University–industry links : the ‘front line’

Projects involving industry partners are attractive as they enable you to interact with people in their working world, and see results of your work being applied by your commercial partners. The opportunity to interact with industry partners while undertaking postgraduate study is increasing as universities develop closer relationships with industries. Industry-linked postgraduate projects offer many advantages. However, there are a number of challenges associated with the involvement of industry partners that often do not exist in other postgraduate projects (see also Chapter 8 in this book). This chapter will outline some of the challenges of industry-linked graduate research projects and strategies to address these challenges

Unanswered questions : iodine in agricultural crops

Iodine in fruit and vegetables contributes to the total iodine intake of the population. While iodine is not an essential element for plant growth and does not contribute to plant functioning, it can be taken up by plants from the soil environment and accumulates in plant tissue. The concentration of iodine in common fruit and vegetable crops in Tasmania has not been examined, so the contribution to dietary intake while likely to be small is unknown. The ability to accumulate nutrients varies between plant species, so we would expect differences in iodine concentration to exist between the various fruit and vegetables grown in Tasmania

University - industry links : the 'front line'

Projects involving industry partners are attractive as they enable you to interact with people in their working world and to see results of your work being applied by your commercial partners. The opportunity to interact with industry partners while undertaking postgraduate study is increasing as universities develop closer relationships with industries. Industry-linked postgraduate projects offer many advantages. However, there are a number of challenges associated with the involvement of industry partners that often do not exist in other postgraduate projects (see also Chapter 8 in this book). This chapter will outline some of the challenges of industry-linked graduate research projects and strategies to address these challenges

The canon of potato science : 37. stolonization, tuber induction and tuberization

Stolon growth, tuber induction and tuberization are key developmental events in the potato plants life as they lead to the formation of the harvestable products of the potato crop. Tubers initiate at the sub-apical region of stolons, which are lateral shoots usually emerging from the basal, below-ground internodes of plant main stems and displaying a diageotrophic growth habit, elongated internodes, spirally arranged scale leaves and a hooked tip with an apical meristem. The complex series of processes involved in the developmental switch from stolon elongation to tuber growth are amongst the most intensively researched topics in potato science

Resilience of the horticultural community : engaged researchers promoting productivity and profitability

Agriculture significantly contributes to the economic and social resilience of communities in regional Australia. It also provides an informative way of understanding the interdependence of environmental, economic and social capitals and the roles each plays in building sustainability and community resilience. This chapter examines this interplay by considering the agricultural industry within the Bundaberg region. First it will provide an overview of the framework used to understand community resilience within this context before exploring each of the capitals in more detail as they play out within the agricultural industries of this region. Finally, we put forward that engaged research approaches allow researchers to work with farmers as partners in the coproduction of knowledge that contributes to building each of these capitals and thus the sustainability and resilience of communities and regions

Novel approaches to minimize the incidence of carrot (Daucus carota L.) splitting

Carrot taproots are prone to longitudinal tissue fracture (splitting). This study examined the underlying mechanism of carrot splitting and assessed leaf trimming as a treatment to abate its incidence. The radial growth of carrot taproots was monitored using linear variable differential transducers. The diurnal growth pattern of taproots was characterised by an increase in diameter during the nighttime, shrinking slightly during the daylight hours before expanding again approaching dusk. Splitting susceptibility (SS) of taproots was strongly linked to the pattern of growth. SS was highest during periods of taproot radial expansion (pre-dawn and dusk) and lowest during periods of shrinkage (middle of the day). Partial defoliation of carrots reduced the net daily radial growth of the taproot and also reduced the level of splitting when applied to commercially grown crops prior to harvest

Changes in soil bacterial community as affected by soil compaction, soil water content and plant roots

The present study assessed the effects of compaction on temporal dynamics of soil microbial communities and whether these changes were influenced by the presence of plant roots and soil water content. A pot trial comprised three levels of compaction (1.1 gcm-3 - un-compacted; 1.25 gcm-3 - moderately-compacted; 1.4 gcm-3 - heavily-compacted), two levels of irrigation regimes (60 and 80% FC), and two soil conditions (planted soil versus free root soil) was established. Soil microbial attributes investigated included bacterial activity and diversity, which were obtained from five sampling times (5; 10; 15; 20; 30 days). The results showed that bacterial activity and diversity changes over time and were higher in un-compacted soil treatment at day-20. Bacterial activity and diversity were higher in moderately-compacted soil with high soil moisture level (80% FC). Microbial activity and diversity were weakly correlated with the presence of plant roots particularly when soil was heavily compacted. Given the changes of microbial communities that followed changes in soil moisture availability, it was, therefore, concluded that management of the timing of irrigation inputs is needed in order to maintain microbial communities in soil. © 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved

Changes in microbial community as affected by soil compaction and organic matter amendment

Soil compaction may threaten agricultural sustainability through its impact on altering soil microbial structure and function. This occurs as a result of the limitation of air permeability and oxygen availability, which has implications for soil nutrition and soil-borne disease. The present study aimed to assess compaction effect on changes of soil microbial communities over time and whether these changes were influenced by organic matter (OM) amendment. An experiment consisted of two levels of compaction (1.1 and 1.4 g cm-3) and two levels of OM (0 and 10 g kg-1). Soil microbial community attributes investigated were soil respiration, microbial biomass, activity and diversity. Data on microbial attributes were obtained from three-sampling times (10; 20; 80 days). The results showed that microbial respiration, biomass, activity and diversity changes over time and were higher in compacted soil than uncompacted soil in day-10, but then higher in uncompacted soil at day-20. An increase in microbial biomass, activity and diversity in uncompacted soil within 20 days were presumably associated with the availability of soil organic carbon (SOC), void space and aeration. However, microbial biomass, activity and diversity across the treatments declined in day-80, where bacteria and fungi performed a different pattern. Bacterial community was lower in compacted soil at day-80 and this might be an indicator of the effect of compaction and of the reduction in SOC availability. Meanwhile, fungal community was found to be higher in compacted soil over 80 days confirming the ability of fungal communities to survive under such an environment. © 2018 Insight Society

Identifying essential ecological factors underpinning the development of a conservation plan for the endangered Australian tree Alectryon ramiflorus

Reintroduction of rare and threatened species often fails to yield quantifiable conservation benefits because insufficient attention is focused on the species' habitat requirements and biology. We demonstrate the value of such data in informing a recovery plan for Alectryon ramiflorus S.Reyn. (Sapindaceae), a tree species endemic to a region on the southern coast of Queensland, Australia. When the species was categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 1997 the total known population consisted of only 26 adult plants, in five disjunct populations in remnant patches of native vegetation. Analysis of vegetation type, soil chemistry and composition data comparing remnant patches with and without A. ramiflorus revealed that the species is not restricted to a specific soil type but prefers sites with relatively fertile soil and a more complex vegetation structure. The species is cryptically dioecious, displays asynchronous flowering between individuals, and requires insect-vectored pollination. The low rate of seedling production recorded within individual patches was attributed to the scarcity of trees of both genders, asynchronous flowering of individual trees and, in smaller patches, a sparse population of pollinating insect species. Successful reintroduction of A. ramiflorus will require consideration of these aspects of demographic success. The findings highlight the importance to species recovery plans of the knowledge of habitat requirements, interspecific relationships and critical dependencies, as well as species reproductive biology

Soil compaction in tropical organic farming systems and its impact on natural soil-borne disease suppression : challenges for management

Organic farming systems still depend on intensive, mechanical soil tillage. Frequent passes by machinery traffic cause substantial soil compaction that threatens soil health. Adopting practices as reduced tillage and organic matter retention on the soil surface are considered effective ways to control soil compaction. In tropical regions, however, the acceleration of soil organic matter decomposition and soil carbon turnover on the topsoil layer is influenced more rapidly by the oscillation process of drying and wetting. It is hypothesized therefore, that rapid reduction in soil organic matter hastens the potential for compaction to occur in organic farming systems. Compaction changes soil physical properties and as a consequence it has been implicated as a causal agent in the inhibition of natural disease suppression in soils. Here we describe relationships between soil management in organic vegetable systems, soil compaction, and declining soil capacity to suppress pathogenic microorganisms