The British Crop Protection Council (BCPC) has announced the appointment of Jim Orson to its executive board.
Orson is currently research and technical director of The Arable Group (TAG), which is now part of the country’s largest independent crop research and information centre following its recent merger with Cambridge’s National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB).
Dr Colin Ruscoe, chairman of BCPC, said: “We are extremely pleased to welcome Jim to the BCPC Executive Board. His practical experience of arable farming, especially in the weed control sector, ideally complements the expertise we already have and I know that Jim - with his experience in TAG - will bring a practical approach to bear on all our activities.”
Having gained a BSc in Agriculture from Reading University, Orson joined ADAS where he took on posts as district adviser, agronomist and then finally head of cereals development. He then became director of the Morley Research Centre - a farmer-owned research station in Norfolk providing information to support the businesses of some of the biggest farmers in Europe.
He has been very active on industry committees including the government’s Advisory Committee on Pesticides, the Steering Committee of Field Scale Evaluation of GMOs, Chair of the Weed Resistance Action Group. He is currently on the government’s Advisory Committee for Releases into the Environment.
