Blackall, P.J.

University of Queensland eSpace

The Poultry CRC and the RIRDC – Current Research Topics And Their Objectives 
 
P.J. Blackall 
 
Research Manager, Poultry CRC and Research Scientist, Agri-Science Queensland 
Animal Research Institute, Yeerongpilly, Queensland 4105, Australia 
 
Introduction 
 
This paper seeks to set out the broad focus of the two organisations associated with the 
funding of poultry research in Australia.  The focus of the paper is to set out the general 
features of the research programs of the two bodies – the Poultry CRC and the Chicken  Meat 
program within the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC)  
 
The CRC 
 
The new Poultry CRC officially came into life on January 1st 2010.  The CRC has three 
integrated programs of research.  Program 1 is entitled Health and Welfare, Program 2 is 
entitled Nutrition and Environment while Program 3 is entitled Safe and Quality Food 
Production.  At the time of writing, the formal decisions on which particular sub-projects (the 
CRC equivalent of an RIRDC Project) will be funded have not been made.  However,  the 
formal documentation for the CRC does provide broad outlines of the outputs expected from 
the three Programs.  These outputs include:- 
 
Program 1 
 Novel vaccines for significant diseases 
 Novel diagnostic tests 
 Methods for sex determination in poultry 
 Bacterial and viral vectors tested for delivery of NetB vaccine 
 Novel anti-viral and anti-parasitic therapeutics 
 New evidence-based welfare methods 
 
Program 2 
 A set of nutritional tools to maintain good gut health in poultry 
 New feed formulations based on net energy of common Australian feed ingredients 
 Commercialisation of odour and greenhouse gas (GHG) sensing systems and 
mitigation processes 
  
Program 3 
 Rapid detection methods for Campylobacter in poultry 
 Management options that allow industry to adopt targeted, operation specific food 
safety programs to reduce Campylobacter levels in meat chickens 
 Improvements in egg quality and safety 
 
While no longer a separate program, education is a strong theme within the CRC.  There are 
plans for an active post-graduate program.  As well, direct industry associated education 
activities (VET, industry placements, internships) will have a high priority.  
 
The RIRDC 
 
The RIRDC has, at the time of writing, a total of 38 projects that are listed as current.  The 
projects are at varying stages of the project cycle – from just commencing to awaiting 
approval of the final report.  An overview of the broad areas of activities of these projects is 
as follows:- 
 
Broad Area Project Topics 
Conference Sponsorship 
Conference Travel 
(Four projects) 
 AI 
 Campylobacter, 
 PIX 
Infectious Diseases 
(Eight Projects) 
 Chlamydophila 
 Pasteurella multocida 
 AI 
 IB 
 IBD 
 ILT 
 MD 
Food Safety 
(Eight Projects) 
 
 Campylobacter - abattoir surveys/workshops, effect of litter 
re-use, phages to control levels in live birds, rapid detection, 
typing, vaccines 
 Salmonella - abattoir surveys/workshops, effect of litter re-
use, typing 
Environment 
(Eight Projects) 
 
 Litter – broad-acre useage; biochar workshop;  nutrient run-
off, alternative fertiliser 
 Lifecycle Assessment 
 Mass Mortality Composting 
 Waste into Energy 
 Artificial Olfaction 
Nutrition 
(Four projects) 
 Heat stress 
 Assessing available energy in grains 
 Steam pelleting of sorghum 
 New tricticale lines 
Others 
(Six projects) 
 Workboot Series 
 Biosecurity/Food Safety DVDs 
 Darkling Beetles 
 Nutrient composition of chickens 
 Human resources audits 
 Program Evaluation 
 
 
Roles of RIRDC and CRC 
  
The Australian poultry industry is in a unique position in the world.  The industry has 
available two significant mechanisms of industry focussed, government supported research 
programs.  These two programs have significant overlap in terms of research service 
providers as well as those making the decisions about which particular topics should be 
funded.  This results in a co-ordinated research programs with each funding arm being aware 
of the activities and focus of the other body. A good example of the co-ordination is in the 
food safety area where the CRC and the RIRDC have agreed that the CRC program should 
focus attention to on-farm interventions as the RIRDC structure is more suited for in-plant 
interventions.  
 
The CRC has a mandate to work as a “family” organisation.  All sub-projects are led from 
within the “family” and all work – where possible – is undertaken within the family.  The 
CRC has a mandate to undertake a percentage of blue sky research (with the recognition of 
the NetB toxin of Clostridium perfringens being an outstanding example of blue sky research 
that has significant practical applications.  A similar breakthrough example is the work of the 
CRC on sex determination – a project which has major economic and welfare implications.  
The blue sky research of the CRC is balanced by practical industry focussed work – with the 
suite of rapid molecular tests available from the University of Melbourne being a good 
example of this. 
 
The RIRDC has a broader mandate and provides the industry with access to all interested, 
capable and relevant research organisations.  The strong industry linkages of the RIRDC are 
well suited to those research program where practical, applied research with a short horizon is 
required.  The RIRDC has been very active recently in education and industry focussed 
workshops.  The Workboot Book on the meat chicken induystry (also associated with the 
CRC) has proven a very effective communication tool (it is shortly expected to reach the 
New York Times best seller list!!).  A particularly successful recent acitivity has been a series 
of workshops focussed on interventions in the processing plants to reduce levels of 
Salmonella and Campylobacter. 
 
Overall, the two research mechanisms that support the chicken meat industry are quite 
distinct but – at the same time – quite co-ordinated.  The bodies differ in their focus and their 
mandates.  The Australian poultry industry will gain substantial benefits from both 
organisations over the next five years.              


The Poultry CRC and the RIRDC - Current Research Topics And Their Objectives.

http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:254349/end9211.pdf

The Poultry CRC and the RIRDC - Current Research Topics And Their Objectives.

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