Research

John O'Donnell. A collection of dramatic and informative photos of the 1952 bushfires.

A Charles Sturt University research project into planned burning ignites possibilities for conservation and restoration of critically endangered grassy ecosystems.

Gabrielle Duykers. In the latest addition to her many accolades, Cath Kidman of Wynns Coonawarra Estate has been crowned Viticulturist of the Year at the recent 2021 Women in Wine and Spirits Awards. Ms Kidman was one of 50 finalists to win one of the 18 award categories, with recipients spanning across 12 countries and regions around the globe.

John O'Donnell. The Mangoplah bushfire burned an estimated 390,000 hectares. Property damage included 37 houses; 203 sheds and dairies; 1,841 km of fencing as well as 110,000 sheep, with financial impacts estimated at $18 million adjusted to 1970 CPI.

A report released by GRDC, Australian Grains Baseline and Mitigation Assessment, has found that the Australian grains industry exhibits low greenhouse gas emissions for each tonne of grain produced compared to other grain producing regions and countries, including the EU, USA, Canada, Russia and Ukraine.

“Sea spurge is now reappearing in NSW, this time in more regional and remote areas of NSW, and we suspect it’s spreading from Victorian and Tasmanian beaches .... A spraying program is underway, using a highly specific biocontrol agent of sea spurge, a fungus, which is native to France" : James Griffin, NSW Environment Minister.

Cape York may have been the latest location of a meteor air burst, a phenomenon that lit up the sky and caused an airborne aftershock that rattled buildings across the Peninsula. Residents in Weipa, on Cape York cattle stations and on the east coast at Portland Roads have all reported seeing the sky light up in a turquoise-like colour at 5.50am on Friday.

A damning report into the workplace culture of Rio Tinto has revealed that almost half of the miner’s global workforce have been bullied, harassed, or racially discriminated against. Alarmingly, more than 30 per cent of Indigenous employees that responded to the independent review reported being confronted with racist behaviour in the workplace, and almost 30 per cent of women reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment.

Australia’s agricultural sector is set for another profitable year ahead, with the gross value of agricultural production on track for a fourth consecutive year of growth in 2021/22, Rabobank says in a newly-released industry report.

The fresh produce sector and supply chain in Queensland has agreed on four key fields of strategic interest to pursue over the first two years of its new industry plan, Future Fields.

Fortescue Future Industries is acquiring an interest in Sparc Hydrogen Pty Ltd, a company which has an exclusive licence to develop and commercialise next-generation green hydrogen technology created by the University of Adelaide and Flinders University. Sparc Hydrogen is researching technology which would see green hydrogen produced by only sunlight and water (photocatalytic water splitting coupled with solar radiation), instead of renewable energy and electrolysis.

Geographical location is no barrier in experiencing the sounds of the Murrumbidgee wetlands, thanks to Charles Sturt University researchers ... To celebrate World Wetlands Day on Wednesday 2 February, researchers are presenting the public with the opportunity to eavesdrop on the sounds of the Murrumbidgee wetlands.

Charles Sturt University is running a survey for landholders to share their experience of carbon farming and drought planning. The insights from this research will be used to inform a formal guideline for carbon farming participants to help them plan and include drought resilience into the design of their carbon farming project.

John O'Donnell analyses recent positive US policy developments and land management commitments aimed at confronting the US wildfire/ bushfire crisis and finds that there is much Australia might learn from the US strategy.

An important project is currently being undertaken in the Torres and Cape to develop a Suicide Prevention Community Action Plan for the region ... This year, the team are turning their attention to community members in the Torres and Cape to lend their voice for the development of a region-specific, Suicide Prevention Community Action Plan.

Consumers are increasingly demanding proof of their seafood’s sustainability and they are turning to a range of seafood certifications, rating programs and indexes to inform their purchases. Globally, there is a growing number of initiatives to guide consumers. But they are not all created equal, nor do they measure and report on the same parameters.

Australia’s $900 million citrus industry could face serious production and market access risks if the industry is not adequately prepared to manage future biosecurity threats. A new five-year national biosecurity program, CitrusWatch, is a collaborative effort that is designed to protect the citrus industry from harmful exotic pests and diseases.

Four senior citizens and Charles Sturt academics have chronicled how their time in multiple COVID-19 lockdowns and isolations have restored their faiths.

There was a global shortage of nurses … and then the pandemic hit. Researchers, including a Charles Sturt academic, investigate how COVID-19 has affected an already struggling nursing industry and what can be done to save it.

Australian and European researchers have discovered a genetic element in a common wheat pathogen with potential to help streamline breeding for disease-resistant wheat varieties that are better suited to Australian conditions.

Aware of the interest of many of our readers in knowing when the Novavax protein based Covid-19 vaccine might be available in Australia, Australian Rural & Regional News has obtained some positive feedback from the company.

Strong retail demand and the reopening of foodservice set the aquaculture industry up for another strong year in 2022, especially for salmon and shrimp. Sustainability-related investments are expected to ramp up this year, as major producers and retailers have set ambitious targets to reduce carbon footprints. Rabobank just published a report summarizing the main takeaways from the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) GOAL Conference, one of the seafood industry’s most anticipated events.