News Archive

Some of Australia’s best farming research was on display at the recent Institute of Agriculture’s Frontiers in Agriculture Postgraduate Showcase 2009.

Postgraduate students from the schools of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Earth and Environment, and Animal and Plant Biology in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, presented research including work on sheep breeding, farm management, poultry feed, herbicide resistance and conservation.

Chair in Agriculture and Institute Director, Winthrop Professor Kadambot Siddique, described their work as very relevant to the future of WA and Australian agriculture and its sustainability.

“Their research findings clearly demonstrate the quality and breadth of research being conducted at UWA through the Institute and its collaborating partners,” Professor Siddique said.

“UWA plays a significant role in training and providing the next generation of agricultural and natural resource management scientists to Australia and internationally.”

Careful observation of the Mukinbudin area, where he grew up, inspired Dion Nicol to shed some light on the impact of bicarbonate toxicity as a chemical constraint on subsoil.

Dion’s agronomic and ecophysiological studies of Cullen ceinerum and C. graveolens as potential pasture legumes in low rainfall regions of the southern Australian grainbelt are particularly relevant to WA growers.

Organic producers may benefit from Jennifer Carson’s research into bacteria in soil and how they make nutrients available to crops. She found that the bacteria were affected by the nutrients in nearby mineral particles. The implications for organic farming are that minerals containing nutrients could be applied to soil instead of soluble fertilisers, which could alter the types of bacteria in the soil, their abundance and their diversity.

Trina Jorre de St Jorre’s work has demonstrated the benefits of introducing novel rams to ewes.

It is accepted that the sudden introduction of rams induces ovulation in Merino ewes within two to three days and this is a cost-effective, efficient way to synchronise mating and lambing within the flock. Trina’s research showed that isolating ewes and rams wasn’t necessary if the rams were ‘novel’. Her work examined the time needed to make rams ‘novel’ from a ewe’s perspective and has great value for sheep producers looking to optimise and better manage reproduction.

Growing up on the family farm at Tarwonga, south of Williams, Gus Rose also has an interest in sheep, an interest which grew into a study of the labour requirements for sheep and cropping during the production year and the implications for farm profitability of employing a professional sheep manager.

Ahmed Ali’s research work on pectinase treatment of lupins for poultry will allow producers to replace expensive imported feed with locally produced lupins, without compromising productivity, while reducing pollution from poultry excrement.

Bronwyn Crowe grew up on the family farm at Dowerin and her interest in conservation and farming led her to a PhD thesis examining the design of conservation contracts, compliance monitoring and the provision of rewards, or the enforcement of penalties, for landholders.

Herbicide resistance is a worry for many grain growers, which makes Sudheesh Manalil’s work on the genetic basis of herbicide resistance and the impact of different application rates to the development of herbicide resistance, timely and relevant.

Annaliese Mason’s research on canola genetics will enhance and broaden the gene pool of the state’s canola varieties. Her work was featured in UWANews on March 23 this year.

Dean of the Faculty Professor Tony O’Donnell said UWA’s growing international reputation for cutting-edge agricultural research attracted the brightest and best minds from Australia and overseas.

“UWA graduates are in high demand, with employment prospects in agriculture and related natural resource management areas remaining strong, despite the global economic downturn,” he said.

“It’s also pleasing to see the numbers of quality students returning to UWA for postgraduate studies, for which the Faculty, complemented by the Institute of Agriculture, is highly regarded.

“Today’s world is more than ever looking to science and innovation for sustainability in agriculture and food production to feed the increasing population.”