Feed

SoilMapp for iPad: soil information at your fingertips

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 20:00:00 +1100

Find out what’s beneath your feet with CSIRO’s first app, SoilMapp, making soil information accessible from your location.

Paul Barnett: Impact and Business Development Manager

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:33:26 +1100

With a background in strategy development and business partnerships, Paul Barnett is the Impact and Business Development Manager for CSIRO’s Sustainable Agriculture Flagship (SAF), a A$70m research investment aiming to increase agricultural productivity whilst minimising associated environmental impacts.

Water Use Initiative Newsletter: Issue 4, September 2012

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 15:00:25 +1000

Read the September 2012 issue of the Grain Research and Development Corporation Water Use Efficiency Initiative newsletter. (24 pages)

Livestock Methane Research Cluster

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:50:00 +1000

CSIRO is involved in the Livestock Methane Research Cluster (LMRC), a collaboration between world leading scientific experts to develop accurate and practical methods to measure and reduce livestock methane emissions in the northern Australia beef herd.

Allan Peake: Improving water-use-efficiency in irrigated grain crops

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:45:00 +1100

Allan Peake is a research agronomist who is developing improved agronomic management techniques for irrigated grain crops, and is conducting research into how crops use water.

Improving the livelihoods of coffee growers in the highlands of Papua New Guinea

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:56:00 +1100

CSIRO is working with smallholder families to increase the productivity of coffee-based farming systems.

Simulating agricultural production with APSIM

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1100

For more than 20 years CSIRO has worked with partners in the Queensland Government and the University of Queensland to develop an innovative approach to understanding agricultural systems. Researchers have worked to benefit rural industries and the environment by developing a management tool called APSIM. APSIM is now used across Australia and the world to help land managers understand how they can better manage their farming systems for increased food and fibre production.

Plantation forests in streamside management zones: multiple benefits

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1100

This 101-page report reviews the water quality and biodiversity effects of using plantation forests in streamside management zones on cleared farmland.

Decision support tools for agriculture

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1100

Farmers and policy makers are often making difficult decisions dealing with lots of information and complexity. CSIRO is helping by providing tools, like computer models, that can assist them make better decisions.

Managing livestock feed sustainably

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1100

CSIRO has worked with researchers, advisors and farmers to identify principles for sustainably managing the food fed to livestock on mixed cropping/grazing farms. Farmers now have access to better information to manage their feedbase to achieve better profits, healthier natural resources and social factors.

Predicting crop yield

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1100

CSIRO and the Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) are working together to develop and support Yield Prophet®, a web-based decision-support tool for grain growers. Yield Prophet® is built on the farming systems model APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems Simulator).

Restoring box gum grassy woodlands in farming areas

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1100

CSIRO research is supporting the management and rehabilitation of box gum grassy woodland landscapes, particularly to improve their ability to cope with changes in climate.

ADOPT: a tool to explore and inform how farmers might take up agricultural innovations

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:01:00 +1100

ADOPT is helping research organisations and others increase their understanding of the factors influencing the adoption of agricultural innovations.

ADOPT download form

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:30:00 +1100

ADOPT is helping research organisations and others increase their understanding of the factors that influence agricultural innovations being adopted.

CSIRO National Soil Archive

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:39:00 +1100

The CSIRO National Soil Archive is Australia's primary resource for conserving soil specimens and making them accessible for future research.

The Australian Collaborative Land Evaluation Program

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1100

CSIRO is helping to understand, monitor and manage Australia's landscapes and soil resources. The Australian Collaborative Land Evaluation Partnership, a collaboration with many agencies, provides a hub for data and information on Australian soil and land resources.

IrriSATSMS: helping irrigators make water-use decisions

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1100

Farmers are receiving phone messages with location-specific information to help with irrigations decisions.

Life cycle assessment

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:53:00 +1100

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an internationally accepted method of evaluating the environmental impacts of processes, products and activities. Researchers within CSIRO are using LCA across a range of projects and industries.

Soil and Landscape Grid of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:01:00 +1100

In 2011, the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) announced funding for new science facilities and extensions to existing facilities. Amongst those led by CSIRO is a new soil science facility.

Australian science joins global effort to transform food system

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1100

On a planet with sufficient food for all, a billion people go hungry, while millions are suffering from chronic disease due to over-consumption.

Partnering with international communities to create sustainable livelihoods

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +1000

CSIRO scientists are researching development issues including food security, sustainable forestry and natural resource management.

Delivering improved water use efficiency for south Asian farmers

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +1000

Scientists from six south Asian countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, will undertake training in farming systems research to design improved rice based cropping systems.

Fencing livestock in - virtually

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +1000

Using satellite technology, CSIRO scientists are developing an animal-friendly 'virtual' fencing system to confine cattle without using fixed fences.

Measuring the water footprint of agriculture from 'paddock to plate'

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +1100

A method for measuring the environmental impacts of water used in crop and food production is helping businesses develop more sustainable practices and consumers make wiser choices.

Dr Brian Keating: Director, CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture Flagship

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +1100

Farming systems expert, Dr Brian Keating is Director of CSIRO's Sustainable Agriculture Flagship.

Cropping Bangladesh’s rabi season

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +1100

Bangladesh consumes more than twice the wheat it grows, and importing the shortfall is eating into its foreign currency reserves – but researchers have identified potential for large increases in production.

Fixing food security with forage legumes

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +1100

One of Indonesia’s poorest provinces faces dire food security issues, but forage legumes could provide a surprising solution.

Facing Africa's food security challenges

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +1100

Increasing the productivity of Africa’s agricultural systems is one of the most significant challenges facing global agriculture. CSIRO is working with African scientists and institutions to help African’s develop long term solutions.

New edition of soil analysis 'bible' released

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +1100

A new ‘bible’ on analysing soils for factors like carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and toxic substances, was released in Canberra last night at the Australasian Soil & Plant Analysis Council Conference.

More efficient use of farm inputs key to growth

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +1100

More efficient use of farm inputs is critical to ensuring continued productivity growth in Australia and New Zealand agriculture, according to CSIRO scientist Dr Michael Robertson.

Opinion: some food for thought on food security

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +1100

For many of us, the current focus on food security may have come out of the blue. However as we pause to reflect on World Food Day, there are significant challenges to be faced as a nation if we are to have a reliable and affordable supply of food in the future – and we are to live in a world where others have sufficient food for healthy and active lives.

Advancing Agricultural Productivity and Environmental Health

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +1000

The Sustainable Agriculture Flagship researchers are working to identify opportunities and pathways to increase productivity whilst maintaining natural resource function and ecosystem health.

Investigating Biochar: from Source to Sink

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +1000

The Sustainable Agriculture Flagship is leading national collaborative research analysing the properties and potential of a variety of biochars to improve soil health and sequester carbon.

National Research Flagship Collaboration Fund: Sustainable Agriculture Flagship Cluster Specification

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +1000

Read the specifications for the Sustainable Agriculture Cluster Specification 2010: Bio-economic Drivers of Agricultural Productivity. (2 pages)

National Research Flagship Collaboration Fund: Sustainable Agriculture Flagship Cluster Specification

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +1000

Read the specifications for the Sustainable Agriculture Cluster Specification 2010: Measuring and Managing Methane Emissions from Livestock: from Laboratory to Landscape. (2 pages)

Producing more with less: increasing productivity whilst sustaining natural resources

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +1000

In a world of increasing demand for depleting natural resources, coming decades will see a focus on resource use efficiency and a major global effort on extracting more from less.

Partnering with the Sustainable Agriculture Flagship

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +1000

CSIRO's Sustainable Agriculture Flagship is developing new collaborations in solution based science with other researchers, industry and government.

Assessing landscape systems and trends for agricultural sustainability

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +1000

The Sustainable Agriculture Flagship is developing innovative assessment techniques to measure, monitor and predict the condition of Australian agricultural and forestry landscapes to increase productivity and reduce carbon emissions

CSIRO and Bayer to focus on sustainable crops

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1100

CSIRO and Bayer CropScience are embarking on a new two-year research program designed to assess the sustainability of new generation crops.

Sustainable Development for Northern Australia: a comprehensive science review

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +1100

The Northern Australia Land and Water Science Review 2009 examines a range of options for use of land and water in northern Australia and the likely consequences of those uses, for communities, businesses and the environment.

Sustainable Agriculture Flagship brochure

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +1100

Read about the Sustainable Agriculture Flagship's goals, major research challenges and international partnerships in this two-page brochure.

Greenhouse Gas Abatement and Carbon Storage in Land Use Systems

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +1100

The Sustainable Agriculture Flagship is developing science, technology, measurement and management systems to help reduce net greenhouse gas emissions from Australian lands while increasing the storage of new carbon in our lands.

The Soil Carbon Research Program: assessing soil carbon across Australia

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +1100

The Soil Carbon Research Program will provide data from which realistic sequestration options and targets for Australia can be formed.

World Food Day – CSIRO rising to the challenges

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +1100

Australian farmers feed over 60 million people a day and CSIRO research aims to maintain and grow this productivity in the face of the significant challenges of greenhouse gas abatement, climate change and land degradation.

Dr Peter Stone: developing and managing science partnerships that tackle major land use issues

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +1000

Dr Peter Stone is Deputy Chief of CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences. His work history includes farm management, food industry consulting, grain marketing and agricultural research. For much of the last 15 years, his research has focused on the use of contested land-based resources, seeking to understand the intersection of a range of scientific, community and industry perspectives.

Sustainable Agriculture Flagship: addressing productivity and food security in a carbon constrained world

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000

CSIRO's Sustainable Agriculture Flagship aims to reduce the carbon footprint of Australia’s land use whilst achieving the productivity gains needed for prosperous agricultural and forest industries and global food security.

Australian Soil Resource Information System (ASRIS)

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +1100

ASRIS is a collation of the best available, nationally consistent data and information on Australia’s soil and land resources. It facilitates better planning and decision making.