backhouse

David Backhouse is an Associate Professor (Retired) in the School of Environmental and Rural Science at the University of New England, Armidale, Australia. He obtained a degree in Botany from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, from February 1975 to March 1984, and holds a PhD. His professional career includes research on Fusarium diseases in cereals at the Crop Sciences division of the University of Sydney from February 1989 to April 1998. In May 1998, he joined the University of New England as Lecturer in mycology and plant pathology, advancing to Associate Professor until September 2020. Post-retirement, he remains affiliated as Associate Professor (Adjunct) and continues to engage with research activities.

Backhouse's research specializations include plant pathology, mycology, soil biology, and the integration of plant-pathogen interactions in soilborne diseases with quantitative epidemiology. His work focuses on disease management in sustainable farming systems, particularly crown rot caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum in wheat and cereals, Phytophthora root rot and aggressiveness of Phytophthora medicaginis in chickpea, Bipolaris sorokiniana spore susceptibility to microwave radiation, and pathogen colonization of cereal stubble influenced by moisture, fitness, and cereal type. He has authored or co-authored 127 publications, accumulating 3,492 citations. Notable publications encompass 'Taking shortcuts: lowering harvest height to restrict colonisation of cereal stubble by Fusarium pseudograminearum' (2025), 'Selection for Phytophthora Root Rot Resistance in Chickpea Crosses Affects Yield Potential of Chickpea × Cicer echinospermum Backcross Derivatives' (2024), 'Inoculum production of Phytophthora medicaginis can be used to screen for partial resistance in chickpea genotypes' (2023), '“Killer Joules”: spores of Bipolaris sorokiniana and fusarium species are susceptible to microwave radiation' (2022), 'Aggressiveness of Phytophthora medicaginis on chickpea: phenotyping method determines isolate ranking and host genotype-isolate interactions' (2022), 'Effect of stripe rust on the yield response of wheat to nitrogen' (2014), and 'Diversity of Thrips Species and Vectors of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus in Kenya' (2015).