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1
Hoffmann, Ary A., Andrew R. Weeks, Michael A. Nash, G. Peter Mangano, and Paul A. Umina. "The changing status of invertebrate pests and the future of pest management in the Australian grains industry." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, no. 12 (2008): 1481. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea08185.
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The Australian grains industry is dealing with a shifting complex of invertebrate pests due to evolving management practices and climate change as indicated by an assessment of pest reports over the last 20–30 years. A comparison of pest outbreak reports from the early 1980s to 2006–07 from south-eastern Australia highlights a decrease in the importance of pea weevils and armyworms, while the lucerne flea, Balaustium mites, blue oat mites and Bryobia mites have increased in prominence. In Western Australia, where detailed outbreak records are available from the mid 1990s, the relative incidence of armyworms, aphids and vegetable weevils has recently decreased, while the incidence of pasture cockchafers, Balaustium mites, blue oat mites, redlegged earth mites, the lucerne flea and snails has increased. These changes are the result of several possible drivers. Patterns of pesticide use, farm management responses and changing cropping patterns are likely to have contributed to these shifts. Drier conditions, exacerbated by climate change, have potentially reduced the build-up of migratory species from inland Australia and increased the adoption rate of minimum and no-tillage systems in order to retain soil moisture. The latter has been accompanied by increased pesticide use, accelerating selection pressures for resistance. Other control options will become available once there is an understanding of interactions between pests and beneficial species within a landscape context and a wider choice of ‘softer’ chemicals. Future climate change will directly and indirectly influence pest distributions and outbreaks as well as the potential effectiveness of endemic natural enemies. Genetically modified crops provide new options for control but also present challenges as new pest species are likely to emerge.
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Cattle, Stephen R., and Damien J. Field. "A review of the soil science research legacy of the triumvirate of cotton CRC." Crop and Pasture Science 64, no. 12 (2013): 1076. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp13223.
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For nearly two decades (1994–2012) a series of three consecutive Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) dealing with cotton production provided the impetus and financial support for a substantial body of soil science research in eastern and northern Australia. Focusing on the most commonly utilised soil for irrigated crop production, the Vertosol, CRC-affiliated soil researchers undertook detailed soil inventories of cotton-growing valleys in New South Wales, and tackled a range of applied soil research questions that faced the entire Australian cotton industry. Across the broad categories of soil mapping and characterisation, soil physical condition, salinity and sodicity, soil chemical fertility, and soil carbon and biota, some 120 CRC-affiliated research papers were published in peer-reviewed journals during the years of the CRC. Findings from this body of research were fed back to the industry through conferences, extension workshops and materials, and to a lesser extent, the peer-reviewed publications. In certain cases, underpinning basic research was carried out concurrently with the more applied research, meaning that the cotton CRC were effectively supporting advances in the discipline of soil science, as well as in sustainable cotton production. A feature of the soil research portfolio over the span of the three cotton CRC was that priorities shifted according to the interplay of three factors; the natural maturation of research topics and the concomitant evolution of cotton farming systems, the rising importance of environmental implications of agricultural land use, and the emergence of carbon as a national research priority. Furthermore, the commitment of the CRC to education resulted in the involvement of undergraduate and postgraduate university students in all aspects of the soil research effort. A legacy of the triumvirate of cotton CRC is a wide-ranging body of both applied and basic knowledge regarding the physical, chemical and biological attributes of Australian Vertosols used for irrigated agriculture.
3
Biswas, T. K., F. R. Higginson, and I. Shannon. "Effluent nutrient management and resource recovery in intensive rural industries for the protection of natural waters." Water Science and Technology 40, no. 2 (July 1, 1999): 19–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.1999.0076.
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Intensive rural industry is developing rapidly in parts of inland Australia. The usually nutrient and salt rich effluent from these sources has traditionally been disposed to both land and water bodies. Since direct water discharge is no longer permitted, a challenge now exists when applying effluent to land especially where the rate of application exceeds crop requirements. Effluent of high volume and concentration of nutrients and/or salts can easily contaminate land and water resources. Predicting the optimum rate of land application of effluent is complicated by the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils. This paper addresses the characteristics of effluents from various intensive rural industries and their potential environmental impacts when irrigated to agricultural land in New South Wales, Australia. To assess the environmental sustainability of effluent reuse in land application, a mathematical model (ERIM) has been developed based on a monthly water balance. ERIM includes historical rainfall and evaporation; the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus introduced; their yearly removal by plants to be grown; amount of applied organic matter; and water holding capacity of soil.
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Nadolny, Christopher. "Towards integrating farming and conservation: the role of native pastures." Pacific Conservation Biology 4, no. 1 (1998): 70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc980070.
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Agriculture has almost certainly contributed to the decline of native vegetation and wildlife in rural Australia. A prevalent culture supports agricultural systems that rely on the use of exotic plants and animals and greater use of chemicals and machinery. In general, these systems do not fully utilize or take account of the indigenous biota. The full implications of implementing such farming systems on a landscape scale are seldom considered. I use the grazing industry on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales to illustrate two contrasting approaches: (1) "pasture improvement" involving replacement of native with exotic species versus (2) retention and management of existing native and naturalized pasture species. Pasture improvement has been refined by extensive agronomic research, plant selection and field testing of techniques. Nevertheless, the approach is losing support among farmers because of high inputs required to maintain "improved" pastures, the fragility of these pastures during droughts, low commodity prices, longterm declines in soil structure and increases in soil acidity. Other side-effects include tree decline, reduced diversity of indigenous herbaceous plant communities and loss of wildlife. Using native pastures may offer some solutions to these problems, but the level of understanding required to manage them effectively is limited. Exotic sown pastures have no clear advantage in areas with poor soils and irregular rainfall, and the environmental impacts of new developments involving large-scale pasture improvement can be unacceptable. I conclude that native and naturalised pastures are the best option for most of the region and sown pastures should be used strategically.
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King, W. McG, P. M. Dowling, D. L. Michalk, D. R. Kemp, G. D. Millar, I. J. Packer, S. M. Priest, and J. A. Tarleton. "Sustainable grazing systems for the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. 1. Agronomic implications of vegetation - environment associations within a naturalised temperate perennial grassland." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, no. 4 (2006): 439. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea04039.
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Temperate perennial grass-based pastures dominate the high rainfall zone of south-eastern Australia and support a major livestock production industry. This area has experienced a recent change in overall pasture condition, however, typified by a reduction in the abundance of perennial grasses and an increasingly prominent winter-annual grass weed component. Improving the condition and productivity of these pastures can be achieved by improved management but this requires better knowledge of the interactions between management options and pasture species composition and of the interaction between pasture vegetation and the complex effects of a heterogeneous landscape. This paper reports the results of an intensive survey of a 60-ha paddock that was designed to identify the species present, determine their patterns of distribution and examine the relationships between pasture vegetation and the environment. The survey of species present in late summer was supplemented by the identification of seedlings that later emerged from extracted soil cores and by soil physical and chemical analyses. Data were analysed using ordination and interpreted with GIS software so that topographic features could be considered. The most frequently identified taxa were Hypochaeris radicata, Austrodanthonia spp. and Bothriochloa spp. (in late summer) and Vulpia spp., Bromus molliformis and Trifolium subterraneum (winter-annual species). Austrodanthonia spp. were commonly found on the drier ridges and more acid soils with lower phosphate levels. These were also the areas dominated in spring by Vulpia spp. and were generally lower in plant species richness overall. The most species-rich areas occurred downslope where soil fertility was higher and less moisture stress was presumably experienced. The measured environmental factors explained a substantial proportion of the variation in the vegetation dataset, which underlined the importance of considering landscape effects in the management of typical tablelands pastures.
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Oram, R. N., J. T. O. Kirk, P. E. Veness, C. J. Hurlstone, J. P. Edlington, and D. M. Halsall. "Breeding Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.] for cold-pressed, edible oil production—a review." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 56, no. 6 (2005): 581. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar04295.
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Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.] is a more productive oilseed than canola (B. napus L.) in hot regions of Russia, India, China, and Canada with somewhat unreliable rainfalls, whereas canola is the higher yielding species in more temperate, wetter regions. The specific agronomic features of the species, and their performance in various Australian regions are reviewed. The discovery of the genes for low erucic acid oil production in the seeds of Indian mustard began the conversion of this ancient crop to a canola-type oilseed for dry areas. Initially, many accessions were field-tested at Wagga Wagga and Canberra, but 2 seed-borne diseases, leaf and stem blight and seed rot, were destructive. Accessions from South Asia were severely damaged by the blight caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola Young, Dye & Wilkie 1978, whereas most of the cultivars from latitudes above 45°N were resistant. A phytotron procedure was developed for screening seedlings. The segregation pattern in F2 families from resistant × susceptible crosses suggested that reactions to a typical Pseudomonas isolate were controlled largely by co-dominant resistance (PsmR ) and susceptibility (PsmS ) alleles at one locus. F3 families with field resistance equal to the PsmR/PsmR parents were readily recovered, indicating that few or no modifying genes affected disease reactions. Resistant families selected from each of 6 crosses yielded 13.8% more seed (P < 0.001) than the corresponding segregating and susceptible families when these were tested at Canberra and Wagga Wagga. The disease became unimportant when most entries in field trials were resistant. A seed-rotting disease caused by a yeast with distinctive ascospores closely resembling those of Nematospora sinecauda Holley, Allan-Wotjas & Phipps-Todd 1984 occurred in some imported and locally grown seed samples, but was eliminated by hot water treatment of seed prior to sowing and by control of the presumed insect vector, Nysius vinitor (Bergroth), during seed maturation in the field. No previous record of the occurrence of this disease in Australia was found in the literature by a plant pathologist. The availability of breeding lines with low erucic acid seed oil, Pseudomonas resistance, and a predominance of propenyl glucosinolate in the meal permitted the development of a cold-pressed, edible oil industry by a family company (Yandilla Mustard Oil Enterprise) at Wallendbeen, NSW. The original oil has a mild nutty flavour, but now a larger proportion of the market requires a pungent, mustard-flavoured oil containing a trace of propenyl isothiocyanate, the hydrolytic product of the corresponding glucosinolate in the meal. The full-flavoured meal is sold for table mustard and pickle manufacture, as a stock feed ingredient containing approximately 30% protein and 18% oil, and for the distillation, by another small company at Cowra, NSW, of propenyl isothiocyanate, which is used as a flavouring and preservative in food, especially in Japan. This review describes the breeding of cultivars for cold-pressed oil production, as an off-shoot of the canola-grade B. juncea project. Five successively improved, Pseudomonas-resistant cultivars were developed by crossing and pedigree selection for higher yield under a range of limiting conditions, and released for cold-pressed, low erucic acid oil production. The rate of yield increase in the cultivars released between 1989 and 2001 was 2.4% per annum as judged from small plot yields of all cultivars in each of 4 years at Wallendbeen. Flowering time adjustment provided a one-off improvement, but continued progress seems possible by field selection for traits such as increased resistance to the Sclerotinia and Alternaria pathogens, resistance to acid soils, waterlogging, frost at flowering, heat and drought during seed maturation, and increased efficiency of nutrient utilisation. The nutraceutical properties of mustard oil, and the chemical differences among current B. juncea seed products, are described. Possible future developments are discussed.
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Redmond, Helen. "Impact of energy generation on health: unconventional gas." Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 126, no. 2 (2014): 38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rs14038.
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In this age of human-induced climate change, drilling for unconventional gas is expanding rapidly. In the United States hundreds of thousands of wells tap into shale gas, tight sands gas and coal seam gas (CSG). In Australia we have large CSG fields containing thousands of wells in Queensland, and several smaller fields in New South Wales and Victoria. The scale of proposed development of shale gas in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory will eclipse CSG in the eastern states. Yet unconventional gas extraction has the potential to undermine every single one of the environmental determinants of health: clean air, clean water, a safe food supply and a stable climate.1 To ensure health, water has to be sufficient in quality and quantity. The unconventional gas industry impacts both in a number of ways. Water quality can be threatened both by chemicals in drilling and fracking fluids, and by chemicals mobilised from deep underground in the process.
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Thomsen, D. A., and J. Davies. "Social and cultural dimensions of commercial kangaroo harvest in South Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45, no. 10 (2005): 1239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea03248.
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Kangaroo management is important to the sustainability of Australia’s rangeland landscapes. The commercial harvest of kangaroos assists in reduction of total grazing pressure in the rangelands and provides the potential for supplementary income to pastoralists. Indeed, the commercial kangaroo industry is considered by natural resource scientists as one of the few rural industry development options with potential to provide economic return with minimal environmental impact. While the biology and population ecology of harvested kangaroo species in Australia is the subject of past and present research, the social, institutional and economic issues pertinent to the commercial kangaroo industry are not well understood. Our research is addressing the lack of understanding of social issues around kangaroo management, which are emerging as constraints on industry development. The non-indigenous stakeholders in kangaroo harvest are landholders, regional management authorities, government conservation and primary production agencies, meat processors, marketers and field processors (shooters) and these industry players generally have little understanding of what issues the commercial harvest of kangaroos presents to Aboriginal people. Consequently, the perspectives and aspirations of Aboriginal people regarding the commercial harvest of kangaroos are not well considered in management, industry development and planning. For Aboriginal people, kangaroos have subsistence, economic and cultural values and while these values and perspectives vary between language groups and individuals, there is potential to address indigenous issues by including Aboriginal people in various aspects of kangaroo management. This research also examines the Aboriginal interface with commercial kangaroo harvest, and by working with Aboriginal people and groups is exploring several options for greater industry involvement. The promotion of better understandings between indigenous and non-indigenous people with interests in kangaroo management could promote industry development through the marketing of kangaroo as not only clean and green, but also as a socially just product.
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Webb, Ashley A., Georgina L. Kelly, and Warwick J. Dougherty. "Soil governance in the agricultural landscapes of New South Wales, Australia." International Journal of Rural Law and Policy, no. 1 (March 29, 2015): 1–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/ijrlp.i1.2015.4169.
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Soil is a valuable natural resource. In the state of New South Wales, Australia, the governance of soil has evolved since Federation in 1901. Following rapid agricultural development, and in the face of widespread soil degradation, the establishment of the Soil Conservation Service marked a turning point in the management of soil. Throughout the 20th century, advances in knowledge were translated into evolving governance frameworks that were largely reactionary but saw progressive reforms such as water pollution legislation and case studies of catchment-scale land and vegetation management. In the 21st century, significant reforms have embedded sustainable use of agricultural soils within catchment- and landscape-scale legislative and institutional frameworks. What is clear, however, is that a multitude of governance strategies and models are utilised in NSW. No single governance model is applicable to all situations because it is necessary to combine elements of several different mechanisms or instruments to achieve the most desired outcomes. Where an industry, such as the sugar industry, has taken ownership of an issue such as acid sulfate soil management, self-regulation has proven to be extremely effective. In the case of co-managing agricultural soils with other landuses, such as mining, petroleum exploration and urban development, regulation, compliance and enforcement mechanisms have been preferred. Institutional arrangements in the form of independent commissioners have also played a role. At the landscape or total catchment level, it is clear that a mix of mechanisms is required. Fundamental, however, to the successful evolution of soil governance is strategic investment in soil research and development that informs the ongoing productive use of agricultural landscapes while preventing land degradation or adverse environmental effects.
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FIELKE, SIMON J., and DOUGLAS K. BARDSLEY. "A Brief Political History of South Australian Agriculture." Rural History 26, no. 1 (March 9, 2015): 101–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s095679331400017x.
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Abstract:This paper aims to explain why South Australian agricultural land use is focused on continually increasing productivity, when the majority of produce is exported, at the long-term expense of agriculturally-based communities and the environment. A historical analysis of literature relevant to the agricultural development of South Australia is used chronologically to report aspects of the industry that continue to cause concerns in the present day. The historically dominant capitalist socio-economic system and ‘anthropocentric’ world views of farmers, politicians, and key stakeholders have resulted in detrimental social, environmental and political outcomes. Although recognition of the environmental impacts of agricultural land use has increased dramatically since the 1980s, conventional productivist, export oriented farming still dominates the South Australian landscape. A combination of market oriented initiatives and concerned producers are, however, contributing to increasing the recognition of the environmental and social outcomes of agricultural practice and it is argued here that South Australia has the opportunity to value multifunctional land use more explicitly via innovative policy.
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Salisbury, PA, DJ Ballinger, N. Wratten, KM Plummer, and BJ Howlett. "Blackleg disease on oilseed Brassica in Australia: a review." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 35, no. 5 (1995): 665. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9950665.
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Blackleg, caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans, is the major disease of canola (Brassica napus) in Australia. The development of blackleg-resistant B. napus varieties has been a major factor in the resurgence of the industry nationwide. The main sources of resistance used in Australian public breeding programs are Japanese spring varieties and French winter varieties. In these programs, all early generation material is screened in field blackleg nurseries sown on, or adjacent to, infested canola stubble from the previous season. Little is known about the genetic control of resistance, and the mechanisms responsible for generating pathogenic variability of L. maculans isolates in Australia is largely uncharacterised. Australian B. napus varieties are the most blackleg-resistant spring varieties in the world. Apart from growing blackleg-resistant varieties, other strategies that minimise infection and delay any breakdown in varietal resistance include growing canola on the same area only once every 3 years, destroying stubble, and eradicating volunteer plants between cropping seasons. Additionally, strategic use of chemicals can provide effective control to supplement varietal resistance in areas prone to severe blackleg infestation.
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Fleming, N. K., and J. W. Cox. "Chemical losses off dairy catchments located on a texture-contrast soil: carbon, phosphorus, sulfur, and other chemicals." Soil Research 36, no. 6 (1998): 979. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/s98013.
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Runoff (overland flow and A/B horizon interflow) from 2 grazed dairy pastures at Flaxley, South Australia, accounted for <15% of April{October rainfall in 1996; 88{96% of runoff was overland flow. A range of chemicals, including carbon (C), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S), was measured in runoff As much as 2·3 kg P/ha, 10·7 kg/ha of total dissolved C, and 1·8 kg S/ha was lost from the catchments in that year. Loads of other chemicals ranged from 0·6 g/ha (boron) to 39·8 kg/ha (aluminium). Over 92% of P, 76% of total dissolved C, and 93% of S was lost in overland flow. Between 50% and 60% of P, and 60% and 85% of S, was in the dissolved form; 64-96% of total dissolved C was dissolved organic C. Other chemicals varied from 0% (aluminium) to 97% (sodium) as the dissolved form. Relatively high losses of P and dissolved organic C are important to a dairy industry which is under increasing pressure to demonstrate minimal environmental impact from farming practices.
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Evans, J. "An evaluation of potential Rhizobium inoculant strains used for pulse production in acidic soils of south-east Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45, no. 3 (2005): 257. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea03129.
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Profitability of the pulse industry relies considerably on crop nitrogen fixation because this process supplies greater than 60% of pulse crop nitrogen. Therefore the industry requires the most efficient Rhizobium symbioses and effective inoculation management. Re-appraisal of the recommended inoculant strain for field pea, SU303, in south-east Australia, was warranted by field evidence that SU303 failed to maximise grain yield at sites in Western Australia. Re-appraisal of the inoculant strain for faba bean and lentil, WSM1274, was warranted because of anecdotal evidence from Western Australia of associated crop failures. In addition, a glasshouse study in Western Australia reported greater dry matter production by faba bean and lentil inoculated with strains other than WSM1274. This paper reports trials comparing potential inoculant strains for field pea and faba bean in soils of south-east Australia. Comparisons are based on efficiency for nitrogen fixation, survival on seed and survival in soil. Additionally, because the pulse industry lacked comprehensive information to assist decision making on the need for recurring inoculation, relevant investigation of this issue is also reported. The results of 3 field experiments for efficiency for nitrogen fixation, over mildly (pHCa 5.0) to strongly (pHCa 4.3) acidic soil in south-east Australia supported replacing SU303 as the commercial inoculant. The efficiency for nitrogen fixation of WSM1274 on faba bean was not found to be inferior to alternative strains. However, its capacity for survival on seed at temperatures of 15°C and above, over a wide range of relative humidity, and perhaps its capacity for survival in acidic soil, was inferior. This provided additional evidence to justify the replacement of this inoculant strain that was agreed to by a national steering committee in 2001, based on the Western Australia reports, the early experiments in this study and those of a collaborative study in Victoria. Alternative inoculant strains to SU303 and WSM1274 were identified in the current study. Temperature and relative humidity conditions suitable for maintaining inoculant viability with extended storage of inoculated field pea and faba bean are also discussed. A survey of rhizobia surviving in soil was used to determine the time scale of persistence of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae and Bradyrhizobium sp. (Lupinus) in soils of the south-east. It was concluded that in soils of pH (CaCl2) <5.1, inoculation of field pea and faba bean should be routinely practiced; none of the strains of R. leguminosarum bv. viciae tested showed ability for survival in strongly acidic soil sufficient to obviate seed inoculation. It was further concluded that the absence of a legume host for lupin rhizobia for 4 or more years would also warrant reintroducing inoculant of B. sp. (Lupinus).
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Spennemann, D. H. R., and L. R. Allen. "Feral olives ( Olea europaea) as future woody weeds in Australia: a review." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 40, no. 6 (2000): 889. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea98141.
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Olives (Olea europaea ssp. europaea), dispersed from 19th century orchards in the Adelaide area, have become established in remnant bushland as a major environmental weed. Recent expansion of the Australian olive industry has resulted in the widespread planting of olive orchards in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and parts of Tasmania. This paper reviews the literature on the activity of vertebrate (principally avian) olive predators and their potential as vectors for spreading this plant into Australian remnant bushland. The effects of feralisation on the olive plant, which enhances its capacity for dispersal as a weed, place wider areas of south-eastern Australia at risk. A number of approaches for the control of olives as woody weeds are addressed. Proponents of new agricultural crops have moral and environmental obligations to assess the weed potential of these crops.
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Dillard, HR, TJ Wicks, and B. Philp. "A grower survey of diseases, invertebrate pests, and pesticide use on potatoes grown in South Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 33, no. 5 (1993): 653. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9930653.
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In 1991, a survey was distributed to 251 potato growers in South Australia to determine major diseases, insect and other invertebrate pests, and chemicals used to control them. The overall response rate was 48%, but of these, 24 individuals were no longer growing potatoes. The results were summarised for the State and by district (Adelaide Hills, Adelaide Plains, Murray Lands, South East). The most prevalent diseases encountered by respondents in all districts were target spot caused by Alternaria solani, and rhizoctonia canker caused by Rhizoctonia solani. Other diseases of concern to growers included late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans, seed piece decay caused by various pathogenic and saprophytic microorganisms, common scab caused by Streptomyces scabies, and leaf roll caused by potato leaf roll virus. The most commonly used fungicides for disease control were chlorothalonil (33-42% of respondents), mancozeb (30%), and cupric hydroxide (11-13%). The most commonly used seed treatments for control of seed piece decay were mancozeb (51 % of respondents), tolclofos methyl (24%), and lime (20%). Green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae), potato moth (Phthorimaea operculella), and jassids and leafhoppers (Jassidae, Cicadellidae) were the pests of greatest concern to the growers. Others included Rutherglen bug (Nysius vinitor), redlegged earth mite (Halotydeus destructor), and thrips (Thripidae). The most commonly used insecticides were ethamidophos (40% of respondents), monocrotophos (22-28%), and dimethoate (7-13%).
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Bullard, G. K., R. J. Roughley, and D. J. Pulsford. "The legume inoculant industry and inoculant quality control in Australia: 1953 - 2003." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45, no. 3 (2005): 127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea03159.
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Fifty years have passed since the first commercial inoculants were manufactured in Australia. Before 1953, various Government Agencies supplied mostly agar cultures with New South Wales Department of Agriculture issuing the first peat-based inoculants. There are no data to indicate the quality of these inoculants, but in the early commercial cultures rhizobia were often outnumbered by contaminants and field failures were widespread. A comprehensive system of quality control was developed from discussions between CSIRO and the University of Sydney. Succeeding quality control bodies have continued on the basis of the original scheme. It set inoculant standards, approved and supplied mother cultures to manufacturers annually, tested all batches of peat inoculants before sale and sampled inoculants at the point of sale. In this paper we describe the history of Australian legume inoculants, list the commercial firms and key people involved and the period during which they were active. We tabulate the strains involved, indicate the period of their use and highlight some of the problems encountered with them and with inoculant production. We indicate the personnel who have been particularly active in the quality control of inoculants, the funding bodies who have supported the work and stress the reliance of the control laboratories on the help of many agricultural scientists in Australia. An important part of the control scheme has been the implementing of standards without resort to legislation. This has depended on the cooperation of the manufacturers involved and has allowed flexibility in applying the standards.
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Cirami, RM, MG McCarthy, and PR Nicholas. "Clonal selection and evaluation to improve production of Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines in South Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 33, no. 2 (1993): 213. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9930213.
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The field performance of selections of Cabernet Sauvignon was evaluated from 1958 to 1988, with the aim of improving yields by visual selection of healthy, vigorous, productive clones from aged, productive vineyards within a district, and by systematic comparison of these clones with candidates from other districts, States, and countries. There were 9 clonal comparison trials, with reference clones provided by results from preceding trials. High yield (5-10 kg/vine) had little effect on juice composition, and performances of high-yielding selections in a range of areas were identified. These clones (SA 125, BVRC 17, G9V3, LC 10 and CW 44) have been established in Registered Source Areas and their cuttings distributed to the grapegrowing industry through the South Australian Vine Improvement Program. Single-vine plots with 10-20 replicates were suggested for more rigorous statistical separation of clones. It is desirable to test clones in the districts where they were selected and where they are to be planted.
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Seymour, M. "Response of narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) to foliar application of growth regulators in Western Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 36, no. 4 (1996): 473. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9960473.
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Four experiments were conducted during 1991-93 in the south coastal and lakes regions of Western Australia, to test the hypothesis that foliar application of a range of growth regulators will improve the pod set and seed yield of narrow-leafed lupins (Lupinus angustifolius L.). The chemicals tested (not all in any 1 year) were: Cultar (250 g paclobutrazol/L), Pursuit (240 g imazethapyr/L), Cytokinin (21 g 6-benzyladenine/L), Legumex (400 g 2,4-DB/L), Cytolin (20 g gibberellins A4 and A7/L and 20 g 6-benzyladenine/L), Bladex (500 g cyanizine/L), Diuron 500F (500 g diuron/L), Lexone (750 g Metribuzin/kg), NAA (40 g 1-napthalene acetic acid/L), Pix (38 g mepiquat chloride/L), Gesatop 500 (500 g simazine/L), High Yield (unknown active ingredient), Lontrel (300 g clopyralid/L), a Cultar-Lontrel mix, and a Lexone-Brodal(500 g diflufenicad) mix. Chemicals were applied from as early as 6 weeks before flowering on the main stem to as late as flowering on the 1st-order branches. Any gross physical effects were visually assessed. Canopy height and components of yield were measured at some of the experimental sites. In 2 experiments, no chemical had any significant effect on seed yield (P>0.05). At the 2 remaining sites, Cultar, Lontrel, and the Lexone-Brodal mix increased seed yield of lupins by 230-250 kg/ha. Seed yield increases were related to improvements in pod set. No chemical had any significant effect (P>0.05) on dry weight production. Timing of application was critical, with application 6 weeks before flowering giving the most consistent positive responses.
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Pople, A. R., S. C. Cairns, N. Menke, and N. Payne. "Estimating the abundance of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia." Wildlife Research 33, no. 2 (2006): 93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr05021.
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To provide an estimate of kangaroo numbers for harvest management, a survey was designed for an area of 29 500 km2 encompassing the agricultural and grazing lands of the Braidwood, Cooma, Goulburn, Gundagai and Yass Rural Lands Protection Board (RLPB) districts in south-east New South Wales. An aerial survey using a helicopter was considered more efficient than ground survey because of the size of the area, relatively high relief and dense tree cover, and the need for regular monitoring. Tree cover and landscape relief was used to stratify the five RLPB districts into areas of probable high, medium and low kangaroo density. Kangaroo density estimated from helicopter surveys conducted in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales was used to suggest densities and thereby allocate survey effort in each stratum. A survey comprising 735 km of transect line was conducted in winter 2003 with a target precision of 20%. The survey returned an estimate of 286 600 ± 32 300 eastern grey kangaroos for the whole of the proposed south-east New South Wales kangaroo-management zone. In 2004, a trial harvest of slightly less than 15% of this estimate was taken. Success of the trial will be determined by the impact of harvesting on the population’s dynamics, by landholder and industry participation, and by the capacity to monitor population size, harvest offtake and compliance with regulations.
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McFarlane, Jim, Bligh Grant, Boyd Blackwell, and Stuart Mounter. "Combining amenity with experience." Tourism Economics 23, no. 5 (September 21, 2016): 1076–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1354816616665754.
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Industry and government bodies have recommended augmentation of traditional production and marketing techniques as ways of increasing an industry’s profitability. This article values the amenity of the wine industry, a sensory experience that provides an array of opportunities both culturally to the tourist and economically to many regions across the world. Using the wine industry in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, we use input–output analysis to assess the economic impacts of this industry and the amenity hidden within. The industry not only provides jobs and commerce supporting local prosperity but also supplies a mixed production and consumption amenity from an agricultural product that meets the tourist’s leisure desire – an amenity that transcends from its origin in the vineyard to its destination at the table.
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Watson, Kalynda M. A., Katarina M. Mikac, and Sibylle G. Schwab. "Population Genetics of the Invasive Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes, in South-Eastern Australia." Genes 12, no. 5 (May 20, 2021): 786. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/genes12050786.
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The use of genetic information in conservation biology has become more widespread with genetic information more readily available for non-model organisms. It has also been recognized that genetic information from invasive species can inform their management and control. The red fox poses a significant threat to Australian native fauna and the agricultural industry. Despite this, there are few recently published studies investigating the population genetics of foxes in Australia. This study investigated the population genetics of 94 foxes across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions of New South Wales, Australia. Diversity Array sequencing technology was used to genotype a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (N = 33,375). Moderate genetic diversity and relatedness were observed across the foxes sampled. Low to moderate levels of inbreeding, high-levels of identity-by-state values, as well as high identity-by-descent values were also found. There was limited evidence for population genetic structure among the foxes across the landscape sampled, supporting the presence of a single population across the study area. This indicates that there may be no barriers hindering fox dispersal across the landscape.
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Bunn, S. E., E. G. Abal, P. F. Greenfield, and D. M. Tarte. "Making the connection between healthy waterways and healthy catchments: South East Queensland, Australia." Water Supply 7, no. 2 (July 1, 2007): 93–100. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2007.044.
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The waterways of South East Queensland, Australia, represent unique and complex ecosystems that have a high conservation value and support major recreational and commercial fisheries. The agricultural districts of the region also contribute significantly to the regional economy and, together with the growing urban areas, are heavily reliant on good quality water supplies. However, the human footprint of these activities has led to significant changes in catchment hydrology and sediment delivery, declining water quality and loss of aquatic biodiversity. Predicted population increases in the region are likely to further impact on the ecological and economic health of its waterways and catchments, and there are growing community expectations to reverse the decline in water quality and ecosystem health. In response to these concerns, government, industry and community stakeholders have worked in close cooperation to develop a whole-of-government, whole-of-community approach to understanding and managing the region's waterways. This paper provides an overview of the experience gained through development of the SEQ Healthy Waterways Partnership and highlights some of the key factors we believe have contributed to its success.
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Whan, I., G. Bortolussi, and R. Backus. "The impact of innovation on beef production in far northern Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, no. 2 (2006): 271. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea05175.
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In this paper we examine the forces that have shaped Australia’s far northern (north of 20° south) beef industry over the past 35 years. This is done for the purpose of tracing its transformation from a state of relative isolation to an integral part of the national beef industry. We note that integration is being accompanied by a greater focus, particularly by corporate producers, on specialised breeding in the far north and this is being assisted by innovations that increase herd fertility and raise the meat quality of the progeny, while retaining adaptation of the breeding herd to the local environment. Among a range of technologies, genetic improvement has significant potential to bring about rapid improvement in the meat quality of tropically adapted cattle. With respect to gene-based technology, however, independent producers will have to be convinced about the rigour of the technology and the prospects of economic gains before they make significant management changes. To this end, innovative marketing systems are needed that will reveal the link between expected meat returns and the offer prices applying to groups of growing cattle in any location. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to develop and introduce a descriptive and informative trading language for growing cattle that incorporates inherent qualities including those that influence meat quality. Innovations that will complement those applying to enhancement of meat quality are more general but will significantly raise herd productivity. We also compare the operating systems of both corporate and independent producers in the region.
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Lawrence, Susan, James Grove, Peter Davies, Jodi Turnbull, Ian Rutherfurd, and Mark Macklin. "Historical dredge mining as a significant anthropomorphic agent in river systems: A case study from south-eastern Australia." Holocene 31, no. 7 (March 25, 2021): 1158–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/09596836211003272.
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Bucket dredging to mine and extract gold and tin from rivers is a global industry that has had a range of negative effects on physical environments. These include the destruction of riparian soil profiles and structures, artificial channel straightening and loss of in-stream biodiversity. In this paper we evaluate the immediate effects and long-term consequences of bucket dredging on rivers in Victoria and New South Wales during the period 1900–1950. High quality historical sources on dredge mining are integrated with geospatial datasets, aerial imagery and geomorphological data to analyse the scale of the dredging industry, evidence for disturbance to river channels and floodplains and current land use in dredged areas. The study demonstrates that the environmental impact of dredging was altered but not reduced by anti-pollution regulations intended to control dredging. An assessment of river condition 70–100 years after dredge mining ceased indicates that floodplains and river channels continue to show the effects of dredging, including bank erosion, sediment slugs, compromised habitat and reduced agricultural productivity. These findings have significant implications for river and floodplain management.
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Mitchell, M. L., M. R. McCaskill, and R. D. Armstrong. "Phosphorus fertiliser management for pastures based on native grasses in south-eastern Australia." Crop and Pasture Science 70, no. 12 (2019): 1044. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp19217.
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Approximately 3.1 Mha (22%) of the agricultural area of south-eastern Australia can be classified as native pasture. There is the assumption that, owing to the widespread occurrence of low-fertility soils in Australia, native grass species do not respond to increased phosphorus (P) fertility. Currently, there are no industry recommendations of target soil-test P values for native-grass-based pastures. This paper reviews the responses of perennial native pasture species endemic to south-eastern Australia to P application in controlled environments, surveys, replicated experiments and paired-paddock trials. Eighty-seven site-years of trial data where different levels of P were applied, conducted over the last two decades, on native-based pastures in south-eastern Australia are reviewed. Data indicate that application of P fertilisers to native grass pastures can increase dry matter (DM) production and maintain pasture stability. However, minimum targets for herbage mass (800 kg DM/ha) and groundcover (80%) are required to ensure persistence of perennial native grasses. Stocking rates also need to match carrying capacity of the pasture. Based on previous research, we recommend target soil-test (Olsen; 0–10 cm) P levels for fertility-tolerant native grass pastures, based on Microlaena stipoides, Rytidosperma caespitosum, R. fulvum, R. richardsonii, R. duttonianum and R. racemosum, of 10–13 mg/kg, whereas for pastures based on fertility-intolerant species such as Themeda triandra, lower levels of <6 mg/kg are required to ensure botanical stability.
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Suybeng, Bénédicte, Edward Charmley, Christopher P. Gardiner, Bunmi S. Malau-Aduli, and Aduli E. O. Malau-Aduli. "Methane Emissions and the Use of Desmanthus in Beef Cattle Production in Northern Australia." Animals 9, no. 8 (August 9, 2019): 542. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani9080542.
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The Australian beef industry is a major contributor to the economy with an estimated annual revenue generation of over seven billion dollars. The tropical state of Queensland accounted for 48% of Australian beef and veal production in 2018. As the third biggest beef exporter in the world, Australia supplies 3% of the world’s beef exports and its agricultural sector accounts for an estimated 13.2% of its total greenhouse gas emissions. About 71% of total agricultural emissions are in the form of methane and nitrous oxide. In this review, an overview of the carbon footprint of the beef cattle production system in northern Australia is presented, with emphasis on the mitigation of greenhouse gases. The review also focuses on the tropical legume, Desmanthus, one of the more promising nutritional supplements for methane abatement and improvement of animal growth performance. Among the review’s findings is the need to select environmentally well-adapted and vigorous tropical legumes containing tannins that can persistently survive under the harsh northern Australian conditions for driving animal performance, improving meat quality and reducing methane emissions. The paper argues that the use of appropriate legumes such as Desmanthus, is a natural and preferred alternative to the use of chemicals for the abatement of methane emanating from tropical beef cattle production systems. It also highlights current gaps in knowledge and new research opportunities for in vivo studies on the impact of Desmanthus on methane emissions of supplemented tropical beef cattle.
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Bortolussi, G., J. G. McIvor, J. J. Hodgkinson, S. G. Coffey, and C. R. Holmes. "The northern Australian beef industry, a snapshot. 5. Land and pasture development practices." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45, no. 9 (2005): 1121. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea04013.
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The land and pasture development practices of 375 northern Australian beef properties in 8 regions were surveyed during 1996–97. These properties represented a broad cross-section of the beef industry in terms of geographical location, enterprise and herd size, and ownership structures. Both tree clearing and killing were more common in Queensland than in the Northern Territory or northern Western Australia. In all regions where trees were poisoned, native pasture was more widely used than sowing introduced grass and/or legume species. In contrast, tree clearing was most often accompanied by sowing pastures (either an introduced grass only or introduced grass and legume species together), rather than using native pastures. Central coastal Queensland had the highest use of poisoning trees for pasture development. Tree clearing and using native pasture was most important in central Queensland regions and the Maranoa South West. Sowing introduced pasture species under live trees was more commonly practiced in northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia than in other regions. A considerable number of introduced grass and legume species were sown by producers. Most of the sown species were grasses. Many of the sown grass and legume species were spreading naturally. Buffel grass was spreading in all areas with < 1000 mm average annual rainfall, but most sown species were spreading only in wetter regions. Stylosanthes spp. were the most commonly spreading legume species in regions with > 500 mm average annual rainfall. The results are discussed in relation to contemporary natural resource management issues and how this may affect land and pasture development activities in the future.
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Bortolussi, G., J. G. McIvor, J. J. Hodgkinson, S. G. Coffey, and C. R. Holmes. "The northern Australian beef industry, a snapshot. 3. Annual liveweight gains from pasture based systems." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45, no. 9 (2005): 1093. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea03098.
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The herd performance of 375 northern Australian beef producers during the 1991 and 1992 to 1995 and 1996 financial years was surveyed in 1996 and 1997. Estimates were made of annual liveweight gain from production systems based on native and improved pastures together with hormonal growth promotant use and supplementation practices. The most commonly used pasture communities for growing and finishing cattle were black speargrass and brigalow communities in Central Coastal Queensland and the Central Highlands; black speargrass in Northern Queensland; Mitchell grass and gidgee in Central Western and North-west Queensland; Mitchell grass in the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia regions and brigalow–softwood scrub in the Maranoa South West. There was considerable variation and overlap in the production ranges of the various pasture communities. The estimates and ranges of annual liveweight gains were comparable with measurements from scientific and commercial studies for 3 major pasture communities (black speargrass, brigalow and Mitchell grass). On this basis, the annual liveweight gain data are considered to represent sound estimates of performance from the pasture communities and husbandry systems in use in northern Australia. Mean annual gains for pasture communities in the more northern regions tended to be <150 kg/year. Half the survey group used hormonal growth promotants but use varied between regions with lowest levels in Central Coastal Queensland (30%) and highest usage in the Central Highlands (59%). Steers and bullocks were the most commonly implanted class of cattle. Supplementation periods tended to be longest in more northern regions. Nitrogen was a component of >90% of the supplements offered. The percentage of producers supplementing various classes of cattle varied widely (0–77%). Steers were often the least supplemented class and weaners were the most common. The highest percentage of producers (>68%) supplementing weaners was found in North-west and Northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia. Significant correlations explaining 3–23% of the variance were found between annual liveweight gain and latitude and/or longitude for native black speargrass and Mitchell grass pasture communities and improved brigalow pastures. Generally, annual liveweight gain increased with increasing latitude and longitude. The results are discussed in relation to herd management practices and sources of variation in the northern Australian production environment.
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Smith, Rhiannon, Julian Reid, Laura Scott-Morales, Stuart Green, and Nick Reid. "A baseline survey of birds in native vegetation on cotton farms in inland eastern Australia." Wildlife Research 46, no. 4 (2019): 304. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr18038.
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Context The Australian cotton industry has committed to (1) understanding the biodiversity value of remnant native vegetation on cotton farms, (2) funding independent, evidence-based assessments of the industry’s sustainability and environmental performance, and (3) investing in research that reports against recognised sustainability indicators. Aims The present study reports the results of an industry-wide survey to benchmark bird diversity in native vegetation on cotton farms spanning a 1260-km north–south subcontinental gradient from Central Queensland (Qld) to Southern New South Wales (NSW). Methods Between September and November 2014, birds were sampled twice on separate days in 2-ha quadrats (20 min per census) in eight remnant vegetation types as well as in native revegetation at 197 sites on 60 cotton farms spread across the principal cotton-growing zones (Central Qld, Border Rivers, Macquarie and Southern NSW) in inland eastern Australia. Key results We recorded 185 bird species in remnant and planted native vegetation on cotton farms. Species richness of bird communities declined from north to south. Bird community composition was similar in the three southern zones, differing somewhat in the north. The most frequent species were large (>60 g), readily detected landbirds common in agricultural districts, but 26 of the 53 extant species of conservation concern in the study region were also recorded, including 16 species of declining woodland birds. Bird composition, abundance, richness and diversity differed among the nine native vegetation types, with maximal and minimal bird abundance and diversity metrics recorded in river red gum-dominated riparian vegetation and grassland respectively. Conclusions Each remnant vegetation community had a generally distinct bird assemblage, indicating that all vegetation types contribute to regional biodiversity in cotton-growing zones in inland eastern Australia. Appropriate on-farm management of all remnant and planted native vegetation will assist regional biodiversity conservation. Implications For the Australian cotton industry to meet its stated environmental responsibilities, growers should be encouraged to prioritise the conservation management of remnant, riparian and planted native vegetation on cotton farms and the monitoring of bird species as an indicator of regional biodiversity response.
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Siddique, KHM, SP Loss, and D. Enneking. "Narbon bean (Vicia narbonensis L.): a promising grain legume for low rainfall areas of south-western Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 36, no. 1 (1996): 53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9960053.
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The phenology, growth, seed yield and yield components of a number of introduced narbon bean (Vicia narbonensis L.) accessions and F9 breeding lines were compared with faba bean (Vicia faba L. cv. Fiord) or field pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Dundale) at 3 sites in 2 seasons. All narbon bean accessions had slow development, for example all accessions reached 50% flowering 9-35 days later than faba bean or field pea depending on the accession, site and season. Dry matter production near flowering ranged from 1.0 to 2.3 tlha and the growth of the best accessions was comparable with faba bean. In general, the accession ATC 60114 collected in the Beka'a Valley, Lebanon, produced the greatest seed yield across the sites and seasons (on average 1.52 t/ha). In 1993, the best narbon bean accession produced seed yields that ranged from 59% of the faba bean seed yield at the wettest site to 121% at the driest site. In the following year, one of the driest in decades, 6 accessions produced seed yields of more than 1.0 t/ha, similar to field pea. Seed yield was negatively correlated with days to flowering, podding and maturity, suggesting that yield could be improved by selecting for more rapid development. Most accessions retained the majority of their leaves at maturity, but showed some degree of pod shattering and a moderate level of lodging at maturity. Genotypic variation in all these characters was evident. Further selection and breeding, together with appropriate agronomic packages will improve the adaptation of narbon bean to mediterranean-type environments of southern Australia. However, the adoption of narbon bean in Australian agriculture will depend on its marketability and acceptance by the stockfeed industry, and its on-farm utility.
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Palmer, Jeda, Peter J. Thorburn, Elizabeth A. Meier, Jody S. Biggs, Brett Whelan, Kanika Singh, and David N. Eyre. "Can management practices provide greenhouse gas abatement in grain farms in New South Wales, Australia?" Crop and Pasture Science 68, no. 4 (2017): 390. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp17026.
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Greenhouse gas abatement in the agricultural cropping industry can be achieved by employing management practices that sequester soil carbon (C) or minimise nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soils. However, C sequestration stimulates N2O emissions, making the net greenhouse-gas abatement potential of management practices difficult to predict. We studied land-management practices that have potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by increasing soil C storage and/or decreasing soil N2O emissions for a diverse range of broadacre grain cropping sites in New South Wales. Carbon sequestration and N2O emissions were simulated with the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) for a baseline crop-management scenario and alternative scenarios representing management practices for greenhouse gas abatement, for 15 rainfed or irrigated sites. The global warming potential of the scenarios was quantified at 25 and 100 years after commencement of the alternative practices. Soil C and N2O emissions were predicted to increase with the use of practices that increased organic matter additions to the soil (e.g. adding a summer crop to the rotation). However, in only a few cases did the increase in soil C storage counter the N2O emissions sufficiently to provide net greenhouse gas abatement. For rainfed sites, inclusion of a summer crop and/or a pasture in the rotation was predicted to provide greenhouse gas abatement after 25 years, whereas after 100 years, only practices that included a summer crop provided abatement for some sites. For irrigated sites after 25 years, practices that reduced N fertiliser rate while retaining stubble were predicted to provide small abatement, and practices that included a summer crop provided abatement for some sites. After 100 years, practices likely to provide abatement included those that reduced N2O emissions, such as reducing N fertiliser rate. These findings suggest that a few management practices are likely to abate greenhouse gas emissions across New South Wales grain production sites and that these practices differ for irrigated and rainfed sites.
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Schoknecht, Noel. "Report card on sustainable natural-resource use in the agricultural regions of Western Australia." Soil Research 53, no. 6 (2015): 695. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr14267.
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A ‘Report Card’, which summarises the current knowledge of the status and trend in land condition in the agricultural areas of the south-west of Western Australia, was published in 2013 by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. The Report Card draws on best available evidence from government and industry on the current condition and trend of 10 soil- and water-related natural resource themes relevant to agriculture, and discusses the implications of these results for the agricultural industries. The report also discusses the three main factors driving the performance of the land, namely climate, land characteristics and land management. The first two factors are largely out of the control of land managers, but in a drying and warming climate of the agricultural areas of Western Australia, land-management practices need to be able to respond to these changing conditions. The paper briefly explains the methodologies used to assess the seven soil-related themes in the Report Card and summarises the major findings. The results indicate that, for soils, the situation and outlook for our natural resources is mixed. Although there has been progress in some areas, such as managing wind and water erosion, the status and trend in many indicators of resource condition, such as soil acidity, soil compaction and water repellence, are adverse. The predicted growth in global demand for food and fibre brings many opportunities to the Western Australian agri-food sector but also challenges, especially in light of the Report Card findings. One of these challenges is our need to achieve agricultural productivity growth while ensuring our natural resources are healthy and resilient.
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Holmes, Mike, Anu Kumar, Ali Shareef, Hai Doan, Richard Stuetz, and Rai Kookana. "Fate of indicator endocrine disrupting chemicals in sewage during treatment and polishing for non-potable reuse." Water Science and Technology 62, no. 6 (September 1, 2010): 1416–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2010.436.
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The removal and fate of several indicator endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) at two large municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Adelaide South Australia was investigated. Non-estrogens included the non-ionic surfactant breakdown compounds nonyl phenol mono- and di-ethoxylates, 4-t-octylphenol and 4-nonyl phenol; and, the plasticizer bisphenol A. Estrogens included 17β-estradiol; estrone; and, 17α-ethynylestradiol. Effluent from Bolivar WWTP is polished using stabilisation lagoons followed by coagulation, dissolved air flotation/filtration and chlorination for non-potable reuse. Biosolids from both plants is applied to agricultural land as a soil conditioner. Non-estrogen indicator EDCs were detected at the highest concentration in sewage, effluent and sludge but estrogen indicator EDCs contributed the greatest potential for estrogenicity. The fate of indicator EDCs at various treatment stages is complex and includes biochemical modification/transformation and/or partitioning to either solid or liquid phases. Activated sludge treatment was an important removal barrier achieving moderate—high removal of predicted and YES (a yeast screen assay) measured estrogen equivalent values (EEq). Combined polishing treatment achieved high removal of candidate EDCs (97%). Mass balance indicates that the largest source of estrogenicity discharged from both WWTPs investigated is digested sludge which accounts for 18 and 22% respectively of the combined predicted and YES measured EEq measured in sewage at the two WWTPs.
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Woodall, G. S., and C. J. Robinson. "Natural diversity of Santalum spicatum host species in south-coast river systems and their incorporation into profitable and biodiverse revegetation." Australian Journal of Botany 51, no. 6 (2003): 741. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt02118.
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The commercially valuable root hemiparasite Santalum spicatum (R.Br.) A.DC. (sandalwood) once grew throughout the medium- to low-rainfall areas of the south-western agricultural region of Australia; however, this resource has been exhausted by over-exploitation and clearing for agriculture. There has been growing interest from the farming community and other investors in the development of a plantation Santalum spicatum industry in southern Western Australia. This study investigated the distribution of remnant S. spicatum within the Pallinup River catchment and assessed the risk of S. spicatum population decline due to salinity. The natural range of host species at different sites (river catchments) across the south coast was also investigated. Remnant populations of S.�spicatum within and adjacent to the Pallinup River catchment were small (1–70 trees) and highly fragmented. The risk of further population decline due to salinity was concluded to be small because remnant trees were generally growing in well drained, sandy soils that were elevated above (median 9 m) their immediate drainage line. Across the seven river catchments surveyed, S. spicatum occurred in a range of vegetation associations and parasitised numerous species (68) from a wide range of genera and families. The suite of species exploited varied within and between catchments. Thirty species, including most monocots and Myrtaceae, were not successfully parasitised. Remnant S. spicatum always occurred on well drained soil types that supported open-woodland or mallee–heath communities. Sandalwood plantations, supported by numerous individuals of a range of host species (10–40 species), were shown to be productive in terms of sandalwood growth. The scale of the developing sandalwood plantation industry is likely to be small and unlikely to cover large areas of catchments. Thus, this industry alone is unlikely to address the salinity crisis through broadscale recharge management. However, additional to on-site recharge reduction, biodiverse host plantations may improve the prospects for biodiversity and rivers in salinising landscapes through the protection and enhancement of natural biodiversity, creation of new habitat, conservation of plant species and by providing a commercial incentive to protect biodiversity.
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Schulz, T. J., and D. Barnes. "The Stratified Facultative Lagoon for the Treatment and Storage of High Strength Agricultural Wastewaters." Water Science and Technology 22, no. 9 (September 1, 1990): 43–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.1990.0065.
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A research and development programme at The University of New South Wales and a large intensive piggery located on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, has culminated in the successful commissioning of an odour control process for the storage and treatment of wastewaters from the piggery. The stratified facultative lagoon utilises surface aeration of an otherwise anaerobic lagoon to provide a non-odorous cover for the anaerobic contents. The process has filled a need in the pig industry for a non-odorous cost effective alternative to conventional treatment systems, prior to wastewater re-use or disposal by land application. Critical design parameters include lagoon depth, specific energy input and aeration system design. Mean removal efficiencies of biochemical oxygen demand of 75 per cent have been achieved consistently. The development of the process was facilitated by the use of wastewater redox potential testing to indicate the likely presence of odorous compounds in the liquid on the surface of the lagoon and in the surrounding atmosphere. Surface redox potential readings (Eh) greater than −76 mV resulted in non-odorous operation of the process.
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Naidu, B. P. "Production of betaine from Australian Melaleuca spp. for use in agriculture to reduce plant stress." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, no. 9 (2003): 1163. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea02223.
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Some of the Melaleuca spp., native to Australia, are unique in their ability to withstand environmental stresses. The stress tolerance of these species is attributable to their ability to accumulate large quantities of organic compounds known as osmoprotectants or proline (betaine) analogues. Osmoprotectants can be extracted easily from these plants and used in seed treatment and foliar application to increase the stress tolerance of economic crops. This paper examines the potential of 8 Melaleuca spp. for the production of osmoprotectants. Melaleuca bracteata, which accumulates the proline analogue trans 4-hydroxy-N-methyl proline (MHP), was the most vigorous of all 8 species field tested in New South Wales and Queensland. A simple extraction protocol for commercial use is suggested. By growing M. bracteata, it is possible to achieve an average yield of 493 kg/ha of MHP along with 218 kg/ha of essential oil, with a gross economic return of AU$14505/ha. This return is better than that estimated for M. alternifolia, $3200/ha, which is currently grown for the production of tea tree oil. The cultivation of M. bracteata has the potential of creating a new industry for Australia, in addition to its positive role in the control of dryland salinity.
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Murray-Prior, R. B., D. Hart, and J. Dymond. "An analysis of farmer uptake of formal farm management training in Western Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 40, no. 4 (2000): 557. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea99111.
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In the last decade some agricultural policy makers and other industry leaders have suggested that farmers will need to upgrade their business management skills to cope with the rapid changes in the agribusiness environment. Anecdotal and research evidence has suggested that many farmers do not perceive this need and are reluctant to participate in formal business management training to upgrade their skills. A study involving focus groups, a survey of training providers and a telephone survey of 197 farm managers investigated if and why farmers in the south-west agricultural region of Western Australia might be reluctant to participate. Two thirds of farmers in the survey had not participated in formal farm business management training. Older, more experienced farmers with lower levels of formal education were the least likely to attend and were less likely to be aware of available training activities. Women who were members of farm management teams (32%) were more likely to attend training than men. Attitudes towards formal training appear to be improving and farmers are aware of the increasing importance of farm business management training. Lack of attendance seems to be related in some instances to a lack of suitable local training activities, a preference for informal over formal learning and a lack of confidence in the relevance of the training. It is suggested that strategies should be developed to provide and deliver suitable training to those sectors of farming community that are not participating in current programs.
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Cox, J. W., D. J. Chittleborough, H. J. Brown, A. Pitman, and J. C. R. Varcoe. "Seasonal changes in hydrochemistry along a toposequence of texture-contrast soils." Soil Research 40, no. 4 (2002): 581. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr01042.
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Ameliorative strategies are urgently required in some agricultural catchments in southern Australia to reduce the loss of potential contaminants to streams. However, a better understanding of where the contaminants are generated on hillslopes, their forms, and the pathways through which they are transported were required. Thus, seasonal changes in the quantities and forms of several chemical species were measured in both vertical and lateral flow pathways at 4 sites along a toposequence in the Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia. Instrumentation was installed to measure and quantify overland flow and throughflow, and porous-wick samplers were installed at 2 depths to study the chemistry of leachate. Neutron moisture meter access tubes were installed to measure seasonal changes in soil water content with depth as this influences chemical concentrations and mobility. In years of average to below average annual rainfall, throughflow was the most important transport pathway for contaminants. However, it was expected that overland flow will be the dominant transport pathway when annual rainfall is above about 550 mm. Changes in water content of the texture-contrast soils was caused by seasonal rainfall causing periodic saturation, by waterlogging, groundwater, or both. This affected the type and form of contaminant. For example, Na and Cl concentrations were generally only large (800 and 1500 mg/L, respectively) on the lower slopes but in the wettest seasons their concentrations increased at depth on mid-slopes due to the influence of shallow saline groundwater. These chemicals then leached when groundwater levels subsided. The results suggest that ameliorative strategies to reduce agricultural contaminants should target the transport pathways specific to each chemical species, at the point (or points) in the landscape where they are generated.
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MUSHTAQ, S., N. WHITE, G. COCKFIELD, B. POWER, and G. JAKEMAN. "Reconfiguring agriculture through the relocation of production systems for water, environment and food security under climate change." Journal of Agricultural Science 153, no. 5 (November 10, 2014): 779–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021859614001117.
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SUMMARYThe prospect of climate change has revived both fears of food insecurity and its corollary, market opportunities for agricultural production. In Australia, with its long history of state-sponsored agricultural development, there is renewed interest in the agricultural development of tropical and sub-tropical northern regions. Climate projections suggest that there will be less water available to the main irrigation systems of the eastern central and southern regions of Australia, while net rainfall could be sustained or even increase in the northern areas. Hence, there could be more intensive use of northern agricultural areas, with the relocation of some production of economically important commodities such as vegetables, rice and cotton. The problem is that the expansion of cropping in northern Australia has been constrained by agronomic and economic considerations.The present paper examines the economics, at both farm and regional level, of relocating some cotton production from the east-central irrigation areas to the north where there is an existing irrigation scheme together with some industry and individual interest in such relocation. Integrated modelling and expert knowledge are used to examine this example of prospective climate change adaptation. Farm-level simulations show that without adaptation, overall gross margins will decrease under a combination of climate change and reduction in water availability. A dynamic regional Computable General Equilibrium model is used to explore two scenarios of relocating cotton production from south east Queensland, to sugar-dominated areas in northern Queensland. Overall, an increase in real economic output and real income was realized when some cotton production was relocated to sugar cane fallow land/new land. There were, however, large negative effects on regional economies where cotton production displaced sugar cane. It is concluded that even excluding the agronomic uncertainties, which are not examined here, there is unlikely to be significant market-driven relocation of cotton production.
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Baker, G. H., and C. R. Tann. "Broad-scale suppression of cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), associated with Bt cotton crops in Northern New South Wales, Australia." Bulletin of Entomological Research 107, no. 2 (November 23, 2016): 188–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007485316000912.
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AbstractThe cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, is a major pest of many agricultural crops in several countries, including Australia. Transgenic cotton, expressing a single Bt toxin, was first used in the 1990s to control H. armigera and other lepidopteran pests. Landscape scale or greater pest suppression has been reported in some countries using this technology. However, a long-term, broad-scale pheromone trapping program for H. armigera in a mixed cropping region in eastern Australia caught more moths during the deployment of single Bt toxin cotton (Ingard®) (1996–2004) than in previous years. This response can be attributed, at least in part, to (1) a precautionary cap (30% of total cotton grown, by area) being applied to Ingard® to restrict the development of Bt resistance in the pest, and (2) during the Ingard® era, cotton production greatly increased (as did that of another host plant, sorghum) and H. armigera (in particular the 3rd and older generations) responded in concert with this increase in host plant availability. However, with the replacement of Ingard® with Bollgard II® cotton (containing two different Bt toxins) in 2005, and recovery of the cotton industry from prevailing drought, H. armigera failed to track increased host-plant supply and moth numbers decreased. Greater toxicity of the two gene product, introduction of no cap on Bt cotton proportion, and an increase in natural enemy abundance are suggested as the most likely mechanisms responsible for the suppression observed.
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Measham, Thomas G., Raymundo Marcos-Martinez, Lavinia Poruschi, and David Fleming-Muñoz. "Lessons from 5 years of GISERA economic research." APPEA Journal 60, no. 1 (2020): 34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj19226.
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Scientifically robust analysis of trade-offs for onshore gas activity can inform the design of strategies for socially acceptable and efficient use of energy resources. Here, we present lessons from a portfolio of research spanning three States and different industry stages conducted as part of the Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA). Considering the effects of onshore gas development on regional economies, an important lesson is to look at net changes, considering decreases as well as increases in economic activity. In Queensland, where competing claims about employment effects were raised in public debates, measuring reduced agricultural employment in addition to increases to the number of jobs in other sectors were crucial to providing a balanced analysis. Another lesson is to take a broad view of economic dimensions beyond employment and income. Our research shifted the public debate when we demonstrated that the construction phase in Queensland improved youth retention, gender balance and skill levels. Another lesson is that economic effects of gas development (positive or negative) can occur before stakeholders expect them. In New South Wales, we observed that the exploration phase had a significant positive effect on income (but not employment). A further lesson is that effects differ between domestic and export markets. Research from South Australia has demonstrated that the potential regional benefits of gas development substantially depend on meeting the energy needs of other local industries such as manufacturing. These lessons can inform public debate and policy settings and help balance different priorities such as energy needs, regional development and environmental sustainability.
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Chataway, R. G., V. J. Doogan, and W. M. Strong. "A survey of dairy farmers' practices and attitudes towards some aspects of arable-land management in the Darling Downs and South Burnett regions of Queensland." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, no. 5 (2003): 449. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea01179.
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The Darling Downs and Southern Inland Burnett are important geographical subregions of the Queensland dairy industry. The system of dairy farming in these subregions is unique in Australia in that it is based on grazed annual forage crops rather than pastures. When these soils were first cultivated up to 110 years ago they were inherently fertile. However, erosion and fertility decline has reduced their productive capacity and there is a need for the adoption of farming practices that are less exploitative. In February 1997, a survey was conducted to determine dairy farmers' practices and attitudes toward management strategies that were being recommended to grain farmers in the subtropical cereal belt for sustaining the soil resource base. These strategies included greater use of ley pastures, opportunistic double-cropping, zero-till planting and higher fertiliser inputs. We found that dairy farmers were generally familiar with and understanding of the potential benefits of these approaches to their farming enterprises. However, farmers raised a number of issues that need consideration in the transfer of these practices to dairy forage production. These included concerns that an increased emphasis on pastures would result in lower and less-reliable forage production; that double-cropping is practiced more out of necessity than in the belief it is a better way to farm; that zero tillage may not be suitable on clay soils that have been trampled by cattle and that farmers rely primarily on their own observations of crop performance to determine fertiliser use. These findings have particular implications for research and extension activities conducted with dairy farmers and are also relevant to work conducted with other cropping enterprises that incorporate grazing animals in their farming program.
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Chauhan, Yashvir S., and Merrill Ryan. "Frost Risk Management in Chickpea Using a Modelling Approach." Agronomy 10, no. 4 (March 26, 2020): 460. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10040460.
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Post-flowering frosts cause appreciable losses to the Australian chickpea industry. The Northern Grains Region (NGR) of Australia, which accounts for nearly 95% of chickpea production in Australia, is frequently subjected to such events. The objective of this study was to map frost risk in chickpea in the NGR and develop strategies to minimise the impacts of such risk. The Agricultural Production System Simulator (APSIM) modelling framework was used to determine spatial and temporal trends in post-flowering frost risk. The NGR could be divided into six broad sub-regions, each delineating locations with similar frost risk. The risk was nearly two to three times greater in the Southern Downs and Darling Downs sub-regions as compared to the Central Queensland Highlands, Dawson Callide, New South Wales, and Northern New South Wales–Western Downs sub-regions. There was an increasing trend in the frequency of frost events in the Southern Downs and New South Wales sub-regions, and a decreasing trend in the Central Queensland Highlands and Dawson Callide sub-regions, consistent with the changing climate of the NGR. In each sub-region, frost risk declined with delayed sowings, but such sowings resulted in simulation of reduced water limited yield potential (unfrosted) as well. The model output was also used to compute 10, 30, 50, and 70% probabilities of the last day of experiencing −3 to 2 °C minimum temperatures and identify the earliest possible sowings that would avoid such temperatures after flowering. Choosing the earliest sowing times with a 30% frost risk could help increase overall yields in environments with high frost risk. Simulations involving genotype x environment x management interactions suggested additional opportunities to minimise frost losses through the adoption of particular cultivars of differing phenology and the use of different agronomy in various environments of the NGR. The study indicates that there is considerable variation in frost risk across the NGR and that manipulating flowering times either through time of sowing or cultivar choice could assist in minimising yield losses in chickpea due to frost.
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Davies, S. L., A. M. Storrie, A. S. Cook, R. A. Latta, A. D. Swan, and M. B. Peoples. "Factors influencing herbicide efficacy when removing lucerne prior to cropping." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, no. 10 (2006): 1301. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea05220.
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Farmers often experience inconsistent responses when using herbicides to terminate an established lucerne pasture prior to cropping. In an attempt to redress this problem, a series of field experiments were conducted between 1999 and 2002 at various locations in southern and northern New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and south Western Australia that aimed to identify management guidelines that improved the efficacy of herbicide mixtures commonly used to remove lucerne. Collectively, these studies indicated that herbicides were generally less effective when applied either early (less than 2 weeks) or late (6 weeks or more) in the regrowth cycle of lucerne after defoliation. Herbicide efficacy tended to be greatest if applied to regrowth 3–5 weeks after defoliation, which corresponds to a time when the lucerne crown and root reserves are likely to be in the process of being replenished by photoassimilates transported from the shoot. The impact of timing of herbicide application in relation to season was compared at a number of locations. Across all the sites and years, spring herbicide applications were generally the most effective, removing on average 87% of the lucerne (range 53–100%) compared with 72% in summer (24–100%) and 60% in autumn (7–92%). Spring applications were also more consistent in their effect, removing >80% of the lucerne plants in 9 out of 12 experiments, whereas similar rates of removal occurred on 4 occasions in 9 summer applications and only twice in 8 autumn applications. Some of the seasonal variation could be explained by differences in the amount of rainfall prior to herbicide applications. It was assumed that the relationship between rainfall and herbicide efficacy reflected the stimulation of lucerne shoot and root growth by the additional soil moisture before herbicide treatment. Herbicide mixtures that contained ingredients such as picloram that retain residual activity in the soil tended to be more effective and were less influenced by lucerne growth and season than those herbicides with little or no residual activity. However, such chemicals could potentially restrict which crops can subsequently be grown after a lucerne pasture has been removed. It was concluded that >80% of lucerne plants were likely to be removed using herbicides provided that the herbicide treatment was applied to actively growing lucerne 3–5 weeks after defoliation, and when greater than 70–95 mm rain had fallen in the 6–8 weeks prior to application.
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Raftery, David. "Producing value from Australia's vineyards: an ethnographic approach to 'the quality turn' in the Australian wine industry." Journal of Political Ecology 24, no. 1 (September 27, 2017): 342. http://dx.doi.org/10.2458/v24i1.20877.
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Abstract This article provides a detailed ethnographic intervention to the phenomenon of value-added agriculture, a discourse that has attained several concrete forms in Australian wine industry policy, and which is routinely presented as a legitimate rural future in wider agricultural and social science research. The legal and policy architecture of 'Geographical Indications' purports to value the regional distinctiveness of agricultural areas, by creating legally-defined wine regions. Producers from these wine regions enjoy privileged access to the use of regional descriptors that apply to their products, and the constitution of such wine regions can also codify the relationships between this regional identity and concrete viticultural and winemaking practices. This article draws on ethnographic research within the Clare Valley region of South Australia, one of the first Australian wine regions to be formally constituted as a legal entity, to examine in close detail the relationships that this region's wine producers have with their own discrete areas of operation. These ethnographic illustrations highlight that the creation of economic value within the premium wine industry cannot be reduced to the technical aspects of viticulture and oenology, nor the legal and policy means by which relationships between products and land are codified. Rather, the nuanced social understandings of landscape that wine producers are consistently developing is a critical element of cultural and commercial infrastructure that affords any wine producer or grape grower the possibility of achieving monopolistic relationships over discrete vineyard areas and the wine that is produced from them. These social understandings have a specifically egalitarian character that acts as a hedge against the chronic uncertainties arising from the global economic environment in which premium wine industry is inescapably a part. This resistance to codification, I argue, is a productive space that constitutes a form of resilience against chronically unstable sets of commercial and environmental conditions. Keywords: monopoly, regional rents, occupational discourse, intellectual property, Geographic Indications, Australian agrarian futures
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Coutts, B. A., and R. A. C. Jones. "Incidence and distribution of viruses infecting cucurbit crops in the Northern Territory and Western Australia." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 56, no. 8 (2005): 847. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar04311.
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During 2003–04, a survey was done to determine the incidence and distribution of virus diseases infecting cucurbit crops growing in the field at Kununurra, Broome, and Carnarvon in north-western Australia, Perth in south-western Australia, and Darwin and Katherine in the Northern Territory. Overall, 43 cucurbit-growing farms and 172 crops of susceptible cultivars were sampled. From each crop, shoot samples were collected from plants chosen at random and from symptomatic plants. Shoot samples were sometimes also collected from potential alternative virus hosts (cucurbit volunteer plants and weeds). All samples were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using antibodies to Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Papaya ringspot virus-cucurbit strain (PRSV), Squash mosaic virus (SqMV), Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), and Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV). Samples from one-third of the crops were also tested by tissue blot immunosorbent assay (TBIA) using generic luteovirus antibodies. Overall, 72% of farms and 56% of crops sampled were virus-infected. The growing areas with the highest incidences of virus infection were Darwin and Carnarvon, and those with the lowest incidences were Katherine and Perth. For WA, overall 78% of farms and 56% of crops were virus-infected, and in the NT the corresponding figures were 55% of farms and 54% of crops. Overall virus incidences in individual crops sometimes reached 100% infection. Crops of cucumber, melon, pumpkin, squash, and zucchini were all infected, with squash and zucchini being the most severely affected. The most prevalent viruses were ZYMV and PRSV, each being detected in 5 and 4 of 6 cucurbit-growing areas, respectively, with infected crop incidences of <1–100%. SqMV was detected in 2 cucurbit-growing areas, sometimes reaching high incidences (<1–60%). WMV and CMV were found in 3 and 4 of 6 cucurbit-growing areas, respectively, but generally at low incidences in infected crops (<1–8%). Infection with luteovirus was found in 3 growing areas but only occurred in 16% of crops. Beet western yellows virus was detected once but at least one other luteovirus was also present. Infection of individual crops by more than 1 virus was common, with up to 4 viruses found within the same crop. Virus-resistant pumpkin cultivars (6 crops) had little infection when adjacent virus-susceptible cucurbit crops had high virus incidences. Viruses were detected in cucurbit volunteer plants and weeds, suggesting that they may act as important reservoirs for spread to nearby cucurbit crops. In general, established cucurbit-growing farms in close proximity to others and with poor crop hygiene suffered most from virus epidemics, whereas isolated farms with large-sized crops or that had only recently started growing cucurbits had less infection. The extent of infection revealed in this survey, and the financial losses to growers resulting from virus-induced yield losses and high fruit rejection rates, are cause for concern for the Australian cucurbit industry.
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Danielopol, Dan L., Christian Griebler, Amara Gunatilaka, and Jos Notenboom. "Present state and future prospects for groundwater ecosystems." Environmental Conservation 30, no. 2 (June 2003): 104–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892903000109.
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Ecological and socioeconomic aspects of subterranean hydrosystems have changed during the past 40–50 years. The major environmental pressures (mainly anthropogenic ones) impact the quantity and quality of groundwater resources and the state of subsurface ecosystems, and it is expected that the environmental pressures on groundwater will continue, at least until 2025, unless new environmental policies change this state of affairs. The world demographic increase and the general rise of water demand constitute one of the major environmental pressures on groundwater ecosystems especially in less developed countries in Africa, Asia and South America. Specific human activities leading to the depletion of groundwater reserves include agricultural practices, landscape alteration, urbanization demand for domestic and public drinking water, various industrial activities such as thermoelectric production and mining, and the rise of tourism in coastal areas. Climate change is contributing to the water crisis too, especially in areas with arid climate and/or in some humid monsoonal countries. The overload of aquifers with pollutants derived from agriculture (fertilizers and pesticides), from industry (release of hydrocarbon chemicals, especially spills), from waste and industrial waters, from domestic and industrial landfills, from the infiltration of pollutants from surface and from the intrusion of saline water affect groundwater quality. The dangerous increase in contaminated subsurface sites with chemicals and microbial pathogens brings with it health risks to humans. Changes of redox condition in groundwater zones, changes of biological diversity, vegetation changes with modification of agriculture practices and impacts at the biosphere scale, such as the increase in the concentration of nitrous oxides in the atmosphere, all impact groundwater ecosystems. Groundwater ecosystems must be better investigated and understood. Economic, social and ecological lines of thinking have to be combined in order to achieve meaningful policies for the sustainable development of groundwater reserves and for the protection of subsurface ecosystems. Practical measures and ideas for the development of policies up to the 2025 time-horizon should improve the sustainable usage of the world's groundwater resources.
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Coutts, B. A., and R. A. C. Jones. "Viruses infecting canola (Bassica napus) in south-west Australia: incidence, distribution, spread, and infection reservoir in wild radish (Raphanus raphinistrum)." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 51, no. 7 (2000): 925. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar00014.
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Over 2 growing seasons, the incidences of infection with beet western yellows (BWYV), cauliflower mosaic (CaMV), and turnip mosaic (TuMV) viruses were determined in canola (Brassica napus) crops growing in the agricultural area of south-west Australia. Tissue blot immunoassay was used to detect BWYV and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect CaMV and TuMV. In 1998, BWYV was detected in 59% of 159 crops surveyed, whereas in 1999 it was found in 66% of 56 crops. Incidences within individual infected crops were 1–65% (1998) and 1–61% (1999). Infection occurred widely in high and medium rainfall zones, but was also readily detected in the low rainfall zone. In addition, BWYV was found in canola samples from 5 sites in New South Wales. Most cultivars tested (9 of 10) in the canola crop survey were infected with BWYV. No clear relationship was found between BWYV infection and any particular type of disease symptom. Overall, the incidence of BWYV at the crop edge was marginally greater than that inside the crop. CaMV was detected in 27% of 143 crops in 1998 but in only 2 of 47 in 1999. Incidences within individual infected crops were 1–17% in 1998 but only 1% in 1999. CaMV infected 6 of 10 cultivars and was present in high, medium, and low rainfall zones. Obvious chlorotic ringspot symptoms were associated with CaMV infection. TuMV was detected in 5% of 139 crops in 1998 but in only 1 of 47 from 1999. Incidences within the individual infected crops were 1–5% in 1998 and 1% in 1999; 3 of 10 cultivars were infected and it was found in high and medium rainfall zones. BWYV, CaMV, and TuMV were all found infecting wild radish (Raphanus raphinistrum). In general, incidences of BWYV were greater in wild radish than in canola. In 1998, BWYV was detected in wild radish at 9 of 12 sites sampled in 5 of 6 districts, with infection incidences up to 48%. In 1999, it was detected at all 10 sites sampled in 7 districts, with incidences up to 96%. Infected samples came from all rainfall zones, and from several different types of sites, some of which were distant from canola crops. Despite the presence of possible viral symptoms in wild radish, none was clearly associated with BWYV infection. In contrast, TuMV caused obvious mottle and ‘oak leaf’ patterns in wild radish plants. The finding of widespread virus infection in canola crops and a substantial virus reservoir in wild radish weeds is cause for concern to the canola industry.
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Strange, PC, and KW Blackmore. "Comparison of 10 clones of the potato cultivar, Kennebec." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 29, no. 4 (1989): 597. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9890597.
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Nine clones of Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Kennebec from sources in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, and the commercially grown clone, clone 1, which was imported from Vancouver, were multiplied from pathogen-tested seed and compared in 3 Victorian potato districts during 2 seasons. Haulm appearance of the 10 clones was similar. Tubers of clones 2 and 9 had a more desirable elliptical shape with shallow eyes than clones 1, 7, 8, 11 and 13. Clone 7 produced significantly (P<0.05) less total yield than the highest yielding clone at 3 sites. Compared with the other clones, clones 2 and 7 yielded significantly (P<0.05) less oversize (>450 g) and medium (100-450 g) tubers and significantly (P<0.05) higher yields of small (<100 g) tubers at several sites. Clone 1 produced a much higher proportion (5.7%) of total yield as oversize tubers than clones 2 (1.6%) and 7 (0.8%). Clones 2 and 7 produced a significantly higher (P<.05) number of tubers per plant than all other clones at the 3 sites. Averaged over these 3 sites, clones 2 (and 7) produced 6.2 (6.8) tubers per plant and the other clones were in the range 4.5-5.0. No consistent differences in specific gravity or crisp colour were observed between the clones. Clone 2 was selected as being best suited for the crisp processing industry because of its even shape, high number of tubers per plant and low yield of oversize tubers, while maintaining high yields and good specific gravity and crisp colour. Our results show that differences exist in total and size grade yield and tuber number and appearance between clones of a cultivar. They further highlight the importance of selection work to maintain desirable characteristics of established cultivars and to remove mutants with undesirable characteristics.
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Bonde, M. R., S. E. Nester, C. N. Austin, C. L. Stone, R. D. Frederick, G. L. Hartman, and M. R. Miles. "Evaluation of Virulence of Phakopsora pachyrhizi and P. meibomiae Isolates." Plant Disease 90, no. 6 (June 2006): 708–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/pd-90-0708.
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Asian soybean rust (ASR), caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi and recently discovered for the first time in continental United States, has been of concern to the U.S. agricultural industry for more than 30 years. Since little soybean rust resistance is known, and resistance is often difficult to detect or quantitate, we initiated a project to develop a better, more quantitative, method. The methodology determined the average numbers and diameters of uredinia in lesions that developed on leaves of inoculated plants 14 days after inoculation. It was used to compare virulence of P. pachyrhizi isolates from Asia and Australia and P. meibomiae from Puerto Rico and Brazil, collected as many as 30 years earlier, with isolates of P. pachyrhizi recently collected from Africa or South America. Susceptible reactions to P. pachyrhizi resulted in tan-colored lesions containing 1 to 14 uredinia varying greatly in size within individual lesions. In contrast, on these same genotypes at the same time of year, resistance to other P. pachyrhizi isolates was typified by 0 to 6 small uredinia in reddish-brown to dark-brown lesions. Using appropriate rust resistant and rust susceptible genotypes as standards, examination of uredinia 14 days after inoculation allowed quantitative comparisons of sporulation capacities, one measure of susceptibility or resistance to soybean rust. The study verified the presence and ability to detect all known major genes for resistance to soybean rust in the original sources of resistance. It demonstrated that soybean lines derived from the original PI sources, and presumed to possess the resistance genes, in actuality may lack the gene or express an intermediate reaction to the rust pathogen. We suggest that a determination of numbers and sizes of uredinia will detect both major gene and partial resistance to soybean rust.