Travel report for RIRDC project

PRJ-006283

A collection of early flowering T. subterraneum ssp. brachycalycinium overseas

This collection in Israel and Spain highlighted to me the rareness of some of the pasture species that Australia has interested in. This was an especially potent message for subclover, there were no plants to be found in Israel and very few in Spain, even though it had been collected there in the past. For me it sent out warning messages that these species are almost endangered in some of these countries and it is really only Australia that has a great interest in them as we are the only country that sows them into pastures in large amounts. So that means that there is a great need to increase work in them so that they eventually don't disappear.

This collection was originally supposed to take place in Libya. With the civil war breaking out there all Australians were advised to leave the country and not travel to it. I then attempted to organise the collection in Tunisa, Syria, Morocco and Algeria. With the unrest in these countries due to revolution in Muslim ruled states it was not possible to collect there also. These countries would have a lot of drought tolerant material in grasses and legumes and without collections in the future I fear that overgrazing by stock will see some of this valuable germplasm disappear.

So in conclusion on a collection trip it is not so important the seeds that you harvest but the contacts that you make for further collaboration. To find people around the world that are passionate about the species that have so much importance in Australia is reassuring that development work will continue. But it is trips such as this one that can be the spark that lights the flame.

XXI International Grassland Congress and VIII International Rangeland Congress

Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China

29th June – 5th July, 2008

Summary

This joint International Grassland and International Rangeland Congress was seen as a way of strengthening the ties between the two congress organisations through their common interests in the many production, management, environmental and social issues affecting grasslands and rangelands. The title of the congress, Multifunctional Grasslands in a Changing World, emphasised the diversity of roles grasslands play, including food and fibre production, natural resource protection and people's livelihood, in a world facing climate change and increasing demands for food, energy and other resources. The location of the congress in Hohhot, in the province of Inner Mongolia in north-western China, recognised the importance of grasslands to the social, cultural and economic development of this part of China.

The congress brought together over 1,200 delegates from over 70 countries, and over the seven days of the congress, over 1,700 papers were presented either orally or as posters on topics ranging from the bio-physical sciences and the environmental sciences, to the social sciences and policy development. Tours associated with the congress gave delegates the opportunity to see grasslands and other agricultural regions of China and Mongolia, and to discuss management practices and other issues associated with their management. A third of the congress sessions were devoted to the social sciences, which acknowledged the fact that people are integral to any consideration of the future of grasslands, and that scientists and policy makers need to consider the social, economic and political implications of recommendations and decisions concerning the management of grasslands.

For me, the congress provided a unique opportunity to see and learn about the vast grasslands of China and Mongolia: in particular, the problems associated with their over-exploitation and the needs of the herders for economic development. Papers on plant improvement, and on grazing systems were particularly relevant to my research interests.

Collection missions are still an important means of sourcing new plant material for pastures, and germplasm collections around the world now contain an enormous amount of material which is available for exchange internationally. Domestication of native plants continues to be important in many countries, including USA, Canada, Russia, China and Mongolia. The greatest need is for plants adapted to drought and saline and acid soils, which are increasing problems not only in Australia, but elsewhere in the world. Physiological and molecular genetic studies are now being used in plant improvement programs around the world, and could aid plant breeders in Australia. My poster on domestication of native grasses in Tasmania was viewed by many delegates attending the sessions on plant improvement and generated useful discussions.

New developments in grazing systems that I found most interesting included: the role that secondary plant products play in regulating diet selection, feed intake and gut health of grazing animals, and the potential of plants with these bioactiveeport compounds for use in grazing systems; the importance of mycorrhizal associations of plants in their adaptations to adverse soil conditions, and the need for research to look at ways these associations could be manipulated; increasing the productivity and sustainability of degraded native grassland containing summer-growing (C4) grasses by intercropping with winter cereals; and the application of new technologies in extensive pastoral systems to better manage rangeland resources by monitoring animal performance and matching forage growth with demand. I am grateful to the Grassland Society of Southern Australia for financial support to attend the congress.

In October 2004 I travelled with assistance from the GSSA to the New Zealand grasslands conference held at Ashburton NZ which is located in the Central Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand.

The theme for the conference was "making high priced land pay its way". This was of particular interest to me as I manage property located in the Western district of Victoria where land prices continue to soar to levels that make earning a decent return on capital difficult to achieve.

The primary reason for attending the conference was to find new ways of increasing returns on the property I currently manage, unfortunately there were no silver bullets at the conference; in fact the kiwis seemingly are struggling with the same sort of issues we are in Australia.

One such issue was that largely R&D in NZ has been privatised to the extent that very little true R&D is being undertaken with a large amount of funds being channelled towards so called research that is aimed at improving the average performance of the agricultural industry.

Of great concern to both NZ and Australian agriculture is the time lag between research and adoption by industry. In NZ it takes on average 11 years between when research is completed to peak industry value from that research. Surely ground breaking research needs to continue to ensure the long term viability of our industry considering the fact that technologies we are now implementing were probably first researched in the 90's.

One of the big surprises to me in NZ was the amount of N that is applied to pastures. It is not uncommon that 250 units of N per annum be applied to pasture systems, particularly on dairy and intensive grazing farms, in an effort to maximise FOO. When I talked to producers about the side effects of this amount of N application little concern seemed to be held for such issues as acidity and nutrient loss into waterways. Many saying they didn't believe it to be an issue. This may be attributable to the relative proximity of the coast and the fast flowing waters of most rivers may flush the problem out to sea. Regulated irrigation is starting to gain momentum on the South Island with some proposed damming of waterways which may cause nutrient loss to be an issue in the future.

One of the things that stunned me most in NZ was the fact that environmental controls appeared to be of less of a concern than they are to Australian producers. The 5 star beef feed lot located on the South Island is a case in point with the feedlot being located right on the coast with effluent ponds being no more than 400 meters from the coastline you can just imagine how far that would get in Australia. It became obvious to me that Australian producers are along way ahead of there NZ counterparts in relation to being aware of the effects our enterprises have on the environment and in managing the fallout of negative social views.

I guess I went to NZ to find new ways of managing high priced land so as to achieve higher returns but came away with the opinion that the kiwis are struggling with the same issues we are. There is no doubt that the kiwis are further down the path of consolidation to gain economies of scale and due to the price of land in NZ have been forced to form equity partnerships to gain the capital needed to expand. With land values continuing to climb in Australia this will become more common here as well although not to the extent it has in NZ due to the fact that we don't have the same pressure on our land from competing uses such as population growth and industry that NZ has which in part has driven the price of land in NZ.

So while on one hand I was disappointed that there was no easy solution, on the other hand I was encouraged that top producers in Australia are doing as well as there counterparts in NZ. The real take home message to me was that we just need to keep improving our systems and performance each year so that we continue to stay ahead of the declining terms of trade we all face.