Formative evaluation to benchmark and improve climate-based decision support for graziers in Western Queelsland

Researchers developing climate-based forecasts, workshops, software tools and information to aid grazier decisions undertook an evaluation study to enhance planning and benchmark impact. One hundred graziers in Western Queensland were randomly selected from 7 shires and surveyed by mail and telephone (43 respondents) to explore levels of knowledge and use of climate information, practices and information needs. We found 36% of respondents apply the Southern Oscillation Index to property decisions but 92% were unaware El Niño Southern Oscillation’s predictive signal in the region is greater for pasture growth than rainfall, suggesting they may not recognise the potential of pasture growth forecasts. Almost 75% of graziers consider they are conservative or risk averse in their attitude to managing their enterprise. Mail respondents (n= 20) if given a 68%, on average, probability of exceeding median rainfall forecast may change a decision; almost two-thirds vary stocking rate based on forage available, last year’s pasture growth or the Southern Oscillation Index; the balance maintain a constant stocking rate strategy; 90% have access to a computer; 75% to the internet and 95% have a fax. This paper presents findings of the study and draws comparisons with a similar study of 174 irrigators in the Northern Murray-Darling Basin (Aust. J. Exp. Ag. 44, 247-257). New insights and information gained are helping the team better understand client needs and plan, design and extend tools and information tailored to grazier knowledge, practice, information needs and preferences. Results have also provided a benchmark against which to measure project impact and have influenced the team to make important changes to their project planning, activities and methods for transferring technology tailored to grazier preferences.

Extent of dense native woodland and exotic weed infestation in the extensive grazing lands of the Upper Herbert and Upper Burdekin River Catchments of far north Queensland: results of a producer survey

The Mt Garnet Landcare Group commissioned a survey of landholders within the Upper Herbert and Upper Burdekin River Catchments to assess the density of native woodlands and to gauge the extent of exotic weed infestation. Twenty-four of 49 landholders responded, representing an area of nearly 500 000 ha or 47% of the total area. Dense native woodland covers 24% (>117 000 ha) of the area surveyed, while a further 30% (140 000 ha) supports moderately dense stands. The dense stands are largely confined to the highly fertile alluvial soils (26% dense woodland) and the lower fertility sandy-surfaced soils (33% or >96 000 ha). Moderate and dense infestations of exotic weeds, principally Lantana camara, occur on 54% (20 000 ha) of alluvial soils and on 13% of sandy-surfaced soils (39 000 ha), where praxelis (Praxelis clematidia) is the major weed. Basaltic soils have low levels of both dense woodland and exotic weed infestation. Some implications of the results are discussed.

Field assessment of the resistance of timber products to termite (Isoptera) damage: Results can change with the amount of bait wood

Whether or not termites initiate damage to timber via the end grain may determine the need for spot-treating the exposed untreated cut ends of envelope-treated softwood framing material. Australian Coptotermes acinaciformis (Froggatt) were field-tested for their ability to initiate feeding via the end grain of timber (35 × 90 mm) treated with a repellent Tanalith® T envelope. Specimens of commercial radiata pine Pinus radiata D.Don framing timber (untreated) and slash pine Pinus elliottii Englem. (untreated and envelope-treated) were partially clad in fine stainless steel mesh. Clad and unclad specimens were exposed to C. acinaciformis near Townsville, North Queensland, Australia, for four months. Results showed that this species of termite can indeed damage timber via the end grain, including exposed untreated cut ends of envelope-treated material as demonstrated earlier for different populations of C. acinaciformis. Differences between the test conditions in field trials carried out at different times (where C. acinaciformis either did or did not damage timber via the end grain) are discussed. Clearly, outcomes from field studies with preservative-treated materials are dependent upon experimental conditions. Notably, the amount of bait wood (highly termite-susceptible timber substrate) offered in a given method can strongly influence the termite response. Further investigation is required to standardise this aspect of conditions in protocols for the assessment of wood preservatives.

Odour emissions from anaerobic piggery ponds. 1. Results of a three season, 14-month survey

Odour emission rates were measured for seven different anaerobic ponds treating piggery wastes at six to nine discrete locations across the surface of each pond on each sampling occasion over a 14-month period. Emission rate values varied between ponds, between seasons for the same pond and even for the same pond on different days of a sampling week. Average seasonal emission rates ranged from 7.9 to 46.5 OU/m2 s, while average emission rates ranged from 16.0 to 29.0 OU/m2 s. Factors potentially responsible for the variability in emission rates were investigated, including air and pond liquor temperatures, time of day of sample collection, season and the impact of a prolonged drought.

Quantitative and molecular genetics of juvenile wood traits in radiata and slash/Caribbean pines.

The Juvenile Wood Initiative (JWI) project has been running successfully since July 2003 under a Research Agreement with FWPA and Letters of Association with the consortium partners STBA (Southern Tree Breeding Association), ArborGen and FPQ (Forestry Plantations Queensland). Over the last five and half years, JWI scientists in CSIRO, FPQ, and STBA have completed all 12 major milestones and 28 component milestones according to the project schedule. We have made benchmark progress in understanding the genetic control of wood formation and interrelationships among wood traits. The project has made 15 primary scientific findings and several results have been adopted by industry as summarized below. This progress was detailed in 10 technical reports to funding organizations and industry clients. Team scientists produced 16 scientific manuscripts (8 published, 1 in press, 2 submitted, and several others in the process of submission) and 15 conference papers or presentations. Primary Scientific Findings. The 15 major scientific findings related to wood science, inheritance and the genetic basis of juvenile wood traits are: 1. An optimal method to predict stiffness of standing trees in slash/Caribbean pine is to combine gravimetric basic density from 12 mm increment cores with a standing tree prediction of MoE using a time of flight acoustic tool. This was the most accurate and cheapest way to rank trees for breeding selection for slash/Caribbean hybrid pine. This method was also recommended for radiata pine. 2. Wood density breeding values were predicted for the first time in the STBA breeding population using a large sample of 7,078 trees (increment cores) and it was estimated that selection of the best 250 trees for deployment will produce wood density gains of 12.4%. 3. Large genetic variation for a suite of wood quality traits including density, MFA, spiral grain, shrinkage, acoustic and non-acoustic stiffness (MoE) for clear wood and standing trees were observed. Genetic gains of between 8 and 49% were predicted for these wood quality traits with selection intensity between 1 to 10% for radiata pine. 4. Site had a major effect on juvenile-mature wood transition age and the effect of selective breeding for a shorter juvenile wood formation phase was only moderate (about 10% genetic gain with 10% selection intensity, equivalent to about 2 years reduction of juvenile wood). 5. The study found no usable site by genotype interactions for the wood quality traits of density, MFA and MoE for both radiata and slash/Caribbean pines, suggesting that assessment of wood properties on one or two sites will provide reliable estimates of the genetic worth of individuals for use in future breeding. 6. There were significant and sizable genotype by environment interactions between the mainland and Tasmanian regions and within Tasmania for DBH and branch size. 7. Strong genetic correlations between rings for density, MFA and MoE for both radiata and slash/Caribbean pines were observed. This suggests that selection for improved wood properties in the innermost rings would also result in improvement of wood properties in the subsequent rings, as well as improved average performance of the entire core. 8. Strong genetic correlations between pure species and hybrid performance for each of the wood quality traits were observed in the hybrid pines. Parental performance can be used to identify the hybrid families which are most likely to have superior juvenile wood properties of the slash/Caribbean F1 hybrid in southeast Queensland. 9. Large unfavourable genetic correlations between growth and wood quality traits were a prominent feature in radiata pine, indicating that overcoming this unfavourable genetic correlation will be a major technical issue in progressing radiata pine breeding. 10. The project created the first radiata pine 18 k cDNA microarray and generated 5,952 radiata pine xylogenesis expressed sequence tags (ESTs) which assembled into 3,304 unigenes. 11. A total of 348 genes were identified as preferentially expressed genes in earlywood or latewood while a total of 168 genes were identified as preferentially expressed genes in either juvenile or mature wood. 12. Juvenile earlywood has a distinct transcriptome relative to other stages of wood development. 13. Discovered rapid decay of linkage disequilibrium (LD) in radiata pine with LD decaying to approximately 50% within 1,700 base pairs (within a typical gene). A total of 913 SNPS from sequencing 177,380 base pairs were identified for association genetic studies. 14. 149 SNPs from 44 genes and 255 SNPs from a further 51 genes (total 95 genes) were selected for association analysis with 62 wood traits, and 30 SNPs were shortlisted for their significant association with variation of wood quality traits (density, MFA and MoE) with individual significant SNPs accounting for between 1.9 and 9.7% of the total genetic variation in traits. 15. Index selection using breeding objectives was the most profitable selection method for radiata pine, but in the long term it may not be the most effective in dealing with negative genetic correlations between wood volume and quality traits. A combination of economic and biological approaches may be needed to deal with the strong adverse correlation.

Positive results in a real-time PCR for type A influenza associated with the use of an inactivated vaccine.

A real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) test for the matrix gene of type A influenza viruses was used during the 2007 Australian equine influenza (EI) outbreak in order to confirm diagnosis and, later, eradication of the virus. During the EI outbreak, horses being exported required vaccination and individual proof of freedom from EI. At the end of the outbreak, positive results were obtained from four horses destined for export, because of contamination of the samples with the vaccine. This report highlights the need for EI testing and vaccination to occur on separate days and with the collection of swabs for testing to precede vaccination.

Objective `Safe' Grazing Capacities for South-West Queensland Australia: Development of a Model for Individual Properties

Few tools are available to assist graziers, land administrators and financiers in making objective grazing capacity decisions on Australian rangelands, despite existing knowledge regarding stocking rate theory and the impact of stocking rates on land condition. To address this issue a model for objectively estimating 'safe' grazing capacities on individual grazing properties in south-west Queensland was developed. The method is based on 'safe' levels of utilisation (15%-20%) by domestic livestock of average annual forage grown for each land system on a property. Average annual forage grown (kglha) was calculated as the product of the rainfall use efficiency (kglhdmm) and average annual rainfall (mm) for a land system. This estimate included the impact of tree and shrub cover on forage production. The 'safe' levels of forage utilisation for south- west Queensland pastures were derived from the combined experience of (1) re-analysis of the results of grazing trials, (2) reaching a consensus on local knowledge and (3) examination of existing grazing practice on 'benchmark' grazing properties. We recognise the problems in defining, determining and using grazing capacity values, but consider that the model offers decision makers a tool that can be used to assess the grazing capacity of individual properties.

Scaling results up from a plot and paddock scale to a property - a case study from a long-term grazing experiment in northern Australia

Grazing experiments are usually used to quantify and demonstrate the biophysical impact of grazing strategies, with the Wambiana grazing experiment being one of the longest running such experiments in northern Australia. Previous economic analyses of this experiment suggest that there is a major advantage in stocking at a fixed, moderate stocking rate or in using decision rules allowing flexible stocking to match available feed supply. The present study developed and applied a modelling procedure to use data collected at the small plot, land type and paddock scales at the experimental site to simulate the property-level implications of a range of stocking rates for a breeding-finishing cattle enterprise. The greatest economic performance was achieved at a moderate stocking rate of 10.5 adult equivalents 100 ha(-1). For the same stocking rate over time, the fixed stocking strategy gave a greater economic performance than strategies that involved moderate changes to stocking rates each year in response to feed supply. Model outcomes were consistent with previous economic analyses using experimental data. Further modelling of the experimental data is warranted and similar analyses could be applied to other major grazing experiments to allow the scaling of results to greater scales.