Above Capricorn Technologies - agricultural and environmental consultants /managers focussing on agriculture, horticulture, turf, sportsturf, livestock, land and land rehabilitation, erosion management, bioremediation, phytoremediation, water/wastewater and waste management [especially organics] in the tropics
SingPost delivered the
mail to Pulau Ubin [ an off shore island near Changi airport] using a drone, The Straits Times has reported. SingPost
had help from the IDA to create this drone, and sent over a T-shirt and a
letter from Lorong Halus to Pulau Ubin.
This trial run took five minutes and
covered about 2km.
Maybe a contradiction in terms, but improved animal welfare in abattoirs is a win-win situation. Well treated animals before slaughter actually deliver better quality carcasses, as well as improved animal management and welfare. One of the leaders to improve animal welfare in slaughterhouses has been Temple Grandin from the USA. She is well known for her work by those in beef production and the meat industry. But just recently she has made it into The Economist magazine, an unlikely vehicle to be discussing animal welfare and abattoir design in light of improved animal management and outcomes. It is a long article - and well worth reading as it does actually discuss some of the innovations that can improve animal welfare and abattoir performance. See it here - http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21671150-how-temple-grandins-designs-have-reformed-meat-industry-jungle-no-more?cid1=cust/ednew/n/n/n/2015108n/owned/n/n/nwl/n/n/AP/email and think about how simple changes can improve meat quality next time you have a steak! Some parts of the world do have a long road ahead for improvement, but many western country abattoirs are now making the changes that do really improve animal welfare before slaughter and these should offer some solace to all meat eaters that animal welfare does not have to be compromised in abattoirs. Remember that "In her view, properly performed slaughter [ of cattle] is less cruel than a more natural death at the jaws of wolves"
But in essence the larvae of mealworms can be raised on styrofoam! Yes, styrofoam. The world uses a lot of styrofoam each year with a large amount in simple, single use styrofoam cups for coffee and similar take away drinks. I have personally observed the good old cockroach tuck into styofoam.........but this technology of raising insects on styrofoam seems such a simple option that would lend itself to mass production. I just wonder though, at the real will to set something up.
It is a broad generality that most home owners and commercial property managers over water both gardens and specially turf areas. We are not speaking about the events around establishing the area where extra water may be needed, but once the area is established. Ideally, water needs to be available at 100 - 150mm below the surface, and there are irrigation systems that deliver water to that specification eg KISSS systems see www.kisss.com.au. But there is usually a lot that can be done with existing overhead sprinkler systems before committing to a major retrofit. Less frequent but longer irrigation periods are a first option, but often the period itself can be reduced. And it is not set and forget either - adjust both of these as seasons change, with naturally more water required in hot dry periods than cooler and damp seasons. And remember to irrigate early morning or early evening, when winds are lower as are temperatures. Adjusting droplet size and pressure may also be possible and that will improve efficiency too. And do not forget to adjust the watering systems to avoid watering the hard surfaces where possible. Grass will not grow in concrete...........except weeds in cracks! Even raising mowing height will help save water. Using a rainstop or similar device to override the irrigation turning on is a very sensible option, as this prevents scheduled irrigation occurring if there has been rain. Surely it is sensible to not irrigate if it is not needed. Rainstop is a commercial Australian product used in commercial systems, but there are proprietary systems from major commercial brands. While these save money, there is a cost to fit them. But the bigger advantage is the health improvements to your turf or garden areas - with the first and most notable change likely to be reduced sedges in turf areas, an outcome driven by the drier surface conditions that help reduce these problem weeds. While sedges can be controlled with appropriate herbicides, they are not an instant fix [ maybe 12 -18 months to clean up an area] and really need to be used once irrigation regimes are adjusted, not before. All of the above changes do not necessarily reduce the aesthetics of your lawn. Even a small amount of slow release fertiliser can help by improving the root systemof the turf species and thus extracting more water from depth http://digital.waterefficiency.net/publication/?i=271411&pn=34#{"page":38,"issue_id":271411} California is experiencing severe drought - somewhat similar to the experience in temperate Australia a few years ago, and this article [ link shown above] gives an overview of experiences there with improved irrigation management. In north Australia with somewhere around 70% of water used outdoors, it is a very practical and relatively east option to save water used outdoors. Give it a go! Your garden and lawn area will benefit!
Food waste in the U.S. is a big problem, accounting for about 31 percent of the nation’s food supply, or 133 billion pounds. It makes up 21 percent of U.S. municipal solid waste in landfills, and as a result it accounts for the lion’s share of landfill methane emissions. Methane is a greenhouse gas with a warming potential 21 times that of carbon dioxide — and landfills are the third largest source of methane emissions in the U.S. It is not just the waste of food, but the enclosed losses - from excess production costs, transport storage and packaging, and monetary costs of consumer purchases. In western economies most food waste losses are post production, an area well worthy of targetting for reductions. Given the size of the problem, it is a major deal that last week U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and EPA Deputy Administrator Stan Meiburg announced the nation’s first national food waste reduction goal. The goal is a 50 percent reduction in food waste by 2030. The federal government is leading a new partnership with the private sector, nonprofit organizations, and state and tribal governments to reduce food waste and loss. “Our new reduction goal demonstrates America’s leadership on a global level in in getting wholesome food to people who need it, protecting our natural resources, cutting environmental pollution, and promoting innovative approaches for reducing food loss and waste,” Vilsack said in a statement. This isn’t the first time the US federal government has worked on the issue of food waste. In 2013, the Department of Agriculture and EPA launched the U.S. Food Waste Challenge, which gives organizations and leaders the place to share practices for reducing, recovering and recycling food waste. By the end of last year, the challenge had over 4,000 active participants, well over the goal of 1,000 participants by 2020.
It has been a slow gestation, but at last an online version of the NT plants list and related materials, with the following email in the inbox today.....
The Northern Territory Herbarium
of the Flora and Fauna Division of the NT Land Resource Management Department is pleased to announce the first release of
FloraNT (Northern Territory flora online) http://eflora.nt.gov.au.
The main features are:
·Checklists of:
oNT Plants;
oNT Threatened species; and
oIntroduced naturalised species.
·Searching of flora
information by any combination of spatial attributes, plant name or plant
characteristics including conservation status to produce a species list meeting
the search criteria.
·Browsing by plant
name to access fact sheets and other information.
·Attached to names in
the above lists:
ofact sheets including distribution map, illustrations,
photos of each plant, conservation status, distribution, flowering times and
other information; and
opdfs of descriptions and keys.
·Searching of spatial
data by any combination of spatial attributes, plant name or plant
characteristics including conservation status to produce point data extracts
meeting the search criteria.
Please note there are about 3300
images awaiting bulk upload.
For anyone else interested in the NT flora, this should be a very useful resource and reference Let's hope it is kept up to date, even if only several times a year.
The BOM recently issued the late August 2015 assessment of onset of the rain season across N Australia. For the Darwin / Daly region, a slightly higher chance now of earlier rain that exceeds the 50mm accumulation. Maybe for the Top End it is now somewhat confusing as it could be argued that it is about evenly poised between early and later accumulation of 50mm of rain, as the difference is quite small for earlier rain. Is there much difference between 5% either side the 50%? I think there are serious quibbles about the definition used - 50mm of accumulated rainfall after September 1, but that is what they are using at present. There is no value apparently placed on close events nor size of an individual event or period between events, features that could be more relevant for effective rainfall. More work needed in this space I think. However, some progress is being achieved. Recent analysis is available here - http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/rainfall-onset/#tabs=About-the-rainfall-onset with additional links to further mapping on adjacent pages. The BOM links to this rainfall outlook do seem to indicate a good rainfall situation for central Australia though with more rainfall considered likely for the pre End of year period. If you think the analysis needs more work, contact the BOM! The more that do, the greater likelihood of further R and D on this important area. ----------------- This was written a month ago, and yes, there was some early rain, in some cases more than 50mm. BUT........it has been extremely dry since and the pattern of continuing dry weather at least around Darwin seems to be likely to continue. Any pasture growth from those early events is well and truly now dried off. Would 50mm after 1 October be more appropriate as a measure of early seasonal change, rather than 1 September?
Although Anaerobic Digestion has
been around for decades, many farmers have not heard of it. This article looks
at both the process and the main advantages of anaerobic digestion.
What is Anaerobic Digestion?
Anaerobic digestion is the process of fermenting organic
materials in a sealed tank without oxygen for a prolonged period of time.
Through doing this, two by-products are created: methane-rich gas (biogas) and a
nutrient-rich fertiliser (digestate).
The methane created by this process can be
used to produce energy for either industrial or domestic purposes through
powering a generator. Some sites even purify the methane, add propane and
odoriser, and use the energy for cooking or heating in the home through pumping
onto the National Grid. What Plants to Use?
Plants with a high calorific value will extract the most methane during
anaerobic digestion, so crops such as maize, grass silage, rapemeal and wheat
are among the best crop to use. Food waste, slurry and manure can be used too,
which gives the perfect opportunity to dispose of your waste in an efficient and
environmentally-friendly way. This also prevents waste from filling up
landfill.
Digestate
Digestate can be used as fertiliser and soil conditioner as it contains
nitrogen and potassium, both being plant nutrients that can significantly
improve growth. It is made from dead micro-organisms and remaining indigestible
material during the anaerobic digestion process. It can be used straight from
the digester or separated into liquor and fibre. By using digestate instead of synthetic fertilisers, you can save energy,
reduce your carbon footprint as well as decreasing fossil fuel consumption. As
none of the potassium, phosphorous or nitrogen is present in the biogas after
anaerobic digestion, all of these nutrients are present in the digestate. Biogas
Biogas can either be combusted to make heat and electricity, or as mentioned
earlier, can be purified and pumped into the mains gas grid or used as road
fuel. You can find more information on how to use biogas for heat only purposes,
electricity only purposes or to create combined energy at Biogas
Info.
The variables that can make a difference to the yield of biogas differ
depending on the feedstock you use (crop, waste, manure etc.), as well as the
length of time left in the digester. The purity and the energy left in the
feedstock will make a massive difference in the yield of biomass, so if your
feedstock has been left in storage for a long amount of time it may have already
started breaking down. This table shows the potential biogas yields of 22
feedstocks that are commonly used for anaerobic digestion. What this Means for You
There are many benefits to using anaerobic digestion as a means of waste
disposable and energy creation. Biomass helps to reduce fossil fuel use, and
decreases greenhouse gas emissions. This means that you are not only creating a
cost-efficient way of creating energy, but decreasing your carbon footprint and
helping the environment.
There are also many cost advantages that will benefit you directly
including:
Self-produced fertiliser
Self-produced renewable fuel
Additional income
Reduction in landfill tax bills
Reduction of slurry and waste storage
While this article was originally prepared for the UK scene, the same broad situation operates in Australia. Yes, some pig and dairy producers notably have embraced anaerobic digestion, and the CRC CARE in Adelaide is actively encouraging greater use, it has been very slow to develop more widely. Is there a role in the management of horticultural waste products eg mango fruit?
Modest sized generic anaerobic digestor system
It does not necessarily interrupt development of composting, rather it is complementary.
One issue in Australia is that there is not usually the big winter demand for heating so common in Europe and N America, where heat from biogas can be easily used. however, where some co processing of food is done, then that heat can be used for water heating, space heating or similar to great advantage in cost reductions.
Or. like the landfill gas story in Australia, small scale electricity production is an option, for direct use or export to the grid.
Since achieving full generation in June 2015, the Nyngan Solar Plant has generated 60,000 MWh of renewable energy — 102 MW of which have been sent into the National Electricity Market. Said to be the largest solar power plant in the Southern Hemisphere, the project is the result of a partnership between AGL Energy and First Solar. It is expected to produce around 230,000 MWh of electricity annually — enough to meet the needs of approximately 33,000 NSW homes. The CEO of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), Ivor Frischknecht, said the $290 million plant was successfully delivered on time and on budget. It has involved the installation of 1.36 million solar PV modules and has provided economic benefits for the Nyngan community, with more than 250 people employed on-site during the peak of construction. The project has also seen the construction of a ‘twin’ solar plant at Broken Hill, which will soon begin operation. Total capital expenditure for both the Nyngan and Broken Hill Solar Plant is approximately $440 million. “AGL’s Solar Project at Nyngan and Broken Hill represents a big investment by the company and also by ARENA,” Frischknecht said. “It’s already achieving one of ARENA’s key aims of increasing the amount of renewable energy in Australia. “And the knowledge gained from its successful launch and ongoing operations will lead to further improvements in technology and reductions in costs for the sector.” Maybe these projects do start to indicate that Australia can deliver some serious solar energy projects for the country. So far, while some have got funding it has been a slow journey in a country with strong credentials for using solar power - distributed, smaller scale and reliable for rural and remote use, with the exception of night time or poor solar conditions options. There are a lot of older coal generation facilities way past their economic lifetime, and likely to be replaced over the next decade. Maybe more solar plants will deliver low carbon and improved facilities for better distributed energy production with stored energy systems also included. I do wonder about the distribution system, however. Lets hope there are more successes to come.
[ partially sourced from Sustainability Matters newsletter 15 September]
Image: www.nhs.uk We hear so much about poor commercial success of Australian export business other than raw materials, but maybe that perception should be receiving a serious rethink. With established biotech companies such as Cochlear and CSL acknowledged as leaders in their fields and very significant businesses and export earners, and a swath of next generation companies starting to also emerge, a most unlikely company has joined the fray, and in India, surely a significant market? Headlice are a pain............ask ANY parent of school age kids. Adults are also not immune either from the serious business of cleaning headlice eggs and washing adults off. There have been some treatment advances that offer less nasty products which have until recently been agrochemicals. Pharmaceutical start-up Hatchtech has signed a deal with India’s Dr Reddy’s Laboratories to commercialise a head lice treatment product, a product focussed on a cunning option that interferes with insect development. Fairfax reports that Dr Reddy’s will pay an $85 million pre-commercialisation payment and the rest of up to $279 million after sales-based targets are accomplished for Xeglyze Lotion. Established in 2001 by Dr Vern Bowles, Hatchtech has received investment from university venture capital body Uniseed, as well as QIC, and the VC firms OneVentures, Blue Sky and GBS Ventures. "This success is another good success for the venture capital market. We'd like to think we are the third successful venture capital exit in 12 months," CEO Hugh Alsop told Fairfax. Hatchtech’s Xeglyze is a lotion with an active ingredient called Abametapir, which stops enzymes critical for the survival of lice and their eggs. Smart heh?? [ partially sourced from Manufacturers Monthly newsletter]
A $500,000 grant from Coles has provided the impetus for the first quinoa processing plant to be built in WA. This is a big step for local food processing in Australia where so much has been written about the loss of food manufacture in Australia. Australian Grown Superfoods, involving Highbury farmer Ashley Wiese, Dumbleyung farmer Megan Gooding and agronomist Garren Knell, received news it had secured the Coles Nurture Fund grant late last week Mr Wiese said the grant money was the missing link in moves to get quinoa onto Australian supermarket shelves, although I do not agree necessarily with the statement, as my observation is that there is quinoa already present in reasonable quantities in major supermarkets [including Coles]. He said - "The total investment in the plant will be $1.5 million, so this grant will make up a significant portion of this and will help us reduce the risk," he said. "It has given us confidence that we are doing the right thing and are on the right track. "We are getting the production, we know the market is there, it has just been the processing part of the equation holding us back. "The only alternative to process quinoa without a domestic plant was to send it overseas, so we would have had to ship it out of the country to process it and then ship it back. "With the fall in the Australian dollar that would have been a very expensive exercise. Plus, in conversations we have had with our customers, they want traceability of the product and we were nervous we could lose that if the product had to be shipped overseas." Mr Wiese said there would still be a cautious approach to increasing production of quinoa.
quinoa growing at altitude in S America
quinoa grain colour varies with different varieties
This year's crop totals 500 hectares and should produce 300 to 400 tonnes. "We will increase production slowly," he said. "Initially we will target the domestic market and hope to replace some of the Peruvian conventional product in the market now. "We are also looking at exporting to Asia, but that will take a few years. "We are conscious of taking it slow and making sure the demand is there before we increase production. "Even though the grant came with no strings attached we are talking to Coles and this grant has provided us with a foot in the door with them and conversations are happening which is a great thing for us. "We are keen to supply Coles and that is where we will start and at this stage we won't look to expand too far ahead of that. "If we are going to get into the export market we will have to lift supply." Mr Wiese said there has already been a large amount of planning done on the plant and it could be built and ready for processing as early as December this year. "Megan's family has built a pilot plant in Narrogin and that has worked really well and gave us the confidence we could build a larger scale plant," he said. "The plant will be built on my property and the sheds are going up now and most of the machinery is built so it will happen quite quickly." Coles managing director John Durkan said the project was exactly the type of innovative business that the Coles Nurture Fund had been set up to support "We chose it to receive one of the first grants because it is innovative and providing a local product that is currently imported into Australia and will be available in WA," Mr Durkan said. Coles launched Coles Nurture Fund in April, announcing it would provide $50 million in grants and interest free loans over five years to businesses in the food and grocery sector so they could grow and innovate. Quinoa production is expanding modestly around Australia and expanding into non traditional areas including the tropics and sub tropics, even with interest in the NT and Queensland, with continuing interest in the broad north Australia area, where production may be an irrigated or partially irrigated crop in the dry season, whereas so far most has been produced in temperate areas. There is a range of varieties available, including those with different grain colours, and some of these seem to have potential for north Australia. Local market demand is increasing, but one has to wonder if it will be a short lived curiosity, only to be cast aside as fashion changes, or if some detrimental issue arises with the product and will it continue to displace sales of other food products. There is no doubt that post production aspects of the whole production chain for many agricultural products is a stumbling block to wider use and potential for export. It is much easier to increase in paddock production than to commit $$ to post growing processing or treatment, yet that is often where the bottleneck is! Lets hope it progresses well. partially sourced from online edition of Qld Country Life 10/915
This post is based around an infographic from Macquarie Telecom published today. I have tried to incorporate the infographic itself, but it changes shape and size so that approach makes it unreadable. Best option might be to use the link and read the story directly yourself. It will likely affect YOU............especially if in prime working age. I read of AI even being used in compiling intricate and detailed legal opinion via gleaning material off the web and developing it into a cogent and reasoned legal advice. Who would have believed that experienced legal practitioners might be replaced - or disrupted - by a machine??? http://www.macquarietelecom.com/resources/blog/01/09/2015/future-infographic/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonu6TOdO%2FhmjTEU5z16ukoXaexhokz2EFye%2BLIHETpodcMTcJiMLvYDBceEJhqyQJxPr3HJdMN0th%2FRhDrAX3rhbLOWYxceLV9yOhlovz8 will get you to the infographic and with additional linkages of some interest. Work and the nature of work is changing, so be aware. Might be a bit tricky to replace a plumber, oe electrician, especially for repairs, or even a hairdresser........but where knowledge is critical it might happen sooner than one realises. An interesting read.
Not good news for late 2015 as turf / lawn planting season approaches for most areas of Australia. Zoysia seed is produced in the USA and seasonal conditions have not been favourable, especially in the west of the continent, and seed yields for many turf crop species have been significantly reduced as drought has meant reduced water availability, as well as overall reduced rain and hot weather. Seed yields are down, and quality has been affected. Both Zenith and Compadre seem to be affected significantly, along with couch grass, bent grass and some other temperate species. Obtaining seed lines of zoysia that will make the quality required for import to Australia is seemingly somewhat problematical. It is not an issue that Australian suppliers and importers have much control over either. While some seed is currently available, stocks are low. Best advice - if planning to use zoysia seed for sowing this warm season, or any other seed for that matter.........sort out your supplies soon, very soon. We do still have some seed..............and can assist with information and technical support.
The appeal in a 2 to 1 judgment supported the original decision, which the organic grower, Steve Marsh lost, in essence supporting the use of GM crops near organic crops. The judgments need careful reading in extending the outcomes to more general situations, but does essentially support the co-existence of both options in the farming community, but not necessarily without some planning to ensure the co-existence of both systems. So far it has been a lawyers picnic - with costs on both sides now apparently exceeding [ by some margin] over $1 million Australian dollars. My view was that it would go to the High Court, and it is seemingly looking as if it might, even though all judgments so far have gone against the organic farmer, and by some implication, the Australian organic certifying agency, which uses an absolute zero tolerance for GM contamination, which is different to many other countries where reality allows a very, very, tiny contamination level. essentially a non meaningful amount of GM contamination, which could be random. A High Court challenge would be very expensive, and the organic farmer is already potentially liable for over A$0.8 million in legal expenses for the defendant- which could mean loss of the farm. A complex story that is not yet over.
By Nicholas Weiler, Live Science Contributor | August 31, 2015 08:45am ET
A longfin mako shark that was tagged by U.S.-Cuban scientists in February 2015. Credit: Discovery Channel / Mote Marine Laboratory & AquariumView full size image
One of the toothy stars of "Shark Week" has phoned home after five months at sea, revealing that this longfin mako shark was a prolific and deep-diving swimmer.
On Valentine's Day, researchers from the United States and Cuba came together near Cojimar in northern Cuba to put a satellite tag on a rare longfin mako shark.
Remarkably, in the following five months, the mysterious deep-water shark swam 5,500 miles (8,850 kilometers), averaging 36.5 miles (58.7 km) a day. In April, the animal followed the Gulf Stream west into the Gulf of Mexico, then looped back north and east through the Bahamas in May, and into the deep Atlantic Ocean. In June, the shark circled as far north as the coast of New Jersey, before traveling southeast toward Virginia's Chesapeake Bay. There, the animal's satellite tag detached (as it was programmed to do) in mid-July and started calling in the shark's travelogue, to the excitement of the researchers. [Gallery: World's Sharks Captured in Underwater Photos]
This was the first longfin mako ever tagged in Cuban waters, the researchers said, but the animal's path looked strangely familiar.
"The amazing thing is this longfin mako's tag popped up in nearly the same exact location as another one we tagged in the northeastern portion of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico a few years ago," expedition member John Tyminski, a fisheries biologist at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, said in a statement. "Clearly there's something in that location that's attracting mature males in summer."
The researchers speculated that the sharks could have been traveling to this spot off the Eastern Seaboard to mate or feed, or the animals were just passing through on their way to points unknown.
The shark also shocked researchers with deep dives of up to 5,748 feet (1,752 meters) — more than a mile below the surface of the ocean.
"At that depth, the shark is dealing with extreme cold, close to freezing," expedition member Robert Hueter, director of the Center for Shark Research at Mote, said in the statement. "The data from this tag will help us understand why these sharks are diving so deep and how they are dealing with such cold temperatures."
The five-month journey of a rare longfin mako shark. Credit: Mote Marine Laboratory
Precious little is known about the longfin mako, a deep swimmer whose movements are hard to track. First described in 1966 by Cuban marine scientist Dario Guitart Manday, longfin makos typically measure 7.2 feet (2.2 m) in length and weigh 150 lbs. (70 kilograms), though one 14-foot-long (4.3 m) female was caught off the coast of Florida in 1984.
The longfin mako's grand journey is a reminder that the ocean connects many nations, the researchers said. "The fact that these sharks go back and forth among the waters of multiple nations — in this case, Cuba, the United States, the Bahamas and Mexico — shows the importance of coordinating our fisheries sustainability and conservation efforts on a multilateral, even global scale," Hueter said in the statement. "Clearly it is important for the U.S. and Cuba to work together to protect vulnerable marine resources like these rare and depleted species of sharks."
Footage of the Cuban-American research team aired on Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" on July 7 in a program called "Tiburones: The Sharks of Cuba." An update on the shark's migration aired Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. EDT on Discovery's "Shweekend."
------------------------
This is an amazing story.........really a worthwhile read, even if reprinted from elsewhere. Similar tagging has been done on crocodiles across north Australia in the past.
Everyone seems to be an
expert when it comes to taking care of lawns. You’ve probably got a few ideas
yourself about the best way to mow and how much water it needs to keep it
looking healthy and luscious. But there are quite a lot of misconceptions about
lawn care out there, so here are a few to keep you from making some
common mistakes.
Lawn Myth #1. You need to
water every day for the best results.
In fact
watering, every day is more likely to encourage weed growth and a shallow root
system, and a shallow root system means your lawn is susceptible to pests and
diseases. To encourage a strong root system that can stand up to drought
conditions or water restrictions, water deeply once or twice a week [ maybe three times in very hot conditions].
Lawn Myth #2: If I cut the
grass really short I won’t need to mow as much.
Cutting grass
too short can cause your lawn a whole host of problems and mowing will be the
least of your worries. As well as sending your lawn into physiological shock,
lawn scalping can leave it stressed out and prone to weed growth, shallow roots
and environmental damage. For best results only remove one-third of the grass
blade when mowing.
Lawn Myth #3: Removing
grass clippings is best.
Grass
clippings are full of nutrients like nitrogen that fertilise your lawn, so
removing them may look tidier but is depriving your lawn of essential organic
matter. A mulch of short clippings will quickly decompose and will save you money
on fertiliser, not to mention time spent on removal and disposal. Consider
investing in a mulching mower that does the job for you.
Lawn Myth #4: Always mow
grass the same way.
It’s easy to
get into the habit of mowing your lawn the same way but always cutting in the
same direction can cause turf strain and restrict grass growth. Make a point of
changing the direction every time you mow.
Lawn Myth #5: Grass should not be mown when wet.
Mowing wet
grass isn’t a good idea because you’ll end up with clumps of grass clippings
all over your lawn and the finish won’t be as neat. You’ll also end up with a
carpet of wet grass under your mower. You could also slip more easily. But if
you have to mow it won’t actually damage your lawn as long as you rake up
clumps the to allow sunlight and aeration. Really though - it is best to try and mow on another - dry - day if you can!
Lawn Myth #6: You can
aerate your lawn with spiked shoes.
Putting on
spiked shoes and walking around your lawn won’t aerate it, despite what the
manufacturers may tell you, as they will only impact a small area. Coring will
help with aeration and allows the soil profile to be changed. The very best
aeration occurs when a tyne is driven into the ground and moved to break or
loosen the soil under the grass layer but not disturb the lawn. Machines that achieve
this loosening effect are referred to as “Heaving Type” aerators. This loosens
the soil deeper down to encourage the roots to grow deeper. A deeper root
system means that moisture is available for longer. This type of aeration also
allows bad gas to escape and oxygen to penetrate the soil. A looser soil down
deeper allows fertilizer to penetrate deeper so be used when required by the
grass. More difficult to do for small areas but small hollow tyned coring aerators can be hired, and are okay. Use coarse sand to fill the core holes. Using sand as a base is a sensible option for turf areas - it does not compact easily.
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These came from another source - but they are sound advice for most homeowners. Very relevant now that the weather is warming up across Australia, a time when thoughts turn to turf!
20 July 2015 Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce, has today announced a breakthrough in live cattle export trade negotiations with China. Minister Joyce said the Australian and Chinese veterinary authorities were in the process of formalising agreement on animal health certification requirements, which would allow industry to begin to prepare the commercial and ESCAS arrangements for trade to commence. “I was very pleased today to sign the agreement of health conditions for trade of Australian feeder and slaughter cattle to China—now it’s over to my counterpart, Minister Zhi Shuping, to sign on the dotted line and finalise the agreement between our two nations,” Minister Joyce said. “Over the past five years we’ve had a significant trade in breeder cattle with China, primarily for dairy heifers. Now, I’m pleased to announce we are a step closer to the commencement in trade in live slaughter and feeder cattle to China. “Getting the groundwork right for any new market can take time, and now the industry can prepare to begin this trade. “This will be the seventh livestock slaughter cattle export market that I’ve opened since becoming Minister—adding to Lebanon, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Cambodia and Thailand. “Market access is a major priority for the Australian Government—we have sent a clear message—Australia is open for business. “And it’s not just our cattle producers who are experiencing greater market access opportunities, with the announcement earlier this year of agreed health protocols for breeder deer to Malaysia, and breeder sheep and goats to the Philippines. “The Australian Government has worked hard to make sure our livestock producers and exporters have every opportunity to trade with other nations. “Once the agreement is formalised, exporters will be able to begin working with importers in China to implement the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) and establish supply chains that meet those requirements. “This industry is a real Australian success story. We are known world-wide for our high-quality and reliable livestock trade, and now industry has another opportunity for trade to increase,” Minister Joyce said. ------------------
brahman cattle - NT
That is the formal PR media release. More work yet, and the big question will be............where are the cattle coming from since we already have large boxed beef sales to China.. There is no slaughter agreement nor supply chain arrangements and anyway, why not slaughter here in Australia as we do now? Yes, some positive news after Indonesia dropped the import quota to less than 30% of the previous quarter. They might come to rue that decision, or will NT and other northern pastoralists continue to support the Indonesian trade? It could be 6 months before live cattle start moving to China for slaughter, there is much to be done. In the meantime, will the import permits to Indonesia increase? The talk is a million head of cattle per year to China within 10 years. It might be a tough gig to get that number which is basically double the already 1 million exported live to other Asian countries ! It is a numbers game and with more cows being slaughtered, where are the breeders coming from to achieve those numbers? Curiously, a Chinese completed the purchase of a large pastoral property on the NT / Qld border earlier this week, for about A$46 million, including the stock. Not sure I believe in coincidence!
There is a lot of future for north Australia that is dependent on effective biosecurity in the region.
Over the past several years the litany of biosecurity breaches seems to be significant :
Panama disease in a major production area of bananas in north Queensland - Tropical Race 4 [ TR4] a highly pathogenic variant
known areas of the same disease around Darwin, and banning bananas being grown in some NT areas, and restrictions on banana plant movements
a major effort at eradication of Banana Freckle disease near Darwin after the exotic disease was found in the NT
Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus in curcurbits, especially melons, in the NT in 2014 and adjacent states also potentially infected, but not all jurisdictions are looking yet
an Asian Bee colony discovered in Darwin in the last few days, after hitching a ride on a caravan, but with an absent queen - who is suspected of absconding with a new colony and may be setting up locally [ if that establishes then there will be mayhem]
Asian honey bees
culicoides driven diseases also seem to be increasing - with blue tongue arriving many years ago from wind borne insects, and more recently a few more cases of chikungunya around the north [ at least so far the mosquito involved in spread does not seem to be around]; dengue outbreaks in some locations in north Queensland [ although the Australian derived disease in mosquities - Wolbachia may be a great agent to make a difference] if needed, as well as considerable issues surrounding other mosquito diseases such as Ross River Fever and variants as well as Murray Valley Encephalitis.
We would like to see more agricultural development in the north of Australia, but biosecurity does need to be remembered......and emphasised.
While there has been money marked to be used for improved biosecurity in the north the track record is not all that encouraging. And one must not forget human diseases either.
A meeting this week included a presentation on the dollars to be allocated to biosecurity improvements, R and D, upgraded awareness etc. And presented by someone from outside the north Australia area seemed to leave local north Australia scientists and producers rather underwhelmed. Some stated that industry - a very diverse one at that - is not being adequately consulted or even advised. One thinks of plant based industries - but often just the major ones of temperate Australia, but seems to forget fish farms, prawn farms, crocodiles and other non mainstream animal industries let alone the plant and animal based industries that thrive in the north - nurseries, asian vegetables, sugar, chia, cattle, pastures etc. Are they being assessed adequately for biosecurity threats?
These are recent media release on new measures in biosecurity for north Australia, but there is little detail. Finding any information on detail is also VERY difficult, as it seems to be hidden away from easy access.
Biosecurity might not be very sexy in terms of rural development - but it is important, and needs greater highlighting of what is being planned.
This set of recent data from NASA has been picked up by Bloomberg and spread rather more widely in the business community. I believe it does provide a lot of easily seen information to rebut the climate change deniers. Will they accept any data? It seems the strongest cohort of climate change deniers are located in the US political system along with the lobbyists who gild their cages and support their political campaigns. While there is leadership around, it needs to do more.
The link is to a graphic infographic. Well worth watching, clearly showing the overriding effects of greenhouse gases, predominantly, carbon dioxide on global temperatures. Interestingly............some very hot weather in Europe right now, with Paris recording the hottest day ever yesterday - over 40C, and London also having very hot, near record breaking high temperatures.
