Research

AgriFutures Australia is proud to announce the release of its latest report: "Listen up: Young people’s perspective on the future of Australian agriculture and rural industries" – a compilation of thought-provoking perspectives and provocations from the future leaders of the agriculture sector ... The report highlights the crucial role that young people play in shaping the future of Australian agriculture and emphasises the need for industry and government to invest in, listen to and collaborate with this vital demographic.

New analysis released by ABARES examines Australian Agriculture’s extensive sustainability credentials—and the importance of demonstrating them to consumers and investors in the future ... “Compared to other significant agricultural producers, Australian farmers use less fertiliser, have better nutrient balances on their land and use more sustainable cropping practices”: ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville.

Rural Bank’s Australian Agriculture Mid-Year Outlook 2023 report finds that favourable seasonal conditions and strong production over the first half of 2023 ensured strong winter crop establishment and pasture growth, particularly on the east coast, but despite a positive start to the year, softening commodity prices are now impacting Australian farmers following several seasons of strong prices.

Recent research reveals that school attendance in our First Nations communities is declining despite the continuation of the remote schools attendance strategy ... MCERA has reached out to First Nations education experts to invite  solutions towards a responsive education system that strengthens  First Nations culture and student engagement in remote Australia.

Information that is relevant, accessible and trusted is critical to those farmers seeking to adapt their agricultural businesses to changes in climate according to a study which examined the results of surveys taken by the North East Catchment Management Authority (CMA) while working with approximately 1800 land managers in the region during the past four years ... A significant majority of the land managers surveyed (88%) believed the local climate and weather patterns in north east Victoria had changed.

Kwoorabup Nature School students have discovered and named a new species of parasitoid wasp while taking part in the Insect Investigators Citizen Science project. The Adelaide University run project involved 51 schools across Australia, also including Denmark Primary School.

What makes our region’s ecosystems precious? The “big picture” answer has been revealed with the launch of a world-first mapping product for all to explore and understand the different services provided by our ecosystems.

Being at the cutting edge of horticultural technology has helped lead Granite Belt producer Ray Taylor to a top agricultural honour. The fourth-generation grower, who is the general manager of Taylor Family Produce, was honoured with the Award for Excellence in Technology at the 2023 Australian Farmer of the Year Awards.

Scientists have been out in the field surveying fish across the region’s floodplains. For the first time, scientists have been able to investigate the movement patterns of juvenile Golden Perch from spawning in the Darling River, through to dispersal and growth in Victorian floodplains.

Key researchers have been on the road to meet beekeepers and queen breeders across the country including Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia ... The purpose of the visit was to collect important colony trait data and genetic samples for Plan Bee’s national database and also to knowledge-share on how hygienic testing can be used in broader selection.

A new research report released by CSIRO and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has shown that the Australian red meat and livestock industry has reduced its net greenhouse gas emissions by 65 per cent since 2005. Using information primarily from the 2020 Australian National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributed to the red meat industry were 51.25 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent GHG in the year 2020.

Both native bees and honeybees prefer native plants with research showing how important native flowers are in supporting native bee and even honeybee populations in urban areas. Curtin University school of molecular and life sciences researcher Kit Prendergast said the study found Australian and introduced bees preferred to visit and feed from native flowers and plants rather than exotic species, with the former particularly reliant on native flora.

When Phyllis Shooter strolled along an exposed bank of Dalrymple Creek on her property in 1994, she had no idea she was about to discover, what Dr Andrew Rozefelds described as, a significant fossil find of a Palorchestes.

The NAB Rural Commodities Index* is now 25.2% below year-ago levels, largely reflecting steep declines in cattle and lamb prices and a high chance of an El Nino event forming in coming months. The Index dropped 0.7% in April and a further 3.4% in May, reports the NAB June Rural Commodities Wrap released on 21 June 2023.

In the face of already numerous adversities, the Northern Rivers of NSW is grappling with yet another concern: food security. Floods, bushfires, and the ongoing impact of the Covid pandemic have exposed vulnerabilities in the region’s food system but also presented an opportunity to re-think how food is grown, distributed and consumed.

Signs of weakening demand for dairy are spreading across markets. According to a new report from Rabobank, the cumulative effects of high food price inflation over the past 24 months, along with slowing economic activity in 2023, have translated into lower dairy demand in developed and emerging markets.

A new app is allowing members of the public to act as citizen scientists by reporting koala sightings and providing accurate location and population data ... The Minister also announced $520,000 in grants for six projects that support long-term koala conservation in South East Queensland.

John O'Donnell reviews eucalypt decline and dieback in relation to the lack of low intensity fire management across Australia. John considers that exclusion of frequent low intensity mild fire is the primary cause of eucalypt decline in Australian native forests and woodlands and this has been inadequately recognised ... This lack of recognition is in itself a major environmental issue and ignores up to 60,000 years of Aboriginal burning practices across the landscape.

Australia’s food systems must change now to remain sustainable in the future according to a new roadmap released by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency ... The roadmap, Reshaping Australian Food Systems, sets a path for how Australia can secure a more sustainable, productive, and resilient future for its food, environment, and people.

Two consecutive wet seasons in southwest Western Australia have put a renewed focus on waterlogged crops ... Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) investments, led by South Coast Natural Resource Management (South Coast NRM) and Stirlings to Coast Farmers, are exploring the potential return on investment of subsurface water management options for waterlogged areas at four sites in the Esperance and Albany port zones.

In January this year, a freak hailstorm hit Maldon and surrounds, bringing billiard ball sized hailstones causing distress to livestock and damaging roofs, windows and cars. The largest reported hailstones fell in Maldon, with some of them exceeding 70 mm in diameter and exhibiting unusual shapes. The shapes and sizes made them of great interest to hail researchers.

Humble vegetables  ignited hot debate this week when icecream featuring pumpkin and cauliflower was served to more than 3000 people at the nation’s annual Hort Connections event in Adelaide. The two bespoke gelato flavours - cauliflower-vanilla bean and pumpkin-ginger bread - are harmonious savoury-meets-sweet flavour combinations.