Partnering with government and industry

To develop and deliver practical solutions, the Orange Agricultural Institute works closely with:

• industry research and development corporations (e.g. Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)),
  
• Cooperative Research Centre's (CRC's),
  
• private companies,
  
• other government agencies (e.g. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)), and,
  
• international institutes (e.g. World Bank)

These groups have consistently financed OAI's activities through a wide range of collaborative and contractual arrangements which in 2005/06 exceeded $3.5 million.

Hands across the globe

It addition to supporting farmers and rural communities in our region, OAI has collaborative programs in China, Vietnam and Cambodia.  Funded by Australian (ACIAR) and international agencies (e.g. World Bank), these projects use technologies developed at the Institute to assist small farmers in east Asia make the transition from poverty-stricken subsistence farmers to profitable small business people.

Major alliances

• A new pig bait development project with Invasive Animal Cooperative Research Centre (IACRC) and industry partners (Glen Saunders)
  
• Feral goat management planning for western NSW national parks and nature reserves with NSW Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) (Peter Fleming)
  
• Aerial baiting effects on spotted-tail quoll populations - DEC main player; DPI Forests, NSW Farmers and Armidale Rural Lands Protection Board (RLPB) also involved (Peter Fleming).
  
• OAI as core site in Australian Invasive Pests CRC (Glen Saunders)
  
• ACIAR project: Improving understanding and management of rice pathogens in Cambodia (Ric Cother).
  
• Australian Plant Pest Database; funding for verification of bacterial isolates in genus Pseudomonas (Ric Cother).
  
• MOU signed between NSW DPI and Gansu Province Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau as outcome from Vice-Governor Lu’s visit (Dec 24 to 30) (David Michalk)
  
• Australian Pome Fruit Improvement Program apple variety trial (Jeremy Bright).
  
• HAL proposal for National Orchard Plant Protection Guide with collaborators representative from each State with NSW DPI as lead agency (Jeremy Bright).
  
• Co-supervision of Roshan Thalpa, a Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD student on perennial grass recruitment funded by MLA with CSU as lead agency (David Michalk, Warren King & Warwick Badgery). 
  
• Collaboration with Aaron Simmons, a CSU postdoc on serrated tussock management in native pastures. I will be advising in this project which follows the work I completed when at CSU.
  Agreement was formed between the CRC Spatial Information for data collection and acquisition at the Brays Flat research catchment.
  
• Joint Centre between OAI and CSU (Orange Campus) – draft agreement with planned launch in April 2006 (David Michalk)
  
• Avian influenza project (John Tracey)
  
• Pest birds in horticulture- national guidelines (John Tracey); 
  
• Starlicide trials (John Tracey)
  
• Joint applied research trial started with Shoalhaven Water on monitoring of recycled water (Mike Robbins)
  
• "Reaping the Rewards of the Qplu$ Project" Funded by New Australian Wool Innovation (October 2005) (Pat Taylor)
  
• “Controlling alternaria leaf spot in apples.” Project collaboration with QDPI (Shane Hetherington)
  “Using cultural methods including biological control to manage brown rot in stone fruit.” Collaboration planned with HortResearch (NZ) (Shane Hetherington)
  
• New project "To what extent can commercial use of wildlife contribute to the sustainable use of Australian Rangelands" cash support from the Invasive Animals CRC, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), and Department of Environment and Heritage (SA) (Steve McLeod).
  
• Central West Catchment Management Authority (CMA), Lachlan CMA with Healthy Soils Healthy Landscapes/ landscsan course (Linda Ayres)
  
• Education of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Students x 2 groups (Linda Ayres)
  
• Nine joint venture type projects with testing of various equipment for different groups or manufacturers (Steve Semple)
  
• Contract signed with DPI in November 2005. Pest and Disease Analysis in Hazelnuts. Funded by Horticulture Australia and Hazelnut Growers of Australia Ltd (Lester Snare)
  
• November 2005. Invitation by Ferrero Australasia to submit funding proposal for research into traditional European practices for hazelnut culture in Australia (Lester Snare)