Pastures

CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems (CSE) conducts research and development across a range of landscapes, targeting social, economic and environmental sustainability.

The Water for a Healthy Country Flagship is a national research program addressing one of Australia’s most pressing natural resource issues – sustainable management of our water resources.

CSIRO has decided to close its Yalanbee Research Station, a 1 150 hectare property near Perth, which has traditionally supported the work of livestock industry scientists in Western Australia, but is now significantly underutilised.

CSIRO has decided to consolidate its agricultural research effort so it can continue to provide world class research to underpin the sustainable management of Northern Australia’s tropical and sub-tropical environments.

Australasia’s major livestock industries’ science and agribusiness conference – Horizons in Livestock Sciences – will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand, from 28-30 October 2008.

Better Basin Futures research aims to develop tools, knowlege and strategies to predict and assess catchment and water use at the system scale.

The Healthy Water Ecosystems Theme, as part of the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship, is working to increase knowledge and develop tools for the management, protection and restoration of Australia’s water ecosystems.

CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems has expertise in the rangeland and savannas region of Australia. Current research will supply information to pastoralists to assist them to manage the land to achieve both greater productivity and sustainable use of the natural resources.

CSIRO has scientists from a range of disciplines contributing to better regional planning for sustainable habitation of the Australian rangelands and savannas

This video demonstrates a virtual fence for livestock that allows better use of pasture, protects the environment and reduces labour. (2:30)

Australia’s farmers are our climate change 'warriors', and many of them are already meeting the challenges of climate change, with major modifications to the way they produce our food. In this podcast, Dr Mark Howden from CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship, explains how farmers are dealing with challenges such as lower rainfall and irrigation allocations. (4.51)

The CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems laboratory in Alice Springs conducts research that addresses regional futures, indigenous livelihoods, conservation planning and management, sustainable agricultural systems and knowledge management in arid and semi-arid rangelands.

The Davies Laboratory is located in Townsville, North Queensland, serves as base for researchers from CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, CSIRO Land and Water and CSIRO Plant Industry.

This article from Farming Ahead details how researchers have been collecting information about how cattle interact with each other and exploring the links between animal behaviour and genetics. (3 pages)

This article from Farming Ahead details research by CSIRO on how variations in salinity affect the mineral composition and balance of river saltbushes and how this will allow producers to avoid potential mineral imbalances in livestock. (3 pages)

"Alpine grazing reduces blazing" is a widely and strongly held view, in both rural and urban regions, concerning fire in Australia’s high country. CSIRO along with its' partners tested this view following the widespread fires in Victorian high country in 2003.

Increasing market preference for grains free of chemical residues is driving research into potential alternative methods of insect control.