Archive for August 6th, 2008

A scientist from the University of New England will be a keynote speaker this Friday (8 August) at one of Australia’s major precision agriculture forums: the Southern Precision Agriculture Crop Scanning Forum in Adelaide.

Associate Professor David Lamb will be the forum’s only keynote speaker representing a university research group. He will be talking about the work of that group – the UNE Precision Agriculture Research Group – in the application and development of crop-scanning sensors. The UNE research group is one of the nation’s biggest in this increasingly important field.

“Precision agriculture is the application of technologies to enable optimum agricultural production in variable landscapes,” Dr Lamb said. “For example, by mapping a field for the variability in biomass of a crop or pasture, optical sensors [such as that pictured here] can provide clues to variations in the soil and water conditions affecting the crop or the use of the pasture by grazing animals – vital information for farmers seeking to maximise productivity.

“Ground-based optical sensors provide data at potentially higher resolution than satellite images, and can be used to calibrate and clarify those images.”

He explained that precision agriculture offered unique opportunities to address some of the current global concerns relating to water, food and carbon. “Precision agriculture, which allows farmers to do more with less, is the only option for agriculture in the coming decades of the 21^st century,” he said, “and UNE is well placed to be a major player in that endeavour.”

“The Southern Precision Agriculture Association is a national network of farmers who are keen to be at the cutting edge,” Dr Lamb said. “My invitation to represent the UNE Precision Agriculture Research Group at the forum in Adelaide recognises UNE’s growing reputation in this field.

“That recognition is confirmed by an invitation to speak at Australia’s other major forum for precision agriculture – the Australasian Symposium on Precision Agriculture in Sydney on the 19^th of September – and invitations to present our work at several international forums.”

UNE’s Precision Agriculture Research Group is involved in major projects funded by the Cooperative Research Centres for Spatial Information and Irrigation Futures, as well as industry-funded projects – including one with the Australian Coal Association Research Program.

The project for the CRC for Spatial Information, titled “Clever Cattle and Cropping Systems”, is investigating, applying and developing new spatial information technologies including satellite imaging, on-ground sensing of crop and pasture growth, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) that fly across fields to capture high-resolution data, and global positioning systems on the collars of grazing cattle. All these technologies – and more – will be on display at a field day at UNE’s Douglas McMaster Research Station, Warialda, on October the 10^th.

A seminar in Armidale this Friday (8 August) will focus on the use of water resources in the Murray-Darling Basin in exploring links between science and Christianity in managing resources and protecting the environment.

Environmental scientist Dr Darren Ryder from Ecosystem Management at the University of New England and Uniting Church minister Rev. David Reichardt from Sydney will be the two speakers at the seminar, which will provide opportunity for discussion and questions.

The seminar, titled “Water in Science and Faith – a look at the Murray-Darling Basin”, is the 2^nd Annual Faith and Environment Seminar hosted by the Uniting Church Chaplaincy at UNE and the Armidale Uniting Church, and organised by Rev. Judy Redman.

The seminar will be presented twice – first in the afternoon and then again in the evening. The afternoon session begins at 3.30 pm in the Wesley Hall of Armidale Uniting Church, 112-114 Rusden Street, and will be followed by a soup and damper tea. The evening session begins at 7 pm in the Gallery of UNE’s Earle Page College, and will be followed by supper.

Dr Ryder will talk about the role of science in the sustainable management of water resources in the Murray-Darling Basin. “In Australia there are approximately 500 large dams and many thousands of weirs, locks and other small structures that regulate flow,” he said. “Changes to the flow regime in regulated rivers – particularly those in the Murray-Darling Basin – have often had a negative impact on the environmental health of aquatic ecosystems, affecting biodiversity, food webs, energy transport, and ecosystem function. The current Water Reform process initiated by the Federal Government has provisions for the allocation of water to the environment with the aim of ‘revitalising our rivers and waterways’.”

Dr Ryder’s talk will explore the idea that science must underpin this reform process. Understanding the effects of environmental flow releases on river ecosystems is crucial if we are to manage water resources to sustain both river health and the communities that rely on secure water supplies from rivers. Examples from the upper Murray River, the Murrumbidgee River, and rivers in the northern Basin will highlight the importance of the interaction among scientists, water users and the community for the effective sustainable management of water resources in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Mr Reichardt’s talk, titled “Ears to Hear: an Ecotheological Field Study of Uniting Churchgoers in the Murray-Darling Basin”, will present the results of a field study using focus groups gathered from eight Uniting Church congregations from different parts of the Basin. “The field study forms part of my doctoral studies on how the Murray-Darling Basin’s human inhabitants have affected its waterways,” he said. “In my talk, I will explore how the Christian beliefs, cultures and worldviews of residents of the Murray-Darling Basin have influenced the ways in which they relate to and affect their ecological context.”

Entry to the seminar is free, but a donation to help cover costs would be welcome.

For more details go to: http://www.une.edu.au/chaplaincy/uniting/environment08.php or contact Rev Judy Redman, the Uniting Church Chaplain, on 6773 3739 (w) 6771 2932 (h) or jredman@une.edu.au.