Shaping the Future is
the corporate newsletter of RIRDC. It is distributed quarterly by direct
mail to over 4,000 researchers, industry, government, farmers, libraries
and consultants. Contributions are welcome.
A pdf version of this newsletter with all illustrations is also available for download (3.5meg).
In this issue:  Rewarding
Australia’s outstanding rural women
A
word from the Managing Director
Rural
Women’s Awards 2005 Winners
Farm
forestry – growing rainforests and bringing back a rare species
Fences
to keep children safe on farms
Access
platforms make tractors safer
Ten
steps to success
Inspiring
stories from regional businesses
Agricultural
Resources on the Web
Singapore
market for NT Asian vegetables
Collaborative
survey to standardise Asian vegetable names
Native
rainforest foliages to brighten the bouquet
The
New Crop Industries Handbook
Did
you know?
From
barnacle deterrents to tumour treatments
Healing
saline soils with native grain crops
RIRDC
Bookshop
With backgrounds in thoroughbred horses, lamb production, native foods, olives, cut salads, crocodiles and rock lobsters, the seven Rural Women's Awards winners for 2005 represent excellence across a diverse selection of industries. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon. Warren Truss, presented the awards at the 2005 National Reception for Rural Women, a prestigious event celebrating the contribution rural women make to their industries and communities. "I congratulate all the women honoured at the 2005 National Reception for their commitment and vision for the future of rural Australia," Mr Truss said. Mr Truss said women are involved in almost every facet of rural life, and make a major contribution to regional economies and community life through a variety of on- and off-farm, professional and community work. "Research shows that rural
women directly account for around 30 per cent of all farm output. Unfortunately,
women remain poorly represented in senior leadership positions within the
sector.
"We clearly need to turn this situation around, and a crucial first step is increasing the number of qualified women available for selection." Mr Truss said this is not just a question of equity or fairness. "It is also about diversity —a factor crucial to the long-term viability of farms, rural businesses, communities and industries. "Women can bring a very different perspective to economic and social issues —to encourage productive debate and good policy development. Their role in decision making helps to ensure we can realise rural and regional Australia’s full potential." "The challenge now is for industry, and the peak farming organisations, to capitalise on the talent of rural women or risk losing the enterprise and innovation these women provide," he said. Now in its sixth year, the Award provides a Bursary of $15,000 for each of the seven State and Territory winners’ and a Development Award of $5,000 for one runner up in each State. It also provides the opportunity for all State and Territory winners to attend the prestigious Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course. The Award is an initiative of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, in partnership with the Primary Industries Standing Committee’s Rural Women’s Working Group. The three major sponsors of the Award 2005 are the Australian Women’s Weekly, Rural Press and ABC Radio. Details on the seven winners,
representing the six states and the Northern Territory, are
set out below.
It is a great pleasure to take on the role of RIRDC’s managing director. The opportunity to lead this important contributor to rural innovation and profitability is one that I am grateful to have. I look forward to working with RIRDC’s clients and stakeholders to ensure that we maximise the contribution of rural R&D to industry and community profitability, sustainability and resilience. RIRDC has a strong track record in fostering innovation in the rural sector. For example, the corporation was involved in the early work on canola, which has gone on to become a crop of up to 2.4 million tonnes per annum. The booming coffee industry was also supported through the development of a mechanical harvester that enabled local growers to compete with handpicked crops from other countries. About 500 tonnes of coffee bean was produced in 2002, forecast to rise to 1600 tonnes by 2008. There are many other examples of RIRDC working with industries at various stages of development—some will go on to be large valuable crops for Australian landholders while others will remain niche industries. One of the defining characteristics of Australian agriculture has been its flexibility. Landholders have managed through changes in the types of crops and animals they produce, improvement in management methods and responded to changing consumer expectations. The challenges currently facing the rural sector are significant, with increasing competition in both export and domestic markets. In addition, there are ongoing restrictions to world trade in agricultural products, increasing costs of production and so on. A vital part of the response from the rural sector to these pressures will be increased diversification, as has happened during the history of farming in this country. The corporation has a strong focus on research to provide options for producers and communities to diversify, by identifying opportunities and helping to manage change. Increasing the profitability and sustainability of established industries is also fundamental to RIRDC’s work. RIRDC works closely with the chicken meat, rice, honey, horse, fodder crops, pasture seeds, deer and buffalo industries to provide R&D that keeps them at the leading edge of advances in production and management. Peter O’Brien
Victorian Winner 2005
- Sue Markwell
Tasmanian Winner 2005
- Amanda Way
Amanda started selling seafood direct from the boat to the public at Margate wharf in 2003. She has since negotiated with four other boats to sell direct from Margate to satisfy local domestic demand and is now seeking to further expand and value add this market. New South Wales Winner
2005 - Jennifer Bradley
On her family farm she is responsible for the sheep enterprise which comprises of 150 specially selected Border Leicester breeding ewes and 1500 Merino ewes, to produce first cross prime lambs. South Australian Winner
2005 - Lisa Rowntree
Six years ago Lisa and her husband Jim planted their first 7,200 olive trees. Today those trees are producing good commercial quantities of high quality extra virgin olive oil and they not only manage their own 20 hectare orchard but also a neighbouring 214 hectare property of 72,000 trees. Queensland Winner 2005
- Anne Osborne
‘Boofanugs’ produces and value-adds a large range of native food and health products from biscuits and biscotti to spices and soaps. Northern Territory Winner
2005 - Ann Palmer
She is involved in every aspect of her farm’s operations from crocodile hatchlings to feeding and nutrition to breeding and production to the marketing of crocodile skins. Western Australian Winner
2005 - Maureen Dobra
During her eight-year tenure the business has grown exponentially and now employs over 30 staff, of which half are women, with a product range of over 26 varieties of lettuce, leafy vegetables and herbs. Maureen is a member of the Western Australian Vegetable Networking Committee, set up to resolve and set direction on issues critical to the industry. She is also a member of the Ausveg National Research & development Committee, the national representative body for Australia’s vegetable and potato growers.
Farm forestry – growing rainforests and bringing back a rare species Growing Rainforest Timber
Trees—A farm forestry manual for north Queensland
One objective may be to produce quality timber but in the process trees could also improve the visual environment, provide a wildlife habitat, reduce erosion, lower the watertable, provide shelter, and, if the species is carefully chosen, fodder for stock, all at the same time. Growing Rainforest Timber Trees is designed to assist forest growers to plant and manage rainforest timber trees, especially in plantations—ranging from small woodlots to industrial-scale plantations—in the Wet Tropics region of north Queensland. The report focuses on the ‘getting started’ information required by growers of rainforest timber trees. Research trials and farmers’ and extension officers’ experiences have now established a body of information which can provide a foundation for new growers of rainforest timber trees. 2005, 87pp, Pub. No. 03/010, $30 Growing Australian Red
Cedar—and other Meliaceae
species in plantation
By the early 20th Century, red cedar—among the most valuable of timber trees—had been exploited to economic extinction. Until recently attempts to reestablish commercial plantations were thwarted by insects. The cedar tipmoth (or shootborer) attacks the growing tips of the young trees, leading to a multi-branched tree form of little commercial value. Growing Australian Red Cedar describes and collates research into the relationship between the tree and the insect, and attempted solutions to combat the effect of the moth on the tree form. The report describes how the authors have put the research into practice, establishing their own viable red cedar plantation. 2005, 76pp, Pub. No. 04/135,
$36
Agricultural
Resources on the web
Fences
to keep children safe on farms
The overlap between home and work life is part of the rural lifestyle, but it has serious dangers. Around 30 children are killed in accidents on Australian farms each year, most of them under the age of four. Drowning is more common than any other cause of death of children on farms. Securely fenced safe play areas can serve to keep children on farms away from workplace hazards such as water, machinery, livestock and vehicles. Most farms and rural properties already have a house yard which could form the basis for an effective safe play area; however in many cases the primary purpose of the fence is to keep stock and native animals from getting into the home and garden area. With the increasing recognition of the risks to children on farms and rural properties, fences are now more commonly being used to perform a dual role of keeping animals out and young children in. While there is a lot of practical experience and technology behind the design of fencing for animals, there is less information about fences suitable for children on farms. Recent research from the RIRDCmanaged Joint Research Venture for Farm Health and Safety has examined house-yard fence designs, and assessed the effectiveness of those designs from the perspective of child safety and the needs of farms and rural properties. The project identified eight generic fence designs with materials ranging in price from $16 to $65 per metre. The fences reviewed range in effectiveness as a child barrier from unacceptable to very high. Each fence was evaluated against six criteria:
The project has established a clear set of criteria for assessing fences in rural areas and provides a basis for further improvement in rural fence design for this purpose and more widespread adoption of the safe play area concept. The project has also focused rural fencing contractors on this issue with several new designs being developed and promoted through the process. The results of this research have been published as a RIRDC Research Report (Safer Fences for Children on Farms, 2005, 25pp, Pub.No. 05/008, $16) The findings are also included in the booklet, Safe Play Areas on Farms, containing background information on improving safety for children, examples and suggestions for safe play areas and activities, and details of the eight fence types reviewed in the project. It also contains a template for an action plan to improve farm play areas, a feedback form to assist the researchers in improving the resources, and contact details for organisations involved in farm safety. Safe Play Areas on Farms
is
available free of charge from RIRDC.
Access
platforms make tractors safer
Tractors account for approximately 15% of work-related fatalities among those employed in agriculture in Australia, an average of 22 deaths per year. Accidents in which the victim is run over by the tractor often occur as a result of mounting and dismounting, and safe-access platforms reduce this risk. Two farm safety action groups in Victoria have fitted a number of tractors with safe-access platforms and the uptake and implementation of this initiative was evaluated by the Farm Health and Safety Joint Research Venture. The project has found that the platforms improve tractor safety considerably, and that the uptake of retrofitted platforms needs to be promoted and facilitated. Safe Access Platforms
for Tractors (2005, 76pp, Pub. No. 04/180, $16)
Good Enough Never Is – Lessons from inspirational businesses in rural Australia looks at twenty businesses that have excelled, and examines the qualities that have caused these enterprises to rise above the rest. "Good Enough Never Is delivers the stories of ordinary rural people who dared to be different and have become out-of-the-ordinary rural entrepreneurs," says researcher Peter Kenyon. "Rather than being endowed with unique and mysterious qualities, these people have discovered and developed attitudes, behaviours and skills that set them apart from most business operators in rural and remote Australia." The businesses span a variety of products and services, from hospitality to greengrocers, from furniture manufacture to banks and hospitals. "There must be principles and practices that can increase the chances of success, and surely the best place to identify these is among those entrepreneurs who, despite what is often perceived as a locational disadvantage, have achieved a national, even an international reputation for their business success," Kenyon says. "It is essential that community builders and leaders understand ‘what gets the tills ringing’ and become supportive of community policies and strategies that encourage and reward positive business behaviours and attitudes." The report identifies ten themes shared by all the selected businesses. "The title of this publication, Good Enough Never Is, encapsulates the underlying themes of the stories shared," Kenyon says. "They never contemplate doing just ‘well enough’. Instead, the question is always ‘How can we do better?" Passion and persistence
Tom O’Toole of the Beechworth Bakery said, "Passion. If your heart’s not in it, get out. The sky’s the limit if your heart’s in it. You’ve got to have enthusiasm. If you haven’t got enthusiasm, you’re buggered!" Stefano de Pieri, of Stefano’s Restaurant in Mildura, is quoted: "If you are passionate about something, it can indeed become a reality. And if it doesn’t, well you can have a great time trying". Core values, idealism
and visions
Community connectedness,
ownership and involvement
Inspiring
stories from regional businesses
Quality customer service
"The purpose of a business is to find and keep customers," Kenyon says. "My bread is probably no better than the rest, but our service vision lifts us right out of the crowd," says Tom O’Toole, from Beechworth Bakery. Idea obsession, innovation
and continuous improvement
Kenyon says: "They are modern day Isaac Newtons: millions watched the apple fall to the ground, but only Newton wanted to know why it did." David Paris, of furniture manufacturers Jah Roc, said: "We are always asking ourselves, ‘How can we improve it, how can we do it better?’" Leadership and skilled
management principles and practices
Staff pride, enthusiasm
and involvement
"My staff are the key to our success," says Tom O’Toole of the Beechworth Bakery. "I am just one of 74—and the most useless one, so they tell me.… My business is about people. We so often think it is about product. If my place burnt down tomorrow, and as long as my staff were not cooked, I could be operating down the road within hours." Product differentiation
and quality
The unique "product" sold by Harry Nanya Outback Tours is the opportunity to experience Mungo National Park—containing the largest continuous record of Aboriginal life in Australia—guided by the traditional caretakers of the area. Garry Bennett and David Paris of Jah Roc found a unique niche in the highly competitive furniture industry ("people who buy our furniture are buying a lifestyle"), and they use recycled timbers, operating out of a prominent heritage building in the historic town of York in Western Australia. Collaboration, networking
and strategic partnerships
Innovative marketing
Wayne Kraft, the owner of the Overlanders Steakhouse, says: "It does take time, money and, above all, patience to develop goodwill and open doors". Nick Comino, alias Elvis Parsley from Grapeland, says that customers and tourists want a retail experience not just a product. "If you want to survive in a town of 2000, only half an hour from a major regional shopping centre, you need to be bold and creative. Small business is getting harder; it’s a struggle. Only those who are prepared to think outside the box can survive in our business sector." Good Enough Never Is –
Lessons from inspirational businesses in rural Australia (2004, 144pp,
Pub No. 04/137; $36)
Singapore
market for NT Asian vegetables
Asian vegetable production dominates the vegetable industry in the NT, and accounts for 75% of vegetable production by weight and 90% of the gross value of production, RIRDC research has shown. The NT Asian vegetable industry has grown from some $2.5 million in 1994 to an estimated $11 million in 2002 but its production potential is still around three times the size of its current output. Interest from the Singapore market in Australian-grown Asian vegetables, especially leafy Asian vegetables and tropical Asian gourds, could see this potential realised.
Three vegetables, namely Kai laan (Brassica alboglabra), Chinese Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and Chinese Mustard (Brassica juncea), are competitive with exports from China when exported by sea to Singapore. Exports by sea (between $0.66/kg - $0.88/kg ) appear to be more cost effective than air ($1.27/kg - $1.64/kg). Singapore’s import trade statistics show that the overall imported vegetables market had a wholesale value of A$290 million in 2003. Other potential export opportunities identified include Japanese ‘Kyuri’ cucumber and organic Asian vegetables. There are several significant factors that would attract Singapore retailers to Australian suppliers:
In particular, Australia is free from HPAI and would be able to assure Singapore of the integrity of Asian vegetables from Australia. Retailers in Singapore prefer to source their produce from long-term and committed suppliers, and growers would need to provide consistency of supply, quality and pricing, preferably over a broad range of products from supplier if practical. Marketing Asian Vegetables from Darwin (2005, 40pp, Pub No 05/037; $21)
Collaborative
survey to standardise Asian vegetable names
Representatives from Coles, Harris Farm Markets, Sydney Produce Market, Barden Produce and the NSW Chinese and Vietnamese Grower Associations are collaborating with RIRDC and NSW Department of Primary Industries researchers to standardise the names of Asian vegetables. Their aim is to compile a list of what those involved in the industry around Australia call a range of Asian vegetable products. This will help to develop a National system. The survey, distributed through the research participant and RIRDC’s Asian Foods Newsletter, consists of photographs of the vegetables in question, and an invitation to complete a form listing the names that each is known by. If you are interested in participating in the survey contact Anna Ferguson (Tel 02 6272 4205, email anna.ferguson@rirdc.gov.au)
Native
rainforest foliages to brighten the bouquet
The project, conducted by horticulturist Joanna Sroj of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, has targeted five foliage products with unique characteristics that allow the foliages to display points of difference in the marketplace. Grevillea baileyana, Athertonia diversifolia and Lomatia fraxinifolia are endemic to rainforests in north Queensland and have been identified as having significant potential as cut foliage. Stenocarpus Forest Lace, and Stenocarpus Forest Gem have been developed from parent plants endemic to north Queensland rainforests and both varieties are protected by Plant Breeders Rights owned by Yuruga Nursery P/L. Researchers have now turned their attention to growing Australian plants native to north Queensland in an attempt to overcome potential disease problems. The three species and two varieties being developed grow very well in a range of climates on the Atherton Tableland. Stenocarpus Forest Gem and Stenocarpus Forest Lace are new products to the market, whereas Grevillea baileyana, Lomatia fraxinifolia and Athertonia diversifolia have been available to the market in small volumes for a few years. The two Stenocarpus varieties are considered filler foliages; Stenocarpus Forest Lace is unlike any other cut foliage currently available and Stenocarpus Forest Gem is similar in appearance to Persoonia longifolia, otherwise known as snotty gobble or Barker bush. Stenocarpus ‘Forest Gem’ and Stenocarpus ‘Forest Lace’ have been bred by Yuruga Nursery, and are protected by PBR (Plant Breeders Rights). Being hybrids, they must be propagated vegetatively, and cutting propagation is the method of choice. Grevillea baileyana, Lomatia fraxinifolia and Athertonia diversifolia are considered feature foliages and have their own unique characteristics. The industry is in its infancy but is developing quickly. All five foliages have recently been planted on-farms on the Atherton Tableland and on the Sunshine Coast. Small volumes of Athertonia diversifolia, Lomatia fraxinifolia and Grevillea baileyana have been produced on-farms on the north coast of New South Wales for a number of years. The results of this project
have been published as a RIRDC research report (Developing North Queensland
Native Foliage species for the Flower Industry – 2005, Pub. No. 05/010,
74pp, $16), and have been included as a chapter ("Tropical Rainforest
Foliages") in the "Wild.owers" section of the New Crops Industry Handbook
(see
below).
The
New Crop Industries Handbook
The handbook provides detailed information about 69 new plant crops, written by a team of experts. It examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for each industry. Information is included on markets, varieties, production, handling, prices and costs. The publication is available as a book or in searchable electronic format on CD-ROM. Print version: 2004, 553pp, Pub No 04/125: $50 CD version: 2004, Pub No CD04/002: $15
Studies show the benefit:cost
ratio of this research to be almost 90:1.
From barnacle deterrents to tumour treatments New uses for bioactive constituents from farm-grown of Eucalyptus foliage Some species of eucalypts contain high concentrations of valuable compounds with industrial and human health applications, recent research from the RIRDC-managed Joint Venture Agroforestry Program shows. This project sought to identify sources of new bioactive products that might provide another income stream from plantings of low-rainfall eucalypts. It focused attention on a group of recently described compounds from Eucalyptus known as formylated phloroglucinol compounds (FPCs) that show a wide range of biological activities including potency as antifouling agents, tumour suppression, antibacterial and antiviral properties. There has been intense interest in these compounds, mainly from Japanese sources, and many patents have been issued covering their extraction, synthesis and applications. Natural antifouling agents, to replace the use of toxic tin compounds on boats in Australian waterways, could be produced using FPCs. They have also been used as components of mouthwashes, toothpastes and skin creams. The diverse biological actions of these compounds suggest other medical uses. Of all these uses it seems as though the markets in antifouling agents and personal care through skin creams and antibacterial mouthwashes are most promising. The research involved a survey of 39 eucalypt species and four species of Melaleuca suited to plantation growing in low-rainfall areas. Mass spectrometry and a variety of chromatographic techniques were used to survey extracts of these plants for FPCs and, in some cases, for essential oils. Several rich sources of FPCs were identi.ed, particularly among some Western Australian oil mallees. The project also investigated several methods for extracting and purifying FPCs. There is no doubt that there are rich sources of bioactive products available in existing low-rainfall plantings. However, better ways of preparing enriched and puri.ed extracts must be found before enough of these products can be isolated for research into their uses with a view to eventually marketing them. The Potential of Bioactive Constituents of Eucalyptus Foliage as Non-Wood Products from Plantations (2004, 42pgs, Pub No. 04/154; $16)
Healing saline soils with native grain crops A major challenge for Australian agriculture is the management of dryland salinity. The problem is that high yielding annual crop plants such as wheat and barley, the backbone of our farming systems, make incomplete use of annual rainfall. Excess rainfall accumulates in the soil and brings ancient stores of salt to the surface. Australia’s native vegetation, on the other hand, is well adapted to ancient soils and highly variable rainfall. Our woodlands and heath are dominated by plants that are long-lived and use virtually all the rainfall. Their disadvantage is their slow growth and low productivity. Researchers have been taking up the challenge to find native perennial plants with the potential for domestication. Recently-completed RIRDC research has investigated the potential of an Australian native grass for grain production. The research reveals there is sufficient genetic variation within stands of this native grass for plant breeding and genetic improvement work to begin. Researcher Dr Ted Lefroy (CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems) said the concept of perennial grain crops presents major biological and agronomic challenges. "The biological challenge is that perennial crops appear to contradict the fundamental principle of biology that plants partition their resources either towards reproduction or perennial growth, but not both," Dr Lefroy said. "The agronomic challenge is demonstrating an exception to a 10,000 year-old rule that successful grain production is based on fitting high seed-yielding annual grasses into a short seasonal window to avoid climatic extremes. "However, a review of perennial grain crop research produced two notable conclusions. "Long life and high seed yield are not necessarily mutually exclusive, with some experimental perennial crops yielding in excess of 1 t/ha of grain in the USA. "Secondly, there are likely to be niches in agricultural landscapes where low grain yield from a perennial cereal crop could be complemented by its grazing value." Dr Lefroy said the trade-off with a perennial grain crop is that grain yields will not be as high as that of annuals. "It is hoped that their dual role as grain and grazing plants will help to offset lower returns from seed harvest." "In this way it is planned to produce a plant tailored to a particular niche, the arable mid to upper slopes of the medium to high rainfall zones where there has been an increase in the area under cropping in recent years in response to declining wool prices, but where recharge and soil erosion represent significant risks to sustainable land use. "This niche is estimated to cover some 3–5 million hectares across the Australian grain belt. "Under dual-purpose perennial grain crops, this land could remain commercially viable and environmentally sustainable." The Australian native species Microlaena stipoides (microlaena, meadow or weeping rice grass) was identified as a promising candidate on the basis of seed size and wide distribution. Microlaena has large seeds, approaching that of commercial rice varieties, and has indeterminate flowering: many types will continue to produce seed throughout the summer, provided soil water is available. Microlaena is found throughout southern Australia. It tolerates acid soils, drought and frost, and is capable of year round green growth with high forage digestibility (55– 80%) and quality (10–27% crude protein). Seed yield is essential for the commercial acceptability of both grain crops and perennial pasture species, and seed production in Microlaena compares very favourably with introduced perennial grass species, and far exceeds documented yields of other native grasses. Research has shown a high degree of variability within seed yield and other seed components of microlaena. This indicates there is sufficient variation within microlaena to make selections for higher yielding lines. Future work
There is evidence to indicate that microlaena has high protein (21.6%) and a unique amino acid profile. Of particular interest are its starch composition and, because it is fairly closely related to rice, its likely gluten-free status. The processing properties of microlaena grain also needs to be assessed in a range of food applications such as: a whole grain softened and added to products such as breads, muffins, crackers and sweet biscuits; a ground whole grain to be used as a wholemeal flour supplement in breads, biscuits, muffins and Asian noodle products; and a flour product to be included in breads, biscuits, muffins and Asian noodle products. Perennial Grain Crops
for High Water Use (2005, 50pp, Pub No 05/024, $16)
RIRDC Bookshop
Many full reports are also available free as downloadable pdf, rtf and MSWord6 documents. Many reports have been summarised in free RIRDC "Short Reports". PAST ISSUES OF THIS NEWSLETTER
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Exports
to Singapore by sea from Darwin—to provide Singapore with an alternative
source of supply—are commercially viable for a selected number of vegetables.
