Science and Research Updates - Crop and pasture production

28 May 2009	Berseem cultivars Screening of the Australian collection of a valuable forage legume, berseem clover, to identify and understand the range of genetic diversity within the collection is on track as an important first step in developing new cultivars.
07 May 2009	Shining a light on pasture cropping New research results from NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) trials which put pasture cropping under the spotlight are now available to farmers.
01 May 2009	Wheat's perennial potential A robust perennial grain crop would have the potential to increase the versatility and sustainability of Australian food production systems.
04 Jul 2008	Rice goes upland to North Coast New rice growing trials will be conducted on the NSW North Coast - 1500 kilometres from the State’s traditional Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) rice growing region.
04 Jul 2008	Wheat variety trials reveal exciting future NSW DPI researchers are predicting an exciting future and new levels of profitability for irrigated wheat following the results of a wheat variety trials.
04 Jul 2008	Progress with chickpea root disease Screening chickpea germplasm for resistance to Phytophthora root rot (PRR) has been given a boost by results from a NSW DPI field trial conducted in 2007.
24 Jun 2008	Wagga Wagga scientist receives prestigious international award NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Director-General Dr Richard Sheldrake today congratulated DPI scientist Dr Rod Mailer for winning the prestigious Timothy Mounts Award for his research into the science and technology of edible oils.
13 Mar 2008	NSW DPI researcher receives international award DPI researcher Dr Rod Mailer received the Timothy L Mounts Award.
13 Mar 2008	10 tonne average yields achieved in irrigated winter cereals project High average yields in winter cereal crops are attainable with existing varieties, the results from the first 12 months of a major irrigated winter cereal project led by NSW DPI have shown.
31 Jan 2008	Closer to the aluminium gene Molecular biologists at Wagga Wagga have developed functional gene markers associated with aluminium tolerance in barley.
29 Nov 2007	Barley boon from disease resistant varieties A new research project aims to improve barley varieties used by NSW farmers so they are more disease resistant and able to thrive in acid soils.
25 Oct 2007	Wheat water use survey finds big variations A survey of 53 Coleambally wheat crops in 2006 revealed big variations in both yields and amount of water used to grow a crop.
26 Jul 2007	Profit boost with new approach to native pastures An ambitious project which aims to improve environmental outcomes and increase the profitability of livestock enterprises by 50 per cent through the management of native pastures has begun on trial sites in NSW and Victoria.
26 Jul 2007	Tropical grass secrets unearthed Barriers to wider adoption of tropical grasses as a reliable forage source are being tackled in new research by NSW Department of Primary Industries at Tamworth.
16 Jul 2007	PhD studies target Fusarium wilt New research into seedling diseases of cotton is expected to shed new light on management of the devastating disease known as Fusarium wilt.
08 Jun 2007	Call for industrial hemp trial hosts NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) today launched its annual call for expressions of interest from members of the public wishing to conduct industrial hemp trials next spring and summer.
31 May 2007	New options for controlling insects in sweet corn Efficacy trials have revealed two promising insecticides that fit Integrated Pest Management (IPM) protocols for sweet corn growers.
29 Mar 2007	Summer cropping options for north Although sorghum accounts for 60 per cent of the summer crop area sown in NSW, maize and sunflower may be better options in northern NSW.
29 Mar 2007	NSW takes lead on chickpeas The NSW Department of Primary Industries is taking a lead role in breeding chickpeas nationally in the new joint venture, Pulse Breeding Australia (PBA).
28 Feb 2007	Climate change affects plant disease risk Higher CO₂ levels could change the nature and severity of plant pests and diseases affecting agriculture.
28 Feb 2007	'Stem rust is back' says world expert Australian wheat growers have been warned that one of the world’s most devastating diseases of wheat, stem rust, is back.
27 Feb 2007	New durum wheat variety helps industry break new ground A new durum wheat variety bred at the NSW Department of Primary Industries’ Tamworth Agricultural Institute has the potential to expand Australia’s durum wheat industry into new regions.
21 Feb 2007	Close eye on new wheat stripe rust It is too early to know which popular wheat varieties will be most susceptible to a new wheat stripe rust pathogen found in eastern Australia.
13 Feb 2007	A threat to global food security International agricultural agenices are on the alert because of a new threat in Eastern Africa, a virulent cereal rust known as Ug99.
07 Feb 2007	New face for state's lucerne breeding program NSW DPI has appointed Dr Shoba Venkatanagappa to head the state’s lucerne breeding program at the Tamworth Agricultural Institute.
31 Jan 2007	Scientists identify wheat germplasm suitable for acid soils NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) scientists have identified a major new source of wheat germplasm tolerant of aluminium toxicity, paving the way for the breeding of new bread wheat varieties able to grow in acid soils.
30 Jan 2007	$1.2 million canola and olive oil research laboratory opened A new $1.2 million state-of-the-art Australian Oils Research Laboratory has been opened at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute. It is Australia’s first and only internationally accredited chemical and sensory testing facility for olive oil.
29 Jan 2007	Cotton and corn - ideal companions Using corn as a rotation crop could be the key to reversing some of the soil fertility decline in Australian cotton fields.
29 Jan 2007	Cotton disease under attack A novel method to better manage black root rot in cotton will see NSW Department of Primary Industries’ scientists at the Australian Cotton Research Institute near Narrabri test the potential of onions and marigolds as biofumigation crops.
17 Jan 2007	Latest stripe rust warning - what it means for NSW growers The new Yr17 attacking pathotype of stripe rust is unlikely to present a major problem for farmers in central and northern NSW this year.
19 Dec 2006	Decline in canola yields due to 'soil constraints' Canola yields in southern Australia decreased by ten per cent during the 1990s, and grain growers fear that acid and saline soils could be partly to blame.
01 Dec 2006	Seven international scientists attend cold tolerance rice workshop Four scientists from China, two from Japan and one from South Korea are attending an ‘International Cold Tolerance Rice Workshop’ being held by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) at Yanco Agricultural College this week (4 to 8 December).
30 Nov 2006	New legumes for drier environments A national program is under way to identify new earlier maturing and drought tolerant pasture legumes that will adapt to climate change.
28 Nov 2006	Breakthrough with major pulse disease A breakthrough has been achieved in the quest to breed chickpea varieties with improved resistance to the most significant disease of chickpeas in northern NSW.
28 Nov 2006	Genomics enhance drought and disease resistance Genetic ‘signposts’ used in research are helping to breed crops more capable of handling drought, climate change, diseases and pests.
23 Nov 2006	Organic spelt field day Spelt varieties from a research project which aims to lift the yield and quality of the ancient wheat will be highlighted at a field day in southern NSW next month.
20 Nov 2006	Managing fruit fly on the PNG frontline NSW DPI is keeping an eye on a potential billion dollar pest for Australia – fruit fly from Papua New Guinea.
08 Nov 2006	New crop varieties unveiled Two new crop varieties - one oat and one feed barley - which boast improved yield, increased grazing capacity and disease constraints have been released.
27 Oct 2006	Faster ways to identify fruit flies A team at the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute (EMAI), Camden, is developing an automated, rapid diagnostic system to genotype fruit flies.
12 Oct 2006	No-till trial starts a farming revolution A joint NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Central West Farming Systems (CWFS) trial has proven its worth during the current drought and triggered a massive conversion from conventional cultivation to no-till farming.
11 Oct 2006	Crown rot puts another sting in the tail for 2006 The 2006 winter cropping season has been a tough one across much of the northern grain zone. Unfortunately losses due to crown rot may make it even tougher.
28 Sep 2006	Town 'oases' support fruit flies A study on the presence of the Queensland fruit fly in regional NSW has supported the current strategy of focusing control measures on towns.
11 Sep 2006	All stops out to curb wheat virus All stops are out now that researchers from NSW DPI, University of Melbourne and the private sector have united to curb the devastating wheat streak mosaic virus.
16 Aug 2006	Illustrations of agricultural pest insects, mites and diseases on display in Sydney A major exhibition of scientific illustrations of agricultural pest insects, mites and plant diseases is being displayed in Sydney as part of celebrations for National Science Week. The Natura Morta exhibition features artwork by EH (Emil) Zeck and Margaret Senior, who worked for the former NSW Department of Agriculture and produced artwork from the 1920s to 1960s.
25 Jul 2006	Weeds wipe 15% off the value of livestock commodities Australia’s livestock producers are losing income of up to $2.4 billion a year because of weeds in pastures, according to researchers from the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management.
27 Jun 2006	Wheat streak mosaic virus under scrutiny Recent rain has allowed crucial research into the potentially devastating wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) to go ahead.
26 Jun 2006	Tamworth durum wheat research praised Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald has praised the work of wheat researchers at the Tamworth Agriculture Institute for efforts that have helped make Australian pasta some of the world's best.
14 Jun 2006	Pepping up pasture production with native grass A quest to pep up the potential of native grass as a valuable pasture has taken a Central West researcher across NSW, to Canberra and Perth and now back to Trangie.
26 May 2006	DNA technology to aid early detection of wheat disease A highly sensitive molecular test has been developed for detecting the much-dreaded disease Karnal bunt, which could seriously affect the Australian wheat industry.
10 May 2006	New lucerne variety aims to help restore soil fertility Lucerne is the ‘King of the Fodders’, and NSW DPI has just released a new variety Pegasis which has been bred exclusively for use in cropping rotations.
03 Apr 2006	Bio-pesticide targets cotton pest NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) researchers have come up with an environmentally friendly treatment for an insect which is emerging as one of the cotton industry’s biggest pests.
30 Mar 2006	Alliance strengthens biosecurity research Leading Australian scientists in the fields of animal and plant biosecurity will work more closely and have greater access to state-of-the-art facilities as a result of a new alliance between the University of Sydney and the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).
30 Mar 2006	Oranges looking better and better Radiant skin sells oranges - just how many we should find out in winter, when this season’s navel oranges for export and domestic consumption mature.
24 Feb 2006	$100 million fungicide bill Australian farmers are estimated to have spent more than $100 million last season on fungicides to stamp out a severe stripe rust epidemic and achieve above average crop yields.
24 Feb 2006	Seeking Good bugs in Cereal Crops The use of beneficial insects to control pests in crops is well established in horticulture and the cotton industry, but not amongst field crops such as wheat and canola. This is set to change with the funding of a new project investigating integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to control insects in wheat, canola and lucerne.
24 Feb 2006	Monitoring Cotton Pests The cotton industry has again contracted NSW DPI to monitoring the incidence and cause of insecticide resistance in the key pest of cotton, the cotton bollworm.
24 Feb 2006	Statistics for Plant Breeders NSW DPI is to provide leadership for a new $3m national statistics program which aims to ensure reliable and statistically sound methods are used to support variety selection in plant breeding programs.