Neil Clifford Turner

Neil Clifford Turner (born 1940) is an Australian agricultural scientist known for his contributions to agronomy and crop physiology, particularly in the adaptation of crops to dry lands. Born in Preston, England, he took a BSc in agricultural science at the University of Reading in 1962 and a PhD in agronomy at the University of Adelaide in 1968. He worked as a crop and tree physiologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station from 1967 to 1974, then held posts at CSIRO Plant Industry in Canberra and Perth, and since 2005 he has been based at the University of Western Australia. His work covers the response of crops and trees to water deficits, rainfall-use efficiency and the implications of climate change for crop production, and he has authored or co-authored over 400 refereed papers and book chapters. He received the Humboldt Research Award and the Centenary Medal.