R[0]="2100"; T[0]="Seahorses open new export doors in the west"; A[0]="By ... Editor"; Dn[0]="20071024"; Dt[0]="Wednesday 24 October 2007"; Acats[0]="a24a55"; B1[0]="      While WA's mid-west is mainly known for its wheat and iron ore exports, the region's about to add seahorses to the list.... "; B2[0]=" "; B3[0]=" "; B4[0]=" "; B5[0]=" "; S1[0]="      While WA's mid-west is mainly known for its wheat and iron ore exports, the region's about to add seahorses to the list.
"; S2[0]="       Within a month, live seahorses will be sold to Europe, Canada and America as aquarium pets.
      Dr Mick Payne "; S3[0]=" from the Kalbarri Seahorse Sanctuary says it could be a profitable enterprise.
      'I'd have to say that captive-bred seahorses are certainly worth "; S4[0]=" more on the export market than they are domestically,' he says.
      'There's another farm supplying the domestic market and it's not a "; S5[0]=" huge market here so the value of the product is down, but it's a rather large market in the UK and in the US.
  "; S6[0]="     So they're worth I'd say probably about fifty per cent more on the export market'... "; R[1]="2028"; T[1]="Sun shield reduces water needed to grow vegetables: southern NSW trial"; A[1]="By ... Editor"; Dn[1]="20070507"; Dt[1]="Monday 7 May 2007"; Acats[1]="a36a55"; B1[1]="      A new means of shielding broadacre vegetable crops from the sun could massively reduce the quantity of water required to grow vegetables "; B2[1]="in some of the driest parts of the Murray Darling Basin... "; B3[1]=" "; B4[1]=" "; B5[1]=" "; S1[1]="      A new means of shielding broadacre vegetable crops from the sun could massively reduce the quantity of water required to grow vegetables "; S2[1]=" in some of the driest parts of the Murray Darling Basin.
      Preliminary trials by growers in Griffith, supported by the NSW Department "; S3[1]=" of Primary Industries (DPI), indicate that a new Israeli technique using 'screenhouses' could see water used for growing vegetables cut by more than a third.
"; S4[1]="       An Israeli research trial, reported last year in the journal Irrigation Science, found 38 per cent less water was required for 'screenhouse' "; S5[1]=" crops compared with crops grown in open fields.
      Griffith vegetable growers, Tony and Frank Catazariti and John and Anthony Vitucci, are in "; S6[1]=" their second year of production using a shadecloth structure that covers one hectare to protect what are essentially field-grown vegetable crops.
      Several "; S7[1]=" years of research by the cloth suppliers, Queensland based-Envirotech, was required to determine the best combination of colour and density of shade cloth on the "; S8[1]=" roof to modify sunlight penetration, and on the sides to moderate wind speed.
      DPI District Horticulturist, Mr Mark Hickey, says the Australian "; S9[1]=" trial is supporting overseas findings that sunlight intensity, windspeed and evaporative losses from the plant and soil surface were all lower and provided a more "; S10[1]=" favourable environment for plant growth.
      In the first year melons were grown in the structure, and this year mini capsicums - a "; S11[1]=" high value crop not normally grown in southern NSW - were successfully grown using the new system.
      Mr Hickey said in the "; S12[1]=" first year of operation there was a dramatic difference in amount of moisture extracted from the soil by melons grown inside and outside the 'screenhouse'.
"; S13[1]="       Two different methods were used to determine soil moisture levels in the root zone of the crop, and studies of the root "; S14[1]=" systems of the protected crops were undertaken.
      Initial estimates from the growers are that 30 per cent less water was used to "; S15[1]=" grow the melons under the shade cloth, compared with outside conditions.
      'A crucial factor is an estimated 40 per cent reduction in "; S16[1]=" 'global radiation', which means that evapo-transpiration is reduced.
      'This is a significant benefit in terms of reducing water use but makes water "; S17[1]=" management crucial, as excess water can lead to root diseases such as pythium and phytophthora.' Mr Hickey said the shadecloth structure also creates a more "; S18[1]=" conducive environment for pests, which means crops have to be carefully monitored to check for the spread of viruses.
      Trials of the "; S19[1]=" new system are to be extended in the next two years in a collaborative effort by NSW DPI and CSIRO Land and Water, under a "; S20[1]=" new research project into water use efficiency in horticulture funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Irrigation Futures (CRC IF).
      Mr Hickey "; S21[1]=" said further research needs to be undertaken into the impact of the new growing system on evapo-transpiration, through monitoring of daily changes in moisture levels, "; S22[1]=" as well as on pests and diseases.
      'One advantage of this system is that it does not overheat crops, as happens in "; S23[1]=" greenhouses.' The Griffith growers believe the screenhouse is economically viable, but the cost benefit of the system for other growers still needs to be assessed.
"; S24[1]="       This will be examined as part of the CRC project.
      As with vegetable growing regions in the Murray-Darling Basin, "; S25[1]=" Israel's semi-arid and arid regions require irrigation to survive.
      Growers in Israel have limited access to freshwater and between1980 and 2002 and "; S26[1]=" the amount of freshwater available for agriculture in that country fell by more than half... "; R[2]="1984"; T[2]="AUSGRAINZ showcases future grains"; A[2]="By ... Editor"; Dn[2]="20070319"; Dt[2]="Monday 19 March 2007"; Acats[2]="a22a55a57a93"; B1[2]="      The successful grains research and development alliance between Australia's CSIRO and New Zealand's Crop & Food Research, AUSGRAINZ, ha announced its future "; B2[2]="research directions... "; B3[2]=" "; B4[2]=" "; B5[2]=" "; S1[2]="      The successful grains research and development alliance between Australia's CSIRO and New Zealand's Crop & Food Research, AUSGRAINZ, ha announced its future "; S2[2]=" research directions.
      With a focus on the huge potential of Australia's High Rainfall Zone (HRZ), for the past five years the alliance "; S3[2]=" has been developing high yielding disease resistant wheat varieties with innovative traits.
      Some of the material is dual purpose and can be "; S4[2]=" grown for forage and grain or grain only.
      'Science and technology are key drivers for the success and growth of global agribusiness,' "; S5[2]=" says CSIRO Plant Industry Chief, Dr Jeremy Burdon.
      'By combining the skills and resources of CSIRO and Crop & Food Research, AUSGRAINZ "; S6[2]=" can bring enormous capacity to bear on issues for the Australian and New Zealand grains industries.
      'The alliance works closely with the "; S7[2]=" Geelong-based Southern Farming Systems - a non-profit organisation dedicated to making farming in high rainfall zones more profitable.' 'CSIRO's track record in plant physiology, elite "; S8[2]=" cultivar breeding and cereal chemistry, including in-house quality testing, gives the alliance high-level expertise along the full length of the production chain.
      "; S9[2]=" CSIRO breeding lines include robust resistance to the most important diseases of the HRZ, including all rusts and barley yellow dwarf virus.
      "; S10[2]=" For some crops we are introducing novel traits such as water use efficiency, salt tolerance and early vigour.' Crop & Food Research General Manager of "; S11[2]=" Market Development, Peter Barrowclough, says the alliance's access to international supplies of germplasm is a key factor in the breeding program.
      'Germplasm "; S12[2]=" from around the world is being evaluated and crossed in New Zealand's stable, high yielding environment to breed high yielding milling quality wheats with robust "; S13[2]=" disease resistance, adapted to the HRZ,' he says.
      The alliance works closely with the Geelong-based Southern Farming Systems - a non-profit organisation "; S14[2]=" dedicated to making farming in high rainfall zones more profitable.
      'The support of a farming group with the skills to run long-term "; S15[2]=" trials is an immense help to the alliance's breeding efforts,' Mr Barrowclough says.
      'Southern Farming Systems has been running wheat breeding trials, "; S16[2]=" evaluating agronomic practices and developing management packages to suit the varieties under development,' says Southern Farming Systems Executive Officer, Col Hacking.
      'After "; S17[2]=" watching new varieties develop it is exciting to see them getting close to release.' Four new milling quality varieties, bred specifically for Australia's high rainfall "; S18[2]=" zones, are now being considered for commercialisation.
      All have excellent yield and appropriate grain quality traits, as well as outstanding resistance to "; S19[2]=" stripe rust and leaf rust.
      The first of these is expected to be released in 2008.
      One new dual "; S20[2]=" purpose feed wheat, which can be grazed before recovering to yield a grain crop, is in the process of being commercialised and multiplied for seed "; S21[2]=" sales, which are expected in 2009.
      Two other dual-purpose varieties are close to commercialisation... "; R[3]="1879"; T[3]="New Wheat Variety for the Tough Times"; A[3]="By ... Editor"; Dn[3]="20070207"; Dt[3]="Wednesday 7 February 2007"; Acats[3]="a22a55"; B1[3]="      Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) today released Gladius, a new wheat variety with excellent tolerance to the tough, dry conditions often encountered by "; B2[3]="South Australian growers... "; B3[3]=" "; B4[3]=" "; B5[3]=" "; S1[3]="      Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) today released Gladius, a new wheat variety with excellent tolerance to the tough, dry conditions often encountered by "; S2[3]=" South Australian growers.
      Approximately 300 tonnes of Gladius are expected to be available through local seed distributors, ready for 2007 sowing.
  "; S3[3]="     Gladius was designed to help growers manage the high risk of cropping in South Australia's hostile climatic conditions.
      'Most South "; S4[3]=" Australian growers want to capture the highest possible financial returns in good growing years to buffer the often severe consequences of drought years,' said Dr.Stephen "; S5[3]=" Jefferies, Chief Executive Officer of AGT.
      'Therefore the challenge for our wheat breeders is to develop a variety that shows solid "; S6[3]=" performance in the good years, and is tough enough to avoid or minimise losses in the bad drought years.' 'We developed Gladius with this in "; S7[3]=" mind, and believe it will be a valuable tool for managing the climatic risks in South Australian cropping.' Gladius was tested as RAC1262 and developed "; S8[3]=" by AGT's Roseworthy wheat breeding team, in collaboration with former SARDI employee Dr.Neil Howes.
      Gladius was derived from a cross involving Excalibur, "; S9[3]=" Kukri, Krichauff, a Trident derivative and RAC875, a breeder's line that was not released commercially but has demonstrated exceptional performance under drought conditions.
    "; S10[3]="   'The cross that generated Gladius combines the grain yield of Excalibur, Krichauff and RAC875 with the rust and disease resistance and quality of "; S11[3]=" Kukri and the Trident derivative,' said Haydn Kuchel, head wheat breeder for Australian Grain Technologies at Roseworthy.
      'The exciting news is "; S12[3]=" that Gladius has shown excellent yield performance in good years like 2005, and in tough years like 2006.' In fact, preliminary results from the 2006 "; S13[3]=" National Variety Trials show Gladius to be the overall highest-yielding commercial variety across South Australian trials.
      This excellent performance in a drought "; S14[3]=" year was preceded by an overall second ranking to Pugsley in the higher yielding 2005 season trials.
      Over five years of trials "; S15[3]=" specifically targeting drought affected areas in South Australia, Gladius has often produced yields 20-30% higher than benchmark varieties Frame and Yitpi, and 10-15% above other "; S16[3]=" proven drought performers Wyalkatchem and Westonia.
      'AGT was able to fast-track the development of Gladius due in part to financial contributions from "; S17[3]=" the South Australian Grains Industry Trust and the South Australian Premier's Drought Relief Fund,' said Dr.Jefferies.
      'The additional support enabled AGT "; S18[3]=" to significantly shorten the time period from first cross to commercial release by three years on this particular variety.' Gladius is the latest variety release "; S19[3]=" from AGT and its plant breeding venture partners, including the Grains Research and Development Corporation, University of Adelaide, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Sydney "; S20[3]=" University and Graincorp... "; R[4]="1510"; T[4]="New Rain Alert Gauge helps to monitor tank levels remotely"; A[4]="By ... Editor"; Dn[4]="20061006"; Dt[4]="Friday 6 October 2006"; Acats[4]="a40a55a93"; B1[4]="      A new and easy way to monitor the level of your rainwater tank from a convenient location inside the house, has been "; B2[4]="introduced by water solutions company New Water... "; B3[4]=" "; B4[4]=" "; B5[4]=" "; S1[4]="      A new and easy way to monitor the level of your rainwater tank from a convenient location inside the house, has been "; S2[4]=" introduced by water solutions company New Water.
      The new Rain Alert Gauge is a measurement device suitable for all vented tanks "; S3[4]=" up to three metres high.
      National Sales Manager for New Water, Andrew Stack, says that Rain Alert provides an easy-to-install wireless method "; S4[4]=" for monitoring tank levels.
      'The device consists of a transmitter and a receiver.
      The transmitter sits on top of "; S5[4]=" the tank, using 'ultrasonics' to gauge the level of fluid in the tank.
      The receiver, which can be located up to 200 "; S6[4]=" metres from the tank, is plugged into a power point with a small LCD panel continuously showing how much water is in your tank,' Mr "; S7[4]=" Stack said.
      'When the tank is below a pre-determined level, the LCD panel will flash a 'Tank Fill' picture, and when it "; S8[4]=" is almost empty a red warning light will flash to indicate the low tank level.
      'Rain Alert is a safe option to "; S9[4]=" monitoring tank levels as it doesn't require climbing on top of the tank and reaching in to make measurements.
      All it involves "; S10[4]=" is reading the LCD display which may be located in the kitchen, bathroom, garage or shed,' he said.
      Rain Alert is suitable "; S11[4]=" for rainwater harvesting tanks including New Water's flexible Rain Reviva bladder tanks as well as the company's range of Slimline tanks.
      The "; S12[4]=" lithium battery in the transmitter has a life of ten years and the entire device comes with a one year warranty.
      The "; S13[4]=" cost of a standard unit to fit a tank is $160 and is available from New Water.
      New Water is an "; S14[4]=" Australian company which sells innovative, customised water solutions in the form of grey water recycling and rainwater harvesting tanks and systems.
      The "; S15[4]=" company is currently franchising in NSW... "; R[5]="1478"; T[5]="Fast track for radio tags"; A[5]="By ... Editor"; Dn[5]="20061006"; Dt[5]="Friday 6 October 2006"; Acats[5]="a55a93"; B1[5]="      AUSTRALIAN businesses are attaching radio frequency identification tags to sheep, trains, heavy mining equipment and nurses as they take advantage of the "; B2[5]="technology's ability to track assets and people... "; B3[5]=" "; B4[5]=" "; B5[5]=" "; S1[5]="      AUSTRALIAN businesses are attaching radio frequency identification tags to sheep, trains, heavy mining equipment and nurses as they take advantage of the "; S2[5]=" technology's ability to track assets and people.
      The rapid uptake of RFID in many industries is overshadowed by dithering in the retail "; S3[5]=" sector on how best to deploy the tiny radio tags, and whether the cost of doing so can be justified.
      Business "; S4[5]=" cases have proved easier to formulate outside the supply chain, however, leading to an explosion in the use of the technology in sectors that include "; S5[5]=" healthcare, corrective services, mining and agriculture.
      'There's a lot of imagination being applied to the use of RFID and it has "; S6[5]=" caught the attention of the most unlikely industries,' Accenture senior supply chain executive Mark Reynolds says.
      'Australia has an enormous number of "; S7[5]=" RFID tags out there on sheep and cattle in the livestock industry.' Accenture worked on one of the first production launches of RFID in "; S8[5]=" Australia when it sewed radio tags into the uniforms of staff working in Sydney's Star City casino.
      Star City is among "; S9[5]=" the many Australian businesses looking to make greater use of radio frequency identification technology.
      It is particularly interested in RFID-enabled gambling chips.
"; S10[5]="       The technology has already been installed in one a leading Las Vegas gambling den, the $US2.7 billion Steve Wynn Casino, which "; S11[5]=" was built by the developer of the famed Bellagio and Mirage casinos.
      The chips, which can be linked to individual gamblers, "; S12[5]=" are expected to cut fraud and are part of a growing trend towards using RFID to create audit trails as well as locate equipment and "; S13[5]=" people.
      Roger Whyborn, managing director of Australian long-range RFID tag manufacturer Protrac iD, says he has noted a dramatic surge in "; S14[5]=" use of the technology in the past two years.
      Protrac's tags, which operate at ranges from a half-metre up to a "; S15[5]=" half-kilometre, are installed in a number of locations, including Queensland's Rockhampton Hospital.
      'All the hype around the US Department of Defence "; S16[5]=" and Wal-mart has rubbed off on us,' Whyborn says.
      'We're seeing much more interest and it's not just tyre-kicking.
      "; S17[5]=" 'A lot of the stuff we've been doing, of course, is proof of concept, but the volumes are growing.
      Instead of "; S18[5]=" doing a run of 1000 tags, we're now doing runs of 10,000 to 15,000.' According to Whyborn, the mining industry is one of the "; S19[5]=" most aggressive adopters of RFID tags.
      Other technology companies that have sought to capitalise on demand for radio frequency identification in "; S20[5]=" the resources sector include CSC Australia and manufacturer 3M.
      Whyborn says mining companies are using RFID tags on a range of "; S21[5]=" equipment, including the massive trucks that haul minerals in and out of underground and open cut mines.
      The technology is used "; S22[5]=" to identify vehicles, parts and people.
      It is also being used to locate miners and as a collision avoidance system on "; S23[5]=" vehicles in mine shafts with poor visibility.
      BHP Billiton, meanwhile, has piloted custom-made RFID tags in one of its copper smelters, where "; S24[5]=" it helps identify anodes that are used in metals manufacturing.
      BHP has repeatedly declined to discuss the project and CSC has "; S25[5]=" also declined to name names.
      It is well known, however, that the subject of the pilot is BHP.
      "; S26[5]=" 'The business problem here had to do with the quality of the copper yields through the smelting process and what this organisation couldn't do "; S27[5]=" was determine which anodes needed to be replaced or serviced based on reduced quality of the copper,' CSC innovation office regional director Derek Binney says.
"; S28[5]="       'It's a huge environment -- very caustic, very electromagnetically charged.
      It's not a friendly environment in which to apply "; S29[5]=" technology.' CSC and 3M developed ceramic-coated RFID tags that are attached to the copper anodes, allowing BHP to track them as they move through "; S30[5]=" the smelter.
      Radio technology is similarly being used to track assets in sectors such as healthcare, Protrac's Whyborn says.
    "; R[6]="1454"; T[6]="Stations look to unmanned planes over traditional labour"; A[6]="By ... Editor"; Dn[6]="20060927"; Dt[6]="Wednesday 27 September 2006"; Acats[6]="a02a06a55a72a93"; B1[6]="      Remote control aeroplanes that can monitor stock, fences and water levels are becoming cost competitive with farm labour.... "; B2[6]=" "; B3[6]=" "; B4[6]=" "; B5[6]=" "; S1[6]="      Remote control aeroplanes that can monitor stock, fences and water levels are becoming cost competitive with farm labour.
      That "; S2[6]=" is the finding of an MLA sponsored project being carried out by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and the Kondinin Group.
      "; S3[6]=" The project is looking into technologies that can cut labour expenses on large cattle stations.
      Les Zeller from the Queensland DPI says "; S4[6]=" unmanned planes will make light work of everyday surveillance tasks.
      'Unmanned aerial vehicles have computer systems on board, so you program the "; S5[6]=" plane, it takes off and flies to the way-points, takes the images or collects the data that you want and then you can download the "; S6[6]=" data or the data can be transmitted from the vehicle back to the ground where you can continually monitor what's going on,' he said... "; R[7]="1437"; T[7]="Emerging industries potential for West"; A[7]="By ... Editor"; Dn[7]="20060927"; Dt[7]="Wednesday 27 September 2006"; Acats[7]="a55a81"; B1[7]="      In July, Nicholas Swadling was appointed to the position of DPI&F industry development officer for Western Queensland, based at Charleville.... "; B2[7]=" "; B3[7]=" "; B4[7]=" "; B5[7]=" "; S1[7]="      In July, Nicholas Swadling was appointed to the position of DPI&F industry development officer for Western Queensland, based at Charleville.
    "; S2[7]="   DPI&F regional director (West) Tony Rayner said Mr Swadling was working with new and emerging industries in Western Queensland to identify trade and marketing "; S3[7]=" opportunities through strategic research and development capacity.
      'Nicholas will have state-wide responsibilities in the areas of industry planning, restructuring, project development and "; S4[7]=" delivery with the macropod, goat, sheep meat, camel and other emerging industries,' Mr Rayner said.
      'Nicholas brings with him a wealth of "; S5[7]=" knowledge and experience to this position, to engage in policy, strategy advice, coordination and research, and he will be a valuable asset to the department,' "; S6[7]=" Mr Rayner said.
      After working throughout regional News South Wales and Queensland, in 1992 Mr Swadling and his family moved to Charleville, "; S7[7]=" where he became a ranger-in-charge of the National Parks Management Unit, with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).
      In 2005, he "; S8[7]=" transferred to the QPWS Macropod Management Unit in Charleville, and is currently completing an Advanced Diploma in Conservation and Land Management.
      Mr "; S9[7]=" Swadling was the founding Chairman of the Queensland Rangers Association, the professional body established to progress the aims of park rangers throughout Queensland.
    "; S10[7]="   In March 2004, Mr Swadling became a councillor with the Murweh Shire Council and serves on the Finance/Administration and Policy Committee His passion in "; S11[7]=" life is the bush, its people and communities.
      'I am looking forward to assisting the regional prosperity of Queensland in my new "; S12[7]=" role with enthusiasm, optimism and a sincere belief that industry profitability and sustainability will allow regional Queensland to exist, capture future growth pouring into Queensland "; S13[7]=" and deliver prosperity to the bush,' Mr Swadling said... "; R[8]="1436"; T[8]="Time and space combine to give graziers a high-tech management tool"; A[8]="By ... Editor"; Dn[8]="20060927"; Dt[8]="Wednesday 27 September 2006"; Acats[8]="a02a55a72a93"; B1[8]="      Ever wish you could get a bird's eye view of your property? Wing your way over the fence lines, check the dam "; B2[8]="levels and pasture cover in the paddock closest to the neighbours?.. "; B3[8]=" "; B4[8]=" "; B5[8]=" "; S1[8]="      Ever wish you could get a bird's eye view of your property? Wing your way over the fence lines, check the dam "; S2[8]=" levels and pasture cover in the paddock closest to the neighbours? What if your wish extended to comparing today's flight with one taken 10, 20 "; S3[8]=" or even 30 years ago? Well stop dreaming, because Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) scientists can take you on this virtual tour using "; S4[8]=" high-tech satellite imagery.
      DPI&F senior rangelands scientist Bob Karfs heads a project team, including input from experts in DPI&F, CSIRO, James Cook "; S5[8]=" University and the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and water, that is examining satellite data to form a better picture of how land conditions change "; S6[8]=" over time.
      According to Bob, unlocking the key to this information allows a catchment-wide appreciation of the effect of events such as "; S7[8]=" drought or flood, as well as allowing individual property owners to assess the effectiveness of day-to-day management tools such as carrying capacity, fencing and watering "; S8[8]=" spots.
      'The bigger picture we are looking at is to form some sort of catalogue that gives us an indication of the "; S9[8]=" varying degrees of land health across a whole catchment.
      'For 30 years, we have had satellites in the sky, passing over the "; S10[8]=" same point every 16 days and capturing an image.
      'This bank of information provides scientists and property managers alike a valuable tool "; S11[8]=" for understanding how land reacts to natural events and management decisions alike.
      'Essentially, we are comparing management types against the pasture cover "; S12[8]=" trends of regional land types.
      Together with ground verification we can then make preliminary assessments of condition to provide feedback on land "; S13[8]=" management.
      'For example, the satellite imagery may show up a marked improvement in pasture cover over a three year period.
    "; S14[8]="   An explanation for this may be good wet seasons, or it may be an input activity such as reduced pressure on a watering point "; S15[8]=" due to new fencing.' Bob says while property specific information is available, the satellite images are also assisting catchment planners capture the 'bigger picture'.
  "; S16[8]="     Working with Natural Resource Management groups such as the Burdekin Dry Tropics Board and Fitzroy Basin Association, this catalogue will give catchment planners "; S17[8]=" an insight into target areas where critical recovery activities need to take place.
      Bob says that individual property owners can take advantage "; S18[8]=" of the bank of satellite imagery to improve their business management.
      'While it's extremely valuable to have a sky eye monitoring the "; S19[8]=" land, there is also a place for the vast knowledge property owners have acquired over their years on the land.
      A key "; S20[8]=" part of the project has been the role of people living on the land, helping us to interpret the reasons for change on-property and over "; S21[8]=" the wider region.
      'The combination of this information provides feedback to graziers to allow them to develop a better understanding of the "; S22[8]=" link between available feed and pasture condition over long-term climatic variations, including drought and recovery and wildfires.' The project is also influencing the delivery of "; S23[8]=" other DPI&F initiatives, including the popular Grazing Land Management program... "; R[9]="1316"; T[9]="South Australian Water Technology Expoter Maintains the Lead in the UK"; A[9]="By ... Editor"; Dn[9]="20060823"; Dt[9]="Wednesday 23 August 2006"; Acats[9]="a40a55a93"; B1[9]="      International pipe fitting manufacturer and exporter Philmac has been recognised as South Australia's leading water technology marketer after selling more than $1 "; B2[9]="million worth of its third generation (3G) compression fitting to the UK... "; B3[9]=" "; B4[9]=" "; B5[9]=" "; S1[9]="      International pipe fitting manufacturer and exporter Philmac has been recognised as South Australia's leading water technology marketer after selling more than $1 "; S2[9]=" million worth of its third generation (3G) compression fitting to the UK.
      This impressive result was achieved in the product's first year "; S3[9]=" of exports and earned the company the Marketing Excellence award at this year's Water Industry Alliance Awards.
      South Australian based Philmac, a "; S4[9]=" world leader in designing, manufacturing and marketing plastic pipe fittings and valves, developed the product over five years and invested more than $3 million in "; S5[9]=" research and development before launching it in 2005.
      Group Marketing Manager of Philmac, Jason Mitchell, said the product was developed to meet "; S6[9]=" a niche need in the UK market.
      'There has been very little product innovation in the area of compression fittings in the "; S7[9]=" UK market for some time and our competitors have been attacking our leadership position by cutting processes.
      'In developing 3G, our objective "; S8[9]=" was two fold - maintain our market share in existing markets and provide a platform for growth in new markets.' Philmac achieved this by developing "; S9[9]=" a unique compression fitting that can join metric or imperial polyethylene pipe from either end - a world first.
      'There are two "; S10[9]=" standards of PE pipe in the UK - metric, which is typically used for new installations and imperial, a dimension of PE that was utilised "; S11[9]=" when it first came on the scene in the 1960s,' Mr Mitchell said.
      'Today, when an imperial pipe bursts or leaks, common "; S12[9]=" practice is to put a new piece of metric pipe in using a compression fitting that has a dedicated end for a metric pipe and "; S13[9]=" a dedicated end for an imperial pipe.
      'Our new 3G fitting is universal so you can fit it to either pipe at "; S14[9]=" either end.
      This product is more flexible, easier to use and most importantly, means less inventory for our distributors to carry so "; S15[9]=" it has been received very well by our customers.' Philmac's 3G Compression Fitting technology is used in a number of applications ranging from domestic water "; S16[9]=" transfer to irrigation and general water transfer around rural properties.
      Philmac uses advanced plastics in all product design which is essential for "; S17[9]=" resisting corrosion and UV degradation and ensures the products are light weight and as a result, easy to use.
      Mr Mitchell said "; S18[9]=" an added benefit of the 3G product was that it carried Philmac's unique slide and tighten technology, which enables the user to simply slide the "; S19[9]=" fitting on to a pipe and tighten it to secure it to the pipe.
      To successfully market the product, Philmac developed a "; S20[9]=" DVD that can be used like an off-line website.
      It contains a training video, installation instructions, product information as well as promotional "; S21[9]=" material for distributors to use such as print advertisements.
      According to Mr Mitchell this is the first time a Compression Fitting manufacturer "; S22[9]=" has employed such a comprehensive suite of electronic marketing collateral.
      'The DVD evolved from us talking to customers and working out what "; S23[9]=" their needs were.
      They told us that they wanted training information, lots of good technical information and they wanted it electronically.
  "; S24[9]="     We thought a good way to bring that all together was through a DVD.' Philmac was the first company in the world to "; S25[9]=" develop an all-plastic compression fitting to join polyethylene pipes in the late 1960s.
      It now has distribution centres in every state in "; S26[9]=" Australia, as well as a warehouse and sales team working out of the UK.
      It also has agents in more than 30 "; S27[9]=" countries with key markets in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Africa and the Middle East.
      This is the second Water Industry Alliance Award the "; S28[9]=" company has won.
      Last year it received the Market Development Award for its growth in the UK market.
      'This "; S29[9]=" is a good follow up to that award,' Mr Mitchell said.
      'The Alliance has been good for Philmac in terms of networking "; S30[9]=" opportunities, particularly with water authorities and water companies.' The Water Industry Alliance is a South Australian business cluster of 180 water educators, researchers, manufacturers and "; R[10]="1202"; T[10]="Tas vodka wins international awards"; A[10]="By ... Editor"; Dn[10]="20060730"; Dt[10]="Sunday 30 July 2006"; Acats[10]="a13a55"; B1[10]="      A Tasmanian distillery which exports vodka to Russia has won two international awards at the Wine and Spirits Fair in London.... "; B2[10]=" "; B3[10]=" "; B4[10]=" "; B5[10]=" "; S1[10]="      A Tasmanian distillery which exports vodka to Russia has won two international awards at the Wine and Spirits Fair in London.
  "; S2[10]="     The Tamar Distillery, at Beauty Point in northern Tasmania, received bronze medals for its citrus-infused dry gin and Tasmanian pepperberry vodka.
    "; S3[10]="   Manager Phillip Ridyard says Tasmania's pristine water helped the company to crack into the tough Russian market.
      'The primary reason is "; S4[10]=" the water and the selection of the water because the crucial part of vodka is low calcium,' Mr Ridyard said.
      'And we "; S5[10]=" produce three blends using three waters, one from the west coast, one from near Scottsdale and a sample from York Town.
      'We "; S6[10]=" then held a blind tasting with a group of expatriate Russians.
      'The result was the blend with the York Town water actually "; S7[10]=" beat an international that [we] put in there as the ringer.'.. "; R[11]="1125"; T[11]="Driving on-farm productivity over the next 20 years"; A[11]="By ... Editor"; Dn[11]="20060717"; Dt[11]="Monday 17 July 2006"; Acats[11]="a07a55a57a93"; B1[11]="      On farm-efficiency will replace productivity as the key to ensuring a vibrant long-term future for the New Zealand sheep industry.... "; B2[11]=" "; B3[11]=" "; B4[11]=" "; B5[11]=" "; S1[11]="      On farm-efficiency will replace productivity as the key to ensuring a vibrant long-term future for the New Zealand sheep industry.
    "; S2[11]="   Speaking at the Department of Agriculture and Food's Sheep Updates today (13 July), leading NZ agribusiness consultant Peter Fennessy said the challenges to maintain "; S3[11]=" the momentum of increasing productivity in the New Zealand Sheep Industry could not be underestimated.
      'The reality is that the international market "; S4[11]=" will ultimately determine the future of the sheep industry.
      While the medium-term market prospects are bright, an ongoing focus around on-farm efficiency "; S5[11]=" will be critical,' Mr Fennessy from AbacusBio Limited said.
      Mr Fennessy said New Zealand currently exported the same amount of lamb as "; S6[11]=" in the late 1980s, from a ewe flock which was 40 per cent smaller.
      'This represents a major increase in productivity from "; S7[11]=" 13 to 21 kilograms of meat per ewe, due mainly to increases in weaning percentage and carcase weight,' he said.
      'While there "; S8[11]=" are opportunities to further increase ewe productivity, the focus must be on factors that impact on overall efficiency of the farming business, which includes both "; S9[11]=" income and expenditure.' The team at AbacusBio is developing a method of analysis based on breaking down the primary drivers that improve financial efficiency, such "; S10[11]=" as feed consumed, feed conversion efficiency, product price and costs.
      'Further gains can then be made by breaking down the four 'drivers' "; S11[11]=" to see what improvements can be made, and assess their impact on profitability,' he said.
      Mr Fennessy said the data required for "; S12[11]=" such an in-depth analysis was usually collected by farmers, but the analysis provides a new way of interrogating the data to better understand the underlying "; S13[11]=" factors that drive productivity.
      He said they currently use about eight key indicators including live weight at mating, scanning percentage, weaning percentage, "; S14[11]=" lamb growth rate pre and post-weaning, selling dates of lambs, carcase weight and ewe deaths.
      The value comes from analysing the relationship "; S15[11]=" between the factors and their relationship to profit.
      Mr Fennessy acknowledged the analysis was relatively complex, however, work had commenced on developing "; S16[11]=" a software package to analyse and interpret the data.
      He said new technologies would also continue to impact at several levels of "; S17[11]=" the business.
      The greatest direct impact at the individual farm level would come through new systems of data collection, data analysis, and "; S18[11]=" the use of the information.
      Three types of technologies were singled out : ' electronic identification of individual animals using radio frequency "; S19[11]=" systems; ' measurement systems to measure and allocate feed supplies; ' systems to reduce labour such as rapid on farm diagnostics... "; R[12]="1100"; T[12]="Macnaught goes BIG on national sales and service"; A[12]="By ... Editor"; Dn[12]="20060714"; Dt[12]="Friday 14 July 2006"; Acats[12]="a01a55a93"; B1[12]="      Australia's leading designer and manufacturer of world-class lubrication equipment and flow meters, Macnaught Pty Limited, has announced the formation of its big "; B2[12]="new national sales and customer service team... "; B3[12]=" "; B4[12]=" "; B5[12]=" "; S1[12]="      Australia's leading designer and manufacturer of world-class lubrication equipment and flow meters, Macnaught Pty Limited, has announced the formation of its big "; S2[12]=" new national sales and customer service team.
      The national sales team and expanded customer service team are key planks in Macnaught's national "; S3[12]=" strategy of building its presence in a market driven in part by the global resources boom.
      The company says it is moving "; S4[12]=" against the flight of Australian manufacturers heading off-shore and is strategically building its national market presence for the future.
      In March this "; S5[12]=" year, Macnaught 'declared war' on what it described as low-cost, low-value, low-quality imports.
      The company foreshadowed sweeping changes to its market philosophy, "; S6[12]=" distribution arrangements and brand presence in industry-to-industry markets nationally.
      It has now dramatically boosted its national sales, marketing and customer relations teams "; S7[12]=" and warehousing infrastructure.
      Infrastructure improvements at its Sydney headquarters include new manufacturing, warehousing and dispatch facilities.
      With trained company "; S8[12]=" specialists in charge of sales, service and technical support, Macnaught says it is now geared to provide world-class levels of customer service and greatly improved "; S9[12]=" response times.
      Office facilities have been extended to cater for the company's new dedicated customer service function.
      The "; S10[12]=" Macnaught technical support team is located in adjoining offices, enabling speedy resolution of technical queries.
      Infrastructure improvements include new manufacturing, warehousing and "; S11[12]=" dispatch facilities.
      'We've focused the entire operation and are now running with our own fully trained specialists,' says Macnaught sales and "; S12[12]=" marketing director, Andrew Riches.
      'Our customers are our number one priority and we intend to treat them accordingly,' he says.
  "; S13[12]="     'From the most minor query to the largest order our customers will be able to depend on us for a new sense of "; S14[12]=" urgency and follow-through.
      'Macnaught has been operating for nearly 60 years now and we are clearly moving against the accelerating 'offshore' trend "; S15[12]=" in Australian manufacturing, and continuing to grow.
      'We've reinvented ourselves to be fully self-sufficient in order to provide the highest possible levels "; S16[12]=" of sales, technical assistance and support.' CEO Peter Macnaught says the company has built an enviable reputation for innovation in more than 60 countries, with "; S17[12]=" products tailored specifically to individual market needs.
      'Our international distributors are market leaders in their respective countries and their knowledge of the "; S18[12]=" Macnaught range means that assistance, parts and service are never too far away,' he says Discussing the company's recent recruitment, Andrew Riches says Macnaught had "; S19[12]=" applied particularly stringent criteria to the selection process.
      'We obviously wanted the best people, with the background, experience and know-how to hit "; S20[12]=" the deck running from day one,' he says.
      'We looked for a hands-on, can-do attitude backed by the confidence to make informed "; S21[12]=" decisions and get things done for our customers.
      'That sounds obvious, but there aren't too many people out there with those qualities "; S22[12]=" in combination.
      'I'm glad to say we found the people we wanted to help take Macnaught to the next level.' Andrew "; S23[12]=" Riches says Macnaught's new product, parts and service presence nationally system will benefit its customers in a number of ways.
      'We are "; S24[12]=" designers and manufacturers of top level lube equipment and flow meters' he says.
      'We're the only company to offer a full "; S25[12]=" 10 year parts availability guarantee if a product line is discontinued.
      And we're the only one to offer a five year product "; S26[12]=" warranty.
      'We're not just importers of boxes.
      We have a special responsibility to our customers to be directly accessible "; S27[12]=" to them - to answer their queries and expedite their orders.' Macnaught will attend a large range of industry events and field days around Australia, "; S28[12]=" making its presence strongly felt and emphasising the benefits of its new distribution system and the enlarged facilities that support it.
      The "; S29[12]=" main markets served by the company include agriculture, automotive, mining, industrial, manufacturing, marine and aviation.
      Macnaught lube equipment and flow meters "; S30[12]=" have built an enviable reputation in more than sixty countries for innovation and serviceability, with products tailored specifically to individual market needs.
      "; R[13]="1004"; T[13]="Meter trial allows units to track water use"; A[13]="By ... Editor"; Dn[13]="20060630"; Dt[13]="Friday 30 June 2006"; Acats[13]="a40a55a93"; B1[13]="      Water use in apartments could be cut by as much as 10 per cent if a Sydney Water trial of individual water "; B2[13]="meters proves a success... "; B3[13]=" "; B4[13]=" "; B5[13]=" "; S1[13]="      Water use in apartments could be cut by as much as 10 per cent if a Sydney Water trial of individual water "; S2[13]=" meters proves a success.
      Calls for all apartments to be fitted with the meters in the past have been resisted by the "; S3[13]=" State Government because of the high cost of retrofitting buildings.
      But the Government will launch a pilot project today trialling two types "; S4[13]=" of meters in a completed block of units at Rhodes and two blocks being built at Hornsby.
      It would allow residents to "; S5[13]=" monitor their use, which in turn could encourage water savings, the Minister for Water Utilities, David Campbell, said yesterday.
      'Residents throughout Sydney "; S6[13]=" have responded brilliantly to the need to reduce water consumption, with current initiatives reducing annual consumption from 630 billion litres to 529 billion litres,' Mr "; S7[13]=" Campbell said.
      Installing individual meters in existing buildings was usually impractical due to the cost and difficulty in getting access to plumbing "; S8[13]=" systems.
      But installing them in new apartments allows them to be planned during the design stage.
      Environmentalists are likely "; S9[13]=" to welcome the announcement.
      They say one of the most effective strategies to address Sydney's water shortage has been the restrictions and "; S10[13]=" efforts made by residents to use less water on their gardens and in their homes.
      As of last Thursday, Sydney's dams were "; S11[13]=" 41.9 per cent full.
      The meters will be read remotely using technology that will receive the meter data over the internet.
  "; S12[13]="     The meters will be connected to a data logger that records the amount of water used... "; R[14]="998"; T[14]="Apply now for Science and Innovation Awards"; A[14]="By ... Editor"; Dn[14]="20060628"; Dt[14]="Wednesday 28 June 2006"; Acats[14]="a04a53a54a55a93"; B1[14]="      The Australian Government's Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry aims to encourage people between the ages "; B2[14]="of 18 and 35 years to use science, technology and innovation to advance the future of agriculture, fisheries, forestry, food and natural resource management industries... "; B3[14]=" "; B4[14]=" "; B5[14]=" "; S1[14]="      The Australian Government's Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry aims to encourage people between the ages "; S2[14]=" of 18 and 35 years to use science, technology and innovation to advance the future of agriculture, fisheries, forestry, food and natural resource management industries.
"; S3[14]="       Applications for the 2006 Science and Innovation Awards have now opened.
      If you would like more information on "; S4[14]=" the 2006 Science and Innovation Awards, please e-mail ScienceAwards@brs.gov.au ... "; R[15]="970"; T[15]="Seachange pays off for Great Australian Rain Gauge"; A[15]="By ... Editor"; Dn[15]="20060621"; Dt[15]="Wednesday 21 June 2006"; Acats[15]="a35a55a93"; B1[15]="      John and Julie Bonser, winners of this year's Great Australian Rain Gauge competition, were thrilled to win their first fully functional piece "; B2[15]="of farm machinery - a $16,000 Case IH DX Farmall tractor... "; B3[15]=" "; B4[15]=" "; B5[15]=" "; S1[15]="      John and Julie Bonser, winners of this year's Great Australian Rain Gauge competition, were thrilled to win their first fully functional piece "; S2[15]=" of farm machinery - a $16,000 Case IH DX Farmall tractor.
      'We never imagined we'd actually win,' Julie said.
    "; S3[15]="   'It's such a great prize - especially considering everything else we own needs to be started with a screwdriver,' she laughed.
      "; S4[15]=" 'The boys, Ryan and Alex, are already fighting over who gets first turn and I'm looking outside at the lush grass and actually getting excited "; S5[15]=" about mowing the lawn.' In search of a sea change, the Bonser's moved from Sydney to their 9.5-acre hobby farm at Macksville on the New "; S6[15]=" South Wales north coast two years ago.
      The family all pitched in to create 'Raynelle', the bovine rain gauge - from deciding "; S7[15]=" on her name to donating a lock of hair for her tail.
      Raynelle is a recycler's dream.
      Her "; S8[15]=" neck is a steel dog food tin, her eyes are cordial bottle lids and her udder was made from the bottom of a plastic drink "; S9[15]=" bottle.
      Eight-year-old Alex even pitched in to cut off a lock of hair for her tail.
      The Bonser's have "; S10[15]=" big plans for their new life on the land - although it's taking some getting used to.
      'We have a baby ram, "; S11[15]=" three sheep, two heifers, two goats, two hens, a rooster and two ducks,' Julie said.
      'We also had a steer but we "; S12[15]=" sold him and got him back as meat, which was very hard for me.
      But as John said to me, if I "; S13[15]=" keep every animal then we'd end up with more than we could handle.' One of Julie's future goals is to produce and market goat soap.
"; S14[15]="       'My auntie came up from Sydney, she was just so amazed with the views, the animals - everything.
      She's "; S15[15]=" into natural products and said she'd teach me how to make goat soap, so we might get a business off the ground some time down "; S16[15]=" the track.
      I'm also growing our own veggies.
      We've got pumpkins and tomatoes and I hope to start growing "; S17[15]=" watermelons.
      I'm thrilled because being from Sydney, I've never been into growing our food before,' Julie said.
      John, "; S18[15]=" who grew up on a ten-acre hobby farm in western Sydney, hopes to one day breed and sell sheep.
      A carpenter by "; S19[15]=" trade, he's also excited about having the space to make and sell furniture.
      The Great Australian Rain Gauge competition, sponsored by Case "; S20[15]=" IH and held in conjunction with The Land newspaper and the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, attracted entries from around Australia.
      Raynelle "; S21[15]=" was displayed during the Royal Easter Show with over 5,000 show goers voting for their favourite entry... "; R[16]="968"; T[16]="Paper maker adds new zoo poo to roo poo"; A[16]="By ... Editor"; Dn[16]="20060621"; Dt[16]="Wednesday 21 June 2006"; Acats[16]="a07a39a55a93"; B1[16]="      After having worldwide success with a paper made from kangaroo poo, a company in north-western Tasmania has signed up with Sydney's Taronga "; B2[16]="Zoo to make use of its elephant waste... "; B3[16]=" "; B4[16]=" "; B5[16]=" "; S1[16]="      After having worldwide success with a paper made from kangaroo poo, a company in north-western Tasmania has signed up with Sydney's Taronga "; S2[16]=" Zoo to make use of its elephant waste.
      Creative Paper will make a range of stationary, for sale in the zoo's gift "; S3[16]=" shop.
      The company's Joanna Gair says the first elephant dung delivery was in a fine paper-making state by the time it arrived "; S4[16]=" in the post.
      'It had been in transit for just over a week so it was fairly ripe by the time that "; S5[16]=" we'd received it,' she said.
      'But oddly enough the more decomposed the dung is it's actually a little bit easier for paper "; S6[16]=" making, so there's no problem as far as that's concerned and it goes through a very extensive and hygienic process where all the bacteria is "; S7[16]=" boiled away, so what you're left with is a remarkably strong, good quality fibre that's really great to work with.'.. "; R[17]="909"; T[17]="Poet's invention helps blind to 'see'"; A[17]="By ... Editor"; Dn[17]="20060613"; Dt[17]="Tuesday 13 June 2006"; Acats[17]="a09a55a93"; B1[17]="      A legally blind poet in the US has designed a 'seeing machine' that allows people with limited vision to see faces of "; B2[17]="friends, or read or study the layouts of buildings they intend to visit... "; B3[17]=" "; B4[17]=" "; B5[17]=" "; S1[17]="      A legally blind poet in the US has designed a 'seeing machine' that allows people with limited vision to see faces of "; S2[17]=" friends, or read or study the layouts of buildings they intend to visit.
      The device was designed by the Massachusetts Institute of "; S3[17]=" Technology (MIT), that estimates costs of more than $5,300 to manufacture.
      It plugs into a personal computer and uses light-emitting diodes to "; S4[17]=" project selected images into a person's eye, allowing visually impaired users to see words or pictures.
      'The advantage of this kind of "; S5[17]=" display is there's no extraneous stuff in your peripheral vision that gets in the way,' designer Elizabeth Goldring, who has published three volumes of poetry, "; S6[17]=" said in an interview.
      'The image gets projected right onto the retina.' Prototype The device, which Ms Goldring calls a 'seeing machine,' "; S7[17]=" is housed in a box that measures about 30 centimetres by 15 centimetres by 15 centimetres.
      The seeing machine is not wearable "; S8[17]=" and would not allow one to easily navigate through a crowded, unfamiliar space.
      But it helps a user study a colour image, "; S9[17]=" such as printed words, pictures of people or room layouts.
      It only works for people with some living retina cells and a "; S10[17]=" completely blind person would not be able to use the device.
      It was tested on 10 people with limited vision - the "; S11[17]=" majority of whom were legally blind, meaning they can see nothing smaller than the large 'E' on an eye chart.
      The majority "; S12[17]=" could see the images and recognise simple words.
      Practical application Previous technologies aimed at people with limited vision work like closed-circuit television, "; S13[17]=" capturing an image with a camera and projecting it onto a video screen or video goggles, not directly onto the retina, Darren Burton says, national "; S14[17]=" program associate for technology at the American Foundation for the Blind.
      In perhaps its most practical application, a visually impaired person can "; S15[17]=" use the seeing machine to study a three-dimensional computer rendering of a room or public place in order to familiarise themselves prior to travelling there.
"; S16[17]="       To use the machine, one looks through an eyepiece and navigates through the image using a joystick in an effect similar to "; S17[17]=" playing a video game.
      Ms Goldring, a senior fellow at MIT's Centre for Advanced Visual Studies, said she tested the spatial preview "; S18[17]=" idea by viewing a video of a building on the MIT campus that she had not previously visited, then touring the building.
      "; S19[17]=" Mr Burton, who is totally blind, says the navigation feature would be valuable for people with limited vision.
      'If I know the "; S20[17]=" area, I'm pretty independent there, and I can tell my guide dog where to go,' Mr Burton said.
      'If I don't know "; S21[17]=" where I'm going, he's not much good.' Inspiration The seeing machine was inspired by a medical device called a scanning laser opthalmoscope, which a doctor "; S22[17]=" had used to examine Ms Goldring's eyes as she lost her vision, a side effect of diabetes.
      The laser scope can cost "; S23[17]=" more than $133,000.
      With a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Ms Goldring and a team of MIT researchers "; S24[17]=" and students have spent a decade looking for ways to cut costs by using light-emitting diodes instead of lasers, for instance, to make it more "; S25[17]=" affordable.
      With the prototype now working, Ms Goldring's next hurdle is to build a commercial version... "; R[18]="893"; T[18]="Instant rich and silky wine"; A[18]="By ... Editor"; Dn[18]="20060613"; Dt[18]="Tuesday 13 June 2006"; Acats[18]="a13a55"; B1[18]="      WISH your Two Buck Chuck were just a little smoother? Now, as crazy as it sounds, there's a simple pour-spout gizmo that "; B2[18]="claims to take the edge off cheap wine - with magnets... "; B3[18]=" "; B4[18]=" "; B5[18]=" "; S1[18]="      WISH your Two Buck Chuck were just a little smoother? Now, as crazy as it sounds, there's a simple pour-spout gizmo that "; S2[18]=" claims to take the edge off cheap wine - with magnets.
      The gadget, available in wine shops and online for about $30, "; S3[18]=" is making waves - and raising some eyebrows - in the wine world.
      When you place the BevWizard, as inventor Patrick "; S4[18]=" Farrell has named it, on the business end of a wine bottle and pour through it, the wine becomes rounder, softer and less tannic, as "; S5[18]=" if by some miracle someone has taken a power sander and smoothed out the rough edges of the wine.
      In certain wines, "; S6[18]=" the effect can be dramatic.
      But while nearly everyone can detect a difference using the BevWizard, not everyone falls sway to "; S7[18]=" its magic.
      Sommeliers and other wine purists look upon this sort of manipulation with suspicion.
      But retailers think "; S8[18]=" it just might get people afraid of robust tannins to be a little more adventurous when buying.
      Farrell, a physician who "; S9[18]=" lives in Huntington Beach, has been demonstrating the powers of his gadget at wine festivals and events such as Hospice du Rhône, in Paso Robles "; S10[18]=" last month, and even Vinexpo, in Bordeaux, France, where Farrell showed a prototype last year.
      It was there that Robin Kelley O'Connor, "; S11[18]=" president of the Society of Wine Educators, first encountered it being used on some coltish Bordeaux barrel samples.
      'Farrell was using "; S12[18]=" his pourer and saying, 'Try this one, try that' and asking us which we preferred,' recalls O'Connor, 'and the wines poured through his contraption were "; S13[18]=" so much smoother, and the aromas weren't affected.' The secret of Farrell's device is powerful magnets that are molded into the plastic sleeve of "; S14[18]=" the BevWizard.
      Magnets, according to Farrell, can change the molecular structure of a wine's tannins.
      Tannins are compounds found "; S15[18]=" in the skins and seeds of all grapes, and in oak, that turn up in red wines and some whites too (as well as black "; S16[18]=" tea and coffee)... "; R[19]="800"; T[19]="Joint trials of low cost aerial crop imaging system"; A[19]="By ... Editor"; Dn[19]="20060601"; Dt[19]="Thursday 1 June 2006"; Acats[19]="a02a55a72"; B1[19]="      The Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and the Victorian Department of Primary Industries are jointly testing a new aerial imaging "; B2[19]="system for crop monitoring that uses digital and thermal infrared cameras... "; B3[19]=" "; B4[19]=" "; B5[19]=" "; S1[19]="      The Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and the Victorian Department of Primary Industries are jointly testing a new aerial imaging "; S2[19]=" system for crop monitoring that uses digital and thermal infrared cameras.
      A DPI&F principal scientist, Graeme Wright of Kingaroy, said he "; S3[19]=" had been investigating low cost options to capture infrared aerial images as part of on-going research into the application of remote sensing technologies to improve "; S4[19]=" yield, quality, and profitability in peanuts.
      'Although it's still early days, the remote sensing techniques show considerable promise and potentially offer a "; S5[19]=" timely method for growers to identify and manage problems causing crop variations, including disease, aflatoxin, nutrient stress and poor irrigation efficiency,' Dr Wright said.
  "; S6[19]="     'We have recently tested our digital video camera system in a Jabiru light aircraft that has significantly lowered our imaging operating costs,' he "; S7[19]=" said.
      Dr Wright said the new system was manufactured by DPI&F maintenance officer Dave Osborne, and consisted of a custom-made door in "; S8[19]=" which cameras were mounted to achieve a clear view of the ground.
      'This new platform means that infra-red imagery will potentially be "; S9[19]=" far more affordable for peanut growers, with imaging costs now expected to be a few dollars per hectare,' he said.
      Dr Wright "; S10[19]=" said the DPI&F researchers were working with other groups, and were recently visited by Victorian DPI scientist Garry O'Leary, who was keen to test their "; S11[19]=" remote sensing cameras in the new Jabiru aerial platform.
      'The Victorian DPI cameras consist of a high resolution multi-band digital camera and "; S12[19]=" a thermal infra-red camera that allow crop temperature to be assessed remotely, similar to the techniques used in military applications.' Dr Wright said Dr O'Leary "; S13[19]=" was impressed with the simplicity and low operating cost of the DPI&F aerial platform, and was keen to test it under southern Australian conditions.
  "; S14[19]="     The high cost of operating the Victorian aerial imaging system had restricted the remote sensing research program there, and meant that only limited "; S15[19]=" imagery could be acquired during the crop season.
      'Dr O'Leary's visit was also invaluable for DPI&F researchers by allowing them to test "; S16[19]=" the Victorian DPI high resolution cameras under Queensland conditions.
      'We were able to get an idea of how these cameras compare to "; S17[19]=" the DPI&F imaging system,' Dr Wright said.
      He said the collaborative visit was part of a Grains Research and Development Corporation-funded "; S18[19]=" initiative on precision agriculture, involving both the Victorian and Queensland departments.
      'It's also part of the Victorian State initiative, Our rural "; S19[19]=" landscape, which studies the spatial management of nitrogen in wheat crops,' he said... "; R[20]="777"; T[20]="From Outback gardens - a bushtucker pie"; A[20]="By ... Editor"; Dn[20]="20060526"; Dt[20]="Friday 26 May 2006"; Acats[20]="a10a55a78"; B1[20]="      The newest offering on Australia's rapidly expanding bush food menu is that most traditional of dishes - a pie.... "; B2[20]=" "; B3[20]=" "; B4[20]=" "; B5[20]=" "; S1[20]="      The newest offering on Australia's rapidly expanding bush food menu is that most traditional of dishes - a pie.
      "; S2[20]=" The first batch of 20,000 bushfoods and beef pies was made yesterday at Vili's and are expected to be in shops from next week.
  "; S3[20]="     Vili's new healthy pie, which features produce grown in Aboriginal-owned bushfood gardens, is the brainchild of South-East woman Gail Quarmby after despairing "; S4[20]=" at the diet of Aboriginal workers at the community-run gardens.
      The new pie provides a healthy food for Aboriginal communities and a "; S5[20]=" way of making money.
      'This specific project came about because when we were working in the AP Lands, the young men only "; S6[20]=" ate these horrible fatty Victorian pies and cans of Coke,' Mrs Quarmby said.
      'We've been supplying Vili's with bulk bush foods for "; S7[20]=" several years and for a long time, I've been asking him for help.
      When we told him the facts about the poor "; S8[20]=" nutrition, poor health and lack of jobs in Aboriginal communities, he agreed to help.' The low fat, low salt, high fibre pies are made "; S9[20]=" partly from desert raisins, wattle seed and fresh saltbush grown at the gardens... "; R[21]="745"; T[21]="Clearer Beer, Smoother Milkshakes, and longer lifespans"; A[21]="By ... Editor"; Dn[21]="20060523"; Dt[21]="Tuesday 23 May 2006"; Acats[21]="a55a93"; B1[21]="      Experts from the CRC have used their ingenuity and skills to solve critical industrial problems relating to unwanted hazes in beer and "; B2[21]="instability in dairy products, previously costing industry millions of dollars... "; B3[21]=" "; B4[21]=" "; B5[21]=" "; S1[21]="      Experts from the CRC have used their ingenuity and skills to solve critical industrial problems relating to unwanted hazes in beer and "; S2[21]=" instability in dairy products, previously costing industry millions of dollars.
      They have also created several novel technologies to produce 'bioproducts' with well-known "; S3[21]=" beneficial health properties.
      Bioproducts are natural products from plant or animal material.
      The CRC has focused on plant bioproducts "; S4[21]=" and several strands of the CRC's work have been devoted to the study of biopolymers - which is another word for vegetable gums.
    "; S5[21]="   A new understanding of the structure of beer particles developed for a major brewery by the CRC led to new ways to improve the "; S6[21]=" temperature stability and clarity of beer.
      The knowledge saved the company $5 million, according to a recent study by the Allen Consulting "; S7[21]=" Group, and led to further collaboration between the CRC and the brewery to develop novel biopolymer fining agents to further improve the brewing process.
  "; S8[21]="     This work was conducted with financial support from a National Food Industry Strategy Food Innovation Grant ('FIG' grant).
      In another "; S9[21]=" major problem-solving exercise, a large food ingredients company was experiencing difficulties with stabiliser systems developed for dairy applications.
      The CRC was able "; S10[21]=" to demonstrate where the trouble lay, and the resolution of the problem resulted in $3million per year savings, according to the same Allen Consulting Group "; S11[21]=" report.
      But the CRC has not just spent its time solving other people's problems.
      In a major breakthrough, "; S12[21]=" the CRC developed a novel fermentation process to make resveratrol from grape cells.
      Resveratrol has been called the 'elixir of life', is "; S13[21]=" a powerful anti-oxidant, and is allegedly responsible for the 'French Paradox', which is where despite high fat diets, French people live longer.
      "; S14[21]=" Resveratrol has been shown to reduce hypertension and blood cholesterol levels and promote longevity.
      The key to the CRC process is the "; S15[21]=" use of special fermentation conditions to produce resveratrol at sufficiently high concentrations to make the process economically attractive.
      'Normally, resveratrol occurring "; S16[21]=" in grape skins is extracted into red wine at low, part per million concentrations, and to get the benefits, you would have to drink several "; S17[21]=" gallons a day - which would result in some undesirable side effects', says CRC Business Manager, Dr Richard Thwaites.
      'Our process enables "; S18[21]=" resveratrol to be incorporated into functional foods, beverages, and even in cosmetic products - without the headaches'.
      Another promising natural product investigated "; S19[21]=" by the CRC is lycopene.
      Lycopene is reported to stop prostate cancer.
      It occurs mainly in tomatoes.
    "; S20[21]="   The CRC investigated ways of extracting lycopene from tomato skins which otherwise would have been thrown away.
      'The idea is to "; S21[21]=" create value from waste products', says Dr Thwaites.
      The lycopene recovered in this way can be combined back into soups, sauces "; S22[21]=" and salsas, increasing the health benefits of these popular dishes.
      The CRC's most important advance, however, is a novel process to convert "; S23[21]=" waste orange peel into pectin.
      Pectin is a biopolymer, a natural fibre, which has been used in the food industry for decades "; S24[21]=" if not centuries.
      Its main uses are in jams, jellies, beverages, lollies and dairy products.
      It is also used "; S25[21]=" in a number of pharmaceutical products.
      The CRC's process has several competitive advantages over conventional industrial processes, in particular lower capital and "; S26[21]=" operating costs; pectin users have found that pectin made using CRC technology has a number of application benefits, too.
      Investor groups are "; S27[21]=" currently reviewing the CRC's technical package with a view to commercialising the technology.
      'Australia currently imports its total requirements of pectin.
  "; S28[21]="     We also produce some 100 to 150,000 tonnes of orange peel each year which are either discarded or fed to cattle.
    "; S29[21]="   This technology creates the opportunity to launch a cost-competitive major food ingredient on world markets based on low-value inputs', Dr Thwaites says.
    "; S30[21]="   'A new pectin production plant in Australia would be ideally situated to capture not only a significant share of the 400 tonne domestic market, "; R[22]="695"; T[22]="Cane farmers share innovative farming techniques"; A[22]="By ... Editor"; Dn[22]="20060511"; Dt[22]="Thursday 11 May 2006"; Acats[22]="a20a55"; B1[22]="      A BUS tour of far north Queensland cane farms will be an opportunity for growers to see new farming systems being implemented "; B2[22]="by other farmers within the region... "; B3[22]=" "; B4[22]=" "; B5[22]=" "; S1[22]="      A BUS tour of far north Queensland cane farms will be an opportunity for growers to see new farming systems being implemented "; S2[22]=" by other farmers within the region.
      Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries FutureCane senior agronomist Derek Sparkes said the bus trip to "; S3[22]=" cane farms in the Tully district would be conducted Monday, May 8.
      'This tour will be an excellent opportunity for growers to "; S4[22]=" look at other farming techniques adopted on other farms in the Tully area,' Mr Sparkes said.
      'For example, there has been "; S5[22]=" more than 1500ha of cane planted under controlled traffic and this area in increasing.
      'Controlled traffic means matching the cane row widths "; S6[22]=" to the machinery wheel widths, particularly harvesting machinery, which is normally 1.8m or 1.9m wide.
      'Some growers have GPS systems with self-steer "; S7[22]=" tractors as well as zonal tillage and legume fallows.' The GPS system uses satellites to identify the tractor's location within 2cm.
      This "; S8[22]=" is connected to the hydraulic steering on the tractor and steers it automatically in a dead straight line.
      'The main strength of "; S9[22]=" GPS in the future is its use in yield monitoring as it can identify the more productive areas of the paddock so the farmer can "; S10[22]=" apply inputs accordingly,' Mr Sparkes.
      Things they will see include: ' 1.8m super singles and dual-row controlled traffic cane.
      "; S11[22]=" ' Legume fallows (zero till legumes and planter, wick wiper weed control).
      ' Whole-of-farm GPS project at Dore Farming, Tully.
    "; S12[22]="   ' Tractor with GPS and self-steer equipment and other associated equipment.
      ' Elevator extension demonstration.
      ' Soil pits "; S13[22]=" on 1.5m and 1.8m systems and water infiltration demonstration.
      ' Tree planting and lagoons.
      'We will have some discussion "; S14[22]=" on the economic benefits of 1.5m and 1.8m cane rows,' Mr Sparkes said.
      The bus tour, including lunch, will be free of "; S15[22]=" charge.
      As space on the bus is limited, it will be first in, first served.
      Farmers wishing to attend "; S16[22]=" to book a place on the bus are invited to contact Derek Sparkes at Cairns DPI&F on 4044 1609.
      Pick-up times as "; S17[22]=" follows: ' 7am: Leave Gordonvale at Mulgrave Rambler.
      ' 7.30am: Arrive Babinda (pick-up at TGT) ' 8am: Pick-up North Innisfail (Palmerston Highway "; S18[22]=" Driver Reviver) ' 8.15am: Pick-up South Innisfail (Locos) ' 9.30am: Arrive Euramo (Dore Farming Company).
      ' 5pm: Return time at Gordonvale.
  "; S19[22]="     The trip is being sponsored by FNQ NRM and organised by DPI&F FutureCane... "; R[23]="694"; T[23]="Computer and satellite solve crop measurement challenge"; A[23]="By ... Editor"; Dn[23]="20060511"; Dt[23]="Thursday 11 May 2006"; Acats[23]="a02a55a57"; B1[23]="      Linking satellite and computer technology is showing promise in a quest for cost effective and accurate Queensland winter crop production forecasts.... "; B2[23]=" "; B3[23]=" "; B4[23]=" "; B5[23]=" "; S1[23]="      Linking satellite and computer technology is showing promise in a quest for cost effective and accurate Queensland winter crop production forecasts.
  "; S2[23]="     Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries crop modeller, Andries Potgieter, said the new technology can predict the area under winter crop in Queensland, "; S3[23]=" distinguish wheat from barley, and work out yields and total production well before harvest with appreciable accuracy.
      Mr Potgieter said the technology "; S4[23]=" represented a major benefit for those organisations needing cost effective, accurate, and moving production estimates for marketing intelligence and infrastructure planning.
      'Until "; S5[23]=" now, surveys and censuses have been the mainstay of production forecasting.
      'The problem with these is that they can lack objectivity, timeliness, "; S6[23]=" and accuracy,' he said.
      Mr Potgieter said the ready availability of the remotely sensed MODIS satellite platform was the technology breakthrough that "; S7[23]=" made digital production forecasting realistic.
      'Until recently, traditional satellite imagery was prohibitively expensive and difficult to use for this type of work, "; S8[23]=" but this changed with the advent of inexpensive MODIS vegetation imagery, which provides adequate definition for the purpose.' He said the imagery was linked with "; S9[23]=" the DPI&F's Regional Commodity Forecasting System, an agro-climate computer model that calculated shire wheat and grain sorghum yields using soil moisture, climate outlooks and extensive "; S10[23]=" agronomic information.
      'For the first time, we will be able to complete the cropping forecast picture and give accurate production forecasts while "; S11[23]=" the crop is still in the ground,' he said.
      'There is also the added advantage of being able to update forecasts at "; S12[23]=" little cost.' Mr Potgieter said in trials on the Darling Downs, the technology was used to calculate the total area sown to winter crops, particularly "; S13[23]=" wheat and barley, and then calculate expected shire crop yields and total grain production well before harvest using simulation-based technologies.
      It was "; S14[23]=" possible to distinguish wheat from barley with a fair degree of accuracy as early as flowering, with the accuracy increasing as the season progressed.
  "; S15[23]="     He said the trials used ground measurements and post-harvest production data to check the system's accuracy during the 2003 and 2004 winter crop "; S16[23]=" seasons.
      'It has high accuracy that will enhance the industry's competitive edge.
      While our current focus is on Queensland, "; S17[23]=" the technology has national application,' he said.
      Mr Potgieter has been operating a monthly shire and state yield forecasting system for wheat "; S18[23]=" and grain sorghum since 1999... "; R[24]="679"; T[24]="New wheat cultivars to meet yield challenge: Grains Week 2006"; A[24]="By ... Editor"; Dn[24]="20060420"; Dt[24]="Thursday 20 April 2006"; Acats[24]="a22a55a81"; B1[24]="      Researchers will apply modern technology to conventional wheat breeding methods to meet yield challenges threatening Australia's grains industry.... "; B2[24]=" "; B3[24]=" "; B4[24]=" "; B5[24]=" "; S1[24]="      Researchers will apply modern technology to conventional wheat breeding methods to meet yield challenges threatening Australia's grains industry.
      CSIRO "; S2[24]=" Plant Industry's Dr Richard Richards says it is anticipated that the development of new wheat varieties would increase annual yield by two per cent, thereby "; S3[24]=" upholding current profitability levels.
      He says collaborative research efforts led by the CSIRO and Australia's Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC) would "; S4[24]=" create new wheat cultivars through the application of physiology and biotechnology to traditional breeding methods.
      'While conventional breeding methods will remain the "; S5[24]=" cornerstone of plant improvement in Australia's wheat industry, new varieties will evolve as a result of research to enhance grain yield and the genetic protection "; S6[24]=" against diseases while retaining or improving grain quality,' Dr Richards says.
      In other approaches, contemporary breeding methods using molecular and physiological tools "; S7[24]=" would produce new wheat varieties that would be available to farmers more rapidly than before.
      New wheat genetic material containing yield enhancing "; S8[24]=" traits from overseas sources is also being introduced into Australia and will be widely used in breeding programs to overcome genetic weaknesses and abiotic limitations "; S9[24]=" including environmental conditions.
      Dr Richards will discuss breeding options to increase Australian wheat yields at the Grains Week 2006 Research Symposium in "; S10[24]=" Canberra on April 6.
      He will discuss: ' conventional and contemporary wheat breeding methods; ' key national and regional players in the "; S11[24]=" wheat breeding contest; and ' new yield enhancing traits that will be introduced into improved wheat varieties... "; R[25]="615"; T[25]="Setting rules for science's bright new thing"; A[25]="By ... Editor"; Dn[25]="20060310"; Dt[25]="Friday 10 March 2006"; Acats[25]="a55a93"; B1[25]="      Industry and the states will today be asked to sign up to a national plan to oversee the rapidly expanding scientific field "; B2[25]="of nanotechnology, which some scientists say has the potential to change lives as much as the discovery of electricity... "; B3[25]=" "; B4[25]=" "; B5[25]=" "; S1[25]="      Industry and the states will today be asked to sign up to a national plan to oversee the rapidly expanding scientific field "; S2[25]=" of nanotechnology, which some scientists say has the potential to change lives as much as the discovery of electricity.
      Nanotechnology is already "; S3[25]=" being used in items such as sunscreens, cosmetics and paints but the Federal Government argues research is moving at such a fast pace that it "; S4[25]=" needs to be closely monitored to avoid future social, ethical and health problems.
      The Minister for Industry, Ian Macfarlane, who convened the "; S5[25]=" meeting, said it was 'just the right time to start work on a framework to foster and monitor nanotechnology because industry and public policy should "; S6[25]=" evolve with, not after, the emergence of new technologies'.
      'It's a small industry of only about 50 Australian companies dealing in tiny "; S7[25]=" particles, but when the global potential is as great as that promised by nanotechnology, no one's arguing that size matters,' he said.
      "; S8[25]=" A report by the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council last year estimated that the value of the worldwide sale of nanotechnology-based products would "; S9[25]=" increase by 150 times in the next decade to $3.4 trillion.
      Nanotechnology covers a range of techniques involving the manipulation of matter "; S10[25]=" at the scale of about one 10,000th the thickness of a human hair, or one billionth of a metre.
      On this tiny "; S11[25]=" scale, properties such as colour, magnetism and electrical conductivity change in unexpected ways, and can be used in a wide variety of areas from defence "; S12[25]=" capabilities to cleaning up water.
      Part of the reason for devising a national approach to research now is to avoid the continuing "; S13[25]=" ethical and health arguments created by biotechnology.
      Genetically modified food crops, for example, became so contentious the states and territories banned the "; S14[25]=" commercial release of canola.
      The emerging nanotechnology industry claims the future benefits of the technology will include cheaper medicines, better medical treatments "; S15[25]=" and improved data gathering.
      But there has already been speculation about health risks.
      In Britain last year, the Royal "; S16[25]=" Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering concluded nanoparticles could cause health problems or pollution if they were not incorporated into a material, and that "; S17[25]=" their general release into the environment should be avoided.
      Today's meeting follows through on a recommendation by the same prime ministerial scientific "; S18[25]=" advisers who warned research had yet to be carried out on the 'human or eco-toxicology of man-made nanoparticles'.
      'The disruptive innovations that "; S19[25]=" should arise from nanotechnology over the next decade could be as significant as electricity or the microchip,' their report concluded.
      'They could "; S20[25]=" give rise to a whole new set of industries as well as transform current technologies in manufacturing, health care, electronics and communications.' The Australian Research "; S21[25]=" Council is funding more than 200 projects related to nanotechnology... "; R[26]="576"; T[26]="Queensland lifestyle horticulture plants seeds of opportunity"; A[26]="By ... Editor"; Dn[26]="20060303"; Dt[26]="Friday 3 March 2006"; Acats[26]="a55a81"; B1[26]="      Queensland lifestyle horticulture products and services will be showcased during a mission to Singapore next week.... "; B2[26]=" "; B3[26]=" "; B4[26]=" "; B5[26]=" "; S1[26]="      Queensland lifestyle horticulture products and services will be showcased during a mission to Singapore next week.
      The delegation, "; S2[26]=" which will be led by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F), includes businesses involved in nursery and the delivery of services such as "; S3[26]=" professional training, and parks and gardens management.
      DPI&F Senior Trade and Investment Officer Ellen Buckle said the mission is a reciprocal visit "; S4[26]=" following on from a visit to Queensland in October last year by the Singapore National Parks Board (NParks).
      'Senior NParks representatives who "; S5[26]=" visited last year were most impressed with the wide range of products and expertise we have to offer and this visit will provide the opportunity "; S6[26]=" for Queensland companies to strengthen the relationship that is being developed with NParks,' said Ms Buckle.
      'NParks is the key government department "; S7[26]=" in Singapore that has responsibility for landscaping Singapore.
      Doing business with NParks presents a significant business opportunity with its current 9418 hectares "; S8[26]=" of tropical nursery and landscaping set to expand by a further 1000 hectares over the next 10 years.
      'Queensland businesses can benefit "; S9[26]=" from NParks' growth, which is indicating particular opportunities in nursery products, training and horticulture management advice.' This mission forms part of a strategic plan developed "; S10[26]=" with the Australian Centre for Lifestyle Horticulture to expand the potential of Singapore and Asia as a lifestyle horticulture export market.
      'Around "; S11[26]=" 2500 Singaporean lifestyle horticulture workers are expected to benefit from retraining over the next three years to support its growth as a significant annual expenditure "; S12[26]=" industry.' The Singapore mission is scheduled from 5 - 11 March 2006.
      It includes presentations and meetings with NParks representatives, local "; S13[26]=" industry associations and commercial firms, and site visits to NParks horticulture and training facilities... "; R[27]="529"; T[27]="Showcasing the best inventions for grape processing"; A[27]="By ... Editor"; Dn[27]="20060224"; Dt[27]="Friday 24 February 2006"; Acats[27]="a13a55a93"; B1[27]="      After 25 years in the viticulture industry, Scott Messenger knew there had to be a more efficient way of sifting extraneous matter "; B2[27]="out of a grape harvest... "; B3[27]=" "; B4[27]=" "; B5[27]=" "; S1[27]="      After 25 years in the viticulture industry, Scott Messenger knew there had to be a more efficient way of sifting extraneous matter "; S2[27]=" out of a grape harvest.
      Rather than doing the labour-intensive task by hand, some of Australia's largest wine companies are now using "; S3[27]=" Mr Messenger's invention - the MOG Remover.
      Scott and his wife, Rachel, set up their Penola business, S&R Enterprises (SA), to "; S4[27]=" develop the concept, which is now used throughout Australia and exported to the United States and Spain.
      'We've also had inquiries "; S5[27]=" from France,' Mrs Messenger said.
      The regional business was one of 20 on display at last week's AusIndustry-SA Great-BankSA Regional Showcase.
"; S6[27]="       Mrs Messenger said the invention, valued at more than $15,000, was the first of its kind in the world, with 40 "; S7[27]=" in operation in Australia and 21 overseas.
      BRL Hardy, Foster's, Stonehaven and Angoves are just some of the big Australian companies "; S8[27]=" using the invention.
      The company is also developing two other products - one which is designed to remove petioles, the stem "; S9[27]=" of the vine leaf often broken off during mechanical harvesting, and a digital tracking device to locate individual vines... "; R[28]="518"; T[28]="Frog research could jumpstart livestock"; A[28]="By ... Editor"; Dn[28]="20060224"; Dt[28]="Friday 24 February 2006"; Acats[28]="a26a27a55a93"; B1[28]="      Scientific efforts to reveal how an Australian frog maintains its muscle mass despite spending months or years hibernating underground could eventually lead "; B2[28]="to a dramatic reduction in the amount of feed livestock require in times of drought... "; B3[28]=" "; B4[28]=" "; B5[28]=" "; S1[28]="      Scientific efforts to reveal how an Australian frog maintains its muscle mass despite spending months or years hibernating underground could eventually lead "; S2[28]=" to a dramatic reduction in the amount of feed livestock require in times of drought.
      Common to Queensland's dry interior, the green "; S3[28]=" striped burrowing frog's vital survival trait is the subject of a new joint research project involving CSIRO Livestock Industries' scientists, Dr Nick Hudson and Dr "; S4[28]=" Sigrid Lehnert, and a team of researchers from the University of Queensland led by zoologist Professor Craig Franklin.
      After completing a PhD "; S5[28]=" on the unique characteristics of the frog's muscle metabolism two years ago, Dr Hudson continued researching its muscle physiology at CSIRO.
      He "; S6[28]=" says that as the frog's muscle structure is very similar to a range of animals, the research has the potential to bring significant benefits to "; S7[28]=" the livestock industry.
      'The fact that frogs can make a super-fast recovery after hibernating through a drought - in extreme cases "; S8[28]=" for years - has clear implications for animal husbandry,' Dr Hudson says.
      'If farm animals were able to survive a drought with "; S9[28]=" minimal feed input and then quickly gain condition when more feed was available, this would be extremely valuable.' He says the frog's ability to use "; S10[28]=" feed more economically also has the potential to help scientists find ways to improve feed conversion efficiency in livestock.
      'The amount of "; S11[28]=" weight gained for each kilo of food consumed is a major economic issue, particularly in the intensive animal feeding area.' Detailed studies of the green "; S12[28]=" striped burrowing frog show it suffers only minor muscle wastage during extremely long periods of inactivity.
      'Now that we know how the "; S13[28]=" frog muscle works we can take the research a step further,' Dr Hudson says.
      Recent findings suggest that high levels of antioxidants "; S14[28]=" within the frog muscle inhibit the kind of muscle breakdown normally associated with long periods of inactivity.
      The new line of research "; S15[28]=" will involve identifying key genes responsible for slowing muscle wastage in frogs and searching for related genes in livestock in a bid to optimise animal "; S16[28]=" production.
      The project recently received an $844,000, five-year, grant from the Australian Research Council... "; R[29]="487"; T[29]="Natural Products - The growing global phenomenon"; A[29]="By ... Editor"; Dn[29]="20060222"; Dt[29]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[29]="a08a10a24a55"; B1[29]="      Global demand for natural products including functional foods and organics is currently undergoing exponential growth..... "; B2[29]=" "; B3[29]=" "; B4[29]=" "; B5[29]=" "; S1[29]="      Global demand for natural products including functional foods and organics is currently undergoing exponential growth.
      Market research in Switzerland "; S2[29]=" recently found that 80% of all purchases are influenced by health-related issues.
      Strong worldwide demand for natural products is being driven by "; S3[29]=" consumer need for assurance over the quality, integrity, health and safety in food products and a growing interest in improving lifestyle.
      To "; S4[29]=" capitalise on this growth area, a joint project was developed more than four years ago between the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) and "; S5[29]=" the Department of State Development, Trade and Innovation that has assisted companies to successfully build business networks with United Kingdom distributors and buyers.
    "; S6[29]="   Building on knowledge gained from the market research, the Natural Products UK project will focus on developing supply chains into the niche Health food/Natural "; S7[29]=" products segment of the UK market.
      Health and wellbeing concerns are a growing trend in Asia and the DPI&F is working closely "; S8[29]=" with Queensland companies to expand activities in these markets and capitalise on the growing demand.
      DPI&F is linking with the new National "; S9[29]=" Food Industry Strategy (NFIS) and Austrade project which is focused on expanding opportunities with major UK supermarkets.
      A highly successful seminar on "; S10[29]=" Natural Products was facilitated by Jacquie Bodger (Senior Trade and Investment Officer) on the Sunshine Coast in November 2005 followed by a joint meeting hosted "; S11[29]=" by DPI&F and NFIS which was attended by over 40 participants.
      There will be further seminars highlighting the market opportunities for the "; S12[29]=" natural products early this year.
      For details please contact Jacquie Bodger 323 93307 or email Jacquie.bodger@dpi.qld.gov.au... "; R[30]="455"; T[30]="WA Weed Killing Project wins innovation Grant"; A[30]="By ... Editor"; Dn[30]="20060222"; Dt[30]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[30]="a55a85"; B1[30]="      An innovative spraying system that can identify and target specific farm weeds is one of seven Western Australian projects awarded funding under "; B2[30]="the latest round of Australian Government innovation grants... "; B3[30]=" "; B4[30]=" "; B5[30]=" "; S1[30]="      An innovative spraying system that can identify and target specific farm weeds is one of seven Western Australian projects awarded funding under "; S2[30]=" the latest round of Australian Government innovation grants.
      Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane today announced Perth-based Weed Control Australia has been awarded "; S3[30]=" an $82,000 Commercial Ready grant to develop their herbicide project as part of a funding round worth $8 million to West Australian innovators.
    "; S4[30]="   Nationally, more than $39 million was awarded for 63 projects under the Commercial Ready and Commercialising Emerging Technologies (COMET) innovation programs.
      "; S5[30]=" 'Weed Control Australia's project involves the development of sophisticated sensor technology to identify a plant's unique characteristics,' Mr Macfarlane said.
      'A successful "; S6[30]=" outcome will not only allow the precise targeting of weeds with minimal overspray but also an accurate application of nutrients and fertilizers to crops.' Other "; S7[30]=" West Australian companies awarded funding this round include: o Neptune Marine Services Ltd of Perth, awarded a $2,022,613 Commercial Ready to further develop and commercialise "; S8[30]=" its underwater dry weld technology focusing on increasing operating depth, welding other materials and enhancing safety.
      [Contact: Mr Clive Langley 08 9226 "; S9[30]=" 5722] o FABCOM Pty Ltd of West Leederville, awarded a $56,000 COMET grant to help commercialise its cost-effective organic fertiliser production technology from organic waste.
"; S10[30]="       [Dr Henricus Hofstede 0414 376 699] o My Inventory Pty Ltd of Perth, awarded a $52,000 COMET grant to help commercialise a "; S11[30]=" web-based software solution for the ordering and distributing a range of warehoused products.
      The program can be accessed via any webenabled PC.
"; S12[30]="       [Contact: Mr Terry Stone 08 9470 3108].
      'Each project is an example of high-quality West Australian innovation that just "; S13[30]=" needs some extra help to make it to the marketplace - and this Government is committed to providing that support,' Mr Macfarlane said.
    "; S14[30]="   A list of the latest innovation grants and information on the Commercial Ready and COMET programs can be found at www.ausindustry.gov.au, or phone the "; S15[30]=" AusIndustry hotline 13 28 46, or email hotline@ausindustry.gov.au... "; R[31]="454"; T[31]="Healthy Sugar Project wins Innovation Grant"; A[31]="By ... Editor"; Dn[31]="20060222"; Dt[31]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[31]="a02a05a20a55"; B1[31]="      A century-old Queensland sugar mill has been awarded a $913,074 Australian Government innovation grant to develop a low-glycemic raw sugar alternative that "; B2[31]="promises to reduce blood glucose absorption while increase muscle mass... "; B3[31]=" "; B4[31]=" "; B5[31]=" "; S1[31]="      A century-old Queensland sugar mill has been awarded a $913,074 Australian Government innovation grant to develop a low-glycemic raw sugar alternative that "; S2[31]=" promises to reduce blood glucose absorption while increase muscle mass.
      Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane today announced Mossman Central Sugar Mill Company "; S3[31]=" as one of 13 Queensland companies to be awarded funding worth more than $8.1 million in the latest round of Commonwealth innovation funding.
    "; S4[31]="   Nationally, more than $39 million was awarded for 63 projects under the Commercial Ready and Commercialising Emerging Technologies (COMET) programs.
      'Mossman "; S5[31]=" mill's low-glycemic sugar project is a great example of an established Queensland company using innovation and invention to get an edge in the marketplace,' Mr "; S6[31]=" Macfarlane said.
      'It's an exciting project for an industry that has faced some tough times in recent years - and through the "; S7[31]=" Commercial Ready program, the Australian Government is pleased to provide some extra support in bringing this unique sugar product to market.' Other Queensland companies awarded "; S8[31]=" innovation funding this round include: o Loklite Pty Ltd, of Brisbane, awarded a $957,079 Commercial Ready grant to develop a resin-based panel technology that is "; S9[31]=" waterproof, termite proof and fire resistant for use in the building and construction industry.
      [Contact: Mr Allan Branagan 07 3849 7955] o "; S10[31]=" Replikun Biotech Pty Ltd, of Toowong, awarded a $1,035,109 Commercial Ready grant to help commercialise a new cancer drug designed to stimulate a patient's own "; S11[31]=" immune system to specifically detect and destroy cancer cells.
      [Contact: Dr Shane Storey 07 3327 9829] o Renewed Resources Pty Ltd, of "; S12[31]=" Parkwood, awarded a $47,360 COMET grant to commercialise a process to convert waste products from power generation (bottom ash) and organic biomass into high performance "; S13[31]=" horticulture and landscaping products.
      [Contact: Mr Humberto Rico 07 5574 5662 or 0416 032 089].
      A list of the "; S14[31]=" latest innovation grants and information on the Commercial Ready and COMET programs can be found at www.ausindustry.gov.au, or phone the AusIndustry hotline 13 28 46, "; S15[31]=" or email hotline@ausindustry.gov.au... "; R[32]="415"; T[32]="Cattle buyers risk prosecution for failure to transfer NLIS data"; A[32]="By ... Editor"; Dn[32]="20060222"; Dt[32]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[32]="a02a05a27a55"; B1[32]="      Private cattle buyers must record the movement of stock on the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database or face prosecution and heavy "; B2[32]="fines... "; B3[32]=" "; B4[32]=" "; B5[32]=" "; S1[32]="      Private cattle buyers must record the movement of stock on the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database or face prosecution and heavy "; S2[32]=" fines.
      This includes buyers of cattle in private paddock sales, movements between properties under the same ownership or those who move cattle "; S3[32]=" from one property to another for agistment purposes.
      Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries general manager animal biosecurity Ron Glanville said stock "; S4[32]=" inspectors will increase scrutiny of the NLIS database reports and target receivers of cattle that fail to upload property-to-property movements.
      'Any producers, "; S5[32]=" large or small, that purchase cattle directly from another farm should take note as failure to upload the stock movement to their own property can "; S6[32]=" have severe consequences,' he said.
      'Sometime later, when these cattle are sent to a saleyards or abattoir, the breach of the regulation "; S7[32]=" will be detected and livestock owners could get hit with a double-whammy.
      'Not only do they risk prosecution and fines, their stock "; S8[32]=" will have lost their lifetime traceable status which could mean that abattoir buyers may exclude the cattle from higher value markets.
      'Failure "; S9[32]=" to upload property-to-property movements has only been detected in a handful of cases and the majority of commercial-scale cattle producers comply with regulations,' he said.
"; S10[32]="       Hobby farmers receiving cattle onto their farms can record their property-to-property transfer using the NLIS database web site facility at: www.nlis.mla.com.au/indexnew.asp.
  "; S11[32]="     There are also a number of trained NLIS service providers operating in Queensland who can perform the data transfers with a minimum of "; S12[32]=" fuss.
      Mob movements of 20 head or less can also be recorded on the correct form (Form A) available from Meat and "; S13[32]=" Livestock Australia's NLIS help desk by calling 1800 654 743.
      The form can then be faxed to the NLIS data base on "; S14[32]=" (02) 9463 9136.
      However electronic entry of data is strongly encouraged as transcription errors can occur with the faxed data.
    "; S15[32]="   All 16 digits printed on each NLIS tag or electronically stored on the tag for each individual animal, must be recorded together with the "; S16[32]=" date of movement, the property identification code (PIC) of the property where the cattle are being moved from, and the PIC of the destination.
  "; S17[32]="     A vendor declaration/waybill must also be completed for the movement.
      Mr Glanville said stock owners unsure of the requirements should "; S18[32]=" contact the NLIS Help Desk on 1800 654 743 or negotiate with a NLIS service provider or agent to process the transfer on their behalf.
"; S19[32]="       A list of NLIS service providers is available from our NLIS section or by calling 13 2523... "; R[33]="414"; T[33]="Arsenic bubbles ease copper troubles"; A[33]="By ... Editor"; Dn[33]="20060222"; Dt[33]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[33]="a09a41a55a93"; B1[33]="      Promising significant potential economic and environmental benefits, CSIRO has developed a flotation process to more easily separate arsenic from copper ore..... "; B2[33]=" "; B3[33]=" "; B4[33]=" "; B5[33]=" "; S1[33]="      Promising significant potential economic and environmental benefits, CSIRO has developed a flotation process to more easily separate arsenic from copper ore.
  "; S2[33]="     CSIRO has developed a flotation process to more easily separate arsenic from copper ore, promising significant potential economic and environmental benefits.
    "; S3[33]="   Arsenic occurs at varying levels in some copper ore bodies, and is a significant environmental hazard in the copper smelting process when emissions are "; S4[33]=" released into the atmosphere.
      In Australia, mining companies delivering copper concentrates containing high levels of arsenic to smelters are subject to substantial "; S5[33]=" penalties, making some copper ore deposits economically unviable.
      'Depending on what the concentrate grades of your ore are, our process might mean "; S6[33]=" the difference between being able to sell your concentrate and not being able to sell it or getting a better price for it,' says CSIRO "; S7[33]=" Minerals Experimental Scientist Leanne Smith.
      'In the long term, it's also better for the environment because you're not sending that arsenic to "; S8[33]=" the smelter.' The standard flotation process involves copper ore being ground and made into a slurry, which is mixed with various chemicals.
      "; S9[33]=" By pumping oxygen through the mix, the copper concentrate rises to the top and is then scraped off.
      CSIRO's development involves using "; S10[33]=" electrochemical processes during flotation.
      By studying individual copper minerals' flotation behaviour, including the copper-arsenic minerals, the CSIRO team has identified several electrochemical "; S11[33]=" windows whereby it is possible to selectively float copper-arsenic minerals from other copper minerals.
      This produces a much purer form of copper "; S12[33]=" concentrate, with low arsenic content, that can be supplied to smelters.
      'If you're running a flotation process, then this wouldn't be that "; S13[33]=" difficult to implement,' says Ms Smith.
      The full story can be found in the February issue of Process, available at http://www.minerals.csiro.au/processfeb06... "; R[34]="320"; T[34]="Wine-in-a-can wins patent"; A[34]="By ... Editor"; Dn[34]="20060222"; Dt[34]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[34]="a09a13a55a93"; B1[34]="      A finalist in the inaugural FOOD Magazine Challenge Awards has won a patent for its invention..... "; B2[34]=" "; B3[34]=" "; B4[34]=" "; B5[34]=" "; S1[34]="      A finalist in the inaugural FOOD Magazine Challenge Awards has won a patent for its invention.
      Barokes Wines, the "; S2[34]=" owners of the thriving Australian export, Wine-In-A-Can, welcomes the Australian Patent Office's confirmation of the validity of the innovation patent for its Vinsafe technology, the "; S3[34]=" Australian-developed technique that produces wine in a can.
      Amcor Packaging (Australia) Pty Ltd opposed Barokes' innovation patent.
      Barokes CEO "; S4[34]=" and co founder, Greg Stokes, says the favourable decision allows the Company to get on with the business of licensing their technology to Australian wine "; S5[34]=" producers so that they can in turn promote their product to new markets.
      It also means an end to uncertainty for Australia's "; S6[34]=" troubled wine industry.
      Barokes Wine-In-A-Can was a finalist in the FOOD Magazine Challenge Awards for the Alcoholic beverages Award sponsored by Endress "; S7[34]=" + Hauser... "; R[35]="317"; T[35]="Growing more good oil from the sea"; A[35]="By ... Editor"; Dn[35]="20060222"; Dt[35]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[35]="a09a55a81a93"; B1[35]="      Marine microalgae are being assessed for their commercial potential under a new agreement..... "; B2[35]=" "; B3[35]=" "; B4[35]=" "; B5[35]=" "; S1[35]="      Marine microalgae are being assessed for their commercial potential under a new agreement.
      Oil-rich marine microalgae are being assessed "; S2[35]=" for their commercial potential under a new agreement between Clover Corporation Ltd, the CSIRO Food Futures Flagship and the CRC for Bioproducts.
      "; S3[35]=" 'Microalgae are the natural omega-3 factories of the sea,' flagship director Dr Bruce Lee says.
      'They can thrive in dark, organic-rich environments "; S4[35]=" where they convert carbohydrates to beneficial oils that are passed up to fish through the marine food chain.
      'They may offer a "; S5[35]=" renewable source of omega-3 oils for use in human and animal diets, depending on how well they adapt to life in large-scale culture facilities.' The "; S6[35]=" microalgae strains have been recently isolated by CSIRO and are to be evaluated by Clover Corporation.
      The strains are efficient producers of "; S7[35]=" docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) under laboratory conditions.
      These omega-3 oils are important in infant nutrition, and beneficial against a "; S8[35]=" range of human disorders including coronary heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and hypertension.
      Clover Corporation is an established producer of nutraceuticals based on "; S9[35]=" fish oils and is a leader in the microencapsulation of oils for use in 'functional' food products such as breads and dairy products.
    "; S10[35]="   'We'll be evaluating the scale-up potential of microalgae in large-scale culture vessels,' Clover director, Guy Drummond, says.
      'The market opportunity will "; S11[35]=" be evaluated and a selected strain used to prepare samples at pilot-plant scale.
      'The challenge is to scale up the volume while "; S12[35]=" maintaining their production efficiency and beneficial oil profile.
      This entails moving from laboratory-scale cultures of 100 millilitres to pilot-scale cultures of 10,000 "; S13[35]=" litres.' The oil profiles of the higher-volume microalgae cultures will be characterised at CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research's laboratories in Hobart.
      Two "; S14[35]=" applications of the microalgae are of interest: in the shorter term, as animal or aquaculture feed, and in the longer term, as a refined source "; S15[35]=" of DHA oil for human consumption.
      The Federal Government through the National Food Innovation Strategy has provided a Food Innovation Grant to "; S16[35]=" Clover Corporation of approximately $1 million to fund the project... "; R[36]="274"; T[36]="Emerging Animal and Plant Enterprises"; A[36]="By ... E RIRDC Publication No 05/154"; Dn[36]="20060222"; Dt[36]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[36]="a05a08a09a55a81a93"; B1[36]="      The Australian food industry uses an increasingly diverse range of plant and animal products.
      While the key characteristics of "; B2[36]="traditional agricultural production in Australia are well documented, there is a vast array of agricultural commodities produced in Australia for which there is relatively little "; B3[36]="public information... "; B4[36]=" "; B5[36]=" "; S1[36]="      The Australian food industry uses an increasingly diverse range of plant and animal products.
      While the key characteristics of "; S2[36]=" traditional agricultural production in Australia are well documented, there is a vast array of agricultural commodities produced in Australia for which there is relatively little "; S3[36]=" public information.
      The purpose in this project is to help address this gap in the availability of public information on the less "; S4[36]=" well-documented industries.
      The report is targeted at industry and government interests in improving productivity, trade and R&D for new animal and plant "; S5[36]=" species.
      The existence of public information on prospective agricultural industries is important.
      New and emerging industries have a key "; S6[36]=" role in providing growers with the ability to spread risk through diversification, thereby offering regional resilience.
      They can also confer regional distinctiveness "; S7[36]=" - such as tropical fruits in Far North Queensland.
      The lack of reliable statistics about emerging industries can hamper their development.
  "; S8[36]="     The availability of information can significantly influence the availability of commercial funds because lenders and potential investors require access to reliable statistics.
  "; S9[36]="     Only when statistics exist can effective policies be developed for the emerging agricultural industries, such as in targeting research and development and in "; S10[36]=" promotion activities.
      Emerging industries are often difficult to identify, particularly during their early development phase.
      Some are not necessarily "; S11[36]=" producing new products.
      For example, goats have been farmed for milk for centuries, and have been in Australia since first settlement by "; S12[36]=" Europeans.
      However, with recent initiatives to establish an organised industry, it could be classified as an emerging food industry.
      "; S13[36]=" Other foods, such as wasabi and rambutan, are new to Australia, while others (such as crocodiles and bush foods) are indigenous to Australia but unfamiliar "; S14[36]=" to the food market.
      Official statistics produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics are an important source of information but do not "; S15[36]=" cover a range of agricultural commodities produced in Australia.
      While there are other sources of information on emerging industries, these are often "; S16[36]=" difficult to access and to establish comparable, robust statistics on the industries.
      With increasing diversity of animal and plant production as producers "; S17[36]=" seek to diversify away from traditional crops and livestock, there is an ongoing challenge to ensure that these products are incorporated in rural statistics.
  "; S18[36]="     Many of these emerging industries in Australia produce a diverse range of products.
      For example, goat industries can produce meat, "; S19[36]=" fibres, milk, leather and a range of other by-products.
      RIRDC classifies around 80 different agricultural commodities as coming from emerging industries.
  "; S20[36]="     Information on these emerging agricultural industries and new products from existing industries is highly valued by.. "; R[37]="243"; T[37]="Research tackles the working end of plants"; A[37]="By ... Editor"; Dn[37]="20060222"; Dt[37]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[37]="a05a08a09a55a81a93"; B1[37]="      Research that centres on the working end of wheat plants is likely to provide vital information in the quest for higher yielding "; B2[37]="varieties better matched to cropping systems in the northern region... "; B3[37]=" "; B4[37]=" "; B5[37]=" "; S1[37]="      Research that centres on the working end of wheat plants is likely to provide vital information in the quest for higher yielding "; S2[37]=" varieties better matched to cropping systems in the northern region.
      Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries plant physiologists Jack Christopher and Ahmad "; S3[37]=" Manschadi are examining plant traits that contribute to stay-green, a characteristic linked to added drought tolerance in a range of crops.
      Dr "; S4[37]=" Christopher said stay-green lines are able to maintain green leaves longer during the critical grain-filling phase under drought conditions.
      He said part "; S5[37]=" of the trial involved comparing the differences in root systems between the industry standard variety Hartog with a known drought tolerant line Seri, a product "; S6[37]=" of the Mexican based CIMMYT breeding program.
      He said he and Dr Manschadi wanted to find whether there is a link between "; S7[37]=" root systems and stay-green.
      'This work is part of a new GRDC-funded project, Matching roots to cropping systems in the northern region, "; S8[37]=" that builds on a wider DPI&F effort to find high yielding winter cereals for the north,' Dr Christopher said.
      Dr Manschadi said "; S9[37]=" Seri and Hartog have different root systems.
      'Hartog has roots with a more lateral spread than Seri.
      The roots "; S10[37]=" of Seri are more evenly distributed vertically and are able to extract more moisture from a given soil volume,' he said.
      Dr "; S11[37]=" Christopher said Seri yielded more than Hartog in water-limited conditions because of the stay-green trait.
      They had found that Seri was able "; S12[37]=" to translocate more carbon to each plant spike, contributing to the development of heavier grain and higher yields.
      'Hartog loses chlorophyll more "; S13[37]=" rapidly during grain filling and matures earlier than Seri,' he said.
      'Grain development continues for longer in Seri than Hartog.' Dr Christopher "; S14[37]=" said the research so far showed stay-green is associated with the higher yields of Seri.
      'We're now finding the physiological reasons for "; S15[37]=" the stay-green trait in winter cereals.
      'This information will be passed to breeders to develop high yielding, drought tolerant crop varieties better "; S16[37]=" matched to the northern cropping region,' he said... "; R[38]="187"; T[38]="Tagging ends need for scientific whaling"; A[38]="By ... Editor"; Dn[38]="20060222"; Dt[38]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[38]="a42a55a88a93"; B1[38]="      Australian scientists have unveiled a new technology that is hoped will end the need for whales to be killed for scientific research..... "; B2[38]=" "; B3[38]=" "; B4[38]=" "; B5[38]=" "; S1[38]="      Australian scientists have unveiled a new technology that is hoped will end the need for whales to be killed for scientific research.
"; S2[38]="       The new technology allows scientists to take a small biopsy of skin and blubber from whales using a cross bow and a "; S3[38]=" floating dart.
      The sample can then be used to determine the age, breeding cycle and diet of the whale.
      "; S4[38]=" Dr Nick Gales, from the Australian Antarctic Division, says the new test can collect all the information using new satellite tracking technology.
      "; S5[38]=" 'A lot of the reasons given for the scientific whaling are understanding stock distribution, understanding the biology and the age of the whales,' he said.
"; S6[38]="       'Now on that basis we can learn that from taking a biopsy.' The test will initially be conducted on humpback whales and "; S7[38]=" blue whales.
      Making the announcement in Perth, Federal Environment Minister Senator Ian Campbell says the test will be used on both sides "; S8[38]=" of the Australian coast.
      'This technology is part of strategic research supporting the Australian Government's recovery plans for Australia's threatened whales,' Senator "; S9[38]=" Campbell said.
      'Experience has shown that it is not necessary to kill whales to learn about them and this whale tagging program "; S10[38]=" is an important part of our non-lethal research program.'.. "; R[39]="170"; T[39]="Electronic ear tags save on labour costs"; A[39]="By ... Editor"; Dn[39]="20060222"; Dt[39]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[39]="a09a25a55a72a93"; B1[39]="      The use of electronic ear tags and automatic weighing and drafting equipment has cut labour costs by 70 per cent in managing "; B2[39]="sheep research flocks at the Department of Agriculture s Great Southern Agricultural Research Institute... "; B3[39]=" "; B4[39]=" "; B5[39]=" "; S1[39]="      The use of electronic ear tags and automatic weighing and drafting equipment has cut labour costs by 70 per cent in managing "; S2[39]=" sheep research flocks at the Department of Agriculture's Great Southern Agricultural Research Institute.
      Department technical officer Geoff Cox said the electronic tags "; S3[39]=" were used in breeding research flocks which required intensive record keeping, similar to the requirements for ram breeding.
      Mr Cox said the "; S4[39]=" demonstrated labour savings should encourage additional record-keeping in ram breeding flocks.
      This would lead to greater accuracy of records and better data "; S5[39]=" quality to produce faster genetic improvements.
      He said tag retention and readability had been very good with less than 0.5 per cent "; S6[39]=" of tags being unreadable.
      'We realised the potential of the equipment when drafting ewes into groups for single sire mating and lambing "; S7[39]=" to collect pedigree records,' Mr Cox said.
      'A total of 1200 ewes were automatically weighed and drafted into 58 groups through a "; S8[39]=" five-way draft for mating and lambing.
      This task was completed in 70 per cent less time than previous tasks.'.. "; R[40]="168"; T[40]="NSW Farmer Pioneers Unique Irrigation Method"; A[40]="By ... Editor"; Dn[40]="20060222"; Dt[40]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[40]="a40a55"; B1[40]="      Peter Salvestro has known for years that water is an important commodity.
      So much so, that around 15 years "; B2[40]="ago, he developed an irrigation method called Bankless Channelling aimed at reducing the amount of water needed to irrigate his crops... "; B3[40]=" "; B4[40]=" "; B5[40]=" "; S1[40]="      Peter Salvestro has known for years that water is an important commodity.
      So much so, that around 15 years "; S2[40]=" ago, he developed an irrigation method called Bankless Channelling aimed at reducing the amount of water needed to irrigate his crops.
      Bankless "; S3[40]=" Channels involve the development of stepped bays between crops to ensure the even distribution of water, similar to the approach of rice farmers in countries "; S4[40]=" such as Bali.
      The difference is that in Bali they grow on the side of the hill, but Peter's method is developed "; S5[40]=" on flat land.
      So successful is the method at improving water efficiency and reducing labour input, that it has been adopted by "; S6[40]=" farmers across the country.
      Along with his son, Dean, Peter runs a 3,010-hectare property near Hay in New South Wales.
    "; S7[40]="   They use laser-levelling techniques to improve water efficiency and GPS technology to increase precision and reduce inputs such as fertilisers.The Salvestro's grow a mix "; S8[40]=" of wheat, corn and rice, alternating between them depending on seasonal conditions.
      Their Case IH STX 375 tractor is equipped with a "; S9[40]=" laser leveller and GPS technology to work the land and move dirt between rows to achieve the optimum in water-use efficiency.
      'Rather "; S10[40]=" than row cropping, we use laser levelling to work the land and create channels so that water falls from the top bay to the bottom,' "; S11[40]=" Dean explained.
      'All of our bays are flat with a 10 to 15 cm terrace between them and an ideal slope so "; S12[40]=" that water travels from one bay to the next.
      When one bay has soaked in enough moisture, the run-off falls down the "; S13[40]=" terrace to the next bay and so on.
      It's a lot less labour intensive than row cropping because we slope the land "; S14[40]=" so that the water falls naturally.
      We don't need to keep coming back to check on things.' The STX Steiger is perfect "; S15[40]=" for the job, says Peter, because it's smooth to operate and with its fuel-efficient operation, they are able to increase productivity by 10 to 15 "; S16[40]=" per cent more per hour, than their previous tractor.
      The STX's superior tri-point oscillation chassis-design, extended wheelbase and position of the centre-pull "; S17[40]=" drawbar, efficiently transfers engine horsepower into pulling power.
      The Steiger is also able to carry dirt at high speeds, increasing time efficiency.
"; S18[40]="       'We believe we get a 30 to 40 percent reduction in labour - and we're using the same amount of water.
  "; S19[40]="     It's definitely a more water efficient way to run our property,' Peter said... "; R[41]="132"; T[41]="Canned wine lures drinkers"; A[41]="By ... Editor"; Dn[41]="20060222"; Dt[41]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[41]="a13a55"; B1[41]="      When lawyer Greg Stokes dropped a glass bottle of wine into a spa he had what could accurately be termed a eureka "; B2[41]="moment... "; B3[41]=" "; B4[41]=" "; B5[41]=" "; S1[41]="      When lawyer Greg Stokes dropped a glass bottle of wine into a spa he had what could accurately be termed a eureka "; S2[41]=" moment.
      Nine years later he is the founder and chief executive of an international company that sells wine in a can.
  "; S3[41]="     And business is booming.
      For the 2006 financial year, Mr Stokes predicts his Barokes company will export a total of "; S4[41]=" 2.1 million cans to more than eight nations around the world -- representing a 200 per cent growth rate in two years.The reason? It seems "; S5[41]=" the newest generation of drinkers can't get enough, particularly those females aged 22 to 39 years who are his main customers.
      The "; S6[41]=" wine industry itself, was less enthusiastic at first about selling its finest in a can.But Mr Stokes says it has now embraced the Barokes product "; S7[41]=" as an innovative method of providing premium Australian wine to a new generation who do not currently drink wine.
      'It is widely "; S8[41]=" recognised that along with the oversupply of wine in Australia, the industry needs to innovate and tackle the problem of dwindling numbers of consumers,' he "; S9[41]=" says.
      'As wine drinkers age, their numbers are not being replaced with younger drinkers who, after formative years consuming sweet, carbonated soft "; S10[41]=" drinks have graduated to canned, sweeter ready-to-drink mixed alcohol products.
      'The key is to find ways to attract these drinkers to "; S11[41]=" wine.' To this end, he says his range of wines has been specifically constructed by Peter Scudamore-Smith for the 'can generation'.
      'This "; S12[41]=" can only be good for the wine industry, as these new consumers will, in time, progress to more complex wines,' he says.
      "; S13[41]=" But hardly surprisingly, Mr Stokes says one of his biggest challenges when starting out was pioneering a completely new product category of alcoholic drinks that "; S14[41]=" he calls 'ready-to-drink wine'.
      'Since then we have spent significant time and resources protecting our technology through patent applications and litigation "; S15[41]=" against copy products and large companies trying to usurp the patent in Australia,' he says.
      And his advice for budding entrepreneurs? 'Start "; S16[41]=" with a vision and believe in it,' he says.
      'Have the drive to see something through to the end, believe in yourself "; S17[41]=" and the quality of your product, and have the determination and persistence to overcome any obstacle that is put in front of you.'.. "; R[42]="108"; T[42]="Flea beetle: first step to controlling Paterson s curse"; A[42]="By ... Editor"; Dn[42]="20060222"; Dt[42]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[42]="a55a85a93"; B1[42]="      Paterson s curse is under attack by flea beetles on two Esperance properties following the release of the biological control insect this "; B2[42]="month... "; B3[42]=" "; B4[42]=" "; B5[42]=" "; S1[42]="      Paterson's curse is under attack by flea beetles on two Esperance properties following the release of the biological control insect this month.
"; S2[42]="       The Department of Agriculture released about 300 flea beetles on a property in the Myrup area and another 300 on a small "; S3[42]=" hobby farm.
      Department biosecurity officer Ray Gwynne said there were currently about 10 private landholders and nearly 200 hectares of reserve land "; S4[42]=" affected by Paterson's curse around the Esperance townsite.
      'Historically, Paterson's curse has not been a big problem in Esperance, but it is "; S5[42]=" becoming one, particularly on small landholdings where the owners are generally absentee owners,' he said.
      'Many small landholders do not like to "; S6[42]=" spray the weed, preferring to dig them up.
      This is only effective if they dig up all of the plants.' Mr Gwynne "; S7[42]=" said the Department was trying to assist with controlling Paterson's curse on small isolated patches, because the land could not be cultivated.
      "; S8[42]=" 'This is a targeted first step approach to control Paterson's curse.
      It is not a cure-all, and the flea beetle will not "; S9[42]=" completely eliminate the weed,' he said.
      'Monitoring, spraying and digging weeds are also required.' Mr Gwynne said horses and feed could contribute "; S10[42]=" to the spread of the weed, and small landholders should purchase feed from accredited suppliers.
      Gardeners should take care when purchasing animal "; S11[42]=" manure or loamy soil that it doesn't contain Paterson's curse or other weed seeds.
      The flea beetle is one of five insect "; S12[42]=" species introduced as part of an integrated approach to control Paterson's curse in Western Australia.
      The Department has been working for 15 "; S13[42]=" years on the problem, with funding support from Meat and Livestock Australia and Australian Wool Innovation Ltd, through a nation-wide project.
      Paterson's "; S14[42]=" curse is a Weed of National Significance and is a declared plant in Western Australia, where it can smother pasture species.
      Its "; S15[42]=" greatest impact is in high rainfall areas, on grazing land and is estimated to cost Australian sheep and cattle producers $250 million annually through lost "; S16[42]=" productivity in pastures, control costs and wool contamination.
      Mr Gwynne said where Paterson's curse was a problem, landholders should take care not "; S17[42]=" to spread it to other properties and eradicate small infestations before they spread.
      Small landholders can contact the Small Landholder Information Service "; S18[42]=" for advice on weed control, pasture management and property planning (ph: 9733 3333 or email: small_landholder@agric.wa.gov.au).. "; R[43]="41"; T[43]="New soft wheat beats rust"; A[43]="By ... Editor"; Dn[43]="20060222"; Dt[43]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[43]="a02a22a55a81a93"; B1[43]="      Western Australia s soft wheat growers have access to a new high-yielding, rust resistant variety following the release today of the Department "; B2[43]="of Agriculture s latest Australian Soft club wheat - Bullaring.. "; B3[43]=" "; B4[43]=" "; B5[43]=" "; S1[43]="      Western Australia's soft wheat growers have access to a new high-yielding, rust resistant variety following the release today of the Department of "; S2[43]=" Agriculture's latest Australian Soft club wheat - Bullaring Department Director General Ian Longson unveiled the new soft wheat at an industry launch at the Dowerin "; S3[43]=" Field Days.
      Mr Longson said Bullaring together with EGA 2248 last year and EGA Jitarning were expected to boost the State's soft "; S4[43]=" wheat industry by offering varieties with competitive yields.
      He said Bullaring was a high yielding soft wheat, suitable for all traditional soft "; S5[43]=" wheat growing areas.
      It out-yielded Tincurrin and Datatine and is slightly lower yielding than EGA 2248.
      'A key feature "; S6[43]=" of Bullaring is its resistance to the three rusts and septoria tritici blotch.
      It has the best combination of disease resistances among "; S7[43]=" Australian soft varieties,' Mr Longson said.
      'Bullaring has resistance to stem rust and WA races of leaf rust which is similar to "; S8[43]=" Datatine, EGA Jitarning and Harrismith .
      Bullaring also has moderate resistance to septoria tritici blotch and an intermediate reaction to stripe rust,'Mr "; S9[43]=" Longson said.
      'This disease resistance profile will allow the variety to be grown for the soft wheat grade without any restrictions.' Mr "; S10[43]=" Longson said Bullaring was a white-chaffed, awned, mid-season, semi-dwarf club wheat.
      The new variety has better grain size and lower screenings than "; S11[43]=" other club wheats Datatine and Tincurrin, but smaller grain size and higher screening than the non club varieties EGA 2248 A and EGA Jitarning.
  "; S12[43]="     Grain protein content is similar to Datatine.
      'Bullaring is eligible for receival into the AWB Australian Soft class.
    "; S13[43]="   It has superior flour yield and colour pigment to Datatine and Tincurrin, and has performed well in end product testing,' he said.
    "; S14[43]="   Bullaring was bred by Department of Agriculture plant breeder Robyn McLean and the WA wheat breeding team.
      The variety is protected "; S15[43]=" by Plant Breeders Rights and is subject to a Crop Improvement Royalty... "; R[44]="18"; T[44]="A grilled camel the answer to desert destruction"; A[44]="By ... Editor"; Dn[44]="20060222"; Dt[44]="Wednesday 22 February 2006"; Acats[44]="a10a31a55"; B1[44]="      Once the backbone of outback exploration, the nation s camels could be headed for a desert abattoir..... "; B2[44]=" "; B3[44]=" "; B4[44]=" "; B5[44]=" "; S1[44]="      Once the backbone of outback exploration, the nation's camels could be headed for a desert abattoir.
      Every eight years "; S2[44]=" wild camel numbers are doubling, experts have found.
      If the trend continues without steps to control them, there could be two camels "; S3[44]=" to every person by 2053.
      They are already problem enough.
      In remote communities, camels have ripped out taps and "; S4[44]=" toilets for water.
      They are a hazard on outback roads and have been known to ransack tourists' cars for food.
    "; S5[44]="   On stations they trample fencing, compete with cattle for water and destroy infrastructure.
      One farmer estimates the cost at $30,000 to "; S6[44]=" $40,000 a year.
      In the bush they defoliate native shrubs and trees.
      Favourites, known as camels' ice-cream plants, can "; S7[44]=" become locally extinct.
      They compete with natives at waterholes and damage wetlands.
      They thrive in the Australian desert.
  "; S8[44]="     'It's a camel paradise,' said Glenn Edwards from the Northern Territory's Parks and Wildlife Commission.
      'It used to be that "; S9[44]=" if you asked what was Australia's worst vertebrate pest I would say the rabbit.
      That's changed a bit.
      In "; S10[44]=" terms of the desert country camels are now up there with feral goats in my opinion.' The wild camels are descendants of working animals released "; S11[44]=" into the wild when they were replaced by cars.
      Up to 1 million roam free through the Northern Territory and surrounding states.
"; S12[44]="       In a CSIRO report, Mr Edwards raised fencing off key areas and aerial shooting (which already takes place in South Australia and "; S13[44]=" on some stations) as ways to control numbers.
      'Although the aerial shooting of large animals such as horses and camels is a "; S14[44]=" highly emotive issue, it is the most effective and humane technique of culling large feral [herbivores] in remote, inaccessible situations.' The burgeoning camel industry has "; S15[44]=" its own solution - an export-licensed, halal-certified abattoir to produce camel meat for overseas sale.
      Live exports have dried up for the "; S16[44]=" moment, thanks to trading partners' economic woes, and existing cattle abattoirs can take only a few camels a week.
      Central Australian Camel "; S17[44]=" Industry's executive officer, Peter Seidel, said camel meat was low in fat and cholesterol, and tasted like beef.
      'There is substantial demand "; S18[44]=" worldwide [for camel meat].
      An investor from Oman is already interested,' Mr Seidel said.
      However, 'in very, very remote "; S19[44]=" areas of Australia, culling probably is the only option'... ";