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News - 2009
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 Recent media coverage
18 January 2010 - Research brings new hope for saltland pasture legume
Melilotus siculus is shaping up as the new plant that will make salt-affected land a more productive part of
the farm – a productive legume that produces high quality feed and fixates nitrogen to enhance compliment
grasses.
22 December 2009 - Research review on why Australia no longer rides on the sheep’s back
A significant decline in the national sheep flock has got the Future Farm Industries CRC asking what lies
ahead for the Australian sheep industry and its implication for future research and development.
16 December 2009 - Research Director position now available
Future Farm Industries CRC is currently seeking a highly experienced scientist and research leader to take over the senior executive position of Researcher Director following the retirement of Dr Mike Ewing in March 2010.
This is a great opportunity to lead key scientists from Australia’s leading agricultural organisations and universities in the development of perennial based dryland farming systems and technologies at the forefront of climate change adaptation and to enhance your national and international reputation as a career scientist.
Based at The University of Western Australia, the Research Director will report to the CEO and will join a national executive team. For more information, download the job description form and selection criteria below.
Applications for this position close on 18 January 2010.
10 December 2009 - Barley gives other cereals a run for its money in the salt tolerance stakes
An old barley variety selected for its salt tolerance from a Californian barley variety has surprised
researchers by outperforming other cereals in a recent salinity field trail in Western Australia.
19 October 2009 - Native plant chemistry could play an important role in improving livestock health
Unique chemical compounds found in native plants could play a pivotal role in creating a sustainable
way to improve and maintain livestock health.
17 September 2009 - Summer dormancy- one way for pastures to survive hotter and drier times
Plant breeders from around the world have highlighted the need to develop plants with the ability tobecome dormant over the summer months and survive the expected hotter and drier climates of the future.
06 August 2009 - New publication provides farmers with survival solutions for drier times
A new publication by the Future Farm Industries CRC (FFI CRC) shows how farmers can increase their productivity and remain profitable in a dry and uncertain climate through the use of perennial plants.
07 July 2009 - Farmer sees perennials as the solution to his climate change problem
NSW farmer Philip Bush has planted a mixture of perennials ready to battle serrated tussock – a
weed now threatening his property’s productivity.
09 June 2009 - New plants to help farmers in drier times and reduce livestock emissions
Four new varieties of the perennial birdsfoot trefoil are set to give Australian farmers a head start in remaining productive in a drying climate
22 May 2009 - Federal Agriculture Minister visits EverGraze's Hamilton Site
While at Hamilton, the Minister spoke about the important role EverGraze plays in helping Australian farmers adapt to change. An article about the Minister visit to the site can be view on page five of the latest The Standard edition. FFI CRC CEO Kevin Goss was also recently interviewed by ABC Radio Victoria about the importance of EverGraze project. Listen to the interview here.
14 April 2009 - Study shows oil mallees improve farm biodiversity
A study has shown that farmers can enjoy the benefits of greater biodiversity on their farms by
planting oil mallees.
1 April 2009 - Tastier saltbush could bring new feed to the drier parts of Australia
A plant selection program by Future Farm Industries CRC (FFI CRC) has shown that a tastier kind of
saltbush could become a nutritional feed source for the drier saline and non saline parts of Australia.
19 March 2009 - Harvester designer appointment shows mallee industry means business
Biosystems Engineering has been appointed by the Future Farm Industries CRC (FFI CRC) to design and manufacture a prototype mallee harvester.
17 March 2009 - March edition of Focus on Perennials now out
The latest edition of Focus on Perennials includes a special feature on Saltbush and its potential apllications to saline and non-saline land. The March edition of Focus on Perennials can be downloaded here.
6 February 2009 - Online genie shows the ways to productive salinity management
A new interactive website called Saltland Genie is helping farmers find a productive use for their salt-affected land.
20 January 2009 - New rhizobia discoveries to boost acid tolerant lucerne development
A recent field trip by FFI CRC researchers has uncovered 17 new strains of rhizobia with the
right tolerance and suitability to help breed new acid-tolerant lucerne varieties.
17 November 2008 - New perennial grasses to keep pastures green in drying climate says workshop convenor
Breeding new perennial grasses varieties to boost productivity in the drier parts of southern Australia is the
focus of a Future Farm Industries CRC (FFI CRC) workshop being held this week.
7 November 2008 - Investors urged to consider new acid and waterlogging tolerant pastures at Field Day
The search is on for a seed company to commercialise new plant varieties with the potential to boost production on acidic and waterlogged land in southern Australia.
30 September 2008 - Government urged to show caution when it comes to bio-sequestration
Future Farm Industries CEO Kevin Goss has urged the Australian Government to be very cautious
when considering bio-sequestration by plants and soils to reduce atmospheric carbon under a
greenhouse gas Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
22 September 2008 - Call for agriculture to kick the annual crops habit and try perennials
Breaking the dependence on annual crops to meet the world’s every increasing food demands can increase productivity and create environmental benefits according to US-based agronomist, Dr Stan Cox.
8 September 2008 - Biodiversity guide shows native pastures could be the way of the future H
Native pastures can be more profitable than establishing and maintaining sown pastures according to Future Farm Industries CRC’s (FFI CRC) latest publication, Biodiversity in the Paddock: A Land Managers Guide.
15 August 2008 - Prince Charles’s quoting of WA’s salinity problem needs to be put into context H
Recent comments by Prince Charles about huge salinisation issues in Western Australia being
caused by the excessive approaches of modern agriculture need to be viewed in a broader context.
30 July 2008 - Salt-tolerant wheat research profiled at UWA Field Open DayH
Giving farmers the option to grow wheat on saline and waterlogged parts of their property is one of
the ways that Australian agriculture can remain productive in a drying climates.
11 July 2008 - Lucerne and chicory – the right paddock mix to boost lambing profitsH
Victorian farmer Don Price is successfully using a summer active, lucerne-chicory pasture mix to
boost his lamb enterprise profits.
1 July 2008 - 2020 vision of Australian broadacre farming podcast now available
The concluding presentation at the recent UWA Institute of Agriculture 2020 vision of broadacre farming forum by FFI CEO Kevin Goss is now available as a podcast.
28 June 2008 - Harvester funding will go a long way to kick starting WA’s Oil Mallee industryH
Future Farm Industries CRC (FFI CRC) CEO Kevin Goss has welcomed the Western Australian
Government’s announcement of $1.5 million of funding for the development of a prototype mallee
harvester saying it is good news for the Oil Mallee industry.
5 June 2008 - FFI CRC Program 3 Leader position available
The CRC is currently seeking suitable applicants for the position of Program Leader for its New Woody Crops Industries Program (Program 3).
4 June 2008 - Native plants could be the panacea to cure sheep stomach aches
Chemical properties in some native plants have the ability to stop sheep suffering from a debilitating
stomach condition known as lactic acidosis.
26 May 2008 - FFI CRC saltbush research profiled on ABC TV's Landline
Besides having the ability to make saline land productive, CRC research has shown that sheep grazed on saltbush have improved meat quality.
20 May 2008 - Biofuels can help Aussie farmers contribute to food crisis solution
Australia can help alleviate the looming world food crisis by cleverly integrating an emerging biofuels
industry with mainstream agriculture.
28 April 2008 - FFI CRC Communication Officer position available
FFI CRC Head Office is currently seeking a Communication Officer to provide design, administrative and general communication support.
23 April 2008 - FFI CRC features on ABC Radio's Bush Telegraph
FFI CRC Kevin Goss interviewed as part of a 'Where To For Farming' story on ABC Radio National's Bush Telegraph.
11 April 2008 - DAFWA forage breeder position available
The Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA) is currently looking for a forage breeder.
3 April 2008 - FFI CRC featured prominently at 2nd ISF
FFI CRC research and researchers featured prominently at the Second International Salinity Forum.
20 March 2008 - March 2008 edition of Focus on Perennials now out
The latest edition of FFI CRC's key publication is now out.
4 March 2008 - FFI CRC CEO interviewed on WA Country Hour
FFI CRC CEO Kevin Goss features in ABC Radio WA Country Hour’s lead story.
28 February 2008 - Climate-adapted solutions crucial to agriculture’s survival
Current political thinking about climate change is not considering the measures needed to ensure Australian farmers are ready to survive in a drier climate.
5 February 2008 - New publication to help farmers make a living out of salty land
Often thought to be no more than an eyesore or useless, salt affected land can now be farmed for
profit according to a new publication released by Future Farm Industries CRC.
16 January 2008 - Native plants show promise as green fodder during drought
A group of Australian native plants has demonstrated its potential to supply year-round green fodder
during the drought-prone summer and autumn on deep sandy soils in Australia’s wheat growing
regions.
21 December 2007 - Saltland Prospects and Focus on Perennials publications released
FFI CRC's first Prospects Statement - Saltland Prospects - and Issue 2 of Focus on Perennials released.
11 December 2007 - CRC Salinity Activity Statement released
CRC Salinity accomplishments highlighted in achievement statement.
8 November 2007 - A paradise for Australian pastoralists
Plants native to a small group of sub-tropical islands off the north western coast of Africa
could be the answer for making the pastoral areas of Australia more adaptable to drought
and climate variability.
1 November 2007 - New test to weed out problem plants
A new test is being developed by researchers to identify plants that have the potential to become
environmental weeds – a risk that could be on the increase as farmers search for new hardy,
drought-tolerant pastures.
11 October 2007 - Wanted: harvester to kick start WA’s mallee industry
WA’s fledging oil mallee industry is in need of a cost-effective harvest system – especially a
purpose designed harvester.
26 September 2007 - FFI CRC deputy chair awarded Helen Newton Turner Medal
FFI CRC deputy chair Lucinda Corrigan has been awarded the 2007 Helen Newton Turner Medal. The Medal is awarded to provide encouragement and inspiration for scientists, technicians and practitioners engaged in the genetic improvement of productivity and product quality of livestock. Read more
17 September 2007 - Communication Manager appointed
Mr Greg Lawrence has been appointed Communication Manager of FFI CRC. Contact details
3 September 2007 - New Program Leader appointed
A/Prof Bill Malcolm, University of Melbourne, has been appointed Leader to Program 6: Economic, Social & Policy Analysis. Read more
21 August 2007 - New Board Director appointed
Mr David Sackett has joined the Board of Directors. Read more
9 July 2007 - Future Farm Industries launched
Future Farm Industries was officially launched by Hon Julie Bishop MP, the Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training on Monday, 9 July at the Prescott Room, UWA.
9 July 2007 - Board of Directors announced
Following the launch of FFI CRC, its directors were announced.
9 July 2007 - New corporate brand
At the official launch of FFI CRC, the new icon and corporate identity was unveiled.
25 June 2007 - An opinion piece br John Bartle, DECWA
Overly optimistic or pessimistic perceptions about future agricultural economic conditions, perhaps more than ever before, could result in misguided global policy settings and substantial under-utilisation of global agricultural lands. I aim here to present a balanced overview of projections for the future of agriculture and demonstrate that there appears to be potential to divert some agricultural land into non-food crops.
23 April 2007 - Program Leaders appointed
Kevin Goss, CEO designate, announced the appointment of Program Leaders in the Future Farm Industries CRC:
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Dr Joe Jacobs, Principal Research Scientist and State-wide Leader, Pasture and Grains Agronomy, PIRVic [Program 1 - Livestock]
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Dr Alison Bowman, Director, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute and Research Leader - Southern Farming Systems, NSW DPI [Program 2 - Cropping]
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Mike Bennell, Project Manager - FloraSearch, Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation (WLBC), SA [Program 3 - New Woody Crop Industries]
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Dr Ed Barrett-Lennard, Principal Research Officer, Centre for Eco-hydrology, Department of Agriculture and Food, WA (DAFWA) [Program 4 - Saline land]
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Ken Wallace, Manager, Natural Resources Branch, Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), WA [Program 5 - Biodiversity & water]
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Prof. David Pannell, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics, The University of Western Australia [Program 6 - Economics]
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Scott Glyde, Lecturer, Extension and Agricultural Systems, Charles Sturt University, NSW [Program 7 - Education & training]
9 March 2007- Future Farm CRC Website launched
Kevin Goss, CEO designate launched the FFI CRC’s website on 9 March 2007. The site was produced with the assistance of DesignScene, a CRC technology partner that has developed a number of pocket-sites for CRC Salinity. This first stage site for FFI CRC will provide an important resource during the establishment of the new CRC and include key information on governance, program development and activity planning.
22 December 2006 - Future Farm Industries CRC wins support
$114M FOR NEW FARMING SYSTEMS TO TACKLE DROUGHT AND SALINITY, AND BOOST FARM INCOMES
Australia is to develop revolutionary farming systems which will boost returns to livestock and cropping, minimise the impact of drought and climate change while restoring a healthy landscape. The new approach has received approval from the Australian Government in the form of $34m support for the Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FFI CRC) which will carry out research into novel dryland farming methods and industry opportunities based on perennial plants.
Download the  media release.
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