Digital Commons Network^™

Low-Emission Beef Production In The Southern Rangelands Of Western Australia: An Analysis Of Herd Structure And Stocking Rate Experiencing Droughts, Christophe D'Abbadie

Animal Production and Livestock Research Articles

Reconciling profitable cattle production with rangeland health and reduced emissions is a key challenge in the southern rangelands of Western Australia (WA). Stocking rate and herd structure selection are crucial decisions to achieve this balance. This study assessed the emission profiles of three contrasting herd structures (weaner production, live export, and slaughter production), and three stocking rates within a herd–carbon accounting modelling framework. The analysis considers the impact of varying drought frequencies on these cattle production systems. Herd models were developed for the semiarid southern WA rangelands. Stocking rates were set at 100%, 80% and 66% of the government recommended …

An Assessment Of Dingo Ancestry In Camp Dogs In Western Australia, Tracey L. Kreplins, Danielle Stephens, N Laing, C Oskam

Biosecurity Research Articles

Hybridisation between Australian dingoes and domestic dogs is a controversial area of interest and research. An ongoing canine sterilisation programme in rural and remote Western Australia provided an opportunity to assess the dingo ancestry of camp dogs and opportunities for hybridisation. Blood samples were collected from 345 individual community dogs at 21 locations. Dogs were screened using 23 microsatellite loci and ancestry percentage assigned using an iterative Bayesian assignment algorithm. A single individual was a dingo, 96% were domestic dogs and 3.5% were hybrids. Camp dog and dingo hybridisation in these areas is of little concern in terms of conserving …

Density-Dependence Inside A Marine Protected Area Increases Natural Mortality And Stunts The Growth Of A Spiny Lobster, Simon De Lestang, Emma Jade Tuffley

Fisheries Research Articles

Sustainable fisheries management often requires the modelling of stocks under unfished conditions, when the influence of population densities on animal growth and mortality can be substantial. This can be especially true for species such as spiny rock lobster, which are very habitat specific. Using western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus) tag-recapture data from adjacent and similar fished and unfished areas, the key life history parameters of natural mortality and growth were examined and compared under different population density scenarios. In an area representative of virgin biomass levels, lobsters exhibited reduced growth rates and a substantially higher rate of natural mortality …

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Western Australian Sea Cucumber Resource, Kimberley A. Smith, Cameron Desfosses, Dave Murphy, Amie Steele, Lachlan W. Strain

Fisheries research reports

In April 2024, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (Department) convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fisheries that access the Western Australian Sea Cucumber Resource, which comprises a range of species from the class Holothuroidea. This document contains background information used to support the ERA risk scoring process, along with the scores from the workshop and a summary of the workshop discussions that were relevant to the scoring. This includes an overview of commercial fisheries that access the Resource, focusing primarily on the WA Sea Cucumber Fishery, and one fishing authorisation issued under the Aboriginal Community …

Microplastic Extraction From Digestive Tracts Of Large Decapods, Katrina Bornt, Kathryn Linge, Jason How, Simon De Lestang, Renae Hovey, Tim J. Langlois

Fisheries Research Articles

The reliable quantification of microplastic contamination in chitinous organisms requires validated methods to remove interfering complex organic and inorganic material. This study trialled KOH, H2O2 and HNO3 digestion methods on the digestive tracts of two large decapods (Panulirus cygnus and Portunus armatus) to validate a protocol that facilitates reliable microplastic extraction. KOH digestion provided the best recovery (>95 %) of all polymers (e.g. polyamide, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride), with the lowest impact to their physical morphology and chemical spectra. While HNO3, and HNO3 + H2O2 treatments were more effective at digesting chitin, they …

Revealing The Impact Of Spatial Bias In Survey Design For Habitat Mapping: A Tale Of Two Sampling Designs, Stanley Mastrantonis, Tim J. Langlois, Ben Radford, Claude Spencer, Simon De Lestang, Sharyn Hickey

Fisheries Research Articles

Submerged aquatic vegetation, referring to benthic macroalgae and plants that obligately grow underwater, are critical components of marine ecosystems and are frequently found to provide preferential recruitment habitats. The mapping and monitoring of aquatic vegetation through remote sensing and machine learning is becoming an important aspect of managing coastal environments at scale. Accurate mapping and monitoring require robust sampling and occurrence data to assess predictive error and quantify submerged vegetation extents. The form of ground truthing survey design (preferential, random, grid-based or spatially balanced) could significantly influence predictive model outcomes and the overall accuracy of mapping and monitoring. Here, we …

What Is The Best Fit For Electric Weed Control In Australia?, Miranda J. Slaven, Catherine Borger

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Electric weed control is a non-chemical weed management alternative that will apply to a range of agricultural systems. The current project assessed electric weed control via the continuous electrode-plant contact method (using a Zasso™ XPower).

A wide range of field trials in 2022 and 2023 investigated weed control efficiency, suitability of electric weed control for fence line control of glyphosate-resistant annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaud.), use for crop topping, fire risk, damage to the soil biota, or use for inter-row weed control in vineyards or lupin crops. Broadleaf weeds were controlled more effectively than grass weeds with electric weed …

Estimation Of Effective Number Of Breeders And Effective Population Size In An Abundant And Heavily Exploited Marine Teleost, Andrea Bertram, Justin Bell, Chris Brauer, David Fairclough, Paul Hamer, Jonathan Sandoval-Castillo, Maren Wellenreuther, Luciano B. Beheregaray

Fisheries Research Articles

Obtaining reliable estimates of the effective number of breeders (Nb) and generational effective population size (Ne) for fishery-important species is challenging because they are often iteroparous and highly abundant, which can lead to bias and imprecision. However, recent advances in understanding of these parameters, as well as the development of bias correction methods, have improved the capacity to generate reliable estimates. We utilized samples of both single-cohort young of the year and mixed-age adults from two geographically and genetically isolated stocks of the Australasian snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) to investigate the feasibility of generating reliable Nb and Ne estimates for a …

Boom, Shake The Room: Seismic Surveys Affect Behaviour And Survival Of Western Rock Lobster, Simon De Lestang, Jason How, Kelvin Rushworth, Christine Erbe

Fisheries Research Articles

Seismic studies are conducted to investigate subterranean structures for, among other things, indications of petroleum and mineral deposits. Within the marine environment, these studies use sub-surface airguns to create powerful sound waves that penetrate the substrate, with their variable reflection time and strength being used to model seabed densities, structure, and composition. There is a growing body of work examining the effects of seismic surveys on marine fauna, primarily marine mammals and to a lesser extent fishes and invertebrates. Recently published studies on the southern rock lobster have shown these intense sound waves can affect lobster physiology and short-term behaviour. …

Agricultural Groundcover Update April 2024, Justin Laycock

Natural resources published reports

• In April, over 12% (1,876,000 ha) of the arable farmland in the south-west of Western Australia had less than 50% vegetative groundcover, which is inadequate to prevent wind erosion.
• Northern grainbelt had the highest risk of wind erosion and over 26% of this farmland had inadequate groundcover, predominantly found on landscapes known for sandy soils.
• About 1.5% (238,900 ha) of arable land had a high to very high risk of wind erosion because groundcover was less than 30%.

Fisheries Occasional Publication No.147 - Aquaculture Development Zones – Policy Position Relating To Permitted Alternative Species, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries occasional publications

The purpose of this policy is to set out considerations relevant to the assessment of aquaculture proposals within Aquaculture Development Zones (ADZ) for species distinct from the group of species for which the ADZ was initially established (Alternative Species).

Agricultural Groundcover Update May 2024, Justin Laycock

Natural resources published reports

• In May, over 9% (1,410,000 ha) of the arable farmland in the south-west of Western Australia had less than 50% vegetative groundcover, which is inadequate to prevent wind erosion.
• Northern grainbelt had the highest risk of wind erosion and over 26% of this farmland had inadequate groundcover, predominantly found on landscapes known for sandy soils.
• About 1.3% (208,900 ha) of arable land had a high to very high risk of wind erosion because groundcover was less than 30%. Half of this land was in the West Midlands Ag Soil Zone.

Circular Economy Thinking, Huia Adkins

Turning The Dial conference

Join us for an engaging session led by Huia Adkins, where we'll explore the principles and practices of circular economy thinking. Huia will provide insights into the importance of shifting from a linear to a circular model of production and consumption, highlighting the benefits for businesses, society, and the environment.

"Been Doin' This 20 Years" - Insights Of A Long-Term Food Recycler, Eric Berrill

Turning The Dial conference

Who we are; how our farming roots with Nindi Feedlots led to current food recycling operations at Nork Solutions, and our very near future of exporting our innovations via NúaTech. Our plans to accelerate our rate of innovation and iterative development via a virtous cycle of R&D in NúaTech, and improvement insights via real-world deployment in Nork Solutions.

A quick look at economic and ethical case for a non-zero level of overproduction of food staples. The benefit for regulation to differentiate between overproduction wasted to landfill, and overproduction reintegrated back into any level of the food supply chain.

The function …

Driving Sustainability With Circular Packaging, Hamoun Aria

Turning The Dial conference

Disrupting Tradition, Empowering Sustainability

Get ready to explore the cutting edge of packaging innovation with Hamoun Aria from C4C Packaging in this dynamic session. Hamoun will guide us through the latest advancements in sustainable packaging solutions, showcasing C4C Packaging's innovative approaches to reducing environmental impact while maintaining product integrity.

Join Hamoun's speech, discover how C4C's innovative approach is redefining packaging, creating a more sustainable future for the beverage industry, and providing Australian businesses with a competitive edge in the global marketplace.

Innovation - Packaging, Eduard Alcordo

Turning The Dial conference

Join us for an exciting session with Eduard Alcordo from FP Paradigm, where we'll explore groundbreaking advancements in food and beverage packaging technology. Eduard will provide insights into FP Paradigm's transformational mission and vision, highlighting their commitment to developing breakthrough technology aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuel-based plastics.

Breakout - Food Waste: What More Could We Do?, Janet Howieson Dr, Lynne Loo, Shy Vishnumohan Dr

Turning The Dial conference

Dive deep into the critical issue of food waste and explore practical solutions to maximise value-adding opportunities within the food and beverage manufacturing sector. Speakers

• Sam Oakden, End Food Waste Aus
• Phil May, DPIRD
• Fran Ferreira, Foodbank WA, Chief Operating Officer
• Janet Howieson, Curtin University
• Hayley Borissow, Sodexo, Sustainability & Decarbonisation Manager

Breakout - Esg: Co-Designing Sustainability Solutions For The Wa F&B Manufacturing Sector, Min Teah

Turning The Dial conference

This workshop is tailored for participants interested in exploring global best practice sustainability in food and beverage manufacturing, and connecting with likeminded stakeholders to co-design their own solutions for greener value chains.

Professor Min Teah will present leading examples from around the world and offer opportunity to hear perspectives from local businesses on their different approaches to tackling common challenges, improving sustainability outcomes, and moving from sustainability as a niche concept and additional expense to a requirement for market access and basis for improved business and commercial outcomes.

Participants will be able ask questions; identify, brainstorm and problem-solve shared challenges; …

Breakout - Practicalities Of Esg – How To Prepare, Plan And Respond To The Green Economy, Karen Erasmus, Elizabeth Ploetz

Turning The Dial conference

This workshop is designed to help businesses respond to growing demands to disclose not only emissions data, but broader ESG information.

While there is a major focus on carbon emissions and disclosure, there is increased pressure to disclose supply chain impacts on topics such as waste, water management, packaging, sourcing/procurement, employment practices, and customer/employee health and safety.

This 90-minute workshop will focus on four key areas:

• An overview of the ESG landscape and how it is reshaping trade lines and competition.
• The ESG essentials including stakeholder expectations, reporting landscape, data, strategy and communication.
• Case study discussion on energy transition, climate-related …

Breakout - Sustainable Packaging: The Balance Between 2025 & 2030 Targets, Nerida Kelton, David Kilpatrick, Michael Dosser, Bonnie Marshall

Turning The Dial conference

This session will bring together four experts that come from fibre and renewables, active & intelligent packaging, Single Use Packaging regulations, Save Food Packaging Design and Sustainable Packaging Design. Together they will discuss how to navigate the food waste and packaging waste paradox and how to design the optimum packaging with the lowest environmental impacts without unintended consequences.

Speakers

• Nerida Kelton, AIP
• David Kilpatrick, Zipform
• Michael Dossor, Result Group, Managing Director
• Bonnie Marshall, National Retail Association, Communications Manager, Policy team

Wa Best Practice In Packaging, Jacqui Kay

Turning The Dial conference

Join us for an insightful session led by Jacqui Kay, Agricultural Produce Commission Communications Officer, as we explore best practices in packaging within Western Australia.

Jacqui has been working in FMCG for 20 years and has seen the evolution of consumer packaging over the years.

Now is the time for brands to work with strategic partners to find more sustainable packaging solutions. Jacqui will talk through an award winning case study from WA that demonstrates what is being achieved.

Innovations In Packaging, Vikas Ahuja

Turning The Dial conference

What will the most sustainable food & beverage packages of the future be? Discover some trends towards the the future of packaging with Vikas. What are the roadblocks and how do we get to high recycling rates in Australia?

Sustainable Packaging - A Global Perspective, Nerida Kelton, David Kilpatrick, Michael Dossor, Bonnie Marshall

Turning The Dial conference

Nerida will provide a global view on what sustainable packaging really looks like for WPO Members. There are many pieces to the jigsaw puzzle when discussing Sustainable Packaging and there is no silver bullet as every product needs a fit-for-purpose, functional solution.

Food Waste - An Industry Perspective, Matthew Kronborg

Turning The Dial conference

Join us for an eye-opening session led by Matthew Kronborg from Grainstone, as we explore the issue of food waste from an industry perspective.

Valorising Wa Waste Streams, Janet Howieson Dr

Turning The Dial conference

Join us for an enlightening session led by Janet Howieson from Curtin University, as we delve into the fascinating topic of valorising waste streams in Western Australia. Janet brings a wealth of expertise in sustainability and waste management, and she will share insights into new methods and frameworks being developed for SME’s to start addressing opportunities in reducing food waste. Discover how businesses can understand their waste streams, potentially capitalise on untapped opportunities, reduce environmental impact, and contribute to a more sustainable future. Whether you're a seasoned industry professional or new to the concept of waste valorisation, this session promises …

Food Waste 2030 Targets, Steven Lapidge

Turning The Dial conference

Australia's commitment to the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals commits us to reducing food loss and halving food waste by 2030. The 2017 National Food Waste Strategy takes this a step further, requiring a halving of all food loss and waste by 2030. With Australia wasting 7.6 million tonnes of food per year either target is a monumental task. This talk will outline the current activities of End Food Waste Australia and partners that are working towards achieving the ambitious goal, along with how we are tracking as a nation.

The Changing Retail & Consumer Landscape, Tristan Kitchener

Turning The Dial conference

Grocery retailing is facing unprecedented challenges driven by a convergence of factors throughout the value chain. The pandemic spurred innovation and permanently altered consumer behaviours, now dealing with rising inflation and tightening discretionary spending. This presents both challenges and opportunities for retailers, producers and supply chain stakeholders.

Sustainability remains a priority for consumers and retailers, but both are hesitant to bear the associated costs. Effectively communicating sustainability efforts and leveraging retailer networks are crucial to build scale and extend reach to consumers, along with developing economically viable solutions.

Additionally, it's vital to recognize the necessary skills for engaging with retailers …

Rain And Potential Evapotranspiration Are The Main Drivers Of Yield For Wheat And Barley In Southern Australia: Insights From 12 Years Of National Variety Trials, Edward G. Barrett-Lennard, Nicholas George, Mario D'Antuono, Karen W. Holmes, Phillip R. Ward

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Context
Water is widely assumed to be the factor most limiting the growth of annual crops in rainfed environments, but this is rarely tested at sub-continental scale. Aims
Our study aimed to determine the key environmental and management variables influencing the yield of wheat and barley in the grain-production regions of southern Australia, using data from National Variety Trials. Methods
We used generalised additive models to determine the importance of climatic and management variables on wheat and barley grain yield. We determined the effects of the best one, two or three variables and their interactions. Key results
The aridity index, …

Heavy Steers And Heifers Run At Low Stocking Rates Enhance Drought Resilience In A Pastoral Region Of Australia, Christophe D'Abbadie, Ross Kingwell, Philip E. Vercoe, Bradley Plunkett, Alan Peggs

Animal Production and Livestock Research Articles

CONTEXT

The semi-arid mulga lands of the Southern Rangelands of Western Australia experience frequent droughts. Maintaining a profitable animal grazing enterprise whilst preserving rangeland condition requires selecting an appropriate stocking rate and herd structure.

OBJECTIVE

We construct and apply bioeconomic models of beef enterprises for the semi-arid Southern Rangelands of Western Australia, to assess the profitability and relative riskiness of three different livestock production systems and three different stocking rates when exposed to different frequencies of drought.

METHODS

We construct bio-economic models of herd structures that separately focus on producing either: (i) 200 kg heifers and 210 kg steers (ii) …

Including Methane Emissions From Agricultural Ponds In National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Martino E. Malerba, Tertius De Kluyver, Nicholas J. Wright, Odebiri Omosalewa, Peter I. Macreadie

Climate Science Research Articles

Agricultural ponds are a significant source of greenhouse gases, contributing to the ongoing challenge of anthropogenic climate change. Nations are encouraged to account for these emissions in their national greenhouse gas inventory reports. We present a remote sensing approach using open-access satellite imagery to estimate total methane emissions from agricultural ponds that account for (1) monthly fluctuations in the surface area of individual ponds, (2) rates of historical accumulation of agricultural ponds, and (3) the temperature dependence of methane emissions. As a case study, we used this method to inform the 2024 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory reports submitted by the …