Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100435
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,000.00
Summary
Customising weather index insurance for agribusiness using machine learning. This project aims to customise weather index insurance (WII) by utilising machine learning techniques. WII is used as a type of risk management tool in the agriculture sector to transfer risk due to extreme weather events. Significantly this project expects to establish an accurate correlation between insurance payouts and actual losses and thus improve the WII uptake rate. This will effectively support farmers and agri ....Customising weather index insurance for agribusiness using machine learning. This project aims to customise weather index insurance (WII) by utilising machine learning techniques. WII is used as a type of risk management tool in the agriculture sector to transfer risk due to extreme weather events. Significantly this project expects to establish an accurate correlation between insurance payouts and actual losses and thus improve the WII uptake rate. This will effectively support farmers and agribusinesses in Australia to mitigate and adapt to climate change, help reduce the impact of climate change and ensure crop production and food security.Read moreRead less
Utilising novel Pongamia trees to decarbonise Australia’s beef value-chain. Progress towards a carbon neutral beef industry typically focusses on nutritional strategies, overlooking potential innovations in farming system configuration. This project aims to develop a framework for the integration of Pongamia into beef production systems, so that not only emissions reductions are maximised, but also to support carbon capture and farm system resilience. This project seeks to determine the impact o ....Utilising novel Pongamia trees to decarbonise Australia’s beef value-chain. Progress towards a carbon neutral beef industry typically focusses on nutritional strategies, overlooking potential innovations in farming system configuration. This project aims to develop a framework for the integration of Pongamia into beef production systems, so that not only emissions reductions are maximised, but also to support carbon capture and farm system resilience. This project seeks to determine the impact of Pongamia meal on cattle production efficiency, meat quality and methane emissions. Through quantification of carbon sequestration potential in tree plantations, whole-farm modelling will elucidate production scenarios capable of achieving the reductions needed for a carbon neutral Australian beef industry.Read moreRead less
How to make antibiotics in pig feed redundant, naturally. Antimicrobial resistance has become a major issue in human and veterinary medicine being partially caused by the use of in-feed antimicrobials in farm animals. This project aims to completely eliminate antimicrobials from piglet feeds. The key differential approach is based on helping the physiology of the animal rather than testing interventions against bacteria. The project will consist of developing a novel nutritional strategy of natu ....How to make antibiotics in pig feed redundant, naturally. Antimicrobial resistance has become a major issue in human and veterinary medicine being partially caused by the use of in-feed antimicrobials in farm animals. This project aims to completely eliminate antimicrobials from piglet feeds. The key differential approach is based on helping the physiology of the animal rather than testing interventions against bacteria. The project will consist of developing a novel nutritional strategy of naturally (through maternal conditioning) boosting the natural appetite and the capacity to digest in piglets early in life. The anticipated outcome is that the new peri-natal program will result in minimal bacterial proliferation and diarrhoea thus, negating the need for in-feed antimicrobials in piglets. Read moreRead less
Securing the next generation in farming and food careers. This project aims to investigate why and how young people (aged 15-35 years) enter, stay or leave jobs and careers in the agri-food sector, including farming, farm services and food processing. This project expects to generate new knowledge to improve youth career trajectories through using an innovative, interdisciplinary and engaged research design with young people. Expected outcomes include the co-design of youth-appropriate industry ....Securing the next generation in farming and food careers. This project aims to investigate why and how young people (aged 15-35 years) enter, stay or leave jobs and careers in the agri-food sector, including farming, farm services and food processing. This project expects to generate new knowledge to improve youth career trajectories through using an innovative, interdisciplinary and engaged research design with young people. Expected outcomes include the co-design of youth-appropriate industry and education policy proposals, new models of youth engagement in agri-food and better career outcomes for young people. This should provide significant benefits to the sustainability and growth of the agri-food sector and to rural and regional communities and their economic prosperity. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101748
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$410,716.00
Summary
Discovering hidden control elements for crop improvement. Sustainable, productive agricultural processes are essential for tackling the challenges of tomorrow’s world. The ability to optimise beneficial agricultural traits depends on the precise control of genes in a crop plant’s enormous genome. Yet, identifying valuable gene control regions is like looking for needles in a haystack. The location of these regions is often not obvious and current detection technologies are impractically expensiv ....Discovering hidden control elements for crop improvement. Sustainable, productive agricultural processes are essential for tackling the challenges of tomorrow’s world. The ability to optimise beneficial agricultural traits depends on the precise control of genes in a crop plant’s enormous genome. Yet, identifying valuable gene control regions is like looking for needles in a haystack. The location of these regions is often not obvious and current detection technologies are impractically expensive and intensive. This project aims to develop a new technology that is expected to facilitate rapid and cost-effective discovery of all the control regions in a genome, enhancing our understanding of crop genomes and unlocking new avenues for agricultural improvement, food security and economic stability.Read moreRead less
Pathways to agri-food supply chains that co-benefit people and nature. This project aims to improve biodiversity outcomes of agricultural food production and consumption, and expects to generate new knowledge about impacts of interventions and shocks on the environment, human health and livelihoods in agri-food systems. This will be achieved using an interdisciplinary approach that accounts for uncertainties in links between farmers, suppliers, consumers and supply-chain outcomes. The expected o ....Pathways to agri-food supply chains that co-benefit people and nature. This project aims to improve biodiversity outcomes of agricultural food production and consumption, and expects to generate new knowledge about impacts of interventions and shocks on the environment, human health and livelihoods in agri-food systems. This will be achieved using an interdisciplinary approach that accounts for uncertainties in links between farmers, suppliers, consumers and supply-chain outcomes. The expected outcome is a value of information framework for identifying nature-friendly policies and actions with co-benefits for human well-being. Benefits include sustainability pathways with win-win outcomes for people and nature, and improved ways of meeting international commitments such as Sustainable Development Goals.Read moreRead less
Advanced solar powered hydrogen production systems based on green algal cells. This project aims to enhance the efficiency of solar powered hydrogen production from water and will facilitate the co-production of H2 and oil through microalgal biofuel systems. This frontier science project will therefore deliver a process with high solar conversion efficiency and will deliver multiple product streams increasing profitability.
Engineering the defence-vigour balance for increased crop yield. This project aims to investigate a novel hypothesis to increase seed yield and vigour. Translating from a model system it will test whether the deliberate inactivation of a gene in tomato and banana, by RNA interference or genome editing, enhances performance. A dysfunctional gene in the viral defence pathway of the model plant species N. benthamiana boosted its seed yield and vigour. This project will investigate the enhancement, ....Engineering the defence-vigour balance for increased crop yield. This project aims to investigate a novel hypothesis to increase seed yield and vigour. Translating from a model system it will test whether the deliberate inactivation of a gene in tomato and banana, by RNA interference or genome editing, enhances performance. A dysfunctional gene in the viral defence pathway of the model plant species N. benthamiana boosted its seed yield and vigour. This project will investigate the enhancement, determine the consequences to the plant's defences, measure the balance between defence and vigour, and examine the risk of disease to such yield-enhanced crops. This is a radical departure from conventional approaches to crop improvement but if successful would provide an additional solution to the problem of future food security.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL160100155
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,715,383.00
Summary
Harmonising genes for modern agriculture. Harmonising genes for modern agriculture. This project aims to fully understand how a plant distinguishes self from non-self genes and to develop ways of precisely enhancing, repairing, updating, and/or redirecting genetic traits in harmony with the genome. The world’s food security relies on modern crops that are continually updated with genetic traits for higher yield and protection against changing environmental stresses. A crop plant’s genes determin ....Harmonising genes for modern agriculture. Harmonising genes for modern agriculture. This project aims to fully understand how a plant distinguishes self from non-self genes and to develop ways of precisely enhancing, repairing, updating, and/or redirecting genetic traits in harmony with the genome. The world’s food security relies on modern crops that are continually updated with genetic traits for higher yield and protection against changing environmental stresses. A crop plant’s genes determine its growth, development, survival and agronomic fitness. The ability to precisely edit genes in crop plants is tantalizingly close but significant barriers must be overcome. Anticipated outcomes are safer, higher yielding and more sustainable crops.Read moreRead less
Genetic transformation of the biodiesel producing tree legume Pongamia pinnata. In response to global climate change and the threat of declining reserves of fossil fuels, liquid fuels of the future are to be manufactured in greater proportion from sustainable biological resources. Pongamia, a native legume tree, has the potential to make a significantly positive impact on the emerging biofuels industry. As a legume Pongamia requires no nitrogen fertiliser, is not a food crop, and can grow well o ....Genetic transformation of the biodiesel producing tree legume Pongamia pinnata. In response to global climate change and the threat of declining reserves of fossil fuels, liquid fuels of the future are to be manufactured in greater proportion from sustainable biological resources. Pongamia, a native legume tree, has the potential to make a significantly positive impact on the emerging biofuels industry. As a legume Pongamia requires no nitrogen fertiliser, is not a food crop, and can grow well on marginal lands unlikely to be used for food crops. Improvement of Pongamia through the genetic tools developed in this project will provide an environmentally sustainable source of biodiesel long into the future.Read moreRead less