Energy Efficiency - More Effort Needed

While not the best, Australia has done reasonably well in a recent world wide study on energy efficiency rankings, with the US not doing too well.  BUT......the authors conclude all could do better!

I am surprised at how poorly Canada seems to have done, while all should note the achievements of China.

The United Kingdom topped an energy efficiency ranking of the world’s 12 largest economies, while the United States placed a disappointing ninth overall, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

The International Energy Efficiency Scorecard, the first-ever of its kind, analyzed nations collectively representing 78 percent of global gross domestic product, 63 percent of global energy consumption, and 62 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Countries could have scored a total of 100 points spread across four categories: buildings, industry, transportation, and national efficiency.

ACEEE from the US, awarded the U.K. 67 points for its energy efficiency efforts, ranking the country first among all nations with 18 of 24 possible industry points and 14 of 23 possible transportation points. Germany ranked a close overall second with 66 points, followed by Italy with 63 points, and Japan with 62 points.

France led the second tier with 60 points, while Australia, China, and the European Union rounded out the group tied at 56 points.

The U.S. sat atop the bottom tier with 47 points, followed only by Brazil with 41, Canada with 37, and Russia with 36 points. ACEEE pulled no punches when it came to America’s poor rank, focusing on low scores in public transportation, vehicle fuel-efficiency, national energy efficiency goals, and industrial efficiency. Beyond higher energy bills and greater emissions, this overall inefficiency could drag down the national economy.

“Across most metrics analyzed, in the past decade the United States has made limited or little progress toward greater efficiency at the national level…(other) countries may have an economic advantage over the United States because using less energy to produce and transport the same economic output costs less. Their efforts toward efficiency likely make their economies more nimble and resilient.”

The entire energy efficiency story for America wasn’t negative, however. ACEEE did credit some areas of improvement, namely in building codes, appliance standards, government-industry partnerships, and recent vehicle fuel economy standards.

One overall message stands out from ACEEE’s scorecard – every nation should be taking steps to improve their overall energy efficiency efforts. The average score for analyzed countries was only 54 points and “every country has serious weaknesses,” even though the conditions required for a perfect score are currently achievable and in practice, found the report’s authors.

More at - http://www.aceee.org/research-report/e12a

Effective Turf Irrigation

Water costs money.  Wind also costs money - because it wastes water.  So does hot weather - irrigation is less effective when the day is hot, too easily evaporated.

It is critical to get water into the ground where it can be most effective.  Plenty of leaflets, web pages and word of mouth have been produced about making irrigation more effective, but most advice comes back to just a few key areas:

• water when there is little or no wind - that way there is less evaporation of the water during the time it is in the air and with low wind the application of the water from sprinklers is more evenly distributed and is delivered to the target area, not somewhere else.
• avoid watering when it is hot - there is more evaporation of the water in the air before reaching the target, the grass surface is usually hot, meaning some greater losses from evaporation and transpiration on the grass and the ground near the surface is also hot adding to water losses

Data from Australia [Perth in summer] indicated losses of as high as 85% of applied water on hot windy days.  Put the other way - the most water you can expect to get onto the grass is 15% of what goes along the pipe!  That is very low.

Another variable worth considering is water droplet size, with smaller droplets likley to be more easily lost  and never contribute to irrigating the turf.  Pressure and sprinkler head design are some of the issues to consider, and also think of this in conjunction with the first two points.  There is an ideal size range of droplets, but larger rather than smaller drops is generally better.  Easily seen on a windy day as you watch the fine droplets being blown away. [ see above in the photo]

Some of these can be rectified to some degree, and there are alternates in irrigation design and system approaches.

System design - consderation in switching to something such as KISSS is worth considering.  This is a sub surface textile wrapped concept in which the water is delivered underground at the bottom of the root zone.  A little more expensive to install it can repay costs in a short period with much lower water use.  Reductions of 50 -70% in water use have been achieved.  And the turf area is available at all times, even while irrigating.  See www.kisss.com.au - it is an Australian concept and has been used for over 12 years.

But most opt to better manage sprinklers by better timing eg evening, when conditions are better for irrigation - lower temperatures, less wind especially.

BUT....low pressure  sprinklers with superior nozzle design that creates superior droplets can also be effective in doing even better.  For example with sprinklers designed for 200kpa [ in essence drip systems] with low volume sprinklers operating at low pressures.  Examples of this include using sprinklers similar to those used in tree crop growing, but with an even spread of irrigation water across the whole of the wetted diameter, or newer specific turf type sprinklers.  Our own experience is that water use can be reduced at least 25 -40% over ordinary higher pressure pop up sprinkler systems.  Also adaptable to use with timing systems.

Maintenance of your own system is critical to efficiency.  Avoid watering the concrete or road, keep nozzles clean and avoid overwatering with better frequency and timing management.  Overwatering usually results in sedges and nutgrass weeds, ultimately severly compromising the turf quality. 

Water is NOT a substitute for adequate nutrition, and remember that mostly when you mow, you remove the clippings - and nutrients go with them; so at least try to reuse the clippings on gardens or for mulching.

Irrigation in the dry tropics here in Darwin is really needed for a good turf .  Irrigate wisely for a better lawn, at less cost.

Landsat is Forty Years Old

If you use Google Earth, or any of the other images generated from satellites there is a strong chance that some of these come from the Landsat group of imaging satellites.

A standard procedure for many in the agricultural and environmental fields is use of these images for a wide range of purposes.  There are other systems eg SPOT which is French, but Landsat was the first and still is a major source of images.

The first Landsat satellite went into orbit 40 years ago on July 23, and during the past four decades, a series of seven different "birds" have trained a watchful eye on Earth from just about the most wicked vantage point around.

The program's youngest eye in the sky, Landsat 7, has been flying since 1999 and will be joined next year by the next-generation Landsat Data Continuity Mission satellite, or LDCM. The LDCM features up-to-date thermal infrared sensors and land-imaging equipment that will make it a full-blown orbiting observatory.

The Earth observation program was created at the urging of US Interior Secretary Stewart Udall during the Johnson administration -- Udall had seen a photo from space of pollution spewing from power plants in his home state of Arizona and saw the potential for learning about our own planet that seeing it from a distance held.

There are some classic images on the site here -http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57477494-1/landsat-at-40-images-from-the-longest-running-eye-in-the-sky/?tag=nl.e703

We tend to take satellite imagery for granted now, but it is only forty years since any existed.  And the image quality has improved very dramatically over this period.  Some amazing photos are around.

Are Australian Retail Beef Prices Fair to Producers?

With the dominance of the two major supermarket chains in Australia unlikely to change much anytime soon, the latest claim about rip offs involves the sale of beef.

Producers are claiming that these two major customers get about 50% of the monies from beef with the producer getting at most 30%, the balance being chain costs such as freight and killing costs. Worse, most of the retail price increases over a few years have gone to the supermarkets with producer returns going down.

This is in contrast to the US where producers seem to get about 50% of the retail prices.

Many beef producers are not happy with this and wonder how they will ultimately be able to continue to produce more food with their costs going up and producers seeming to get less and less of the returns, based on a proportion of final retail prices, and the retailers getting more.

Is this another instance of unwelcome price gouging by the supermarkets? I believe that consumers do not resent a fair price especially where a fair and reasonable part of that price is returned to producers. BUT…….is that so?

Several farm lobby groups have been investigating and it does seem that comparisons might just indicate that producers have a point.

Zoysia - Is it the Best Lawn for Australia?

The following article has been taken from the web site http://www.thelawnguide.com.au/ and used with permission.  Thanks!  It complements a lot of zoysia material already available on this blog, and is worth having available to read.

We are strong advocates of zoysia as a turf in Australia, especially in warmer areas, based on over thirty years of research and development in the tropics.  The slower growth, less pest and disease issues and shade tolerance make it a great lawn.  But anywhere north of Sydney on the coast and in the Perth area and into the northwest areas - Broome and Karratha for example, are also suitable.  Try it yourself!

Zoysia is a well respected turf in Asian countries for golf courses, where it is slowly achieving a more positive use profile in lieu of couch.  It is widely used on soccer football grounds in Thailand, Laos, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and China.  Zoysia has for many years been the median strip grass of choice in Thailand and adjoining countries, and is of increasing use as a domestic lawn.  Singapore Kranji Racetrack also has horse races on zoysia turf, and most of the better golf courses in Singapore and Malaysia have zoysia fairways, with some already moving to replace couch grass on the greens.

Shade tolerance is a critical issue, with couch especially often dying in areas of shade, and that includes on sporting fields in the shadow of the grandstand.  For home and commercial areas, most want to establish shrubs and often trees around a turfed area.  Once they grow - there is shade!  Zoysia can handle that well.

In the Darwin area there are quite a lot of examples of zoysia growing in deep shade below a large African mahogany tree, as well as in council park areas with trees.  Couch turf cannot survive in shade.  There are other shade tolerant turf species, but none with as good a turf performance as zoysia, overall.

We have seed available of Compadre zoysia and will deliver across Australia.
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Why We Believe Zoysia Is The Best Lawn For Australia


The Lawn Guide is putting massive new focus onto Zoysia grass as the best lawn type for use in all the warmer regions of Australia. Here are all the reasons why we believe in Zoysia to become the future dominant grass type in the country.



Compadre zoysia seed sown  - Darwin

We also recognise that Zoysia will not be the preferred lawn for many people, and we always encourage everyone to carefully look into the lawns they are considering, which may also include having a look at a Zoysia lawn prior to choosing this or any other lawn type for possible purchase. Because at the end of the day, the homeowner should be both fully informed and happy that they not only like the new grass they are purchasing for their home, but that it is also most highly suitable for their needs.

Zoysia Is Soft

Coming in first place is the softness of the Zoysia lawn. Zoysia is a lovely soft lawn to both walk across barefoot, or for children to play on. Zoysia has no irritating qualities to children, adults or pets.

Slow Growth Rates

One of the very best traits in favour of Zoysia is it's slow growth rate. Slow growth equates to far less lawn mowing than other grasses. Less lawn mowing means far less time spent mowing the lawn, or a saving in lawn mowing fees when using a contractor for lawn care. Finally, less lawn mowing means far less carbon emissions from using the lawn mower.



Darwin waterfront area - Compadre zoysia



This slower growth will also mean far less invading of the lawn into surrounding garden beds, which means less garden edging, and almost none of those big garden cleanups which require us to pull up or poison large amounts of grass from our gardens.

Slow growth rates also make Zoysia a very low risk to the Australian environment, where the grass almost never escapes into the wild, and if it ever does, it is very easy and quick to control.

Zoysia also has very low levels of thatch, requiring almost no de-thatching whatsoever through it's life.

Zoysia Is A Tough Guy

Zoysia is tough, it tolerates wear and tear very well, and can even tolerate the rigours of some sporting fields. This trait means Zoysia will not damage as quickly from rigorous activity as some other grasses can.

However, this resistance to wear and tear is balanced out by it's slow growth rate. Once Zoysia does become damaged, it will be slower to repair than a more aggressive lawn type.

So for most Aussie homes and businesses, Zoysia will suit perfectly and tolerate the wear and tear from these environments with ease.

Shade Tolerance

Zoysia has good tolerance to shade. Shade tolerance will be less than Buffalo and Durban Grass, but has greater shade tolerance than Couch and Kikuyu. So if shade is of moderate concern then Zoysia is a worthwhile consideration.

Low Fertiliser Use

Zoysia is also renowned for it very low need for fertiliser throughout the year. For the average homeowner who wants a the lowest maintenance lawn possible, fertilising once a year is often enough to keep the lawn looking good.

For those people who want a more manicured style lawn, then fertilising rates can be bumped up slightly to achieve this desired outcome. Even with this increase, Zoysia will still need less fertiliser than other grasses.

Less fertiliser usage makes Zoysia a great choice for an environmentally responsible lawn.

Low Water Use

Zoysia is a famed low water use grass. In fact, the best way to water Zoysia is to turn off all reticulation and only ever give Zoysia a drink of water when it shows signs of deteriorating from water loss. It's at this time we can give Zoysia a nice deep drink of water until next time it tells us it needs a drink.

Drought Tolerance

Along with most warm season grasses, Zoysia tolerates and recovers from drought very well.

Zoysia appears to brown off quicker than other warm season grasses when drought conditions arrive, but has equally excellent recovery from drought when compared to other grasses.

Studies in this area often show Zoysia to recover more slowly than other grasses, and that's OK. This simply shows Zoysia as a slower growing grass - which it is, and as such it will not grow and repair at the enormous speeds that a highly aggressive grass like Couch will. While drought repair may be slower, the chances of full repair are equal to other grasses, and after drought - Zoysia will continue to provide a far lower maintenance lawn over the years.

Weed Pest and Disease Resistant

The Zoysia family of grasses are highly resistant to many common weeds, pests and diseases. However, this does not mean Zoysia is immune to these problems, just less prone when compared to other lawn types.

When it does become necessary to treat lawn problems, Zoysia has excellent tolerance to all weed, pest and disease treatments, which is on par with Couch grass tolerance to these products.

For these reasons, Zoysia is both low maintenance, and is environmentally friendly.

Weeds

Zoysia has a very thick, dense and tightly woven layer of stolons (above ground runners) which will effectively choke out any new growth of invading weeds. This mat of stolons will continue to thicken over the first 3 years of the lawn being established.

Zoysia is not completely immune to weeds or invading grasses, but instead has very high resistance to being invaded. As a result, Zoysia will require far less weeding maintenance, including the use of weed sprays than most other lawn types.

Lawn Pests

Zoysia has brilliant natural resistance to lawn pests such as grubs and armyworm. Studies have shown that many lawn pests will often avoid a Zoysia lawn whenever there is an alternative lawn type such as Couch nearby, which the pests will invade in preference over the Zoysia, the same studies have shown that some lawn pests can sometimes die after feeding on Zoysia.

Zoysia is not immune to lawn pests, but they are significantly less prone to experiencing these problems.

Less lawn pest problems means less maintenance work and less use of chemical pesticides to treat pests. This makes Zoysia low maintenance and environmentally friendly.

Lawn Disease

Zoysia is also less prone to lawn diseases than other grass types, which also reduces the use of chemical sprays and homeowner maintenance. Making Zoysia an easy care lawn which is environmentally friendly due to the highly reduced use of lawn chemicals.

Zoysia The Way You Like It

The last great Zoysia characteristic is it's ability to be the lawn we all want - and with less effort.

Zoysia can be neglected with almost no watering whatsoever, no fertilising, and no mowing for months, and it will never become out of control or grow to the heights and weediness and thatch levels of grasses like Couch and Kikuyu. You simply give the grass another mow, and it all looks pretty good again.

For almost all lawn owners in Australia who want a nice looking lawn with minimum effort, minimum lawn mowing, least lawn problems, lowered costs, and is most environmentally friendly, then Zoysia is the perfect grass. Fertilise and water the lawn minimally, and mowing when required is all that's required to keep Zoysia up to a very high standard for most homes in Australia.

For those of us who like a manicured lawn, it's simply a case of increasing fertilising, increasing water, and increasing mowing frequency, and Zoysia will develop into a beautifully crafted lawn. And even with all of this, Zoysia will still maintain at this high standard with less work, and at less cost than other grasses.

This Is Why We Love Zoysia

And these are all the reasons we believe Zoysia should become the standard grass for use in all the warmer regions of Australia from now on.

In our opinion, Zoysia is the lowest maintenance lawn available, requiring the least watering, least pesticide use, least fertiliser use, experiences the least problems and requires the least lawn mowing. On top of this, Zoysia is tough and hard wearing, drought tolerant, and looks good under almost all conditions.

Zoysia has the lowest maintenance costs, with the least effort, and with the lowest negative impacts to the environment, and this is why we love Zoysia.

© Copyright ~ The Lawn Guide  www.thelawnguide.com.au

Organic Food - A Social Crutch for the Wealthy?

Organic food and organic agriculture will never feed the world, yet adherents in western countries continue to expand.  Or are they?

Recent studies show a connection between organic agriculture and food devotees and altruistic behaviour which may indicate some social and psychological conditions.

Many of the claims made about organic food just do not stack up, especially in relation to freedom from pesticides in comparison to conventionally produced foods.

While the tenor of this recent article is provocative, and probably meant to be that way, it does debunk many claims related to organic production systems, and alludes to the social issues around users of the materials.

Read it yourself, and do not be too indulgent with your food.  A good diet is essential!!

http://qcl.farmonline.com.au/blogs/agribuzz-with-david-leyonhjelm/organic-food-its-a-religion/2611131.aspx?storypage=0

GE Mosquitoes May Assist Malaria Control

Malaria-Resistant Mosquitoes Bred in Lab for First Time


Releasing such mosquitoes in strategic locations could dramatically reduce the spread of malaria.  Scientists may have developed a new tool for combating malaria, according to a recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

After more than 20 years of genetic experimentation, researchers have discovered how to breed malaria-resistant mosquitoes that are unable to infect humans with their bites.

"We see a complete deletion of the infectious version of the malaria parasite," said Anthony James, a microbiology and molecular genetics professor at the University of California, Irvine, and the lead author of the report. This can help to "significantly reduce human sickness and death," he added.

With the help of fellow researchers from the Pasteur Institute in Paris, James and his colleagues were able to alter the DNA of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes, which are major transmitters of the most deadly strain of malaria -- Plasmodium falciparum.

By microinjecting a specially engineered gene into the mosquitoes' eggs, the scientists produced insects that were unable to transmit the disease when they reached adulthood. More importantly, the gene that James' team created was dominant. In other words, introducing it into a wild population of mosquitoes would achieve the same result as placing a group of brown-eyed humans into a blue-eyed population: gradually, fewer children would be born with the recessive, blue-eyed gene.

This means that releasing the mosquitoes in strategic locations could dramatically reduce the spread of malaria, James said.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 650,000 people died from malaria in 2010, most of whom were African children. Some researchers believe this number could climb even higher due to climate change, which is expected to increase rainfall in many regions. More puddles and swampland would provide additional breeding grounds for mosquitoes -- translating into more cases of malaria (ClimateWire, Nov. 21, 2011).

People who have never been exposed to the disease also run the highest risk of infection, so mosquitoes may spread malaria to countless new victims as they follow the rains into fresh territories, say experts.

To make James' malaria-fighting research a reality, millions of mosquitoes would need to be bred in a lab and released into the wild at key intervals.  "We have to figure out how these things are going to scale up," explained James, who says the process of caring for tropical mosquitoes can be very labor-intensive. "This is not something that people are going to be doing in their garage."

Aside from malaria, he believes, the research could ultimately be tailored to prevent other mosquito-borne diseases, such as the West Nile virus and dengue fever.

"I'm pretty enthusiastic that in five years, we'll have tools we'll be able to use," although the ethical, social and legal aspects will likely slow progress, he said.

By Lacey Johnson and ClimateWire June 18, 2012
Reprinted from Scientific American on line ; See for original article  http://www.eenews.net/.
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This is a potential game changer for the fight against malaria, if larger scale operations to produce GE mosquitoes that do not have have the disease in the mosquitoes, can be developed at modest cost.  Scaling up while controlling costs and enhancing effectiveness, will be a big task. 
 
Malaria transmission is a complex route, and the use of treated bed nets has made a big impact where they are used.  Many more now getting around due to greater support from donors.
 
But to have mosquitoes that do not carry the disease would, I think be a real breakthrough.  Yes, there are some questions about ethics over GE mosquitoes, but with millions affected each year aound the world, breaking the cycle of infection using saymass release of GE mosquitoes could be very important for many regions.
 
And with dengue also a major world wide problem, particularly in Asia, there are other spin offs if the technology works effectively.






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Climate Change and Silent Spring - A Media Relationship?

Frank Graham Jr., field editor of Audubon magazine, marks the 50th anniversary of Rachel Carson’s classic book, Silent Spring, by examining the vitriolic attacks leveled against Carson in the 1960s and pointing to troubling parallels with the assaults on climate scientists today. Critics from industry and agriculture dismissed Carson as a mouthpiece of “a vociferous, misinformed group of nature-balancing, organic-gardening, bird-loving, unreasonable citizenry.” But as Graham notes, Carson’s groundbreaking analysis of the harmful effects of DDT and other pesticides led to important bans on dangerous chemicals. Read the article.  This was published as an intro to a Yale Environment online blog.

It is sobering to think of the effects that Silent Spring has had over the past 50 years.  From distaste and absolute rejection by many initially, to now generally accepted as mainstream science, and bringing some big changes in environmental behaviours.

As the author alludes, is the current rejection of much of the science of climate change essentially the same?

I am not so sure, as we have had in the past 50 years the creation of media "thought leaders" [ or should it be media d***heads" ] who have significant influence over much of public opinion, and at times who espouse some strange causes.  Where they have influence, dispute over views often rules.  Then there is the rise of instant experts without specialised training or considerable experience in the science areas who cloud ideas, and pander to those who are tending to disbelieve the science.  And then there is inertia, NIMBY thinking and the long time frames for effect........remember "Apathy Rules".

The role of the media is far greater today than when Silent Spring was published.  I am not sure we have yet seen any serious embrace of the results of scientific endeavour on climate change in mainstream media, to really convince the public, although the scientific media certainly has.  And with much of the public disinterested and as yet unaffected, change might be slow for some time.

In Australia as elsewhere, with various forms of carbon pricing either in place or coming very soon, then will that influence public attitudes, or will they just whinge and not adjust?  

Yes...Sustainable Rum Production

Let's be a little frivolous today.

Nothing like a shot of rum on a cool or cold evening, especially around a campfire.  Think of outback Australia with a campfire blazing or a sea going sailing ship in the roaring forties.  But did you realise that even rum production is going ........well, sustainable!

While the term sustainable has many connotations, in this case it is about improved water use as well as smart, sustainable biomass energy use.

The Caribbean is well known for rum production, as is Bundberg in Australia.  Two of the biggest rum producers in the Caribbean though, have been embracing much more sustainable options in the rum distilling process from sugarcane.

Rum production produces rather nasty wastewater which needs to be disposed of some how. The Serrallés Rum Distillery in Ponce, Puerto Rico produces DonQ, its main brand of rum, which is the most popular rum in Puerto Rico. It is one of the largest rum distilleries in the Caribbean with an annual output capacity of 15 million proof gallons. The company has spent a decade and $16 million on a new filtration system.

Serrallés used to dump its wastewater into nearby fields, but during rainy season the waste would run off and the distillery would have to shut down when flooding starting which cost the company $200,000 a year. There are claims that Serrallés has turned the "$75 million distillery into one of the cleanest in the world."

The filtration system also saves the company money, as Roberto Serrallés, the VP of business development points out. The wastewater produces biogas which the company uses to run its boilers. Serrallés, who is a sixth generation rum maker with a Ph.D in environmental studies from the University of Oregon, said that the system saves them "as much as nearly 50 percent of annual fuel use."

Serrallés is not the only Puerto Rican rum maker to make its operations more sustainable, with itsmain competitor in Puerto Rico, Bacardi Limited also moving that way.  Bacardi released its 2012 CSR report a few months ago which highlights steps it is taking to reduce energy and water use, reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and source more responsible materials. Bacardi Limited is the largest privately held spirits company in the world.

So next time you have a bacardi and coke........you can claim to be drinking sustainably produced rum!!  Will you remember that after a few rums??  Or care?

Improving FMD Preparedness in Australia

FMD is of enormous importance to Australia, with a need to ensure it is not allowed to enter Australia, and to be thoroughly prepared if it ever does reach Australia [ I hope not!].  While we do not have the disease, we have relatively secure access to overseas markets for animal products.  That would change instantly if the disease was detected in Australia, with import countries likely to "shut the gate" and not allow entry of products.

With the assistance of industry and key stakeholders, DAFF has developed a national policy for vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Assistant Secretary for Animal Health Policy, Bob Biddle said rather than considering vaccination as a ‘measure of last resort’ in controlling an outbreak, Australia will now consider the potential role of vaccination as part of the response strategy as soon as any incursion of FMD is detected.

“Experience overseas and disease modelling studies carried out in Australia show that, in some circumstances, early vaccination is essential to effective disease control,” Mr Biddle said. "The Australian Government and all states and territories recently endorsed the national policy on the use of vaccination during a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak." “The update better aligns Australia’s FMD vaccination policy with advancing vaccine technologies, community perspectives and international standards and practices.”

With the new policy in place, an FMD Vaccination Expert Advisory Group is now developing detailed guidelines indentifying the circumstances under which vaccination could be a useful strategy, and the best strategy to use for different outbreak scenarios.

The new policy acknowledges the need to maintain flexibility so that decision-makers can consider the potential role of vaccination appropriate for each specific outbreak scenario.

Bt Cotton Proves It CAN Reduce Pesticide Use

http://www.salmone.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/biocontrol-bt-cotton.pdf

This article published in mid June 2012 is a landmark study that seems to prove that BTcotton can really reduce pesticide use in the long term as well as in the short term.

The geographical scope of the work is very wide across northern China, and results would seem to have a solid background.

There are other spinoffs too, as other damaging insects have also declined.

Worth reading.  

Australia's Digital Future - Coming Soon

Today saw the release of a significant and world first report on how Australia is and will be equipped for a digital future - for industry.

Yes, agriculture [ in a broad sense] is likely to be part of that digital future.  For many in agriculture the future is now - RFID ear tags, precision agriculture and driverless tractors, digitally equipped spray units, plus the myriad range of digital equipment in sorting, processing and handling of products, logistics.........think about it!

Download from here - http://www-07.ibm.com/ibm/au/digitalfuture/ 

Read about it soon.......your future is now.

The report is somewhat low key about agriculture.  Seems surprising, given what is already happening in the sector.

Foot and Mouth Disease - Australia MUST Be Prepared

FMD is considered a threat of enormous implications for Australia.  Internal quarantine issues, loss of trade in animals and possibly other products, loss of income and national costs in disease management, with very significant ongoing costs and loss of trade and the costs to rebuild rural industry.  Figures of $16 billion are quoted, but it may be higher considering the the UK outbreak cost A$19 billion.

It is everyone's role to be aware, especially if working in the animal industry sector, of what it is and the symptoms and an need to urgently report suspicious appearances in stock.  Starting the process provides a better option in containment, if it is confirmed.

While I can remember a range of workshops and training from quite a few years back, the need to provide updates is now emerging, with recent training and information programs for industry beginning to be provided across Australia.

Victoria has recently held information and training sessions, and more are planned around the country.

There have been a few prosecutions of individuals over detections of breaches of quarantine recently, with items that pose significant threats around FMD.  Many professionals in biosecurity are of a view that this type of problem could be an avenue whereby it would enter Australia.

While I believe most people resident in the NT take quarantine very seriously, vigilance must be maintained, and it is each and everyone who needs to be careful.

The consequences of foot and mouth disease in Australia are awful to contemplate, both for the rural industries of the NT and all of us.

More photos here - http://www.daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/pests-diseases-weeds/animal/fmd/pic-cattle and there is more information on the web site http://www.daff.gov.au/ of it and other important animal and plant diseases.

Rabobank Positive on Live Cattle Trade to Indonesia

There is a lot of negtive sentiment regarding the live cattle trade to Indonesia, now in mid 2012, a year after the trade was suspended premptorily by the Australian Government.

Changes have been and are continuing to be made regarding slaughter and some other issues of animal welfare, but numbers are down, way down.  Indonesia is trying to be self sufficient, and import permits are restricted.  Many in the industry are sure this is not possible, at least in the near future, with additional animals needed, mostly from north Australia.  It is a win-win situation if the trade revives.

There have been demonstrations in Jakarta about rising meat prices, attributed to less cattle in the market, presumably because there is less being imported from Australia.

Last week the agribusiness giant Rabobank released a report that actually indicates that the trade will recover, but not necessarily this year.  That sounds positive, from a well respected agribusiness financier.  The media release from Rabobank is here - http://www.rabobank.com.au/News-and-Events/Media-Releases/2012-News-Archive/Pages/media-release-20120607.aspx 
with a similar one here - http://qcl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/livestock/cattle/indonesian-live-ex-outlook-positive-rabo/2586278.aspx?storypage=0 

A quote is: "In the report Australia-Indonesia live cattle trade, agricultural banking specialist Rabobank says despite current uncertainty in the market – following last year's suspension of live exports and a new operating environment since the resumption of trade – the upside of demand from Indonesia remains bright and likely to provide strong future opportunities for live cattle exports from Australia."

I am sure many pastoralists in northern Australia hope this change will be sooner rather than later.

UAVs on Steroids

I blogged a while back about drones / UAVs and their role in modern agriculture and pastoral production, at least of aricraft and helicopters that were low cost and effective.

The article here covers military drone aircraft, remotely piloted uAVs, used by Australian military overseas in Afganistan.  They are leased through an intemediary company from the owners, an Israeli company.

I have no doubt of their capabilities, imaging and related sensing tools and similar technologies.  Well beyond what the average citizen imagines even.

Remember the scene in the movie 'Patriot Games" of IR imaging of bodies in a tent in the desert? That was declassified then, in the late 1980s.

The point is, today's military activities will be tomorrow's civilian capabilities with these technologies, particularly for deployment by firms offering services to industry.  The agriculture and pastoral industries will be among the users, and many will find it cost effective for a range of tasks.

Read the story.......it is quite fascinating, if you are into the use of remotely piloted aerial vehicles.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-08/australias-drone-war-in-afghanistan/4058058?WT.svl=news0

Renewable Energy IS Getting Cheaper

A series of reports published on 6 June 2012 by the International Renewable Energy Association  [IRENA] [See www.irena.org ] shows some detailed figures in the publications about the costs of renewable energy form various sources, and the expected costs over the next few years.

Solar energy in various formats seems to be trending strongly lower in costs, while hydro power is already about the lowest cost around for renewable energy.

Cost of solar has reached very attractive costs for domestic use in a number of countries, with Germany among the lowest cost countries.

The reports are free and easily downloadable from their web site, and provide a fairly non partisan view of renewable energy costs in various forms, covering a rang eof solar types, hydropower, wind energy, biomass and similar.  It is interesting to note that biomass can be an attractive option cost wise in areas where residuals exist and can be converted to energy.  The reports are separate for the various energy forms.

  

Indonesian Beef Price Rises Cause Dissent

Food prices, notably that of beef, are rising in Indonesia, and quite sharply in recent months.

This is not a surprising outcome as Australian live cattle imports have dropped very sharply, with numbers unlikely to exceed around 280000, a sharp drop from two years ago when numbers were more than double that number.  Boxed beef is also down, with 30000 cartons expected to be imported in 2012, a lot less than the 140000 in 2011.

And today, the dissent was registered by Indonesians themselves, in front of Indonesian Agriculture offices in Jakarta.

While the rent a crowd issue is a well known story regarding Indonesian demonstrations, this one is solidly based on consumers annoyance over recent beef price rises impacting on the cost of living.  It is well understood that the presence of adequate numbers of Australian live cattle, fattened and finished locally in Indonesia was contributing to a adequate supply of beef at a reasonable price.

While Indonesia has claimed that local supply could replace imported Australian imported livestock, it might not be doing so as readily as they surmised it might.

No one would support poor animal slaughter practices, but it seems that meat supply is now restricted quite significantly..........and the locals are very unhappy.  And yes, slaughter practices are improving, in general terms, and most if not all in the industry want to see that continue.

BUT........the locals want a cost effective, adequate and decent supply of meat, and Australia was, and can continue to supply, those cattle that are well suited for local finishing and slaughter.  It has been a win - win situation in the past, maybe there is further hope it might be slowly moving back that way.

New Cattle Parasite Concerns Across Australia

Cattle parasite spread further than thought

A parasite linked to dogs and responsible for an estimated $30 million loss to the national cattle industry each year is present throughout Australia, a University of Sydney study has revealed.

Previously this parasite was believed to be active only on the east coast of Australia and passed on mainly by domestic dogs. The new findings, published in the latest edition of Veterinary Parasitology, show other dog populations are infected and have important implications for vaccination development.


“The research also raises crucial questions about which other domestic and native animals could be affected by the parasite,” said Dr Jan Slapeta, the lead author of the study, from the Faculty of Veterinary Science.


The Neospora caninum parasite, passed from dogs to cattle, is carried in a dormant state in cows. When the cow becomes pregnant the parasite becomes active and can cause an abortion.


If instead the cow with the parasite has an apparently healthy female calf the parasite can be silently passed on to that healthy animal and give it a much higher chance of aborting in its first few pregnancies.


Dogs become hosts to the parasite after eating infected meat (from a variety of animals).


“Until now abortions caused by Neospora caninum have been identified along the eastern coast of Australia and associated with domestic dogs known to harbour the parasite,” said Dr Graeme Brown, a senior author of the study, also from the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University.


“What we did for the first time was look at two other dog populations from across Australia – wild dogs and remote Aboriginal community dogs (which live in varying degrees of domestication). We found that both populations have a high degree of exposure.”


Two important conclusions come from that result.


The first is that the range of the parasite is not confined to the east coast of Australia but extends across the country, placing more of Australia’s cattle market at risk than previously realised.


Secondly the presence of the parasite in wild dogs means Neospora caninum has a previously unrecognised ability to infect native wildlife. Its possible impact on Australian ecosystems is therefore unknown and likely to have been underestimated.


“Understanding the interactions of native wildlife, the cattle industry and dog populations will help our efforts to fight this infection. Most importantly this new knowledge about its distribution and agents can underpin the development of an effective vaccine,” Dr Brown said.


[sourced from online Qld Country Life]
-----

This development highlights the need for invoking the cliche about eternal vigilance........you never know what might be next.

Whether this is an issue in northern beef herds is unknown, but it seems to be more of an issue of relevance along the east coast where its presence has been known for some time.

It also once again highlights a need to better manage dogs, both domestic and feral, nd wild dogs including potentially dingoes [ and in other countries possibly coyotes and wolves] as all seem to be hosts to the disease.  What is not stated though, is how to effectively protect or treat the issue in dogs......with clindamycin seen as a possible control; the disease may also kill pups.


Wikipedia has more information, including some concerns about birds being implicated in transmision of the disease in cattle as well.  More problems!


The link below goes to a very thorough review of neosporosis in cattle, and is the full article, covering the disease and practical issues around management and control.

http://cmr.asm.org/content/20/2/323.full   - article on neosporosis.

Spraying with Pesticides? Are YOU operating Legally?

The stories of improper pesticide spraying are the stuff of legends.  I am aware of some few cases where those involved,  had made people ill, and in a few cases people have actually died due to poor practices.


More common issues involved wrong areas, wrong product, spray drift causing problems, neighbours affected, or sometimes even worse, properties some distance away being affected,

Thankfully, the last problem is much less common now......but it did happen sometimes if products such as 2,4-D were used poorly.

All this means you must take reasonable care.

If  looking to brush up on knowledge of when and how to record weather data, you now have a new resource.



The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has released a new Spray Equipment fact sheet, Weather Monitoring Equipment for Agricultural Spraying Operations.

The fact sheet answers key questions, including when and where to measure weather conditions and how long to keep records.

Compiled by consultant Bill Gordon, the fact sheet delivers key tips, including:
• There are legal requirements to measure and record the weather parameters at the site of application during spray operations.
• It may be useful to have more than one device to compare accuracy.
• Select equipment that can be easily operated and easily recalibrated.
• On-board weather stations offer ‘on-the-go’ monitoring to allow the operator to make better decisions about the suitability of conditions while spraying.

To download the fact sheet and other information about spray application, visit www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-Spray-Equ ipment-Weather-Monitoring

Bahia Grass - Best Turf for Water Efficiency

In the rush to use new turf species and new varieties sometimes this old stalwart is overlooked.

Bahia grass - Paspalum notatum is one of the very best grasses for water efficiency in the monsoonal tropics.  In areas with an extended dry period, it will stay green for the longest, and quickly rebound after extended dry weather - even as long as 7 or 8 months - to continue to thrive.

In the NT, it is best to avoid using the more readily available variety - Pensacola - as it is not as tough as others, tends to be more clumping, often appearing to have bare areas betwen plants and most importantly, it produces abundant seed heads year round so you are always needing to mow.

The older areas of Darwin often have a locally adapted ecotype, of unknown origin.  It produces seeds, but is usually sown by runners [ the other varieties can be too].  It was the predominant lawn in Darwin from the 1950s to about the 1980s, but less used today.  This line is ok as a turf species, and is very tough, and water efficient, but does tend to have a lot of spicules on the leaves - silica spurs that can irritate skin, especially where kids are rolling around on the lawn.  Argentine has less of these spicules, and so does Pensacola.  Its disadvantage is planting by runners, a time consumimg job.

The preferred seed sown line is Argentine.  We originally organised testing of this variety in the early 1970s in the Top End, importing seed from the USA, and first seeds were sown at Berrimah Farm.  It is still there, looking great. 

From the original evaluation, Argentine was selected and used in a lot of the early development around Palmerston in grassed waterways, and in park and landscape development after Cyclone Tracy in the reconstruction of Darwin.  Seed sowing is relatively low cost and a lawn can be developed in 10 -12 weeks.  No Australian production of seed has occurred and all Bahia grass seed is imported from the USA [ so is all couch, zoysia seed etc too].

The advantages of the Argentine variety of Bahia grass include:

• almost no seed head production, except a small amount around January in the north of Australia
• excellent spread and forming a dense surface cover
• very tough, reasonably resistant to wear
• low water needs
• excellent drought resistance and quick recovery when water is applied
• easily mown at around 30 - 45mm high, although it does grow moderately quickly in warm, wet weather - weekly mowing needed in the wet season for domestic lawns; maybe every three weeks in the dry season
• very little thatch development
• mostly free of pests and diseases

All of the Bahia grass types tend to become invaded by the awful weed grass "red seedy grass" or "Mackey's pest", which is botanically Chrysopogon acicularis.  This spreads by very insidious runners and produces huge numbers of seed heads.  There are herbicide solutions available for the control of this weed in Bahia grass, but products are not easily available for domestic use because of commercial packaging sizes - we can do this work if needed.  Efforts to eradicate it will pay big dividends.  Often seed is carried on legs, clothes, equipment and similar items so a biosecurity approach is needed to keep it out in the first place.

For a large lawn or open space area and especially where there is a need to be prudent with water use in the dry season.......Argentine Bahia grass is a good option.  It is also widely used as a water efficient turf in Florida [which is where the photo was taken].  Do not over water, as this induces ingress by other water loving species, including broad leaved carpet grass in our environment.

Northern Beef - Production: Making Cows Perform

Productivity among beef herds is about cow productivity.  No calves means no productivity!!

In tropical australia low calving and weaning percentages have long been blamed as a key factor for poor production.  Yes, bulls are needed too - but you need to raise calves.

A recent major project has been slowly releasing some of the first data analyses.  While some of it is not necessarily new, it does put hard data out about major influences and how some producers can do things much better - even in the same area.  and it covers nearly 80000 - yes 80000........cows.

That has to be a significant learning experience for others.

The media report is below.


What makes a Cash Cow?


17 May, 2012 04:00 AM


WITH northern Australia home to the majority of the national breeding herd, it's fitting that a research project on an equally epic scale comprising more than 78,000 head is producing some fascinating insights into cattle fertility across Queensland, the Northern Territory and the north-west of Western Australia.

On the eve of Beef Australia 2012 in Rockhampton last week, more than 100 producers, vets and other researchers involved in the Meat and Livestock Australia-funded Cash Cow project met in Rockhampton to discuss the project's ongoing findings.

The project has, over four years from 2008 to 2011, monitored the reproductive performance of 78,256 breeding females located on 75 commercial beef cattle properties between St George in Queensland and the Kimberley in WA.

It's one of the largest projects ever funded by MLA and has been conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland, DEEDI, Northern Territory Department of Resources, and AusVet Animal Health Services, in collaboration with cattle veterinarians, cattle producers, and data capture provider Outcross Performance.

It set out to answer three main questions - how can producers readily and accurately determine how their breeding herd is performing; why do some breeding mobs achieve expected levels of performance while others don't; and why do some breeding females readily become pregnant after calving and wean a calf while others take much longer to become pregnant or fail to wean a calf.

Project leader, Professor Michael McGowan of the School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, said an important finding was that overall half of the breeding mobs monitored achieved weaning rates of less than 70 percent. In the extensive breeding regions of North Queensland, the NT and Kimberley, half of the mobs achieved weaning rates of less than 60pc. However, the top performing 25pc of mobs achieved weaning rates of 80pc.

"Our study has shown that there are herds that are achieving good beef output in what would be considered poorer quality country and they're clearly achieving that through good management," Prof McGowan said.


"The significant thing is that with good management you can achieve good levels of beef output in many of the regions of northern Australia."


Some of the factors which have already been identified from the analysis of the Cash Cow data as having a big impact on the proportion of cows back in calf by four months after calving are:

•Whether a female successfully reared her last pregnancy or not.
•Body condition score at the previous year's pregnancy diagnosis muster.
•The ratio of average faecal phosphorus to metabolisable energy ratio during the first three months of lactation.
•Period of the year of the previous calving.
•Timing of onset and duration of the wet season.

Some of the factors significantly affecting the losses from confirmed pregnancy to weaning which have been identified are:
•Whether a female successfully reared her last pregnancy or not.
•Exposure to hot very hot weather during the month of calving.
•Period of the year when calving occurred.
•The ratio of average crude protein to dry-matter digestibility during the last trimester of pregnancy.
•Body condition score at the time of first annual muster prior to when calving occurred.

Prof McGowan said the Cash Cow analysis team would continue to study the Cash Cow database, which contains more than six million bits of data.

"Technically the research phase of the project will be completed at the end of the year," he said. "We've identified a number of important factors and we will be doing further work over the next couple of months to better understand what is happening with these factors and also identify further factors that may be affecting performance.  "For the first time we have real data, derived from commercial herds, defining the beef output from breeding herds measured as kilos of beef per adult equivalent.  "There is quite a range, but we're also looking at the efficiency with which that beef is produced."

Once complete, the project will among other things, generate an internationally unique database enabling northern Australian beef producers and their advisers to accurately model the potential economic outcome of changing reproductive management.


[ partially sourced Qld Country Life online]

Updated Hybrid Toilet by Gough Plastics

Sanitation is vital for good hygiene.  This is a great design that meets sanitation needs as well as operating effectively, and at low cost, even in remote areas.
Gough Plastics’ Hybrid Toilet System is a ‘stand alone’ toilet facility that is both functional and user friendly. It was designed and created to collect waste, treat and reduce the volume of waste, and deliver a small volume of high quality effluent to ground. The system is widely used on roadsides and recreational sites around Australia, and even overseas.  It can be, and is used, inside houses and tourist accomodation as well, especially where water is restricted or there is a need to better manage environmental impacts.

While a common system around Australia, it has surprisingly not been the favoured system in many NT roadside areas, with our long waterless periods of the year seen as a factor.........yet it is used in many other arid areas around the other states of Australia.  It is a very good system and deserves much wider use. 

It was developed out of a need to protect freshwater underground on small ocean islands, where this water was often the main source of water for the island.

After years of research and refinement, Gough Plastics has found a way to improve the quality of its original award-winning Hybrid Toilet System. And the improvements benefit the users as well as the maintainers of the toilets.

Users of the toilet will be impressed with the new ventilator system. The new innovation sees the addition of an extraction fan combined with an odour filter to neutralise odours, releasing only clean air into the environment. Fresh air is continuously drawn down the toilet opening ensuring that any odour generated is expelled out the vent pipe and through a McBernsOdour Filter. The filters use a specially formulated media to capture sulfide gas and other odours and neutralise them by changing the molecular structure. Replacement cartridges are used when the filter media reaches saturation. The cartridges are safe to handle and easy to install.

Maintainers of this system will be impressed with its cost effectiveness and the ease of access to the ground-level fans. Two Fernco Couplings make it even easier to install and access the fan. The Rule In-Line Fans are available in both 12 and 24 volt, and are fitted with a low voltage cut off switch and a timer to save on power. Prior to installation, the fan’s motor is soaked with CRC Soft Seal to add further corrosion resistance.

Gough Plastics is a family-owned and operated business with an environmental focus that influences every aspect of their profession. They have a proud tradition of being innovators, creating products from the research and design phase all the way through to manufacture and installation.

For more information and photos visit: www.gough.com.au

Northern Beef Production - Struggles Economically

The northern beef industry is on a financial razor's edge as rising debt meets falling land prices.



Consultant, Phil Holmes, told this month's Beef 2012 seminar in Rockhampton that a typical northern beef business is losing $100,000 a year, in Mr Holmes's estimation, at a time when the rangelands are shedding value faster than any other land category, and beef margins continue to tighten.

"At the moment, if the price of beef falls by 10 cents, it will tip the average northern beef herd into the red," Mr Holmes said. "That's how fine the margins are."


Mr Holmes, a vetaran farm consultant renowned for not mincing his words, painted a picture in which wide swathes of the northern beef industry borrowed heavily against rangeland values that rose by orders of magnitude over other land categories.


But for the past five years, rangelands values have been falling with no bottom in sight.


That fall has unmasked the fact many beef operations have been surviving on increasing borrowings, not on cash flow.  Incomes have been savaged by years of poor rainfall and declining beef prices, and increasingly, interest payments.

"In the north, you need to maintain equity at 85 per cent in the long term. "If you let it drop below that, for a family operation interest will consume too much of your working capital and you won't have enough cash left over to fund the business in other areas." "Not everyone took on debt; a lot of people had existing debt that just got worse through that period. But it's just crippling the industry. There is too much debt out there, and not enough production to cover it."

Mr Holmes said in the mid-1970s, the value of rangelands property began to rise a little faster than wheatbelt and high rainfall country.

In 2000, rangelands values cut loose from other land trends and went ballistic, so that by 2007 rangelands had appreciated about 700 per cent in 30 years. Over the same period, high rainfall country had appreciated 330pc, wheatbelt land about 200pc.


In 2007, rangelands property began a sharp correction that has since taken values back about 15 per cent. The other land categories began to correct in 2009, but not with the same severity. While land prices have taken flight, beef prices have done the opposite. In real terms, beef prices haven't changed since 1949.

"The only reason we're still in business is that we've grown more efficient," Mr Holmes said.


However many northern beef operations haven't adopted efficiencies, he said, maintaining out-of-date practices while masking income shortfalls with borrowings.

This was Phil holmes at the recent Beef Conference in Rockhampton.  You can add the 2011 live export disaster to the above issues and it is why beef is a bit of a problem.

I would also like to think that many producers have abandoned any thought of improved pastures, even in smaller areas.  Better pastures do mean better production, especially in wetter regions such as the Top End of the NT and much of coastal and near coastal Queensland.

And remember, it is us as consumers who have an expectation that food prices will continue to go down just like electronics prices.  Maybe we just need to realise that food production while more efficient than previous years, is probably unable to make enormous gains in production, although productivity of labour has risen.  Poorer seasonal conditions cannot be changed.

It would be interesting to compare many of these things over the 2010 - 2012 period when seasonal conditions were better.




partially Sourced from : http://www.theland.com.au

Free Range Eggs in the News

There is a lot of discussion in Australia about the stocking rate for chooks for free range egg production.

The Australian last weekend ran an article on a producer in the Hunter Valley of NSW, and today an article appeared on the Queensland Country Life e-mail news [ http://theland.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/opinion/comment/free-range-eggs-need-to-be-affordable/2538852.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter ]

The question is should it be 300, 500, 1500 or 20000 per hectare?

Both articles offer a point of view........but the bottom line is cost.......how much can you afford to pay for your eggs?