Issue No. 17/ SUMMER 2015

Growing the north: R&D to help realise the potential of northern Australiafull story pg. 10-12

ANTIBACTERIAL POTENCY SET TO LIFT HONEY BEE INDUSTRY pg. 4

CULTURE CHANGE THE NEXT STEP FOR SAFETY pg. 7

MICROWAVE TRIALS FOR RICE WEED CONTROL pg. 9

NEW RICE VARIETY TAPS INTO LUCRATIVE FRAGRANT MARKETS pg. 14

Message from the Managing Director ................. 2

Assessing the nutritional sufficiency of Australian agriculture ............................................... 3

Antibacterial potency set to lift honey bee industry .................................................. 4

Australia’s emerging animal and plant industries outlined in updated report ................. 5

Rice industry leadership revival ...............................5

Good food guide for redclaw industry ............... 6

New resource for more productive pastures ........................................................ 6

Culture change the next step for safety ............ 7

Scholars eye diverse agricutural careers ............8

Claudia inspired about agriculture ........................ 8

Microwave trials for rice weed control ............... 9

Growing the north .................................................. 10-11

Research to protect against cyclone effects ................................................................. 12

Chicken meat guidelines deliver research findings to the farm gate............................................. 13

Report urges new approach to trade policy ........................................................................ 13

New rice variety taps into lucrative fragrant markets .............................................................. 14

Mix of experience in new RIRDC Board.......... 14

Australian context for environmental performance ...................................................................... 15

New publications ....................................... Back cover

Message from the Managing Director

Australia’s north has been referred to as the next frontier which offers unparalleled economic opportunity for the nation.

For many decades the vast area above the Tropic of Capricorn has been viewed by governments, investors and producers as a region that is home to significant but unmet agricultural and broader industrial potential.

The Federal Government will this year release a White Paper setting out a clear policy platform for unlocking the north’s “full potential” through to 2030. This has been built on both a 2014 Green Paper and parliamentary inquiry that considered many issues including infrastructure, land and water resources, and governance through hundreds of public submissions.

Alongside this, a CSIRO and ABARES Food and Fibre Supply Chains study, part funded by RIRDC, investigated six potential regions in northern Australia to supply Asian markets.

A potential key in addressing the challenges identified in the ABARES study — and unlocking the Government’s vision for the north — is growNORTH.

growNORTH is a consortium of universities, private and public organisations, including founding partner RIRDC, that is preparing to deliver high-impact research to underpin a coordinated approach to advancing agriculture in northern Australia.

Our feature story in this edition of Diversity looks at the growNORTH consortium; how it came about, its vision, and the R&D it plans to carry out in order to lay the foundation for genuine agricultural and aquaculture development and growth in northern Australia.

growNORTH was an initiative of RIRDC and the Corporation is committed to playing an active role in seeing the consortium take off and undertake the important role of identifying, directing, and implementing R&D for agriculture and aquaculture in Australia’s north.

This edition of Diversity also includes a story on some exciting research into killing weeds with microwave technology. Through RIRDC, the rice industry is funding a four-year project to evaluate the effectiveness of microwaves against its major weed threats: barnyard grass and dirty Dora.

The R&D is being undertaken by Dr Graham Brodie at the University of Melbourne and the potential benefits of using microwaves include the immediate effect on weeds, the lack of chemical residues, and application during any weather conditions. This technology could well provide an alternative treatment for weeds that have become resistant to chemicals, and prolong the life of those herbicides that remain effective.

We have a great line up of stories in this edition of Diversity, including a look at a study into how nutritionally sufficient Australia’s food supply system will be, R&D into the antibacterial qualities of honey from tea trees, getting the right food developed for Australia’s emerging Redclaw industry, and the launch of a new fragrant rice variety that will soon be on supermarket shelves here and around the world.

Enjoy the read.

Craig Burns Managing Director, RIRDC

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RURAL DIVERSITYIssue No. 17 / SUMMER 2015

Assessing the nutritional sufficiency of Australian agricultureA RIRDC-funded study has been analysing Australia’s ability to meet its future nutritional requirements.

Australia is a food-trading nation with a diverse food supply, making healthy diets and a wide range of food options possible. The food system is also complex and dynamic. Change can have important implications for regional development, trade, food security and public health nutrition.

The CSIRO study is the first of its kind: assessing the Australian food production system on its ability to meet future domestic nutritional requirements and creating a framework — and a baseline picture — for future assessments.

Historical and projected Australian food intake scenarios for the period 1995 to 2050 were compared to Australian agricultural production over the same time frame.

The study took both a systems perspective — considering the transformation of farm-gate commodities into food products, as well as supply chain and kitchen losses — and a nutritional perspective structured around the major dietary food groups.

Nutritional sufficiency is not the same as self-sufficiency.

The study’s author Brad Ridoutt, from CSIRO, emphasises that domestic food supplies are a balance of domestically produced and imported food products, and that self-sufficiency is not a requirement of food security.

With Australia’s population projected to increase to around 37.5 million in 2050, substantial increases in food supply will be required. The situation and outlook differs for each food group, however, in most areas demand is projected to increase at a greater rate than local production.

This suggests that the Australian food system is on a trajectory toward reduced net food exports and increased dependence on food imports.

The farm gate demand for vegetables is projected to increase from 3.44 million tonnes in 2013 to 5.63 million tonnes in 2050 (a 64 per cent increase).

However, if Australians ate the number of serves of vegetables recommended in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, the farm-gate demand for vegetables would increase to 7.60 million tonnes in 2050 (a 121 per cent increase).

As part of this project, the Nutritional Production Sufficiency Index (NPSI) was developed to reflect the sufficiency of domestic production relative to domestic demand, for the six essential food groups (vegetables, fruits, dairy products, proteins, grains and oils).

The NPSI ranges from 0 to 6, with 6 being a domestic food production system that is fully nutritionally sufficient. From 1995 to 2001, Australia’s NPSI increased from 5.65 to 5.89, indicating an increasing level of nutritional sufficiency of the domestic food production system. In 2006, the NPSI peaked at 5.90. Since then it has been in a continuing trend of modest decline, which is projected to reach 5.11 in 2050.

This trend has wide-ranging implications, particularly in the area of policy development around food supply and demand. Policy that prioritises the reduction of food waste, along with a greater focus on agriculture and food production in the Australian schools curriculum, could contribute to the sustainability of the food system.

Expansion of the domestic food market provides opportunities to expand local agricultural, food and related service industries. It could also mean that, in some cases, Australia might be challenged in its capacity to deliver to growing Asian food markets.

Australia’s potential to contribute to the global food system via food exports could also diminish if domestic demand grows faster than domestic supply. International engagement around agricultural technologies, knowledge and skills can help maintain Australia’s contribution to global food security.

If Australia becomes dependent on imports for critical food products, the implications for public health nutrition will need to be examined carefully, and the resilience of external supply chains considered.

The report is available at: https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/items/14-074 and a summary of the report available at: https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/items/14-099.

More information: Simon Winter, RIRDC External Program Manager, 02 6281 5257, simon@swinter.com.au

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The Nutritional Production Sufficiency Index (NPSI) was developed to reflect the sufficiency of domestic production relative to domestic demand for the six essential food groups

The Nutritional Production Sufficiency Index

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Antibacterial potency set to lift honey bee industryA team of scientists exploring the medicinal potency of manuka honey from Australian trees has the potential to substantially increase the profitability of the national honey bee industry.

The team hopes to help meet global demand for a bacteria-resistant alternative to antibiotics through their research at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the University of Sydney and the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Leader of the RIRDC-funded research, UTS Professor Liz Harry, says measuring the antibacterial properties of honey from manuka (Leptospermum) trees - commonly known as tea trees - across the country could enable Australian beekeepers to achieve price parity with their New Zealand (NZ) counterparts.

Research highlighting the antibacterial potency of honey from manuka trees in NZ helped the nation’s beekeepers attract a price premium up to $20 per a kilogram for standard honey and $250/kg for manuka honey, Professor Harry says.

These high prices also reflect New Zealand’s stronghold on the global export market for medical grade manuka honey used in wound dressings and gels to treat infections, caused by pathogens, such as ‘golden staph’ and other antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

In Australia, the average prices for standard and manuka honeys were only about $4/kg and $15/kg respectively, Professor Harry says.

Most of the world’s medical-grade honey is sourced from NZ where two native species of manuka trees supply an industry worth an estimated $75 million a year.

This figure is projected to increase to $1 billion by 2025 as part of an ambitious research program that aims to deliver a 16-fold increase in market returns from manuka honey.

In contrast with the limited manuka resources in NZ, Australia has more than 80 manuka tree species widely distributed across the continent, especially in coastal areas. Yet the total Australian honey bee industry is said to be worth on average $87 million a year, only $12 million more than NZ’s manuka honey industry alone.

Professor Harry says the new research in partnership with RIRDC, Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited, Capilano Honey and Comvita is set to close the commodity price gap between Australian and NZ manuka honey.

“Increasing worldwide demand, combined with new knowledge of the antibacterial activity in Australian manuka honey, could lift the overall profitability of the Australian honey bee sector by 50 per cent,” Professor Harry says.

A pilot study that provided a snapshot of the antibacterial potency of manuka honey sourced from the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales supports this possibility.

Professor Harry says these preliminary findings confirmed that Australian manuka honey contains high levels of antibacterial activity and a natural compound called methylglyoxal (MGO), which is linked to the antimicrobial activity of NZ manuka honey. All honeys have some level of antibacterial activity, usually due to their hydrogen peroxide content.

However, MGO is exclusive to manuka honey and is potent in killing a wide range of bacteria, while being safe to use on wounds.

“The pilot study also showed that Australian manuka honey has antibacterial properties that match those of NZ manuka honey,” Professor Harry says.

In the first phase of the five-year study that commenced in July 2014, researchers plan to collect samples from as many of Australia’s 83 manuka tree species as possible to determine which of them yield nectar and honey with the highest levels of antibacterial activity.

For Professor Harry and her investigative team, which includes Dr Shona Blair from the Wheen Bee Foundation, Dr Dee Carter from the University of Sydney and Dr Peter Brooks from the University of the Sunshine Coast, the next three years will involve collecting and identifying the nectar and honey derived from each tree species, testing these samples using chemical and microbiological techniques, and mapping areas that produce potent medical-grade honey across Australia.

The final two years of the project will involve in-depth analysis of the findings from the survey work, and further exploration of the complex connection between the chemistry of Australian manuka honey and its ability to kill deadly pathogens while promoting wound healing.

More information: visit www.rirdc.gov.au or contact Professor Liz Harry, 02 9514 4173, liz.harry@uts.edu.au

Medical grade manuka honey is used in wound dressings and gels to treat infections caused by pathogens, such as ‘golden staph’ and other antibiotic‑resistant superbugs

Australia has more than 80 manuka

tree species widely distributed across the continent, especially

in coastal areas.

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RURAL DIVERSITYIssue No. 17 / SUMMER 2015

Australia’s emerging animal and plant industries outlined in updated reportAn increasingly diverse range of plant and animal commodities are produced in Australia.

While the key characteristics of mainstream agricultural production in Australia are well documented, there is relatively little public information for a large number of emerging agricultural products.

This has been largely addressed with the publication of the third edition of a report on the broad range of new and emerging agricultural industries in Australia: RIRDC’s Emerging animal and plant industries: their value to Australia. Last published in 2009, the new edition features additional sections on carp, chia, cocoa, dates, guar, industrial hemp, mulloway, Murray cod, quinoa, saffron, seaweed and stevia.

The report supports information found on the new RIRDC website www.farmdiversity.com.au.

The 2014 edition has been extended to include information about international markets for industries that are not yet commercial in Australia, such as the guar and stevia industries.

Rice industry leadership revivalA RIRDC-funded program aimed at restoring capacity to the Australian rice sector following 10 years of drought has seen a revival in the national rice industry’s leadership.

Initiated by the Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia (RGA) in 2012, the Rice Industry Leadership Development Program has enabled the professional development of 38 emerging and existing industry leaders in the past three years.

RGA executive director, Ruth Wade, said the biennial program aimed to help shape the future of the Australian rice industry by providing leadership training for rice growers and key stakeholders from the Riverina region of southern New South Wales.

Public information on emerging agricultural industries is important. New and emerging industries play a key role in giving growers the ability to spread risk through diversification. They can also provide regional distinctiveness — such as tropical fruits in Far North Queensland or truffles in Tasmania and south-west Western Australia.

A lack of reliable statistics about emerging industries can hamper their development. When statistics are available, effective policies can be developed for emerging agricultural industries, such as targeting research and development activities. The availability of information can also influence the availability of commercial funds because lenders and potential investors require access to reliable statistics.

Official statistics produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics are an important source of information but do not cover all agricultural commodities produced in Australia. While there are other sources of information on emerging industries, it is often difficult to access this information and to establish comparable, robust statistics on the industries covered in the report.

Many of the emerging industries in Australia produce a diverse range of products. For example, goats can produce meat, fibres, milk, leather and a range of other by-products. RIRDC classifies around 80 different agricultural commodities as coming from emerging industries. Information on these emerging agricultural industries and new products from existing industries is highly valued by the industry, traders and consumers in Australia and overseas.

The updated report provides information on the international market for these commodities. Around 50 per cent of the value of emerging livestock products comes from export sales.

In the new report, a set of tables is presented for a selected group of agricultural industries in Australia that are defined as ‘emerging’ by RIRDC, taking into account that each of these industries may produce a number of different products.

Emerging animal and plant industries: their value to Australia: https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/items/14-069

More information: RIRDC Senior Program Manager – Plant Industries, John de Majnik, 02 6271 4138, john.demajnik@rirdc.gov.au

Mrs Wade said a focus on building capacity in the Riverina, where most of the Australian rice crop is grown, had also forged a supportive network among program participants.

The Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (commissioned by the RGA) has delivered the leadership program to two industry cohorts: a younger demographic of up to 35 years in 2012 and a more experienced group in 2014.

A third cohort of 20 emerging leaders, due to be part of the program in 2016, was expected to add to this regional network’s powerful connections, Mrs Wade said.

Highlighting another benefit for participants and industry, she said the program had provided a pathway to further leadership development. For example, it has helped participants secure Nuffield and Australian Rural Leadership Program scholarships.

Since completing the program, many participants have demonstrated their new leadership skills as delegates to the

RGA Central Executive Committee, the Rice Research and Development Advisory Committee, the New South Wales Irrigators’ Council and the National Irrigators’ Council.

More information: Ruth Wade, Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia, 02 6953 0433, rwade@rga.org.au

New and emerging industries, like quinoa, play a key role in giving growers the ability to spread risk through diversification

The Rice Industry Leadership Development Program has enabled the professional development of 38 emerging and existing industry leaders

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Good food guide for redclaw industryAustralia’s native freshwater redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) are omnivorous. “They’ll eat almost anything,” Queensland Crayfish Farmers Association President John Stevenson said. “But whether what they’re eating is good for them or not, that’s another question.”

This question provided the impetus for a three-year nutrition project, funded by RIRDC, which will be completed later this year.

The aim is to identify the redclaw’s nutritional requirements for optimal health and growth to help this fledgling aquaculture industry increase production and profitability. It will also create a formula for the production of a commercial feed.

Project leader, Dr Igor Pirozzi, at James Cook University, said existing information about redclaw diets was limited.

“For example, protein requirements have been reported as anything between 13 per cent and almost 50 per cent of food intake. That is a huge variation, especially as protein is usually the most expensive feed component. We’ve found that it’s closer to the middle of these two extremes,” he said.

Determining a recommended protein percentage for a commercial feed formulation is complicated by the fact that

redclaw are grown in ponds that have their own ecosystems, which provide some food for the animals.

Dr Pirozzi said he has been trying to quantify how much ponds contribute to redclaw diets, to make allowance for this in creating a feed formula. As part of establishing a feeding regime, he has also looked at how much of currently available feeds the animals actually use.

“In some instances we have found a significant portion of the feed is not being used by the redclaw, but it is being used by the phytoplankton and zooplankton in the water, which the redclaw also feed on.”

Dr Pirozzi said the higher the stocking rates in ponds, the more reliant the animals would be on supplementary feeds, so it is important feeds were nutritionally adequate.

As well as determining protein and energy requirements of the animals, the research has assessed a range of cheap, locally available ingredients that could be used in a feed formula. These include corn and wheat gluten, meat and bone meal, blood meal, wheat bran, and copra meal, which have all shown good digestibility.

Various ingredients will be ‘taste-tested’ this year to identify the ingredients redclaw prefer, which should help to increase feed consumption and animal growth.

John Stevenson said the findings would provide essential information to help expand redclaw production, which does not meet current demand. Production has fallen from a peak of about 100 tonnes 10 years ago to 50 tonnes in 2013, as producers have retired from the industry.

He said the current project followed the successful RIRDC-funded selective breeding program, which more than doubled the growth rate of farmed redclaw.

The Queensland Crayfish Farmers Association has proposed establishing a levy on the sale of improved hatchery stock, which could be extended to commercial feeds produced from the formula Dr Pirozzi’s project is developing. Mr Stevenson said this could help fund further research to improve the productivity of the industry.

More information: RIRDC External Program Manager Julie Bird, 0407 455 580, julie.bird8@bigpond.com

Targeted R&D is helping Australia’s redclaw industry get back on track

The new website ‑ www.pastureimprovementinitiative.com.au ‑ provides farmers with research and regional farm case studies relating to successful pasture and fodder crop management, pasture improvement and renovation, and seed production.

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RURAL DIVERSITYIssue No. 17 / SUMMER 2015

New resource for more productive pasturesA new website aims to raise awareness of declining pasture productivity and ways to arrest it.

The Pasture Improvement Initiative, www.pastureimprovementinitiative.com.au is a RIRDC-sponsored pasture and livestock industry collaboration whose goal is to lift the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Australia’s pasture feedbase.

An estimated 20 per cent of Australia’s pastures are declining in productivity and persistence, especially in the temperate regions. The decline threatens our ability to maintain the current feedbase and take advantage of the global market for agricultural outputs.

The Initiative’s founding partners are a mix of national and international agribusiness and industry stakeholders, who identified the need to promote the value and benefits of pasture improvement for livestock, fodder and crop production systems.

The Initiative aims to raise awareness of the benefits and value of farmers adopting pasture improvement methods.

The new website provides farmers with an easy-to-use information resource. It provides research and regional farm case studies relating to successful pasture and fodder crop management, pasture improvement and renovation, and seed production.

In mid-2015, an online decision-making tool will be added to the site. This will provide best-practice pasture improvement strategies tailored to the user’s farming system, production goals, geographical location and environmental conditions.

The Pasture Improvement Initiative will be the leading source of pasture improvement information for Australian farmers, their advisers and the pasture supply chain, through its ‘clearing house’ information database. By having access to timely, practical and regionally relevant information, farmers can adopt and implement proven pasture improvement tools to reverse

the existing decline and create a more sustainable pasture feedbase.

More information: RIRDC Program Manager Margie Heath, 02 6271 4145, margaret.heath@rirdc.gov.au

Credit: Photo by John Arentz and made available by the Enrich project team.

Culture change the next step for safetyPrimary industries’ health and safety record is lagging behind other sectors, and the next step forward will be to address the cultural barriers hindering better practices.

Some people think implementing workplace health and safety (WHS) practices is costly, others see it as unnecessary, but the price of their absence is all too apparent.

Between 2001 and 2010, 766 people died in agriculture-related incidents. In the 10 years to 2013, 61 died in the fisheries sector.

Primary industries have some of the highest workplace fatality rates of any sector in Australia and WHS practices have not improved as quickly as in other industries. In 2010-11, the fatality rate in agriculture was nine times that of the all-industry average.

Overcoming this requires a cultural change, which is the task faced by the Primary Industries Health and Safety Partnership (PIHSP), a program managed by RIRDC.

The program brings together the health and safety development efforts of RIRDC with the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Australian Meat Processors Association and Meat & Livestock Australia.

The program and its predecessors have been working to improve WHS in primary industries for almost 20 years. As part of its current five-year plan, PIHSP is reviewing its experience to help structure its future research and development efforts.

The retrospective analysis has highlighted the strong body of health and safety research and recommendations available across the primary industries.

The next challenge is to ensure what has been learned is adopted in the workplace.

In the primary industries, risks are often seen as part of the job, and health and safety mitigation as expensive, time-consuming and unnecessary. This culture was part of the discussion at a workshop run by PIHSP in October last year at the Farmsafe Australia Conference in Launceston.

The problem boiled down to cost, time and attitude, according to PIHSP committee member Simon Winter.

“What’s also clear is that the word ‘safety’ does not resonate with many farmers. They see it as more bureaucratic red tape creating more work. We are committed to better communicating the need to provide a safe working environment for all workers,” he said.

Part of this commitment includes examining the cost of workplace injuries in lost productivity and claims, and explaining why

the adoption of good WHS practices can actually save businesses time and money. Case studies and industry testimonials about the increased efficiency of safer practices have been communicated in press releases and training materials.

One of the major WHS successes in recent years has been the development of the Model Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations, which make safe practices easier to implement. The model regulations have provided a template for state-based health and safety legislation and, since their launch, all states except Victoria and Western Australia have based their WHS regulations on the model. These two states already have WHS legislation with similar basic components to the model legislation.

Harmonising state-based regulations has improved the consistency of WHS requirements across the country and made it simpler to highlight the responsibilities for employers, employees and contractors. It has also made safer practices easier for businesses operating across multiple states.

The PIHSP is also defining the major health and safety risks across the agricultural and fishing sectors. A recent RIRDC report, Mapping Work Health and Safety risks in the Primary Industries, outlines the risks industry-by-industry, based on coronial records and research already conducted by PIHSP, and estimates the costs associated with lost productivity and injury compensation.

The report also compiles a ‘library’ of strategies to address these risks and a series of recommendations on how primary industry risks can be assessed, prioritised and ultimately decreased.

More information: Simon Winter, RIRDC External Research Manager, 02 6281 5257, simon@swinter.com.au

Stability tilt table testing of a quad bike at the NSW Roads and Maritime Services Crashlab Laboratory. There is a strong body of health and safety research and recommendations available across the primary industries, but producers often see health and safety mitigation as expensive, time‑consuming and unnecessary. In part, this culture has led to the primary industries having some of the highest workplace fatality rates of any sector. Credit: Photo by Drew Sherry, NSW Roads and Maritime Services Crashlab Laboratory

A new series of industry-specific summary WHS guides have been released, making it quicker and easier for employers and workers to understand their WHS responsibilities. The guides include a summary of responsibilities, how they are managed, what the major risks are, what records need to be kept and who to contact for more detailed information in each participating industry. Visit www.rirdc.gov.au to get the WHS guides.

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Scholars eye diverse agricultural careersThe Horizon Scholarship gives university students a glimpse of the vast diversity of career opportunities available in agriculture.

The program, an RIRDC initiative sponsored by industry and government, supports students through their undergraduate studies by providing a $5,000 bursary each year and assistance in the form of mentoring, professional development and industry placements.

Program manager Margo Andrae said the Horizon Scholarship was developed to address the skills shortage within agriculture.

“We team young and passionate first-year students with industry sponsors to help the students see why they need a foundation in theoretical and often difficult subjects like chemistry,” she said. “The program supports students for the duration of their degree.”

Ms Andrae estimates 40 per cent of graduating scholars enter off-farm agricultural employment, 30 per cent take a gap year and 30 per cent take up positions on farms.

Horizon Scholar Andrea Craigie, who graduated from the University of Tasmania in 2013 with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, took a gap year in 2014. But she didn’t take a break from agriculture.

During her fourth year, Andrea spent two weeks on a 400,000ha cattle property in south-west Queensland to see if she would enjoy the work long term. While it was hot, dry and isolated, she loved it and decided she wanted more.

After graduating and working on her family’s 280ha farm in Tasmania in summer 2013, Andrea packed her bag for a seven-month stint as a jillaroo on Yougawalla cattle station in Western Australia’s Kimberley region.

“I ended up 4 1/2 hours by dirt road from the closest town,” she said. “We were on one of the most isolated stations in the Kimberley but I loved it, so much so I’ll return for another season this year.”

Longer term, Andrea hopes to work as an agronomist in her home state of Tasmania.

Sean Dickson, who graduated with a Bachelor of Rural Science from the University of New England in 2013, said the Horizon Scholarship broadened his career aspirations beyond his initial interest of working with sheep.

As part of the program, Sean was partnered with Australian Pork Limited and worked at three different piggeries.

“Although I was focused on sheep when I entered university, the work placements that I had through the Horizon Scholarship sparked my interest in intensive industries such as pork and poultry,” he said.

After graduating, Sean secured a traineeship with Inghams Enterprises, and now works with poultry growers helping to maintain and improve their production.

The Horizon Scholarship is open to students studying agriculture-related degrees such as agricultural science, rural science, livestock or animal science, veterinary science, plant science, agribusiness, agricultural economics, resource management, sustainability and food security.

More information: ph. 02 6271 4132 horizon@rirdc.gov.au

Andrea CraigieSean Dickson

Horizon Scholar Claudia Raleigh

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RURAL DIVERSITYIssue No. 17 / SUMMER 2015

Claudia inspired about agricultureCharles Sturt University student Claudia Raleigh was delighted to be named a 2013 Horizon Scholar sponsored by RIRDC.

The third-year Bachelor of Agricultural Science student developed a keen interest in agriculture after growing up on a 400ha sheep and beef farm near Cootamundra, in southern New South Wales.

“I love agriculture because it involves social, science and business,” she said. “All three need to intertwine to have a thriving industry and I find this fascinating.”

Through the Horizon Scholarship, Claudia spent two weeks on Coodardie Station, a 2,080ha Brahman cattle stud owned by the O’Brien family near Mataranka in the Northern Territory, about 4 1/2 hours from Darwin.

Claudia said her time at Coodardie challenged her thinking about ‘traditional’ farming, allowing her to experience how the O’Briens operate as holistic land managers.

“I milked cows and helped with fencing and moving cattle,” she said. “I also created global positioning system (GPS) points on the property using Google Earth and planned the rotational grazing program for upcoming seasons.”

Aside from the work placements, Claudia has valued the Horizon Scholarship’s professional development workshop held annually in Canberra. She said she had learnt to ‘talk herself up, not down’ and to communicate with others in an open and questioning way.

Networking is strongly encouraged at the gathering and scholars are shown how to approach people, how to present themselves and how to ask questions.

In 2014, Claudia met the Member for Hume, Angus Taylor, and the Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce.

Earlier this year, following a short overseas holiday and a stint of temporary work at her local GrainCorp silo facility, Claudia finished her second two-week Horizon Scholarship work placement, this time, at a poppy farm in Tasmania.

After completing her Bachelor of Agricultural Science, Claudia plans to study for a diploma of education and teach agriculture at a rural high school.

“I would like to do one of my Horizon Scholarship work placements at a high school that offers agriculture to secondary school students,” she said. “I want to share my passion for agriculture with others.”

More information: ph. 02 6271 4132 horizon@rirdc.gov.au

Microwave trials for rice weed control Microwaves and rice have been a match since the technology was first brought into the kitchen to speed the cooking process. That same technology is now being tested in the field, initially to kill weeds, but also to enhance crop growth.

For the past seven years Dr Graham Brodie at the University of Melbourne has been steadily working to prove, and then to develop, the potential of microwaves in weed control, assisted by funding from the RIRDC-managed National Weeds and Productivity Research Program, which concluded in 2012.

His proof of concept was followed by the construction of a prototype for field trials and in 2014 he began refining his microwave delivery system and working on crop-specific weed control applications.

Through RIRDC, the rice industry is funding a four-year project to evaluate the effectiveness of microwaves against its major weed threats: barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) and dirty Dora (Cyperus difformis).

The microwave technology works by heating the water in a plant’s cells. When the water turns to steam, the cells explode and it takes less than a second to kill a whole plant. The microwaves can also destroy seeds in the surface layer of the soil, but this takes longer — up to 10 seconds to destroy ryegrass seeds.

Potential benefits of microwaves include the immediate effect on weeds, the lack of chemical residues and their application during any weather conditions. They could provide an alternative treatment for weeds that have become resistant to chemicals and prolong the life of those herbicides that remain effective. Overseas, there is already widespread herbicide resistance in barnyard grass, although none has been reported in Australia.

Dr Brodie has trialled his microwave system with “moderate success” on fleabane, prickly paddy melon, marshmallow weed and perennial and annual ryegrass and ryegrass seeds at Melbourne University’s Dookie campus.

“The microwaves kill weeds and seeds in the top layer of soil, but the pace the equipment travels at is too slow to be practical — only two to three kilometres an hour,” Dr Brodie said. The prototype system is mounted on a trailer, with microwave horn antennae focusing the microwaves at ground level, across two metres. By improving the concentration of the microwaves, Dr Brodie aims to increase the effective travel speed of the microwave delivery system, aiming for 10km an hour.

The rice industry project began last year (2014) after Dr Brodie was able to address two key concerns about the technology. “Yes, the operator of the microwave unit is safe from the effects of the microwaves,” he said, “and no, the microwaves won’t interfere with the operation of other equipment, such as automated GPS navigation systems.”

While redesigning the microwave delivery system, he already has a trial under way in a rice crop planted in late October 2014 on a property in the NSW southern Riverina north of Swan Hill. The soil profile from the rice bays has been captured in tubs and three different microwave treatments applied: none (control sample), enough to kill live weeds and enough to kill weed seeds in soil.

The tubs have been returned and placed in the rice bays, where a crop has since been planted. Dr Brodie said that by capturing the soil in the tubs it can be recovered without contamination from the surrounding soil for further analyses after the crop is harvested. This will enable a better understanding of what may have happened during the cropping phase.

Apart from killing weeds, previous pot trials with wheat and canola have shown enhanced growth of crop plants following microwave treatment of the soil, he said. The rice trials will also evaluate this effect.

More information: Dr Graham Brodie, 03 5833 9273, grahamb@unimelb.edu.au

Through RIRDC, the rice industry is funding a four‑year project to evaluate the effectiveness of microwaves against its major weed threats: barnyard grass and dirty Dora

Potential benefits of microwaves include the immediate effect on weeds, the lack of

chemical residues and their application during any weather conditions.

9

Governments, investors and producers have long believed that the vast north of Australia — above the Tropic of

Capricorn — has significant agricultural and industrial potential.

In recent years, activity has stepped up on development of what Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has labelled “the next frontier” offering “unparalleled economic opportunity” for the nation.

The Federal Government will this year release a White Paper setting out a policy platform for unlocking the north’s potential through to 2030. This has been built on both a 2014 Green Paper and parliamentary inquiry that considered many issues, including infrastructure, land and water resources, and governance through hundreds of public submissions.

Alongside this, a CSIRO and ABARES Food and Fibre Supply Chains study, part funded by RIRDC, investigated six potential regions in northern Australia to supply Asian markets. It reported three direct challenges in expanding agricultural development in the north:• sourcing capital investment• cost-efficient production and supply • establishing new and viable export markets.

A potential key in addressing these challenges is growNORTH, a consortium of universities, private and public organisations, including founding partner RIRDC. The consortium is preparing to deliver high-impact research to underpin a coordinated approach to advancing agriculture in northern Australia.

Capital keygrowNORTH’s vision is to transform the north through lowering barriers to investment, enabling capital to flow.

growNORTH CEO Mike Guerin said its research program aimed to address the formidable economic, environmental and social challenges that have constrained and frustrated development over the past 150 years.

ABARES data shows that northern Australia represents more than 46 per cent of the nation’s total area of agricultural activity, but less than 13 per cent of the value of agricultural production at the farm gate. Mr Guerin said this was a significant productivity gap, worth hundreds of millions of dollars for every percentage point that is gained.

“The region is arguably Australia’s biggest opportunity and one of the biggest in the world, given the amount of land that’s able to be developed,” he said.

The most significant barrier to development, Mr Guerin said, was lack of economic investment. With hundreds of billions of dollars needed to develop the north properly, substantial private sector input is required.

Investors have been reluctant to engage with the north and producers put off establishing or expanding businesses because the return has not been considered worth the risk.

Risks can be reduced through good research and its practical application, alongside the measurement of outcomes on-farm, he said,

with those outcomes feeding back into future research. This, essentially, is the overarching growNORTH framework.

“It’s the first dedicated, coordinated, whole-of-north effort to lower those barriers to investment. Without such an effort, you won’t develop the north, because Australia can’t afford it from the public purse,” Mr Guerin said.

Big pictureWithin the growNORTH framework, investor, producer and public confidence will be consolidated because the research will look not only at advancing particular plant and animal industries, but also at broader issues essential to their successful development. For example, ensuring there is appropriate infrastructure, resources, environmental outcomes and community support for the industries to thrive.

“This is not another single-issue research project,” Mr Guerin said. “It involves transformational change so private capital can invest with the same confidence in the north of Australia as it can in the south.”

If funding is approved mid-year, the 10-year, $150 million growNORTH program promises to deliver a ‘transformational’ approach to development. This will involve engaging investors by looking at the long-term development of the region as a whole, along with the primary industries within it.

Research projects would, for example, look at creating efficiencies in a fragmented supply chain that currently plagues

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businesses in the north, and improving the infrastructure in ports, roads and rail that will be vital to any form of growth. In addition, solid baseline data on the potential for land and water use in the north would be established.

Mr Guerin said improving conditions for investment did not mean ignoring hurdles and riding roughshod over community concerns — in fact quite the opposite.

Community support must be harnessed for any industry to succeed and this is why socially and environmentally sustainable development is one of the five key tenets of growNORTH. Strong and ongoing regional and Indigenous community engagement with, ownership of, and benefit from, the program is another.

Key in any community support was garnering confidence and this was achieved through consultation, as well as a trusted, transparent research agenda, Mr Guerin said.

This is where RIRDC has an important role to play. The funding it provides to advance new and emerging industries helps business confidence and the diversity essential for the successful development of the region.

“A more diverse agricultural landscape protects the environment and builds sustainability,” he said. “RIRDC provides smaller industries with a foundation and strength you can’t find elsewhere and often with an eye to the ‘public good’, so it will help advance specific industries, but also social sustainability and regional economic development.”

Getting to workWith top research institutes as consortium partners, commitment from private investors and bipartisan political support, growNORTH could begin work immediately.

Mr Guerin wants to implement the bank of existing research not yet taken up across a range of industries. “This would lower barriers to investment immediately and start the loop of learning, as people feed their experience into future research,” he said.

A new research program would be mounted at the same time, beginning with the first of the five program areas, looking for the ‘big hits’ – transformative economic investments — followed by land and water projects, then technological advances for specific industries.

Australia’s north, Mr Guerin said, had rich soils, abundant water and aspirational communities which, combined with new and improved infrastructure and efficient supply chains, could rival the south in terms of output, efficiency and environmental credentials.

“I just see a rich tapestry and a diverse landscape of commodity types and operation sizes producing a range of clean, green sustainable products for a growing market,” Mr Guerin said. “Our view is that we are completely aligned with government priorities and the wishes of the communities … and the work starts now.”

More information: Mike Guerin, 0437 622 598 mike.guerin@grownorth.com.au

growNORTH at a glanceThe five tenets of the program1. A nation-building project

within the north and looking north.

2. Technological innovation for profitable value chains into Asia.

3. Socially and environmentally sustainable.

4. Strong, ongoing and broad regional and Indigenous community ownership.

5. Transformative and inclusive.

The five research themes on the growNORTH agenda

1. Transformative Economic Investments

2. Land and Water

3. Technologies for Agriculture/Aquaculture

4. Development Policies and Regional Change

5. Education Workforce Development.

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Research to protect against cyclone effects

RIRDC research programs cover a range of industries, from rambutans to redclaws, ginger to rice, coffee to crocodiles. RIRDC has had a presence in northern Australia for decades, helping enterprises gain a foothold and then develop.

This involvement, particularly in smaller industries and ‘public interest’ projects, has encouraged the agricultural diversity that growNORTH CEO Mike Guerin describes as essential to the region’s sustainable development.

Research into cyclone resilience is a good example of the ‘public good’ dimension of the RIRDC program.

Projects established in the wake of cyclones Larry (2006) and Yasi (2011) are ensuring plant and animal producers are better prepared for the cyclone season that threatens the north each summer.

James Drinnan, from the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, is principal researcher of the current RIRDC-funded project on cyclone resilience, which will release its final report in 2016.

When it comes to fruit tree plantations, he said trellising was the best way to protect business assets.

One grower who has experienced the positive effects of trellising is Peter Salleras. After Cyclone Larry destroyed his tropical fruit trees in 2006 he searched for solutions himself and, inspired by Victorian apple growers who were trellising for yield gains, established new plantings.

Less than five years later, his new trellised system was tested by Cyclone Yasi and the results were impressive. “If we hadn’t trellised after cyclone Larry, the direct hit from Yasi – after considerable outlay of time and capital resources – would probably have been too much for our tree fruits business to have survived,” he said.

“The Yasi experience gives us total faith in trellising minimising damage to our investment in trees against future big wind events, with fruit production benefits a clear winner as well.”

The RIRDC project is investigating trellising further, with Dr Drinnan and his colleagues trialling more species, and different shaped trellises and wire spacings.

A tool has also been developed for growers to do their own cost-benefit analysis of installing a trellis system against potential losses sustained in a cyclone. Growers can factor cyclone risk into the calculation, using Bureau of Meteorology data or their own estimates.

Other project trials include investigating different pot-types to improve plant root systems in crops such as cashews, lychees and jackfruit; determining the best windbreak species for cyclone-prone areas; and using emergency defoliation to mitigate the effects of cyclonic winds in existing plantations of tropical species including mango, durian, star apple, carambola, coffee and macadamia.

The project has also looked at animal industries and compiled best-practice advice based on the experience of farm operators. It documents how aquaculture, pig, poultry, beef and dairy industries have built resilience, including: increased storage capacity for feed and fuel; alternative electrical supply systems; and use of artificial shade to replace trees around milking sheds.

Dr Drinnan said that while many of the trials were still under way, he expected the research to help progress production across the north. “We hope to demonstrate things that will have real practical implications for tropical fruit growers,” he said.

More information:

• Cyclone cost-benefit analysis tool is available from DAFF, ph 13 25 23

• Dr James Drinnan, 07 4048 4647, james.drinnan@daff.qld.gov.au

Left: Two‑year‑old custard apple on fence trellis. Right: inspection of wax apple growing on Tatura trellis, in which trees are trained to form a V shaped canopy during a field day at the Salleras farm.

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RURAL DIVERSITYIssue No. 17 / SUMMER 2015

Chicken meat guidelines deliver research findings to the farm gateThe chicken meat guidelines series is a RIRDC initiative designed to bring new and existing research to end users in a concise and accessible format.

The publications are designed mostly for growers, although some have been designed for other audiences, including users of by-products of the industry.

Dr Vivien Kite, from RIRDC’s Chicken Meat Program, says, “There is a lot of good information around but it is often contained in large reports, not necessarily in a format easily accessible to growers or others with a need for hands-on information. The guidelines are bringing the results of previously funded research to the people who will use it.”

The Chicken Meat guidelines cover a range of such areas relevant to the industry including:

• Reuse of litter for more than one batch

• Land application of chicken litter

• Guidelines for solar PV installations on chicken farms

• Ventilation fan efficiency

• Vegetative environmental buffers

‘Litter Re-use: An evidence-based guide to reusing litter’ covers the issues to consider when raising multiple batches of chickens on the same litter. It provides useful information on the potential pros and cons of litter reuse, which will be of interest to both growers and others outside the industry, including those involved in developing environmental and biosecurity standards and guidelines for poultry production.

‘Solar guidelines for Australian meat chicken growers’ provides an introduction to rooftop

solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation as it applies to meat chicken farms. It was developed because energy costs represent a substantial percentage of a grower’s on-farm costs.

The guidelines and associated tools will help growers to assess whether a solar installation will be viable under their particular circumstances.

Another title in the series is ‘Vegetative Environmental Buffers for Australian Poultry Meat Farms: A Guide for Growers’. This guide was developed in support of a technical review that demonstrated the effectiveness of vegetative environmental buffers in mitigating dust and odour emissions from livestock facilities.

Dr Kite says, “If a chicken grower was establishing a new farm, or looking to make improvements on an existing farm, they may want to know how to design a vegetative environmental buffer. The guide describes the types of plants that are suitable, and the best structures and designs of the buffer for odour suppression, visual amenity and dust dispersion.”

The Chicken Meat guidelines are available from RIRDC, and more are currently in production for release in the near future.

More information: External Research Manager Dr Vivien Kite, 02 9929 4077

Report urges new approach to trade policy A new report from RIRDC has mapped out an improved approach to Australia’s trade policy.

The report, Trade Policy Today: A New Approach for a Changed World, was launched by Ewen Jones MP, Chairman of the Coalition Backbench Committee on Trade and Investment.

Trade and foreign investment policies, here and abroad, have a major impact on the performance of Australian farmers.

The RIRDC report suggests that the principle ‘exports are good and imports are bad’, which has traditionally driven the trade negotiation process, should be reconsidered.

The report’s authors, Andy Stoeckel and Hayden Fisher from the Centre for International Economics, said many of the fundamental drivers of global trade and investment flows were outside Australia’s control. Instead, policy makers should focus on the policies and rules affecting trade at home – and to some extent abroad — where outcomes can be influenced.

The report notes that traditional forms of protection — tariffs and agricultural subsidies — have tended to decline. However, new forms of protection and new arguments for protection have emerged (or re-emerged), particularly ‘behind the border’.

The report sets out four courses of action that Australia could pursue in relation to trade policy:

1. Ensure our policies at home promote the best use of our resources for most benefit, irrespective of what others do.

2. Respond strategically to events we cannot influence: Australia has no direct influence over many of the forces driving global trade and investment patterns.

3. ‘Multi-lateralise’ free trade agreements (FTAs). As Australia has no choice but to participate in the global FTA system, the challenge is to make our FTAs better.

4. Promote best practice domestic scrutiny of policies that distort trade and worsen growth.

The report is available at: https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/items/14-059

More information: Simon Winter, RIRDC External Research Manager, 02 6281 5257, simon@swinter.com.au

13

New rice variety taps into lucrative fragrant marketsThe national rice crop’s development has been boosted by new genetic diversity drawn from a RIRDC-funded breeding program and suited to Australia’s temperate growing conditions.

A new fragrant Jasmine rice variety was released at the Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia (RGA) annual conference at Swan Hill, Victoria, in August 2014.

Developed by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) in partnership with RIRDC, Rice Research Australia and SunRice, the cultivar is set to increase the competitiveness of Australian rice in high-value global export markets.

The new variety, named after the gemstone — Topaz — is adapted to the temperate growing conditions of the Riverina region in southern New South Wales, where more than 90 per cent of Australian rice is grown.

In contrast, fragrant rice varieties are typically grown in tropical and subtropical conditions around the world.

For Australian rice growers, Topaz means access to a price premium in the Jasmine-style fragrant market, which is the largest segment of the Australian market and one of the fastest growing international rice markets.

Topaz adds to 18 rice varieties developed by NSW DPI’s rice breeding program at Yanco, including the 2011 release of the Sherpa

fragrant rice variety, which is also suited to temperate growing conditions.

These new cultivars have helped position Australian rice farmers as world leaders in productivity and water use efficiency for the crop — NSW growers have the highest average yields in the world, while using 50 per cent less water than the global average.

The semi-dwarf Topaz variety is set to further increase the Australian industry’s productivity. NSW DPI research has shown Topaz has a 15 per cent yield advantage over the Kyeema fragrant rice variety and has the potential to yield up to 11 tonnes per hectare.

Apart from providing another lucrative option in export markets, particularly in high-demand Asian markets, the Topaz cultivar is expected to increase the availability of Australian-grown Jasmine rice in domestic markets.

Market testing in Hong Kong during 2013 showed Topaz outperformed other market-leading fragrant rice varieties for taste, appearance and flavour.

Planted by Australian rice growers in October 2014, Topaz rice is due on the supermarket shelves in June 2015.

More information:

www.rirdc.gov.au/research-programs/ plant-industries/rice

www.sunrice.com.au

www.rga.org.au

Mix of experience in new RIRDC BoardThe Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce, has appointed six new non-executive Directors to the Board of RIRDC.

The new Directors, announced in October, bring substantial experience across a number of areas, including agricultural and natural resource management, stakeholder engagement, farm diversification and farm management.

They are:

• Mr Kevin Goss (Western Australia)

• Dr Tony Hamilton (New South Wales)

• Dr Janet (Jan) Mahoney (Victoria)

• Dr William Ryan (Western Australia)

• Ms Heather Stacy (Victoria)

• Dr Keith Steele (Queensland)

Dr Len Stephens was reappointed as a RIRDC non-executive Board Director and Professor Stehlik continues as Chair. Mr Craig Burns, RIRDC’s Managing Director also continues as the sole executive board Director.

RIRDC Chair, Professor Daniela Stehlik, welcomed the new Directors and thanked the outgoing Directors for their commitment and leadership during their tenures:

“I congratulate the six new Directors on their appointment and also acknowledge the contributions of the outgoing Directors: Mr Sam Archer, Mr Alex Campbell, Mr Mike Guerin, Ms Roseanne Healy, Ms Alana Johnson and Dr Merilyn Sleigh,” Professor Stehlik said.

“This is an exciting time for Australian agriculture and RIRDC has an important role to play in the sector’s future. I’m confident the new board can guide the corporation through any future challenges and make the most of opportunities as they arise.”

Professor Stehlik said RIRDC had a team of talented and professional staff who already punched well above their weight and the new Directors would value-add to the corporation’s commitment to national rural industries.

More information: Damon Whittock, RIRDC Communications Manager, 02 6271 4175, damon.whittock@rirdc.gov.auA crop of the new Topaz rice variety planted in October on Peter Sheppard’s property in southern

New South Wales is adapted to the temperate growing conditions of the Riverina region where more than 90 per cent of Australian rice is grown.

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RURAL DIVERSITYIssue No. 17 / SUMMER 2015

Australian context for environmental performanceNot so long ago, life cycle assessments (LCAs) for an Australian industry involved researchers using data collected overseas, often using differing methodologies. This meant results did not necessarily reflect Australian conditions and made it difficult to compare ‘apples with apples’.

Country-specific LCAs for agricultural products are essential to understand environmental impacts related to production, especially where differences in management systems and regional climate, soils and vegetation significantly affect LCA results.

They also identify ‘hot spots’ in production systems. Options to reduce these impacts can then be investigated.

RIRDC has been at the forefront of addressing the challenges posed by Australian conditions. Over the past decade, the organisation has led an initiative to improve the collection and collation of all available data relevant to agriculture in Australia, and to make it available in a standard format.

The result of this work is a high-quality, standardised and transparent system — the AusAgLCI — for developing Life Cycle Inventories (LCIs) specific to Australian agricultural production.

AusAgLCI was led and financially supported by RIRDC on behalf of a range of RDCs covering Australia’s most important agricultural commodities (Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Dairy Australia, Grains Research and Development Corporation, Forest and Wood Products Australia, Horticulture Innovation Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia, Sugar Research Australia) and in conjunction with other research agencies

(Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Queensland, University of Southern Queensland, CSIRO and Lifecycle Strategies).

During the project, key inventory was prepared for cotton, grains, horticulture, livestock feeds and sugar.

The inventory measured five impact categories:

• global warming (methane, nitrous oxide emissions, with carbon dioxide emission accounted for in a background inventory)

• water use (for irrigation)

• land use (area of land required for a full production cycle)

• eutrophication (nitrogen and phosphorus fertiliser flows to fresh water)

• ecotoxicity (the flow of pesticide active ingredients to air, water and soil).

This has been a pilot project; as more inventories are developed, they will be added to AusAgLCI to build comprehensive national coverage. Many sectors of the Australian community will benefit from this life cycle inventory, as it will allow more accurate environmental assessment of food and fibre products consumed in both domestic and international markets.

Publication of AusAgLCI gives LCA practitioners access to a country-specific inventory that they can use to assess supply chains containing Australian agricultural inputs.

Also, a publicly available national LCI using highly rigorous data is essential to demonstrate to trading partners the environmental status of agricultural produce.

The project’s primary goal is to provide inventory data to LCA practitioners to underpin environmental assessments that include Australian agricultural products in their supply chain.

The main target audiences are the software providers who will incorporate the inventory into their products (via SimaPro, Pre; GABI, PE) and LCA researchers and practitioners in Australia and overseas.

The secondary audiences are the environment program managers in the investing research and development corporations, businesses involved with environmental performance assessment (ALCAS members, SAI Platform), and policy groups from both industry (Cattle Council, Sheep Meat Council, Grain Corp, NFF) and government (Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment).

As well as producing the database, the AusAgLCI project fostered and built LCA capability in Australia through workshops and discussion groups. International links were forged with France, Canada, the United States and China to assist in bringing a common international approach to agricultural inventory development.

More information: Simon Winter, RIRDC External Research Manager, 02 6281 5257, simon@swinter.com.au

During the project, key inventory was

prepared for cotton, grains, horticulture,

livestock feeds and sugar.

Over the past decade, RIRDC has led an initiative to improve the collection and collation of all available data relevant to agriculture in Australia, and to make it available in a standard format.

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NEW PUBLICATIONS FROM THE RURAL INDUSTRIES R&D CORPORATIONMost of our publications are available for free. Download from our website www.rirdc.gov.au

Nutritional sufficiency of the national food production system, 14-074

This study assesses the Australian food production system in its potential to meet future domestic nutritional requirements.Australian food intake scenarios to 2050 are compared to projections for Australian agricultural production.

The study takes a systems perspective, considering the transformation of farm-gate commodities into food products as well as supply chain and kitchen losses. It also takes a nutritional perspective, being structured around the major dietary food groups.

A Framework for evaluating leadership and capacity investment by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, 14-123

This report presents a reference framework for consideration when a research and development corporation contemplates evaluating one or more of their investments in capacity building activities such as leadership, training, awards and scholarships.

The report identifies activities and methods that may be undertaken to qualitatively and/or quantitatively evaluate investments that have been made, or are being contemplated to be made, in a range of capacity building activities that contain Australian agricultural inputs.

Optimising mulloway farming through better feed and hatchery practices, 14-109

This report aims to optimise feed management which is the major input cost (feed) associated with farming mulloway. Current diets and feeding strategies for large mulloway are not optimal, and farmers need assistance on what to feed, and how to ration that feed to ensure its best use.

Feed management practices which optimise growth and minimise feed wastage are highly desirable in land based systems, as they maximise profitability and minimise the environmental impacts of effluent leaving ponds.

Work health and safety legislative responsibilities, 14-088

This guide aims to assist people working in the primary industries (agriculture and fishing) in understanding their legal Work Health and Safety (WHS) responsibilities and being able to easily access important state/territory and national information to help meet these requirements.

This work has been funded by the Primary Industries Health and Safety Partnership (managed by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation).

Who and what is RIRDC?

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation’s (RIRDC) core business is to maintain and enhance the productivity of the rural industries it supports and to address national rural issues through government-industry partnership.

RIRDC is specifically charged with managing investment in RD&E for those primary industries that are too small to set up their own RD&E entity and to address multi-industry and national interest RD&E needs. In doing so, RIRDC investments contribute to the delivery of outcomes against the National and Rural R&D Priorities set by the Australian Government.

The Corporation is the primary funding source for RD&E activities which investigate the potential of new plant and animal industries for Australia, and for providing support to new industries as they mature and grow.

The breadth of issues and industries RIRDC deals with is as varied as it is unique. RIRDC plays a vital role in the development of rural Australia and is the rural R&D corporation with the remit to manage multi-industry and national interest R&D.

ISSN: 1833-3311 ISBN: 978-1-74254-752-7 RIRDC Pub No. 15/008

Editorial: Coretext

Design: Downie Design

Enquiries

T: 02 6271 4100 E: rirdc@rirdc.gov.au web: www.rirdc.gov.au

Published by the Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation February 2015

PO Box 4776 Kingston ACT 2604