Rate My Professor Ken Flower

Professor Ken Flower is a Professor in the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment and the Institute of Agriculture at The University of Western Australia. He serves as Director of the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI), a position he took up in February 2023 following involvement in AHRI projects for several years. Bringing substantial expertise in no-till agronomy, conservation farming systems, cropping systems, precision agriculture, and weed control, Flower contributes to advancing efficient weed control solutions for Australian broadacre growers. He is a board member of the Western Australian No-Tillage Farmers Association (WANTFA) and teaches classes on cropping systems and precision/digital agriculture (AgTech).

Flower's research focuses on improving the sustainability and profitability of Western Australian cropping systems, with key interests in no-tillage (conservation agriculture) systems, crop rotations, cover crops, crop residue management, herbicide efficacy in no-till systems, and weed management. His vision for AHRI is to develop cropping systems with reduced dependence on herbicides. On November 6, 2024, he received the Australian Society of Agronomy Fellowship at the 2024 Agronomy biennial Conference in Albany, recognizing his important contributions to agronomy through laboratory and field research, development, extension, administration, and support for fellow agronomists' careers, particularly in sustainable cropping systems, no-tillage farming, weed management, and precision agriculture. Flower has authored or co-authored 59 articles, 1 chapter, 1 conference paper, and 1 review article. Notable publications include "Crop Residue Orientation Influences Soil Water and Wheat Growth Under Rainfed Mediterranean Conditions" (Agronomy, 2025); "EPSPS target site mechanisms confer glyphosate resistance in Arctotheca calendula" (Pest Management Science, 2025); "Limited effect of seed dormancy on the efficacy of preemergence herbicides in rigid ryegrass (Lolium rigidum)" (Weed Science, 2025); "Characterisation of low-level pyrasulfotole resistance and the role of herbicide translocation in wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum)" (Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 2024); and "Comparing quasi-3D soil moisture derived from electromagnetic induction with 1D moisture sensors and correlation to barley yield in variable duplex soil" (Soil & Tillage Research, 2024). Through leadership, research, teaching, and industry engagement, he impacts Australian agriculture.