Dr David Brightman, who farms 243 hectares of combinable crops in Warwickshire, is the latest grower member to join HGCA’s Research and Knowledge Transfer committee.

After completing a PhD in Dietary Nitrogen Requirements of Cattle, David began his career as a lecturer at Brooksby College in Crop Production. He has received many agricultural awards including Fellowships of the Society of Biology and of the Royal Agricultural Societies in 2011.

He has been an active member and Chairman of a number of agricultural committees and groups.  His most recent appointments have included Director and Trustee of Rothamsted Research and Council Member of BBRSC, where he represented the agriculture industry and was responsible for control of the biology and biotechnology science budget.

David is thrilled to be a part of the R&KT committee. He brings more than 30 years of involvement with scientific research to the role and is keen to get more current agricultural research applied practically on-farm. He looks forward to taking an active advisory role in the five-year research strategy that will be published next year.

David said: “There is often talk of a broken pipeline in research and I would very much like to promote the link between pure science and practical application. I am excited to be involved in discussions about how we can apply current and future research to help farmers maintain and develop better businesses.”

Members of the R&KT Committee advise the HGCA Board on the research strategy and how it can be implemented through targeted calls for proposals. They also evaluate research proposals and monitor project progress and meet four times a year.