William Erskine

William Erskine is a Senior Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia (UWA), directing the Centre for Plant Genetics and Breeding. His career spans 18 years as a Lentil Breeder at ICARDA (Aleppo, Syria), followed by Program Leader (1998-2001) and Assistant Director General (Research) (2001-2007). Educated at the University of Cambridge (BA 1973, PhD 1979) and Papua New Guinea (MAg 1976), he focuses on plant breeding for food security.

• Education
  • BA, University of Cambridge (1973)
  • MAg, Papua New Guinea (1976)
  • PhD, University of Cambridge (1979)

His research integrates plant breeding, germplasm evaluation, and genetics to enhance food security through

• Climate-resilient crops in Nepal
• Salinity-tolerant legumes in Bangladesh
• Subterranean clover improvement
• Lentil breeding programs across 31 countries

His 15 most recent articles highlight advancements in salinity tolerance mechanisms, waterlogging adaptations, and genomic approaches to crop improvement.

Scientific awards

• Minister of Agriculture Award, Bangladesh (2005) for lentil research impact

Grants include funding from ACIAR (Timor-Leste), MLA (pasture sequencing), GRDC, and ARC. He has supervised 24 PhD/MSc students at UWA and institutions in Finland, UK, Germany, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. Collaborative projects span Timor-Leste, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Australia, with a focus on sustainable farming systems and UN SDG contributions.