During the last 20 years, Dr. Brown developed knowledge of a wide range of processes that span a range of traditional disciplines. However, his greatest strength is in the ability to integrate knowledge from various fields and sources into models that summarise this knowledge and provide frameworks and tools for ongoing research and extension. As a result, he has become an expert in plant model development and application. The types of models he develops and the applications are broad but he is particularly interested in the expansion of plant models to better account for the effects of a wider range of biotic and abiotic factors.

Dr. Brown is also an expert in the field of crop and soil water studies where he has developed a detailed understanding of the impact of soil and weather on crop water use and crop growth. He has designed and commissioned sophisticated systems for soil water measurement and developed new approaches for monitoring canopy energy balance and estimating evapotranspiration.

Dr. Brown and Dr. Ojeda are collaborating on the development of Python tools e.g. PotatoCalibration to test crop model configuration. They are also developing an updated version of a potato model in APSIM Next Generation.