Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia | Educational research centre

Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation

Locality: Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 2 6933 4400

Address: Pugsley Place, Charles Sturt University 2678 Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.grahamcentre.net

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25.01.2022 SUPPORTING VETS TO REDUCE ANTIMICROBIAL USE Graham Centre researchers, associate Professor Jane Heller and Dr Kellie Thomas, are spearheading a new initiative to help veterinarians make informed decisions in treating infections to reduce the likelihood of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) developing. #CharlesSturtResearch #VetScience... Read more

24.01.2022 The Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, AgriFutures Australia and Regional Development Australia Riverina will celebrate National Agriculture Day on Friday 20, 2020 online this year with a series of stories showcasing the people of agriculture. National Agriculture Day is an initative by the National Farmers’ Federation to raise awareness of Australian agriculture and the people behind it. Graham Centre Director, Professor Leigh Schmidtke said we might be ‘physically d...istant’ because of COVID-19 but we can all connect by supporting National Agriculture Day. "It’s an opportunity to reflect on the role of agriculture in our communities, not just the farmers who grow our food and fibre but also the people who support them to do it," he said. We’re proud to play a part in the industry with research to benefit our farmers and in turn thriving regional communities. #AGDayAU #hatsofftoaussiefarmers

22.01.2022 RECOGNITION FOR RESEARCH IMPACT Congratulations to Professor Geoff Gurr (pictured) and his research team who are finalists in the Engagement Australia 2020 Excellence Awards. Professor Gurr's team, in collaboration with Australian and international partners have spent more than 20 years researching how to achieve food security whilst reducing dependence on non-renewable, environmentally hazardous inputs.... The innovative solutions include a pest suppression method that's led to policy changes, which in China alone resulted in benefits estimating US $28 million. The development of various multi-lanugage, multi-format communications, including a 20-episode TV series broadcast nationally in Vietnam, have helped to maximise delivery and ultimate impact of the research. They're finalists in the category for outstanding engagement in research impact. Engagement Australia is the peak alliance of Australian and New Zealand universities focused on developing the engagement agenda in higher education. The awards will be announced on 1 December.

22.01.2022 PODCAST: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and why it's an important issue for vets and livestock producers. Graham Centre researcher, Associate Professor Jane Heller talks us through some of the issues surrounding antimicrobial use. She's part of a new initiative, AMR Vet Collective, to help veterinarians make informed decisions in treating infections to prevent resistance developing.... #CharlesSturtResearch #podcast

21.01.2022 WIN:WIN FOR CONSUMERS AND RICE INDUSTRY Ahead of #WorldDiabetesDay on 14 November check out this research at the Functional Grains Centre. It’s developed a rapid method for ranking the genetic properties in rice that convert starch to sugar during digestion - identifying what drives glycemic index (GI).... The screening tool will help in selection and breeding of low GI rice varieties providing growers with a high value product. "Local and international markets are demanding healthier options for a range of foods including rice," says Professor Chris Blanchard. "We needed a tool to identify these properties, quickly and efficiently, so that rice breeders can select for these properties when developing new varieties. GI is a relative ranking of carbohydrates according to how they affect blood glucose levels. Foods with a low GI are thought to be associated with health benefits that include better weight management and lower levels of diabetes. The research was a joint project by Charles Sturt University and the NSW Department of Primary Industries funded by AgriFutures Australia. #WeekendRead #CharlesSturtResearch

21.01.2022 Graham Centre member Professor Bruce Allworth talks about the recently approved Sheep Sustainability Framework.

20.01.2022 CATCH UP: Dr ANDREW PETERS Graham Centre researcher Dr Andrew Peters shares his career journey in the latest podcast series of Charles Sturt stories. He also talks about COVID-19 and our interaction with wildlife.... #WeekendListen #CharlesSturtResearch

19.01.2022 HERE'S ONE FOR THE MASTERCHEFS Graham Centre PhD student Zahra Naqvi's research is looking at 'sous vide' cooking to improve the eating characteristics of low-value beef meat. She's been carrying out sensory evaluation sessions with a group of volunteers who have been trained to gain a better understanding of the project and meat attributes.... Thanks for giving your time to be part of this #CharlesSturtResearch

17.01.2022 RESEARCH FOR RESILIENT GRAIN SYSTEMS I enjoy working on farms, undertaking research in collaboration with farmers to seek solutions to problems which threaten the productive capacity and sustainability of our farming systems, said Associate Professor Phil Eberbach. Ahead of National Agriculture Day on Friday 20 November we’ve asked some of our researchers to share what drives their interest in agriculture.... Charles Sturt University Professor Eberbach has a lifelong passion for farming and agriculture with particular empathy toward grain production. Sustaining a reliable and equitable food supply system into the future, sufficient to meet nutritional needs of a further 3 billion people is the major goal of the planet’s agriculture fraternity," Professor Eberbach said. Despite the many challenges facing contemporary grain farmers, the two major standout challenges are the maintenance of crop production in the face of a warmer and drier climate, and increased competition for water, nutrients and light by an increasingly herbicide-resistant weed population. My drive in research deals with developing new appropriate tools or farming system interventions, making our current grain production systems more climatically resilient. #AgDayAU #hatsofftoaussiefarmers #CharlesSturtResearch

17.01.2022 AG: HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL "Agriculture is in the business of producing food, and access to good quality food is a basic need of all people," said NSW Department of Primary Industries researcher John Piltz. "So I see my work in agriculture as committing to improving people’s lives."... As we gear up to celebrate #AgDayAU on Friday Graham Centre researchers are sharing what inspires them about agriculture. John is a livestock research officer at DPI in Wagga Wagga, working in forage conservation and feed evaluation. "I think farmers are interesting, hardworking and committed people and enjoy working with them and trying to improve their business. "For me agriculture is what I like doing, particularly working with livestock and pastures. "Demand for agricultural products is constantly increasing as the world population grows and the standards of living around the world rise. "Research is essential to deliver new technologies that will increase agricultural output for the same or less resources. It's about making agriculture more efficient but also more sustainable." John's message for #AgDayAU..... "Agriculture is here for the long haul; while ever people need food we all need agriculture." #hatsofftoaussiefarmers

16.01.2022 OPPORTUNITY IN AG In the lead up to #AgDayAU we’ve invited some of our researchers to share their story and why Australian agriculture inspires them. Dr Michael Campbell is a livestock producer, researcher at Charles Sturt University and is passionate about supporting young people in the industry.... Agriculture is the place to be, he says. Every person and every country in the world is involved with agriculture. Research is dynamic, each day there are new problems that need to be solved and many are complex and quite wicked especially in agriculture. "How do you feed an ever increasing population, reduce the carbon footprint, improve welfare outcomes for animals and human communities while dealing with acute impacts like bushfires, floods and biosecurity? Without innovations teams farmers, researchers, students, industry professionals to conduct research, the agricultural industries will not be able to adapt to change and keep progressing. His message for National Agriculture Day. Simple- I love working and living in agriculture, it has provide me and my family with so many opportunities to travel, meet exciting people and at the end of the day, produce highly nutritious food for the human population while directly managing the environment on our farm. How good is that! We need you, if you are finishing high school and considering what you will do career wise, consider agriculture no experience necessary, just enthusiasm and you will go places. #CharlesSturtResearch #hatsofftoaussiefarmers

14.01.2022 AG: BEYOND THE FARM GATE "Sometimes we forget that the aim of agriculture is to produce food and fibre," said Charles Sturt University Professor Chris Blanchard. "Food scientists take the raw ingredients from agriculture and produce food products that are desired by consumers."... For #AgDayAU Graham Centre researchers are sharing their experience of working in agriculture. Professor Blanchard is a molecular biologist and leads our research investigating grain quality and functional foods - to increase the value of Australian grain. He's a firm advocate of this paddock to plate approach. "Increasingly consumers what to know where their food comes from," he said. "They want to make sure it is produced in a safe and sustainable way. "By tracking our food from paddock to plate, consumers can be confident that the attributes of the food they eat are aligned with their values and expectations." Professor Blanchard's message on #AgDayAU... "Choose food that is Australian made and support our local industries." #hatsofftoaussiefarmers #CharlesSturtResearch

12.01.2022 CATCH-UP: Dr Viki Brookes talks about zoonoses In the latest series of Charles Sturt stories Graham Centre member Dr Viki Brookes talks about her career path from working in the FMD outbreak in the UK, to studying rabies in PNG. She also talks about zoonotic disease, epidemiology and COVID-19... #WeekendListen #CharlesSturtResearch

10.01.2022 GATHERING DATA THIS HARVEST We're putting the tech to use this harvest to gather data for precision ag research and the digital twin farm project at Charles Sturt University. The black box on the left is a On-Combine Whole Grain Analyser able to measure grain protein or oil content and grain moisture. ... Senior research fellow in spatial agriculture Jon Medway says," The sensor is able to collect and analyse a sample every 6-12 seconds and is connected to the harvesters GPS equipment to record the location of each measurement. "At the completion of harvest the data can be downloaded and integrated with the yield data to generate yield, grain moisture, protein or oil content and total nitrogen removal maps." It's being put through its paces here before the start of the harvest of Canola at the Charles Sturt farm next week. The information gathered will be used alongside the detailed soil mapping that's been happening on the farm this year. Big thanks to CNH’s Precision Solutions and Telematics Business Unit precision farming specialist Daryn Higgins and contractor Ben Beck.

10.01.2022 CHECK OUT THOSE TRIALS It's not only crops in the Riverina that are looking fantastic, these research trials at our field site in Wagga are thriving. PhD student Pieter Hendriks is looking at the competitiveness of wheat genotypes both above and below the ground.... After a dry year last year Pieter's welcomed the better seasonal conditions this year for his research. Read more about his project in our newsletter- link in the comments Pieter Hendriks and Dr Shamsul Haque #weedmanagement #CharlesSturtResearch

10.01.2022 Despite several decades of research, soil acidity remains a problem hidden beneath the surface of our agricultural soils. Check out the research by Graham Centre members

09.01.2022 National Agriculture Day is an opportunity to acknowledge the people who produce our food and fibre. We're teaming up with AgriFutures Australia and Regional Development Australia Riverina to show our support and shine a light on the people in our organisations that support our farming community with research, innovation and development.

07.01.2022 BEEF AUSTRALIA 2021 Shout-out to the Graham Centre researchers at Beef Australia 2021. What a great opportunity to network, collaborate and find out about industry developments.... #Beef21 #NextGenOfAg Associate Professor Jane Quinn, post-doc Nancy Saji, and PhD students Veronika Vicic and Bec Barnewall

06.01.2022 CONGRATULTIONS BROOKE KAVENEY PhD student Brook Kaveney's been awarded is year’s Alinta Energy Country Education Foundation of Australia (CEF) Alumni of the Year. It is an honour to be awarded Alumni of the Year. Previous winners have accomplished so much and I feel privileged and humbled that my work has been recognised to be of a similar standard, Brooke said.... Her PhD has focused on soil biochemistry- specifically the effect of the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate on soil mineral nitrogen processes She's submitted her thesis and is starting a post-doctoral research position with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The Country Education Foundation of Australia is an education charity offering equity-based financial support for further education to young people (16-25) in the 44 locally based foundations based in rural and regional Australia.

05.01.2022 "I recognise the role para-veterinarians and animal health officers play in delivering animal health services in communities, especially in terms of biosecurity and livestock disease and production," says Dr Tania Areori. Tania's part of our Pacific Paravet Training Project and she's featured in this 'Health Security Hero' story by the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security. https://indopacifichealthsecurity.dfat.gov.au/health-securi... #CharlesSturtResearch #weekendreads

05.01.2022 PODCAST: Hard-seeded legumes fin the pasture mix Graham Centre researchers, Dr Belinda Hackney and Dr Jeff McCormick are part of a project examining pasture legumes for mixed farms in low-med rainfall areas. We're talking legumes like biserrula and serradella.... The project is looking at seed production, sowing time and practices, and the performance of new species and varieties. This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program), the GRDC, Meat &Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI). It brings together researchers from Murdoch University, the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, CSIRO and South Australian Research and Development Institute. In this episode of Australian Wool Innovation The Yarn Podcast Murdoch University's Rob Harrison explains what it's all about.

04.01.2022 CONGRATULATIONS Dr Jane Kelly has been awarded her PhD for research examining the prevalence, management and economic impact of seed contamination in sheep carcasses by barley grass. The findings show the value of proactive and accurately timed integrated weed management strategies for influencing legume pasture composition, reducing barley grass populations and mitigating losses associated with seed contamination in grazing sheep in southern Australia.... #CharlesSturtResearch #CharlesSturtGrad #phdlife

03.01.2022 WE'RE DIGGING THE COOL SOIL INITIATIVE There’s nothing quite like being able to see research in action. That’s what's been happening at a number of field days held recently as part of the Cool Soil Initiative, a project that aims to support farmers to reduce on-farm greenhouse gas emissions.... The Food Agility project brings together researchers from Charles Sturt University, grain growers through farming systems groups Riverine Plains Central West Farming Systems and FarmLink Research, manufacturers Kellogg's Australia The Manildra Group Mars Petcare Australia and Allied Pinnacle, and the Sustainable Food Lab. Read more in the link in the comments Jon Medway

03.01.2022 WANT TO FIND OUT IF YOU'VE GOT HERBICIDE RESISTANT WEEDS Graham Centre researchers are part of a national herbicide resistance survey and want to hear from growers in south western NSW. "We can provide growers with the herbicide resistance screening results for weed populations collected from their paddocks," says Dr John Broster.... If you want to be part of the survey contact [email protected]

03.01.2022 SHEEP SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK Australia's proposed sheep sustainability framework is now out for public consultation. Graham Centre Researcher, Professor Bruce Allworth is Chairman of the steering committee.... Our sustainability framework will improve transparency for Australia’s sheep industry and provide evidence to our customers that the food and fibre they purchase has been produced responsibly, Professor Allworth said. It will assist our industry to better understand its opportunities, challenges and impacts in key areas around animal welfare, environment and climate change and industry sustainability and profitability. "We’re calling for those involved in the sheep meat and wool industry right across the value chain from producers through to customers to help us define what sustainable production is, and how we measure and report it. Read more via Sheep Central- link in the comments

03.01.2022 Opportunities for agricultural trade with ASEAN nations. Charles Sturt University Professor of Food Sustainability Niall Blair says our closest neighbours offer an opportunity for our farmers to spread their risk and seek an alternative as China looks to freeze them out. I saw firsthand the opportunities, goodwill and enthusiasm that countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia present for Australian commodities.... Read the full story #WeekendRead

02.01.2022 DAIRY BEEF EATING QUALITY Graham Centre researchers from Charles Sturt University are leading a study of the impacts of genetics, nutrition and management on the performance and eating quality of beef from dairy breeds. Read more in this story via Meat & Livestock Australia

01.01.2022 MAKING A DIFFERENCE "I love being involved in an industry which has a profound effect on daily life," said Charles Sturt University PhD student Kayla Kopp. In the lead up to #AgDayAU we've asked Graham Centre researchers to share their experience and what inspires them about agriculture.... Kayla is from the Central West of NSW and has a strong appreciation for the work of farmers in providing food and fibre. "Growing up on a sheep and cropping property I have always been involved in agriculture," she said. "It's such an important industry providing food and clothing for people around the world." She's been able to combine her interest in livestock production, a thirst for knowledge and a desire to make a difference in her PhD study. "My research is focusing on lamb survival, with the biggest driver of my research being my passion for the sheep industry and increasing profitability on farm," she said. "I love making a difference to farmers and animals lives." #AgDayAU #hatsofftoaussiefarmers #CharlesSturtResearch