Productivity & Adding Value
Testing and Breeding Forest Trees for Plantations in the Northern Territory
This project was initiated to provide an opportunity to develop farm forestry in the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory has land available in the 1000 to 1800 mm rainfall zone and considerable potential for agroforestry, if species that can thrive in the extreme climatic conditions and poor soil conditions of the region are identified and adapted. The research reported here is an essential step in determining the adaptability and potential growth rates of high quality forestry species in a range of sites in the region.
Access the full report here.
NORpak - Ord River Irrigation Area
Cotton production and management guidelines for the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) 2007
This report is the result of 10 years of research into the performance of genetically modified cotton in the Ord River Irrigation Area. It summarises the research in and understanding of the performance of GM cotton in the Ord, including the development of an integrated pest management approach for the region.
Download the full document here.
Northern Australia Irrigation Futures
The Northern Australia Irrigation Futures (NAIF) project provides new knowledge, tools, and processes to support debate and decision making regarding irrigation in northern Australia.
This program is a collaboration with NRM regional bodies, local governments and communities across northern Australia, and with the Commonwealth, WA, NT, and QLD governments who have responsibilities for tropical Australia.
Latest news from NAIF here
Access the NAIF website
Adopting systems approaches to water and nutrient management for future cane production in the Burdekin
The objectives of this project are to:
- Develop of a range of proven farm management options for improved water, nutrient and crop management that will maintain or increase profitability, whilst controlling rising water tables, reducing the risk of irrigation-induced salinity and improving off-farm water quality;
- Carry out assessments of the economic feasibility of the proven farm management options within the context of future water pricing and water allocation scenarios in the Lower Burdekin;
- Establish industry reference sites with grower participation to provide robust benchmarks and to assist in the dissemination of project learnings;
- Broaden and strengthen industry-led innovation and change processes (e.g. Cane Productivity Initiative) to promote best management practice in irrigation;
- Synthesise and package project results and learnings derived from the Cane Productivity Initiative to extend improved water and nutrient management options to other districts.
Project summary page 
Combating rural labour shortages
MLA is embarking on an ambitious project to survey 1000 employers and 4000 employees in an attempt to improve labour supply and continuity in the northern cattle industry.
The low and declining availability of rural labour has been identified as a major constraint in the Australian beef industry, with low job application rates, high staff turnover and shortages of experienced labour combining to reduce enterprise efficiency.
Read more here
New Animal Products Research Program
The objective of RIRDC's New Animal Products research program is to accelerate the development of viable new animal industries.
Many of these research programs explore industries which are suited to the northern regions of Australia. These include:
- Implications of trace element concentrations in crocodile eggs and tissues
- Crocodile pen design
- Nutritional requirements, feed ingredients and feeding systems for farmed crocodile production
- Captive breeding of Hawkesbill turtles
- Linkage mapping and QTL analysis in saltwater crocodiles
- Runtism and survival in captive saltwater crocodiles
Further information and contact details for each of these research programs can be found on RIRDC's New Animal Products page
New Plant Products R&D
RIRDC also conducts a New Plant Products research program which aims to facilitate the development of new industries based on plants or plant products that have commercial potential for Australia. Several of these programs are applicable to northern Australia, including:
- Product description languages and support material for minor tropical crops in northern Australia
- A business plan for the development of a Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) industry in the top
- Commercialisation of boab tubers
Further information on these projects can be found on the New Plant Products Research Program page
Asian Foods Program
The objective of the Asian Foods Research Program, undertaken by RIRDC, is to foster the development of a viable Asian Foods industry in Australia.
One project, completed under this program, was an export market study for Asian vegetables from Darwin/NT.
Completed in 2005, the study found that exports by sea to Singapore from Darwin are commercially viable for a selected number of vegetables. A summary of the study and its findings can be accessed here.
North Australia Beef Fertility Project – Cash Cow 
Herd reproductive performance is a key profit driver of northern beef productivity yet the relative importance of the many factors that impact reproductive performance are not well understood nor quantified. As such, losses of between 5-10 per cent in cows and 15-20 per cent in heifers from pregnancy testing to weaning are common across the industry and have been documented in numerous research projects.
A new four-year, $2 million MLA project, North Australia Beef Fertility Project – also known as ‘Cash Cow’ – aims to provide some answers to allow beef producers to improve reproductive performance.
Cash cow will contribute to an improvement in reproductive performance across northern Australia by:
- Identifying and prioritising key management and environmental factors associated with variation in reproductive performance, enabling northern producers to know which factors they should focus on to improve performance.
- Identifying knowledge gaps and better targeting of future investments in research.
The project is one of the most challenging undertaken in the beef industry because of its scale. The first year is a pilot year to test and refine the methodology – year two on will involve about 96,000 head of cattle in 154 mobs over 77 properties across northern Australia. Run by the University of Queensland, it will also involve 36 private veterinarians who will work with participating producers to collect information over the four years.
More information here
