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.
In this issue:  Australian
farmers rising to the challenges of change
A
Word from the Managing Director - Building capacity for change:turning
challenges into opportunities
New
Corporate Plan & Research Priorities released
RIRDC
program structure changes
Using
piggery wastewater for aquaculture
Agricultural
Resources on the web
Land
leasing sustainable management for Australian Farms
Picking
the winning wildfl owers
Pruning
tress for high-value logs
To
bee or not to bee, that is the question
Better
best practices for chicken farms
New
controls for rice pests
New
Animal Products: Gourmet recipe for success
Angora
Rabbits
Olive
varieties for Australia
Farm
Health & Safety - Why won’t farmers adopt safety measures?
Hygienic
practices keep small hive beetle contained
Gold
again for the RIRDC Annual Report
RIRDC
Bookshop
The book draws on the experiences of farmers to offer new perspectives to those working with the land. Australian farmers operate in a rapidly changing global marketplace. They are subject to fluctuating commodity prices and costs, in an unpredictable economic climate. This book shows how some farmers are responding, making their own changes and experimenting with ideas that alter farming practices and preconceptions. Innovative activities are being undertaken by farmers across the continent, giving them more control over their own destiny. Senator Judith Troeth, the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, launched Options for Change: new ideas for Australian farmers in Melbourne on 25 August."Options for Change gives producers advice on changing the focus of their enterprise in several ways —including value-adding, diversifying, generating off-farm income and community-supported agriculture," Senator Troeth said. "For example—turning a property over from sheep-farming to trout aquaculture, becoming manufacturers of fashion garments as well as wool-growers, and forming a grower owned co-operative to export persimmons to markets throughout Asia. There are endless examples of Australian producers adapting to change and winning throughout this new RIRDC publication.
Options for Change looks at ways farmers can work together and share resources through farm business arrangements designed to improve the margins for all involved. The book also explores the difficult issue of succession planning, with practical information as well as case studies on transferring the family property from one generation to the next. It includes the experiences of people leaving the land and making new lives away from farming. "Innovative activities are undertaken by rural producers right across the continent," Senator Troeth said."The range of agricultural products now produced in Australia would be unrecognisable to anyone familiar with the Australian farm sector half a century ago."I urge all producers to read this publication and learn more about dealing with the challenge of change. "Diversification, one of the options the book examines, can take many forms. One case study looks at farm tourism, involving no production as such, but the sheep enterprise on the property is vital because that is partly what visitors come to see. Another family’s expansion into trout aquaculture has created a form of production that is entirely separate from their sheep-farming business.Generating off-farm income also challenges conventional notions of farming. On one farm a family member works off farm full time to generate income so the business can engage in innovative practices without risking farm income. Community-supported agriculture involves the farmer growing produce specifically for a group of customers whose identity and preferences are known. The customers have some degree of influence over what is produced.The second part of the book looks at ways of working together and sharing resources through farm business arrangements designed to improve the results for all involved. It covers syndicating, cooperatives, share farming and incorporation, as well as some lesser known structures and agreements. The final section explores succession planning with some of those who have worked through the transfer of the family property from one generation to the next. It also looks at the experiences of people leaving the land and making new lives away from farming. In both these areas—succession planning and leaving the land—managing people is essential. Options for Change: New ideas for Australian farmers (2003, 212pp, Pub No 03/030; $31)
The Human Capital program is the area of RIRDC research that aims to build the "capacity" of the rural sector and rural communities.Research and development initiatives are designed to assist our rural communities in their efforts to prosper and grow as Australian rural industry adapts to global change.International developments will have a profound effect on Australian agriculture in coming years, and while that will create challenges it will also result in opportunities. The same process has been under way since Europeans first began farming in this country and Australian agriculture has responded to many challenges with innovation and energy.RIRDC’s Human Capital program has produced some excellent resources such as the very popular Kit for Small Town Renewal; Rural & Regional Guide to e-Commerce; Costs & Benefits of Diversification: Whole Farm Case Studies and many others.Options for Change: new ideas for Australian farmers will certainly play a significant role in the decision-making process on many farms in this country. New
Corporate Plan & Research Priorities released
RIRDC’s new Corporate Plan for 2003-2008 establishes a strategic direction to enable the Corporation to maximise its contribution to rural and regional Australia. This plan builds on the achievements of earlier plans by establishing four goals and strategies for the next five years.In establishing these goals RIRDC recognises that its research agenda for the future must actively contribute to the priorities of key stakeholders in both government and industry. In December 2002 the government released the National Research Priorities following extensive consultation. These have been complemented in March 2003 with an update of the government’s rural R&D priorities.This plan has taken full account of the respective national and rural priorities. RIRDC is confident that it will make a positive and active contribution to each of these priorities, while also working closely with industry and research stakeholders and partners to address their research requirements. As part of the Coporate Plan a new Program Structure has been designed to meet these goals and strategies. The new structure, described on the following page, will maximise RIRDC’s contribution, and will enhance the Corporation’s managerial efficiency and capacity to fulfil our mission and the future operational requirements of a modern research agency. The plan was developed in consultation with stakeholders. Through the achievement of the goals we intend to serve the needs of rural and regional Australia with effective research and adoption of the research results.The Research Priorities booklet is produced annually as a working document for researchers and others interested in rural industry research to prepare applications to RIRDC that reflect these current R&D priorities. It identifies key R&D priorities within the RIRDC portfolio, as laid out in the Corporate Plan, specifically for applicants looking to fund projects that further these priorities. RIRDC Corporate Plan 2003-2008 and the Research Priorities 2004-2005 can be viewed on the RIRDC website, and free copies can be ordered by phone or email. RIRDC
program structure changes
The changes will also help the Corporation to actively contribute to the priorities of our key stakeholders both in government and industry. Under the new structure, Program 1 (New and Emerging Industries) continues RIRDC’s core business of investing in research to foster the development of new and emerging industries. Program 2 (Established Industries) implements the second element of RIRDC’s core business, which is to manage research and development investments for a range of established industries. Program 3 (Sustainable Systems) brings together a number of existing RIRDC sub-programs and refocuses the former Resilient Agricultural Systems Sub-program into two new ones on Environment and Farm Management and Rangeland and Wildlife Systems. This positions the Corporation to more effectively meet the National and Rural Priorities on environmental and natural resource sustainability. Finally, Program 4 (Capacity Building and Competitveness) incorporates a set of sub-programs that underpin capacity building and competitiveness in Australian agriculture. This includes a new sub-program on Food Integrity and Biosecurity. Until 30 June 2004 RIRDC will continue to operate according to the program structure contained in the Annual Operational Plan 2003–2004, although internal managerial changes have commenced to implement the new structure for the next research round.
Relationship
of RIRDC’s business to the National Research Priorities
Both silver perch and rainbowfish can be cultured in piggery wastewater. In addition to fish, duckweed – highly efficient in removing ammonia – and mussels, could be used as important components in removing nutrients from piggery wastewater. High-rate algal ponds with heavy hydraulic paddle-wheels could be replaced with duckweed ponds, increasing the efficiency of ammonia removal and reducing energy costs. Mussels could be used in the fishpond with silver perch, rainbowfish and aquatic plants. Most importantly, combined aquaculture and agri-waste disposal systems are easier to operate than systems currently in use. Integrated Wastewater Treatment and Aquaculture Production (2003, 69pp, Pub No 03/026; $16) Land
leasingsustainable management for Australian Farms
"It covers leasing and other land tenure practices in Australia, USA, England and Wales, and defines sustainability in a leased situation," he said."Economics, legal aspects and best practice are also examined. The information is provided together with practical examples, a major case study and several self directed exercises." Mr Ashby said only 6% of all Australian farm land is leased, compared with 35% in the UK and up to 50% in the USA. "The UK leases tend to be longer on average than Australian leases and the USA leases tend to be much more varied as to type depending on the farm system involved," he said. "It is important that the tenant knows and understands the legal and taxation consequences of entering into a lease and therefore should choose a legal structure which suits their purposes. "A well structured lease agreement will not only provide details of the landowner, land, tenant and terms of lease, but will also provide details of the landowner’s and tenant’s obligations under the lease, a dispute resolution clause, provision to assess the condition of the property at the start of the lease, and provisions for managing any specific issues relating to land management."assess the condition the start of the lease, and provisions for managing any specific issues relating to land management." The project was funded by RIRDC’s Resilient Agricultural Systems sub-program, which aims to foster agri-industry systems that have sufficient diversity, flexibility and robustness to be resilient and respond to challenges and opportunities. Successful Land Leasing in Australia - A guide for farmers and their advisers (2003, 104pp, Pub No 03/080; $26) Picking
the winning wildflowers
Australian Cut Flower Best Bets Program is based on research involving exporters and industry participants in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.The large range of Australian native wildflowers with market potential has made it difficult for growers and potential growers to select those with the best chance of commercial success, according to researcher Tony Slater from the Victorian Dept of Primary Industries. "It is important to note there are no guaranteed winners! However, all sectors of the flower industry can benefit from collectively predicting which flowers will be in demand in the next few years," Mr Slater said. "Industry analysis in this report has produced a list of cut flower crops for which there is unsatisfied demand. Increased production of these cut flowers is required to satisfy the current or predicted demand. "This increased production will have an effect on the future price for the cut flowers, and growers need to examine the economics of producing these crops on their site to ensure that they will be economically viable." The Wildflower Industry has been growing, mainly due to the increasing demand for wildflowers in Australia’s export markets. In the mid 1990’s wildflower exports were predicted to increase significantly, but during the late 1990’s, exports did not increase as fast as expected, partially due to not enough planting of in-demand flower crops. Since 1997, the Victorian Best Bets program has provided important information on crops with a current export market demand, and has been a useful tool for growers in planning future crops for the export flower industry. This report reports on an expansion of that program into Qld and NSW."As flower sales are at the mercy of fads and fashion, the Best Bets analysis needs to be updated regularly to determine which cut flowers are currently in demand," Mr Slater said. Australian Cut Flower Best Bets Program (2003, 87pp, Pub No 03/055; $21) Pruning
tress for high-value logs
Early indications from sawing studies indicate that knots substantially decrease the amount of high-value wood that can be recovered from planted eucalypts. To increase the production of clear wood, pruning is usually necessary. Pruning Eucalypts summarizes the literature on clear wood production from planted eucalypts, and examines how the management of eucalypts interacts with markets to determine the economics of clear wood production. The canopy dynamics of eucalypts, and their management, affect both the growth of the tree and wood quality. Maximal production of clear wood requires a balance between canopy size, to sustain growth, and early branch removal, to restrict the size of the knotty core. Pruning can significantly reduce branch related defects in eucalypts. Evidence suggests that eucalypt branches should be pruned when green to contain the knotty core – pruning green branches will produce more clear wood than if pruning was delayed and the branches were pruned when dead. In many eucalypt species the green crown rises rapidly, requiring pruning to be done early if green branches are to be removed.However, pruning eucalypts may increase the risk of decay. When branches are pruned no protective layer is present and decay organisms can enter the stem. The risk of decay associated with pruning appears higher in wetter than drier climates. The risk of decay entry can be reduced by ensuring branches are small when pruned and growth is rapid so that the wounds are rapidly occluded. The efficiency of pruning regimes to restrict the size of the knotty core, hence maximising clear wood production, depends on the species, growth rates, level of input, objectives of grower and the market for which the trees are grown. It is important to selectively prune a number of the best trees, and then to thin, to ensure the pruned trees grow rapidly. Growers need to make silvicultural decisions about the economics of pruning, notwithstanding the difficulty of predicting the future markets. Questions of concern include a consideration of what markets will be available for clear wood, what the value of the logs will be and how the economic benefit of pruning can be evaluated. Pruning Eucalypts – the biology and silviculture of clearwood production in planted eucalypts (2002, 40pp, Pub. No. 02/152; $16) To
bee or not to bee, that is the question
Australian beekeepers have shown great ingenuity in devising methods of production and patterns of management that have led to a successful national beekeeping industry. RIRDC believes these achievements are worth recording, both as an historical document, but more importantly, as a reference for those contemplating a career in beekeeping and for students of Australian primary production. In their endeavours beekeepers have been assisted, particularly in recent years, by world standard research. RIRDC, through its Honeybee Research and Development Committee, is pleased to be a vital part of the national apicultural research effort. Commercial Beekeeping in Australia (2003, 91pp, Pub No. 03/037; $21) Better
best practices for chicken farms
The key recommendations were for the introduction of an external verification process and for more integration of the model with biosecurity, animal welfare and other recently-developed standards. Considerable scope exists for improving performance, especially in problem prevention, performance reporting, employee safety and community partnership, by implementation of the known best practices. The project was carried out in the eighteen-month period to April 2002 and built on previous work by the Victorian chicken meat industry to improve environmental performance and to address community concerns. Broad community concerns were established from grower anecdotal reports, from twenty meetings with community, regulator and other stakeholders and by establishing a formal independent Community Advisory Panel for the industry. The panel requested fifteen main changes. Most- of these have been fully implemented, and work on the remainder is currently under way. As experienced in other industries, dialogue has lead to improved trust in most cases and several cooperative programs— including training courses, an Odour Workshop and a protocol for farm environmental improvement—have been developed with the regulatory authorities. Sustainability Improvements in the Victorian Chicken Meat Industry (Phase 1) (2003,122pp, Pub. No. 03/035; $21) New
controls for rice pests
Following successful small-scale trials of the insecticide alphacypermethrin against bloodworms, commercial trials, under permit, have supported the results of the earlier work and FMC International A.G. is currently applying for the registration of alphacypermethrin for bloodworm control. Chironomus tepperi is unusual in that it only has one generation in small experimental rice fields, with eggs being laid only in the first few days after flooding. Oviposition tests conducted as part of this project have shown that female C.tepperi avoid laying eggs into water where chironomid larvae are already present. This discovery may have important implications for control of this species: if the chemical signal that female midges respond to can be identified, then it may be possible to use a synthetic version of this chemical as an oviposition deterrent, effectively tricking female midges into believing a new rice field is an old one, and selectively preventing colonisation. Aquatic snails are one of the most intractable pest problems for NSW rice producers. During this project it was demonstrated that chlorothalonil, a horticultural fungicide, shows a high level of activity against the main pest snail Isidorella newcombi. Tests on the toxicology of this compound, and small plot field evaluations of efficacy, environmental fate and crop residues, all returned good results. Chlorothalonil actually enhances plant growth under field conditions, probably as a consequence of its activity against low level fungal pathogens that generally don’t warrant control. Under the proposed use pattern chlorothalonil will not cause detectable crop residues at harvest, will not persist in soil, and will not be detectable in the water column for more than five days after application. A permit for commercial trials has been requested from the Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority.Aquatic earthworms are the only invertebrate pests of rice not native to Australia, having been introduced to this country approximately 100 years ago. The incidence of aquatic earthworm damage has been declining in recent years, due to changes in crop rotation practices associated with reduced water availability, rather than to direct farmer intervention. Data from a crop rotation study has further supported changed rotation sequences as a means of earthworm control. Growing dryland crops, particularly winter cereals, without intervening rice crops is a particularly effective method of lowering worm populations. Improving bloodworm, earthworm and snail control in rice (2003, 80pp, Pub No 03/083: $16) New
Animal Products:Gourmet recipe for success
Other products tested during a recent RIRDC New Animal Products research project are Smokey Mountain BBQ Pepper Ostrich, Smokey Mountain BBQ Pepper Buffalo, Native Mint & Mustard Emu and Winzersteak Camel. With changing consumer lifestyles that demand a greater range of pre- cooked or partially cooked meals, an opportunity has been identified for some of Australia’s innovative rural producers. During the research, trial products were assessed by an untrained consumer taste panel with the crocodile, kangaroo and rabbit proving the most acceptable, followed by the ostrich, buffalo and emu, with camel being the least acceptable of the products. However, all products were well received with the majority of panellists grading them as either average, above average or premium. Researchers have also identified a large range of potential products that include such things as Buffalo coated with Bush Tomato Salsa Glaze, Crocodile with Wild Lime, Honey Ginger and Chilli Glaze, Kangaroo with Wattleseed & Garlic glaze, and Cajun Emu. There are opportunities to explore the Singapore food service sector as a potential marketplace for the products developed in this project, which would lead to other Asian countries if there is strong consumer acceptance. Buffalo, Camel, Crocodile, Emu, Kangaroo, Ostrich and Rabbit – Value added products (2003,66pp, Pub. No. 03/036; $21) Angora
Rabbits
Angora fibre production is the third largest animal fibre industry in the world after wool and mohair. But while Australia plays a significant role in wool production as well as producing alpaca, mohair and cashmere for the international fibre trade, it is currently absent from the international Angora fibre trade. There was a small Angora industry in this country until the 1930s and there have been recent attempts to revive the industry in the 1980s and in the early 2000s. Development has been facilitated by changes to some State government laws that now allow for commercial rabbit farming. Unfortunately, current world prices for Angora fibre are at historically low levels and to be successful an Australian Angora industry would have to replicate the value-adding models developed by France and Finland. Angora producers could also increase the value of their fibre by emulating the wool industry’s focus on super fine micron product, according to the report. These fibre requirements could be met by breeding specific lines of rabbits to produce bristle free fleece or develop processing technologies to remove bristle from fleece wool during processing. The report found there are no significant animal husbandry difficulties for Australia to be successful in farming Angora rabbits for fibre production. In many aspects, Angora rabbit production is likely to be less demanding than meat rabbit production as fibre is predominately produced from adult rabbits, it said. Australian quarantine protocols have been developed for the importation of Angora rabbits from France, and although this is an expensive way of acquiring rabbits, limited numbers will only need to be imported to start an industry. For more information contact Tony Schlink (CSIRO Livestock Industries) on 08 9333 6628. Angora Rabbits – A potential new industry for Australia (2003, 34pp, Pub No. 03/014; $16) Olive
varieties for Australia
Olives and olive oil are international commodities– 444,500 tonnes of oil and 326,500 tonnes of table olives were traded in 1999/2000, predominantly from the major production areas around the Mediterranean Sea. For the Australian olive industry to be sustainable and internationally competitive, growers need to adopt high quality techniques in management and production technology, and ensure that the most suitable varieties for Australian conditions are used. One problem for the local industry is a general uncertainty over the true identity of olive varieties in Australia. There is also a lack of reliable performance data for any olive variety under the wide range of Australian conditions. The National Olive Variety Assessment Project (NOVA) was established to assist olive producers in making informed varietal choices from comparative information on the performance of olive varieties in Australia. This report provides data on the chemical composition and growing conditions for a range of olive varieties cultivated in Australia. NOVA - the National Olive Variety Assessment Project(2003, 40pp, Pub No 03/054; $16) Farm
Health & Safety - Why won’t farmers adopt safety measures?
Sixty percent of injured farmers stopped work (on average of seven days of lost productivity), 63% were treated by a doctor and 12% required a short stay at the hospital. Ninety percent of injured were male with a median age of 40 years. Some of the barriers to uptake of safety
initiatives in the South West of WA are:
Hygienic
practices keep small hive beetle contained
A recent report, based on research into the experience of honey producers in the United States, aims to provide answers to this question.While the beetle has been transported to most states within the USA, it is encouraging that few reports of damage have been received from most areas of the country. Beekeeping management practices have contained the problem in most cases in the US. Essentially the small hive beetle can be described as a sub-tropical pest, behaving as a scavenger and opportunist. The adult beetle and the larval stage are very tough and capable of going into hibernation under adverse climatic conditions. The optimal conditions for the beetle are warm temperatures and humidity levels around 50%. The most fragile stage of development is the egg, which hatches within 24 to 48 hours of laying. The larvae quickly destroy the surface of combs causing a slimy, sticky mess resulting in unsaleable honey. Within a colony the beetle is controlled in most cases and only becomes a problem to colonies weakened for other reasons. In America this is frequently due to Varroa mites, which severely reduce population sizes. Maintaining strong colonies and fumigating material which originates from dead colonies prior to its reuse are the primary strategies of beekeepers in reducing the problems caused by the beetle in the apiary. Within the honey extracting house the problem of the beetle becomes more widespread. Honey combs are normally removed from the colonies and transported to a central location for extraction. In many cases the micro climate of these sheds is ideal for beetle activity. Provided with a food source, the beetle populations can rapidly increase with the larvae causing extensive damage and loss of income through the spoilage of combs prior to extraction. To overcome this, beekeepers have modified their practices and now generally extract honey combs within a day or two of their removal from a colony. The wax cappings are also an attractive food source for beetles and these are processed very quickly after the extraction process. Generally the small hive beetle has meant that many beekeepers have become more "hygienic" when it comes to the extraction process of their beekeeping business, extracting, processing and cleaning up honey plants very quickly and not relegating this job to a less important status. Provided with a few beekeeping behavioural modifications, the American industry have kept this bee hive pest largely under control. Study of the small hive beetle in the USA (2003, Pub No. 03/050; $21) Gold
again for the RIRDC Annual Report
The Australiasian Reporting Awards aim to promote excellence in reporting through the publication of informative and factual reports, to encourage effective communication of financial and business information, to create public awareness of valid and objective measures of performance and to promote a better understanding of the results achieved, and to create public awareness of the purposes of enterprises, how they function and their achievements. The commendation states that "the RIRDC has excelled in reporting again this year. The Corporation’s objectives and strategies are presented very clearly, providing a strong foundation for very thorough divisional reporting. The RIRDC is a model report for its sector." For a free copy of the 2001-2002 Annual Report, phone 02 6272 4819 or email publications@rirdc.gov.au
RIRDC Bookshop RIRDC makes its research findings available through an active publishing program. There are more than 450 publications available from RIRDC. View and purchase them through our online catalogue. 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
Last updated: 5 November 2003 Copyright © RIRDC http://www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/winter03.html |
