Performance of improved guayule lines in Australia

Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is a potential source of commercial natural rubber. Its commercialisation depends mainly on economical plant production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of improved lines in Australia. Seeds from five improved lines (AZ-1, AZ-2, AZ-3, AZ-5 and AZ-6) and two previously developed guayule lines (N 565 and 11591) were obtained from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Seedlings from these lines were grown in a glasshouse for 3 months and later transplanted in a field experiment in early September 2001. Plant height and width were monitored from transplanting to 62 weeks at regular intervals. After 62 weeks, plant dry matter production, rubber and resin content, and yields were analysed. Plant height and width of the improved lines were higher than N 565 and 11591. Plant dry matter, rubber and resin yields were significantly different among lines. Of the five lines, AZ-1 and AZ-2 produced rubber yields of 620 and 550 kg/ha, respectively and these yields were significantly greater than for N 565 (371 kg/ha) and 11591 (391 kg/ha). AZ-1 and AZ-2 also produced significantly higher resin yields, 727 and 668 kg/ha, respectively, than those for N 565 (436 kg/ha) and 11591 (325 kg/ha). Rubber and resin yield increase of lines, AZ-1 and AZ-2, were in the range of 41-68% and 53-123%, respectively over N 565 and 11591. AZ-1 tended to produce higher rubber and resin yields than AZ-2 but exhibited highly variable plant height (CV = 25%) and width (CV = 41%) indicating potential for further genetic improvement. AZ-2 offers the best combination of desirable characters including early vigour, uniformity and comparatively higher rubber and resin yields. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Explaining variations in the knowledge economy in three small wealthy countries

At a broad level, it has been shown that different institutional contexts, policy regimes and business systems affect the kinds of activities in which a nation specialises. This paper is concerned with the way in which different national business systems affect the nature of participation of a nation in the knowledge economy. The paper seeks to explain cross-national variations in the knowledge economy in the Australia, Denmark and Sweden with reference to dominant characteristics of the business system. Although Australia, Denmark and Sweden are all small wealthy countries, they each have quite distinctive business systems. Australia has been regarded as a variant of the competitive business system and has generally been described as an entrepreneurial economy with a large small firm population. In contrast Sweden has a coordinated business system that has favoured large industrial firms. The Danish variant of the coordinated model, with its well-developed vocational training system, is distinguishable by its large population of networked small and medium size enterprises. The three countries also differ significantly on two dimensions of participation in the knowledge economy. First, there is cross-national variation in patterns of specialisation in knowledge intensive industries and services. Second, the institutional infrastructure of the knowledge economy (or the existing stock of knowledge and competence in the economy, the potential for generation and diffusion a new knowledge and the capacity for commercialisation of new ideas) differs across the three countries. This paper seeks to explain variations in these two dimensions of the knowledge economy with reference to characteristics of the business system in the three countries.

Farmers' strategies for managing acid upland soils in Southeast Asia: an evolutionary perspective

The acid soils of the uplands of Southeast Asia have resisted intensive agricultural use for centuries. In recent decades, however, due to rapid population growth, escalating market demand for agricultural produce, and govemment policies for land development and settlement, the acid uplands have become the focus of more intensive land-use systems, placing greater demands on farmers and requiring the development and dissemination of improved practices for soil management. In order to develop appropriate soil management technologies and plan effective interventions to facilitate their adoption, it is important to understand the goals and circumstances of farmers in the acid uplands, the range of farming systems they have developed, and the variety of socio-economic factors and trends influencing the evolution of these farming systems. Building on Boserup's model of agrarian change, an evolutionary framework is developed and applied to five case studies: a long-fallow (shifting) cultivation system in Sarawak, Malaysia; a short-fallow system in South Kalimantan, Indonesia; a continuous cropping system in Bukidnon, Philippines; a tree crop (with intercropping) system in Southern Thailand; a livestock grazing system in Daclac, Vietnam. The framework provides a useful tool to interpret and categorise farmers' evolving soil management strategies and to plan more effective soil management research and interventions. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The sugar cane biofactory - building blocks for the future

The sugarcane plant, with its enormous genetic capacity to accumulate carbon and manufacture and store sucrose, also has the potential to accumulate carbon and metabolically create a wide range of new molecules for industrial and other commercial uses. The extent to which this change can be developed and realised commercially is a function of the technical competence of the industry's R&D capacity, the reality of the commercial drivers which support this global agenda, and the determination of the industry to achieve such goals. The outcomes of existing R&D work already strongly support the technical challenges of this opportunity in sugarcane. The current challenge remains the commercialisation of the technology in a global market in which the current business structures and systems for the manufacture and distribution of existing (competitive) products makes the development of new product lines a higher risk than might otherwise be the case. This is despite all the claims that global markets are expecting and (in some cases) legislating the creation of more sustainable production systems. The options and issues for the development of a sugarcane biofactory system are discussed.

From bush to bouquet: The relevance of market research

‘Adopt a consumer focus’ is the mantra that pervades the commercialisation strategies of horticultural products world-wide, but does this translate into practice in small and medium enterprises or is the process still production driven? Typically, new products in floriculture are modifications of existing products, which are introduced to existing markets, where consumers’ needs are well understood. Under these circumstances, the traditional role of market research is marginalised. In contrast, the commercialisation of ‘true’ new products into new markets involves a greater effort. Here, market research can identify market segments that are more receptive to innovation and experimentation. In this paper, the authors draw upon preliminary research and their initial experiences in the commercialisation of an Australian native flower to examine the inter-play of information flows and new product development.