Jackson Boardman announced as a 2026 Nuffield Scholar

Nuffield Australia has announced its scholars for 2026. Over the next 18 months, 19 scholars will undertake 15 weeks of international travel, exploring cutting-edge agricultural practices and research as part of Nuffield Australia’s scholarship program. Jackson Boardman from Sunnyspot based in Ravensbourne, is one of the scholars that has been chosen as part of the program. He will explore how to integrate drones into horticultural tree crop systems.

“I’m really excited for the journey ahead with Nuffield,” said Jackson Boardman.

“I am very proud to be sponsored by Hort Innovation’s Avocado Fund to travel the world with Nuffield Australia and learn about global agricultural systems. I aim to research drone technology use cases throughout the full growing cycle and hope to bring back actionable insights to enhance Avocado Industry productivity and efficiency.”

Find out more about Jackson’s area of study HERE.

The Scholars’ findings will be shared with peers and industry stakeholders, with a view to help shape the future of farming in Australia. This year’s scholarships are united under the theme ‘be curious, drive change’, a theme Nuffield Australia says reflects their commitment to fostering leadership and championing innovation for the future.

The 2025 Nuffield Australia Impact Report found that almost 90 per cent of scholars enhanced their farming systems and boosted production as a direct result of their research. The assessment also found half of alumni were more likely to undertake further study following their scholarship, reinforcing the program’s role in fostering lifelong learning and leadership.

See Nuffield Australia’s announcement HERE.

More information will appear in an article in the next issue of Talking Avocados magazine.

Photo courtesy of Nuffield Australia.

This article appears as part of the 15 Sept 2025 issue of Guacamole, our enewsletter.

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