Investigation of Australian crop species for the rhizoremediation of residual sulfonyl urea herbicide contaminations in agricultural soils. This research aims to identify an environmentally sustainable and economically viable solution to the problem of residual herbicide contaminations in agricultural soils. The strategy is focused on stimulation of microbial degradation of pesticides in the root zone of crop species (Lupins). Such a strategy will improve crop yields and reduce soil contaminatio ....Investigation of Australian crop species for the rhizoremediation of residual sulfonyl urea herbicide contaminations in agricultural soils. This research aims to identify an environmentally sustainable and economically viable solution to the problem of residual herbicide contaminations in agricultural soils. The strategy is focused on stimulation of microbial degradation of pesticides in the root zone of crop species (Lupins). Such a strategy will improve crop yields and reduce soil contaminations and environmental impacts at minimal cost. Read moreRead less
Responding to the threat of climate change: identifying effective strategies for the wheat industry of south-east Australia. This project will first evaluate the probable impacts of climatic change and variability on wheat production in southern Australia and will then assess the effectiveness of actual and potential adaptive management strategies designed to mitigate these impacts. The expected outcomes will include quantified impacts of future climate change and variability on wheat productio ....Responding to the threat of climate change: identifying effective strategies for the wheat industry of south-east Australia. This project will first evaluate the probable impacts of climatic change and variability on wheat production in southern Australia and will then assess the effectiveness of actual and potential adaptive management strategies designed to mitigate these impacts. The expected outcomes will include quantified impacts of future climate change and variability on wheat production in southern Australia, identification of regions at greater risk in the future and least likely to be viable in the longer run, and identification of effective adaptive management strategies designed to cope with these risks.Read moreRead less
Designing for sustainability using a transformative repair model. The project will generate new knowledge in design-based repair and reuse of consumer products to develop a new community of craft and design practitioners, audience and clientele, in collaboration with leading Australian design and craft organisations. It responds to the pressing cultural and environmental burden of product obsolescence and consumer waste through innovation in transformative repair – a designed reworking of broken ....Designing for sustainability using a transformative repair model. The project will generate new knowledge in design-based repair and reuse of consumer products to develop a new community of craft and design practitioners, audience and clientele, in collaboration with leading Australian design and craft organisations. It responds to the pressing cultural and environmental burden of product obsolescence and consumer waste through innovation in transformative repair – a designed reworking of broken or discarded consumer objects that transforms their aesthetic appeal and cultural value. It applies transition design theory to develop localised progressions of the transformative repair model to foster knowledge exchange between partner organisation while contributing to a sustainable design economy in AustraliaRead moreRead less
Targeted approaches to improve nitrogen use efficiency in maize. Nitrogen is an essential input required for growing high yielding quality cereal crops such as maize and wheat. Unfortunately, excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers can lead to serious environmental costs including nitrogen pollution through leaching and the significant cost in non-renewable fossil fuels used in their production. Improving nitrogen use efficiency in crops such as maize will reduce fertilizer use while ensuring lo ....Targeted approaches to improve nitrogen use efficiency in maize. Nitrogen is an essential input required for growing high yielding quality cereal crops such as maize and wheat. Unfortunately, excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers can lead to serious environmental costs including nitrogen pollution through leaching and the significant cost in non-renewable fossil fuels used in their production. Improving nitrogen use efficiency in crops such as maize will reduce fertilizer use while ensuring long-term sustainable production and harvestable yields. This collaboration with DuPont-Pioneer will focus on identifying nitrogen-linked traits in Maize that will be incorporated into new lines targeted at reducing grower dependence on nitrogen fertilizers.Read moreRead less
Genetic variation in the Cotesia flavipes complex of parasitic wasps: towards the effective biological control of stem-borer pests. This project will determine the genetic variation among world populations of the parasitic wasp Cotesia flavipes, as a prelude to the preemptive biological control of stemborer pests of sugarcane in Australia. These pests currently do not occur in Australia, but are found in crops across New Guinea and Indonesia, so that their incursion into Australia is highly lik ....Genetic variation in the Cotesia flavipes complex of parasitic wasps: towards the effective biological control of stem-borer pests. This project will determine the genetic variation among world populations of the parasitic wasp Cotesia flavipes, as a prelude to the preemptive biological control of stemborer pests of sugarcane in Australia. These pests currently do not occur in Australia, but are found in crops across New Guinea and Indonesia, so that their incursion into Australia is highly likely in the future. The results of this project will clarify the taxonomic status of C. flavipes-like species in Australia and provide the means, using molecular markers, to select host strains of this wasp suitable for the control of specific stemborer speciesRead moreRead less
Role of alanine aminotransferase in improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in cereals. The use of nitrogen-based fertilisers by crop plants is poor where efficiencies (nitrogen taken up to that applied) is often less than 40%. Nitrogen not used is often lost to the environment through leaching and or volatilisation. Improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in agriculture will decrease overall nitrogen fertiliser use and minimise its environmental footprint. This project will characterise a nov ....Role of alanine aminotransferase in improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in cereals. The use of nitrogen-based fertilisers by crop plants is poor where efficiencies (nitrogen taken up to that applied) is often less than 40%. Nitrogen not used is often lost to the environment through leaching and or volatilisation. Improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in agriculture will decrease overall nitrogen fertiliser use and minimise its environmental footprint. This project will characterise a novel NUE technology that when transferred to plants significantly improves NUE. We will define the phenotype at the molecular, biochemical and physiological levels to maximise its adoption to other agricultural crops such as wheat, barley and maize.Read moreRead less
Advanced plant breeding and food manufacturing for healthier bread. This project aims to generate bread containing high amounts of biologically available iron through targeted manipulation of plant-derived phytonutrients at several points along the wheat-to-bread supply chain. The project expects to generate new knowledge for developing healthier bread and address consumer demands for value-added food products. Anticipated outcomes are novel plant breeding and food manufacturing techniques that ....Advanced plant breeding and food manufacturing for healthier bread. This project aims to generate bread containing high amounts of biologically available iron through targeted manipulation of plant-derived phytonutrients at several points along the wheat-to-bread supply chain. The project expects to generate new knowledge for developing healthier bread and address consumer demands for value-added food products. Anticipated outcomes are novel plant breeding and food manufacturing techniques that enhance the nutritional composition of wheat grain and bread making products, resulting in higher-value agricultural commodities and breads. The project should benefit bread retailers and crop growers involved in Australia’s $4.7 billion bread market and reduce the environmental impacts of bread production.Read moreRead less
Creative Economy:Investigating South Australia's Creative Industries. This project aims at providing a rich and informative data set and analyses of South Australia's Creative Industries to enable a better understanding of the value networks operating in, across and beyond sectors and enable the State's creative industries to be benchmarked against their national and global counterparts. It will carry out a comprehensive, finely granulated, bottom up data gathering exercise and associated analy ....Creative Economy:Investigating South Australia's Creative Industries. This project aims at providing a rich and informative data set and analyses of South Australia's Creative Industries to enable a better understanding of the value networks operating in, across and beyond sectors and enable the State's creative industries to be benchmarked against their national and global counterparts. It will carry out a comprehensive, finely granulated, bottom up data gathering exercise and associated analyses needed at the State level to identify gaps in existing information for addressing policy settings and development. This will extend to a cross-sectoral cluster analysis and support a sustainable industry policy within the changing media environment.Read moreRead less
Residents’ voices: advantage, disadvantage, community and place. Community renewal and redevelopment of concentrated public housing areas represents a significant public investment aimed at improving the life chances of residents, yet the way in which place factors influence social outcomes is not well understood. This research will enhance the potential for successful outcomes by creating opportunities for residents to develop and express their own knowledge and understanding of the links betwe ....Residents’ voices: advantage, disadvantage, community and place. Community renewal and redevelopment of concentrated public housing areas represents a significant public investment aimed at improving the life chances of residents, yet the way in which place factors influence social outcomes is not well understood. This research will enhance the potential for successful outcomes by creating opportunities for residents to develop and express their own knowledge and understanding of the links between place and disadvantage, in an international context. The emergence of a theorised, contextualised and well articulated set of explanations about poverty and place from the tenant perspective will also improve public understanding and reduce the social division and stigma currently associated with public housing.Read moreRead less
Australian art exhibitions 1968-2009: a generation of cultural transformation. The years 1968 to 2009 witnessed a transformation in the way Australians saw the art of their country. This project investigates the impact of increased funding (government and private) and new scholarship on the curating of art exhibitions, and traces the reconfiguration of Australia’s art history that took place in exhibitions during this period.