Establishment of a viable sheep dairy industry in Australia. Australia imports some $10 million/year of sheep dairy products, and has a fledgling sheep milking industry. The industry needs practical management strategies to maximise returns from milk and lambs under Australian conditions. We also need to develop typical Australian sheep dairy products. This project will:
o investigate techniques to select dairy sheep from large unselected flocks
o examine management strategies to maximise ret ....Establishment of a viable sheep dairy industry in Australia. Australia imports some $10 million/year of sheep dairy products, and has a fledgling sheep milking industry. The industry needs practical management strategies to maximise returns from milk and lambs under Australian conditions. We also need to develop typical Australian sheep dairy products. This project will:
o investigate techniques to select dairy sheep from large unselected flocks
o examine management strategies to maximise returns from milk and lambs
o study udder morphology and milk ejection patterns in dairy sheep
o develop specialty sheep milk dairy products and
o determine their acceptance by consumers by conducting market surveys.
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Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Grant ID: DI0775793
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$85,800.00
Summary
The extent of competition between the native and introduced herbivores of Kangaroo Island. This project examines grazing behaviour and competition among native and introduced herbivores to optimise limited resources in an ecologically fragile environment. The project will provide a biological basis for the development of management strategies to provide positive outcomes for the Kangaroo Island environment and potential economic benefit to the local and national economy. Environmental benefit in ....The extent of competition between the native and introduced herbivores of Kangaroo Island. This project examines grazing behaviour and competition among native and introduced herbivores to optimise limited resources in an ecologically fragile environment. The project will provide a biological basis for the development of management strategies to provide positive outcomes for the Kangaroo Island environment and potential economic benefit to the local and national economy. Environmental benefit includes the reduction of total grazing pressure on pastures and native vegetation of Kangaroo Island, which is one of Australia’s top 15 biodiversity ‘hot spots’, and thus help with conservation efforts on Kangaroo Island. Economic benefit will follow if farmers receive income from a currently wasted resource.Read moreRead less
Sustaining Australia's sheep industry under climate change: modelling Australia's sheep flock response to climatic and economic constraints. This project aims to provide a quantitative assessment of the impact of climate change and economic conditions on the Australian sheep industry. This will be achieved by constructing a robust dynamic model of the Australian sheep flock capable of integrating biophysical and economic constraints across regional and national scales. Using historical and proje ....Sustaining Australia's sheep industry under climate change: modelling Australia's sheep flock response to climatic and economic constraints. This project aims to provide a quantitative assessment of the impact of climate change and economic conditions on the Australian sheep industry. This will be achieved by constructing a robust dynamic model of the Australian sheep flock capable of integrating biophysical and economic constraints across regional and national scales. Using historical and projected biophysical and economic inputs it will enhance the capacity of the Australian sheep industry for strategic planning in the face of projected climate change. This capacity is being actively sought by the peak sheep industry bodies in conjunction with our industry partner the Bureau of Rural Sciences.Read moreRead less
Trade-offs underlying the evolution of female mating strategies. Multiple mating by females (polyandry) is a fundamental problem in behavioural ecology. The project will utilise an Australian species of stingless bee to quantify both the costs and the most probable benefits of polyandry. This will provide insight into the trade-offs underlying the evolution of mating strategies in this species and in general. Stingless bees are important members of many Australian ecosystems and have consider ....Trade-offs underlying the evolution of female mating strategies. Multiple mating by females (polyandry) is a fundamental problem in behavioural ecology. The project will utilise an Australian species of stingless bee to quantify both the costs and the most probable benefits of polyandry. This will provide insight into the trade-offs underlying the evolution of mating strategies in this species and in general. Stingless bees are important members of many Australian ecosystems and have considerable economic potential as well. The knowledge gained during the project will also substantially aid the development and management of the commercial use of stingless bees, which will have both ecological and economic benefits to Australia.Read moreRead less