School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences - Research Publications

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    Microwave Soil Treatment and Plant Growth
    Brodie, G ; Jamal Khan, M ; Gupta, D ; Hasanuzzaman, M ; Fujita, M ; Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho, M ; Assis Rodrigues Nogueira, T (IntechOpen, 2019-10-15)
    Crop yield gaps can be partially overcome by soil sanitation strategies such as fumigation; however, there are fewer suitable fumigants available in the marketplace and growing concerns about chemical impacts in the environment and human food chain. Therefore, thermal soil sanitation has been considered for some time and microwave soil treatment has some important advantages over other thermal soil sanitation techniques, such as steam treatment. It is also apparent that microwave soil sanitation does not sterilize the soil, but favors beneficial species of soil biota making more nutrients available for better plant growth. From these perspectives, microwave soil treatment may become an important pre-sowing soil sanitation technology for high value cropping systems, allowing agricultural systems to better bridge the crop yield gap.
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    Controls and counterfactual information in agro-ecological investment
    Duncan, D ; REICH, P ; Ansell, D ; Gibson, F ; Salt, D (ANU Press, 2016)
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    The Consumer Labelling Turn in Farmed Animal Welfare Politics: From the Margins of Animal Advocacy to Mainstream Supermarket Shelves
    Parker, C ; Carey, R ; Scrinis, G ; Phillipov, M ; Kirkwood, K (Routledge, 2019)
    “Free range” and other higher welfare label claims are increasingly visible on Australian egg, pork and chicken meat products. This paper critically examines the way in which these claims have shifted animal welfare concerns from the “margins” of the animal advocacy movement to the “mainstream” of everyday consumer choice. It asks what has been lost and what gained as mainstream producers and retailers have adopted these label claims. The chapter argues that the growing market share of higher welfare labelled foods and the increasing public discussion and contestation of the meaning of terms such as “free range”, “free to roam” and “bred free range” does represent the success of animal advocacy campaigns aimed at activating mainstream consumers to express their concern about animal welfare. At the same time label claims also exhibit the creativity of industry and retailers in appropriating and accommodating civil society critiques of dominant production and distribution systems by narrowing down the range of contested issues, and sentimentalising, simplifying and de-radicalising potential solutions. This indicates a governance gap - a chasm between what can be achieved via voluntary certification and labelling and the need for a more inclusive, sustainable and official government regulation of animal welfare.
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    Flammability at field-scales: conducting research in prescribed burns
    Cawson, J ; Duff, T ; Viegas, DX (UNIV COIMBRA, 2018)
    To better understand the role of plant flammability in driving landscape-scale fire behaviour and fire regimes, field-scale flammability research needs to occur. Yet, experimental fires are costly to implement and research within wildfires is both logistically challenging and potentially dangerous. As an alternative, we propose that operational prescribed burns undertaken for land management purposes should be exploited for flammability research.. In some parts of the world, large areas are burnt annually, providing extensive opportunities for research. In this paper we describe three broad methods that can be used to measure different facets of flammability in prescribed burns. We compare the strengths and potential limitations of each method before finally providing ten principles for conducting effective flammability research in prescribed burns. We conclude that operational prescribed burns are a largely untapped resource that could be used to better understand links between plant flammability and landscape-scale fire behaviour.
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    Management of firebrand potential through the candling of bark fuel
    Duff, TJ ; Richards, P ; Cawson, JG ; Viegas, DX (UNIV COIMBRA, 2018)
    Aerially suspended fuels play an important role in forest fire behaviour. They can act as a ladder to flames, increasing the potential for crownfire, and can ignite and act as firebrands. When large accumulations of these fuels are present, wildfires may spread more rapidly, be more difficult to suppress and be more likely to impact assets such as houses. However, as these fuels are suspended above the ground, their moisture status is predominantly a function of atmospheric humidity. As a result, bark and suspended fuels may become flammable at times when the remainder of the fuel bed is too wet to burn due to high soil moisture levels. This means that these fuels can be reduced by burning when conditions are unfavourable for prescribed burning using the practice candling. Candling is the deliberate ignition of bark and other dead fine ladder fuels under conditions where surface fires are unlikely to spread. We compared the number of days available for prescribed burning and candling for a locality in South Eastern Australia and found that in the period 2012 – 2016, candling could be undertaken for an average 124 days per year, 48 days more than the window available for prescribed burning (76 days). As each accumulation of aerial fuel must be individually lit during candling, the practice is labour intensive and inefficient over large areas relative to prescribed burning, so it is best used for targeted risk reduction such as near control lines or assets. However, it can be used to reduce risk with low chance of escape in locations where prescribed burning is difficult such as the Wildland Urban Interface. The practice is applied operationally in South Eastern Australia, however to date there has been limited research into its effects on wildfire spread and intensity. Given its suitability for strategic use near highly vulnerable assets, we believe further investigation into its utility is warranted.
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    Therapeutic Potential of Seaweed Bioactive Compounds
    Khalid, S ; Abbas, M ; Saeed, F ; Bader-Ul-Ain, H ; Ansar Rasul Suleria, H ; Maiti, S (IntechOpen, 2018)
    Edible seaweeds are rich in bioactive compounds such as soluble dietary fibers, proteins, peptides, minerals, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants. Previously, seaweeds were only used as gelling and thickening agents in the food or pharmaceutical industries, recent researches have revealed their potential as complementary medicine. The red, brown and green seaweeds have been shown to have therapeutic properties for health and disease management, such as anticancer, antiobesity, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiestrogenic, thyroid stimulating, neuroprotective, antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and tissue healing properties. In proposed chapter, we discussed various active compounds include sulphated polysaccharides, phlorotannins, carotenoids (e.g. fucoxanthin), minerals, peptides and sulfolipids, with proven benefits against degenerative metabolic diseases. Moreover, therapeutic modes of action of these bioactive components and their reports are summarized in this chapter.
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    Fundamental molecular techniques for rhizobia
    Melino, V ; Reeve, W ; Tiwari, RP ; Poole, PS ; Howieson, JG ; Dilworth, MJ (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), 2016)
    Study of the legume/rhizobium symbiosis necessitates an understanding of methods to isolate and characterise the bacteria. Since the publication of ‘A manual for the practical study of root-nodule bacteria’ by Jim Vincent (1970) a number of sequels have been published, such as the NifTAL, CIAT and CIMMYT manuals, which are now out of date and out of print. Discoveries of a much wider range of root-nodulating bacteria than previously known means that even simple isolation methods need revisiting to ensure unusual types of bacteria are not discarded. Drawing on the rich experience from earlier publications, this manual brings together state-of-the-art methods for the study of root-nodule bacteria, both in the free-living state and in symbiosis with legumes. In each chapter, we introduce the topic and provide guidance on how study of the symbiosis might best be tackled. We then provide a detailed description of protocols that need to be followed and highlight potential problems and pitfalls. Topics covered include acquiring, recognising, growing and storing rhizobia, experimenting with strains in the laboratory, glasshouse and field, and applying contemporary molecular and genetic methodologies to assist in the study of rhizobia. We include a chapter that describes the current taxonomy and physiological understanding of rhizobia, and another on the production of inoculants and quality control in the supply chain.
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    MANAGEMENT OPTIONS TO ADDRESS DIFFUSE CAUSES OF HYDROLOGIC ALTERATION
    Horne, AC ; Morris, CR ; Fowler, KJA ; Costelloe, JF ; Fletcher, TD ; Horne, AC ; Webb, JA ; Stewardson, MJ ; Richter, B ; Acreman, M (ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2017)
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    Addressing Social, Economic and Environmental Objectives and Values through Decision Support Systems
    NITSCHKE, C ; Waeber, PO ; Mathey, AH ; Tikina, AV ; Innes, JL (Routledge, 2017)
    From Concept to Practice John L. Innes, Anna V. Tikina. understand and are ... Table 2.2 Objectives and principles for the sustainable management of natural tropical forests, and their relationship to ITTO's criteria and indicators. Objective ...
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    Long-term effects of repeated prescribed burning on forest invertebrates: management implications for the conservation of biodiversity
    YORK, A ; Gill, AM ; Woinarski, JCZ ; YORK, A (Department of Environment and Heritage, 1999)