Domestication of blue-banded bees for greenhouse pollination. The tomato industry is currently shifting towards production in greenhouses, which allows climate control and improved pest management. A lack of pollinators is an obstacle to this move. This project will establish protocols for large-scale use of native blue-banded bees as pollinators in greenhouses, especially for tomatoes. Pollination by native bees increases fruit weight by 15%, comparable to the effects of bumblebees used overs ....Domestication of blue-banded bees for greenhouse pollination. The tomato industry is currently shifting towards production in greenhouses, which allows climate control and improved pest management. A lack of pollinators is an obstacle to this move. This project will establish protocols for large-scale use of native blue-banded bees as pollinators in greenhouses, especially for tomatoes. Pollination by native bees increases fruit weight by 15%, comparable to the effects of bumblebees used overseas. Significant economic, environmental and health benefits are expected from this project. The outcome will satisfy an industry need and remove an environmental threat by finding indigenous substitutes for alien bumblebees.Read moreRead less
Improved olive productivity and the use of molecular markers. Sales of olive oil on international markets are growing at 15% per year, and the Australian industry is expanding rapidly to win some of this trade. Varietal identity is a major problem, which has production implications and this project will verify trueness-to type via genetic fingerprinting. Many olive cultivars require cross pollination for optimal production, and the research will identify compatible cultivars for the major variet ....Improved olive productivity and the use of molecular markers. Sales of olive oil on international markets are growing at 15% per year, and the Australian industry is expanding rapidly to win some of this trade. Varietal identity is a major problem, which has production implications and this project will verify trueness-to type via genetic fingerprinting. Many olive cultivars require cross pollination for optimal production, and the research will identify compatible cultivars for the major varieties. Molecular markers will be developed to accelerate the selection of improved varieties with self-fertility, high oleic acid, low linolenic acid and tolerance to Peacock spot disease.Read moreRead less
Use of Organic Residues in Edible Mushroom Production. The aims are to develop growth and casing materials for mushroom production based on organic wastes. Casing peat is the most expensive raw ingredient used in mushroom production and there are major concerns over supply due to increasing environmental concerns in supplier countries and quarantine issues such as the recent foot and mouth outbreak in Europe. This project will develop alternatives to imported peats as casing materials and invest ....Use of Organic Residues in Edible Mushroom Production. The aims are to develop growth and casing materials for mushroom production based on organic wastes. Casing peat is the most expensive raw ingredient used in mushroom production and there are major concerns over supply due to increasing environmental concerns in supplier countries and quarantine issues such as the recent foot and mouth outbreak in Europe. This project will develop alternatives to imported peats as casing materials and investigate a range of organic residues which can be used as basic growth media for button and exotic mushrooms. This will increase the viability and sustainability of the mushroom industry in Australia.Read moreRead less
Control of foliar diseases in horticulture using milk components: widening applicability through understanding mechanisms. Fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew and botrytis grey mould, have the potential to cause considerable losses in horticultural crops. Chemical fungicides, some of which are broad-spectrum biocides potentially harmful to human health, are applied routinely in disease management. Milk and whey, which can damage powdery mildew fungi, offer alternatives to conventional fungic ....Control of foliar diseases in horticulture using milk components: widening applicability through understanding mechanisms. Fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew and botrytis grey mould, have the potential to cause considerable losses in horticultural crops. Chemical fungicides, some of which are broad-spectrum biocides potentially harmful to human health, are applied routinely in disease management. Milk and whey, which can damage powdery mildew fungi, offer alternatives to conventional fungicides. Identification of the components of milk which damage fungi, and their mechanisms of activity, will facilitate the development of environmentally sustainable strategies for management of fungal diseases in Australian horticulture. This will have particular benefits for personnel who regularly apply fungicides in glasshouses.Read moreRead less
Pioneering seed solutions for the industrial hemp industry. This project aims to develop the next generation of elite industrial hemp cultivars, grown for their seed with high protein and oil contents, that are drought resistant and make minimal THC, teamed with research into their feminisation to provide a safer and better method of producing premium female seed to supply to growers. Project outcomes will include increased fundamental knowledge of drought tolerance, cannabinoid biosynthesis and ....Pioneering seed solutions for the industrial hemp industry. This project aims to develop the next generation of elite industrial hemp cultivars, grown for their seed with high protein and oil contents, that are drought resistant and make minimal THC, teamed with research into their feminisation to provide a safer and better method of producing premium female seed to supply to growers. Project outcomes will include increased fundamental knowledge of drought tolerance, cannabinoid biosynthesis and the feminisation process, converted to practical ways to manipulate these important agronomic traits. This will derisk the industrial hemp industry, encouraging increased cultivation of a nutritionally and economically valuable crop in Australia and create valuable intellectual property applicable globally.Read moreRead less
Blue-banded bees as greenhouse pollinators: healthy and consistent supplies for reliable pollination services. Native blue-banded bee pollination of tomatoes will increase crop yield by 15-20% through improved pollination and simultaneously decrease labour costs by $16,000/Ha/year. The use of blue-banded bees will change the face of the industry. It will cause a 90% decrease in the use of pesticides, increase the use of biological pest management and give rise to a novel industry to provide pol ....Blue-banded bees as greenhouse pollinators: healthy and consistent supplies for reliable pollination services. Native blue-banded bee pollination of tomatoes will increase crop yield by 15-20% through improved pollination and simultaneously decrease labour costs by $16,000/Ha/year. The use of blue-banded bees will change the face of the industry. It will cause a 90% decrease in the use of pesticides, increase the use of biological pest management and give rise to a novel industry to provide pollination services. Blue-banded bee pollination will open up international markets through production of improved quality with less production costs and healthier production methods. Furthermore, the project will remove an environmental threat by providing a native substitute for alien bumblebees.Read moreRead less
Desalting reclaimed wastewater to safeguard Virginia's horticultural industries. Virginia is a major horticultural region of South Australia undergoing rapid expansion. Groundwater resources are depleted and reclaimed sewage effluent from Adelaide is required for irrigation. Unfortunately, the effluent is frequently too saline. Large-scale desalting is being considered. A pilot-scale plant will be built to evaluate suitable desalting processes (e.g. reverse osmosis) for reducing the effluent ....Desalting reclaimed wastewater to safeguard Virginia's horticultural industries. Virginia is a major horticultural region of South Australia undergoing rapid expansion. Groundwater resources are depleted and reclaimed sewage effluent from Adelaide is required for irrigation. Unfortunately, the effluent is frequently too saline. Large-scale desalting is being considered. A pilot-scale plant will be built to evaluate suitable desalting processes (e.g. reverse osmosis) for reducing the effluent's salt content. Original research will: (i) synthesize the best combination of technologies to produce effluent streams of varying salinity for matching different crop requirements; and (ii) optimise delivery and storage of effluent streams using new storage(s) and the region's multiple aquifer and surface storages.Read moreRead less
Evaluation of peanuts as a source of bioactive nutrients for enhancement of endothelial function and cognitive performance. Functional foods represent one of the fastest growing food markets in the world, particularly foods which can offset adverse health conditions. The Partner Organisation, Peanut Company of Australia (PCA), is committed to developing peanut varieties, such as the high oleic peanut, that are nutritionally superior to the traditional varieties. By investing in research PCA aims ....Evaluation of peanuts as a source of bioactive nutrients for enhancement of endothelial function and cognitive performance. Functional foods represent one of the fastest growing food markets in the world, particularly foods which can offset adverse health conditions. The Partner Organisation, Peanut Company of Australia (PCA), is committed to developing peanut varieties, such as the high oleic peanut, that are nutritionally superior to the traditional varieties. By investing in research PCA aims to substantiate the nutritional benefits of these products and position itself in functional foods. Scientific evaluation of the health benefits that can be derived from consuming foods will enhance the national food industry through the growth of domestic and international licensing and export markets, and provide new employment opportunities in both rural and manufacturing sectors.Read moreRead less
Solving smoke taint: Overcoming the impacts of vineyard exposure to smoke. Vineyard exposure to bushfire smoke can taint grapes, causing significant revenue losses where smoky, ashy characters render wine unsaleable. Smoke taint therefore remains an ongoing threat to the viability of the wine industry. This project aims to safeguard grape and wine quality by building the wine industry’s capacity to predict, mitigate and respond to risk associated with vineyard smoke exposure. Expected outcomes i ....Solving smoke taint: Overcoming the impacts of vineyard exposure to smoke. Vineyard exposure to bushfire smoke can taint grapes, causing significant revenue losses where smoky, ashy characters render wine unsaleable. Smoke taint therefore remains an ongoing threat to the viability of the wine industry. This project aims to safeguard grape and wine quality by building the wine industry’s capacity to predict, mitigate and respond to risk associated with vineyard smoke exposure. Expected outcomes include establishing the mechanism by which smoke compounds are taken up by grapes and the factors that influence their sensory impact on wine. The development of innovative and interdisciplinary strategies for detecting and alleviating smoke taint will deliver important economic benefit to the Australian wine sector.Read moreRead less
Genomic basis of clonal variation in Cabernet Sauvignon wine grapes. The commercial practice of vegetative propagation results in novel clones through discrete mutations, creating challenges for horticultural and wine industries. This project will use cutting edge molecular profiling to design methods to map the identity of grapevines in whole vineyards, enabling industry to capture this variation for crop improvement.