RIRDC Program

Research Priorities for 2010-11

New Plant Products

• Assess and/or establish opportunities to introduce, or improve, new plant industry alternatives, particularly those that may provide opportunities for responding to climate change, for example high value low water usage plants and heat/drought tolerant plants.
• Import replacement and export creation/expansion - Assess and/or establish opportunities to develop or expand new plant industries to provide replacements for currently imported products or products where Australian produce may have a competitive advantage in export markets (e.g. as a result of quality, safety or seasonality)
• Identify and/or develop opportunities for the development of new industries that have the potential to make a substantial contribution to Australia's GDP and rural and regional development in the future. One of the new areas of focus is in industries concerned with seaweed/algal and mixed aquaculture systems.
• Assess and/or establish opportunities to facilitate profitable and sustainable production and supply chain systems, and other mechanisms (for a new or existing product within new plant industries) that may assist with: 

• improvement of production and product availability
• reduction in wastage, production or transport costs
• improvements in product safety
• improvements in quality/shelf-life/marketability of new plant products
• improvement in biosecurity and quarantine in new industry practices
• assessing consumer and value chain benefits.

For Cultural and World Foods (incorporates Asian Foods program and includes Mediterranean and other world/cultural foods)

As stated for new plant products (above), but also with an emphasis on the following:

• Improved management of biosecurity and pest/disease issues
• Reduced risk chemistry
• Effective communication among industry practitioners.
• Assess and/or establish opportunities to advance sustainable cultural and world foods industries - with a focus on quality assurance, especially:

For Olives :

Olive industry research priorities:

As stated for new plant products (above), but also with an emphasis on the following:

• Development of an Australian standard for olive oil, including related R&D on chemistry and legislation
• Development of a code of practice for table olives supported by a table olive processing manual

For Native foods

As stated for new plant products (above), but also with an emphasis on the following:

• Develop industry (ANFIL) standards for priority species - to incorporate technical specification and harvesting-to-post-harvest handling protocols for 6 species per year over two years (to match the "Flavour of the Month" website project).
• Examine flowering and fruiting behaviour in the two key commercial species of Davidson Plum (a fruit with significant market potential) to help overcome production constraints relating to seasonal effects on flowering and fruit yield. (This project should be developed in consultation with both the NSW and Qld Davidson Plum industries).
• Establish systems/procedures for the better dissemination of useful information, from recent ANFIL/RIRDC research projects, throughout the native food value chain from grower to consumer.

Note 1: For any application into an existing crop where a peak industry body exists, the application should outline the consultation process with the PIB.

Note 2: For any application into a new crop, the applicant must ensure stringent consideration of quarantine and ‘weediness' of the new crop is detailed.

Note 3: Where possible, projects should involve an industry partner(s) to facilitate subsequent adoption and commercialisation.

Note 4: For investigations into Asian and Mediterranean vegetables, the applicant should consult with AUSVEG and Horticulture Australia Ltd and determine the potential for a co-funding arrangement.

New Animal Products

The NAP program has separate R&D plans for New Animal Products, Kangaroo, Deer and Buffalo - click below to see the full plans for each industry.

R&D Plan for NAP

Deer Industry R&D Plan 2006-2011

Kangaroo Industry Strategic Plan 2005-2010

R&D Plan for the Buffalo sub-program

• Improve the grading of skins, particularly for crocodiles
• Enhance hygienic methods and animal welfare considerations in harvesting kangaroos
• Increase volume and access for export marketing, particularly for kangaroo and ratite products
• Increase efficiencies in the supply chain for gamebirds, ducks, rabbits and turkeys
• Improve the production and consumption of buffalo meat and milk products
• Assess commercial opportunities as appropriate for native animals and ornamental fish
• Increase the range of value added products particularly for kangaroo, ratites and rabbits
• Assess the feasibility of new prospective animal enterprises and industries
• Determine carbon emission in production and processing of new animal enterprises
• Fund postgraduate and post-doctoral personnel
• Support attendance of industry and research personnel at national and international meetings.

Essential Oils and Plant Extracts

Essential Oils and Plant Extracts Five-Year R&D Plan 2008-2013

Opportunities to:

• Improve production systems to raise productivity and control over product qualities:
  • specifically where Australian product is not meeting either national or international standards that the industry can identify and encourage best practice improvements to address this
• Support the demonstration of safety and effectiveness of Australian products and facilitate the satisfaction of regulatory requirements to enhance market access:
  • specifically to improve international standards where adulterated product is being accepted
• Support new ideas that provide potential for growing the market for Australian product
• Improve the industry and research capacity

Rare Natural Animal Fibres

Rare Natural Animal Fibres Five-Year R&D Plan 2009-2014

Rare Natural Animal Fibres will not be making a call for applications in 2010-11

Wildflowers and Native Plants

Wildflowers and Native Plants Five Year Plan 2008-2013

Opportunities to:

• Provide profitable and sustainable production and management systems
• Improve product quality through postharvest care and quality standards
• Assess and evaluate markets to improve commercial outcomes for the industry
• Improve existing products and develop new ones:
  • specifically commercialisation of new varieties identified in previous research
• Enhance the human capital of the industry and consequent research knowledge and adoption.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil R&D Five Year Plan 2006-2011

Objective 1: Enhancing production systems to maintain the competitiveness of Australian growers

Strategies

• Identify and research by-products of tea tree oil production to ensure a diverse range of products from the production system (for example, use of farm waste for co-generation).

Objective 2: Identifying regulatory regimes and market barriers, and enhancing the ability of industry to meet standards

Strategies

• Undertake studies to identify expected regulations for a range of products including traditional medicine, cosmetics, biocidal, industrial and agricultural uses.
• Fund R&D, synthesis and communication activities that address existing or potential regulatory barriers.
• Undertake generic safety and toxicology studies to meet regulatory requirements for a range of potential uses of tea tree oil.

Objective 3: Demonstrating proof of concept/efficacy for innovative applications of tea tree oil

Strategies

• Identify and support innovative proof of concept/efficacy projects -including those in the areas of agriculture, industrial, cosmetic, biocidal and anti-microbial uses.

Bioenergy, Bioproducts and Energy

Methane to Markets in Agriculture Program – R&D Plan 2007-2009

• Assess and adapt existing Australian and international feedstocks and develop new feedstocks for bioenergy and bioproducts.
• Scope, compare and develop energy and cost efficient technologies, infrastructure and logistics for harvesting and processing biomass:
  • Identify regions for growing biofuel crops such underutilized and /or low productivity land and its match to regional infrastructure capacity eg roads
• Evaluate conversion technologies and select, research and develop those which are competitive for Australian circumstances:
  • A specific review is requested of the potential application of international technologies for second generation biofuel production (eg lignocellulosics conversion and algal technologies) in Australia; including a detailed assessment of intellectual property issues and barriers in accessing these technologies, and how to address these.
  • Assess and compare the feasibility for a range of feedstock and technology combinations at centralized and decentralized levels and at different scales.
• Develop bioproducts that complement bioenergy production systems with a view to biorefinery development.
• Investigate sustainability for Australian bioenergy and bioproducts industries, including life cycle analyses (CO2 and energy); sustainability of soil, water and biodiversity; and competition with food production.
• Investigate policy mechanisms which steer the industry towards sustainable development.

Chicken Meat

Chicken Meat Research and Development Plan 2009-14

Applicants should consult the Five-Year Plan in the development of research proposals.

• Research to improve feed conversion rates in meat chickens
• Production efficiency and productivity improvement in the fast growing free range chicken meat sector
• Research nutrition issues linked to improved animal welfare outcomes
• Develop additional through-chain strategies for control of Campylobacter and other food safety pathogens
• Investigate the feasibility of developing a live Salmonella vaccine in Australia suitable for use in the chicken meat industry
• Research the full suite of litter management options (reuse, sale as fertilizer, ammonia capture, burn as biofuel, etc) to provide tailored solutions for individual growers
• Assist industry to understand, adapt to and profit from climate change

Honeybees

Pollination Five-Year R&D Plan 2009-2014

2010-11 Research priorities for the Honeybee R&D Program:

Researchers should consult the Honeybee Five-Year Plan 2007-2012 in the development of research proposals.

• pests and diseases
• pollination studies
• therapeutic and pre-biotic uses of honey

Pollination

2010-11 Research priorities for the Pollination R&D Program:

Researchers should consult the Five Year Plan in the development of research proposals.

• Projects should be closely aligned to the objectives of the Plan, namely:
  • to minimise likelihood and consequences of bee pest and disease incursion
  • to sustain honeybee access to floral resources
  • to improve effectiveness and economic returns from bee pollination
  • to investigate effectiveness and potential of non-honeybee pollinating species.

Rice

Rice R&D Plan 2006-2011

The RIRDC Rice Program is not making a call for applications
in 2010-11

Horses

Horse Five Year R&D Plan 2006-2011

Applicants should consult the Five-Year Plan in the development of research proposals.

• Diseases and parasites
• Horse and rider safety
• Reducing injuries to horses

Fodder Crops

Fodder Crops Five Year R&D Plan 2009-2013

• Markets, Products and 'Blue Sky' Research:
  Explore and develop new export and domestic markets for Australian grown fodder, shore up existing markets and supply markets with new Australian fodder products
• Plant Breeding and Germplasm Evaluation:
  address thhe increasingly specialised nature of world fodder markets through the development, and then adoption, of superior new varieties of the most important fodder crop species for export and domestic customers. The focus of new variety production is to be on cereals (especially oats), vetch and annual pasture species. Superior varieties are to address yield, climate change/drought tolerance, quality/palatability, pest/disease and agronomic challenges
• Crop Agronomy and Fodder Production Efficiency:
  Investigate crop agronomy and fodder production efficiency through investments in plant nutrition, pests/disease/weeds, micro-organisms, water use efficiency, farming systems, harvesting/processing technologies, fire management and agronomics to manage chemical residues in fodder.
• Supply Chain Efficiency - Harvesting, Transport, Traceability and Relationships with Allied Industries:
  Investigate improvements to the supply chain so that it is efficient in delivering the best quality product to end users through harvesting, storage, transport, coordination, traceability and building relationships with allied industries.
• Improved Fodder Quality:
  Address fodder quality to ensure that Australian produced fodder in domestic and export markets meets customer expectations for quality in terms of product description, objective test results and quality attributes, such as metabolisable energy, protein content, level of extraneous matter, residues and animal preference.
• Climate Change, Biosecurity and Environmental Management -Investigate:
  • climate change challenges facing the Australian fodder industry and its customers
  • effective support and development of fodder industry products which meet international trading standards and comply with import country protocal requirements
  • protecting the Australian fodder industry from biosecurity hazards
  • producing fodder products with minimal negative impacts on the environment.
• Industry Linkages, Communication, Information Flows, Forecasting Tools and Program Evaluation:
  Explore avenues to ensure an informed industry and early successful adoption of R&D program outcomes

Pasture Seeds

Pasture Seeds Five-Year R&D Plan 2008-2013

• Industry Communication and Capacity Building:
  Information provision, extension, training and travel opportunities for researchers and pasture seed producers and others involved in the seed industry.
• Improved Seed production and Processing Technologies:
  Investigate technologies in order to lift pasture seed production efficience (including water use and adapting to climate variability), yield, quality, pest/disease management and ease of processing to ensure the industry maintains its comparative advantage in low cost production.

Organics

Organic Industry Five Year Plan 2006-2011

The RIRDC Organics Program is not making a call for applications in 2010-11

Global Challenges

The RIRDC Global Challenges Program is not making a call for applications in 2010-11

Resilient Communities

The RIRDC Resilient Communities Program is not making a call for applications in 2010-11

Collaborative Partnership for Farming and Fishing Health and Safety

Collaborative Partnership for Farming & Fishing Health & Safety R&D Plan

• Researchers should consult the Farm Health and Safety Research Compendium 2009 (RIRDC Pub. No. 09/065) in the development of research proposals.
• Projects should be closely aligned to the objectives of the Plan, that is to:
  • improve the physical health of farming and fishing workers and their families
  • improve the mental health of farming and fishing families
  • improve the safety environment and work practices in farming and fishing industries.