* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download primary industry, fisheries and mines
Survey
Document related concepts
Scientific opinion on climate change wikipedia , lookup
Climate change in Tuvalu wikipedia , lookup
Public opinion on global warming wikipedia , lookup
Effects of global warming on human health wikipedia , lookup
Surveys of scientists' views on climate change wikipedia , lookup
Climate change, industry and society wikipedia , lookup
Climate change and agriculture wikipedia , lookup
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report wikipedia , lookup
Years of Living Dangerously wikipedia , lookup
Effects of global warming on humans wikipedia , lookup
Effects of global warming on Australia wikipedia , lookup
Transcript
DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Plants, Rains and Automobiles Sustainable Plant Industry Development in the NT - challenges of the 21st Century. www.nt.gov.au/dpifm Rowena Eastick 3rd October 2007 DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Talk Outline WHAT ARE THE MAJOR ‘ISSUES’ FOR SUSTAINABLE PLANT INDUSTRIES IN THE NT IN THE FUTURE? – WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT? • PLANTS – NOW & THE FUTURE – Current status – Increased demand? – Genetically modified? – Adaptive crops and farming systems for climate change? • RAINS – NOW & THE FUTURE – Climate change – Heffernan – come to the North • AUTOMOBILES – FUTURE – Biofuels – Comparing range of crops www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Underlying all this…… ENVIRONMENT • Public scrutiny • Government policies – based on science? - Water? Land? • Scenario Planning - Climate change • Water Smart - Water Use Efficiency - Deep Drainage • BPSLUNT www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES “It seems to be a never-ending story - research will only be done if effects of a change can be imagined. Who, for example, thought of CO2 production and global change when introducing automobiles instead of the horse?” What are the changes that Plant Industry might need to consider for future research and development priorities? www.nt.gov.au/dpifm (Pohl-Orf et.al, 1999 DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES PLANTS Industry Background Crop Industry Value Tonne produced Enterprise No Fodder Crops (feed hay, mulch hay, silage) $17.6m 115,360 88 Field Crops (sorghum, sesame, peanuts, maize) $0.8m 1,594 4 Pasture Seed $0.5m 106 3 $18.9m 117,060 95 TOTAL 2006 Northern Territory Field & Fodder Crops Statistics www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES PLANTS Fodder industry www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Grain Industry www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Agroforestry • Increased interest in plantation forestry • Associated Managed Investment Schemes • Cyclones and fires – and potential increased frequency and intensity with climate change – risk?? www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Horticulture • Tropically adapted species – Asian influence?? www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Future Agriculture?? • CROP SELECTION – Varieties selected / adapted • SUSTAINABLE FARMING PRACTICES TO ADAPT? – No-till – Retained mulch – Best Bet Practices www.nt.gov.au/dpifm • REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT – Socio-economic change – Agriculture can play a major role – Indigenous development DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Future for Agriculture?? • RISE OF ASIA? – Increase in live export cattle – fodder demand • RESEARCH?? – DPIFM has traditionally conducted research into crop agronomy and physiology to maximise production in the semiarid tropics – The future? www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES GENETICALLY MODIFIED?? www.nt.gov.au/dpifm http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/agri_biotechnology/gmo_planting/194.global_growing_area_gm_crops.html DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES http://www.isaaa.org/kc/CBTNews/press_release/images/briefs34/figures/hectares/mega%20countries_hectares.jpg COMMON NAME COTTON DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Insect resistance Modified Trait Herbicide tolerance Waterlogging tolerance Water-use efficiency Fungal resistance Modified fatty acid content in cottonseed oil BREAD WHEAT Drought tolerance Salt tolerance Herbicide tolerance Altered grain starch SUGARCANE Altered plant architecture Enhanced water or improved nitrogen use efficiency Altered sugar production CANOLA Herbicide tolerance TORENIA Altered flower colour (flavonoid biosynthesis) ROSE Altered flower colour, selectable marker INDIAN MUSTARD Herbicide tolerance CULTIVATED RICE Herbicide tolerance WHITE CLOVER Viral Disease Resistance GRAPEVINES Modified colour Sugar composition Flowering and fruit development CARNATION Modified flower colour PINEAPPLE Reduction of blackheart Delayed flowering PAPAYA Delayed fruit ripening OILSEED POPPY Altered alkaloid production pathway http://www.ogtr.gov.au/gmorec/ir.htm www.lovelandgardencenter.com/images DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES GM in the future? DPIFM has done work on gm cotton in the past. – – – – Agronomy Risk Assessment Weediness Integrated Pest Management It is likely gm crops will be a part of agriculture in the future?? - drought tolerance? www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Increasing pressure to adopt biotechnology?? www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES RAINS – A DESIRABLE (& Scarce??) RESOURCE • “Water is the key. The Heffernan plan boils down to one thing: turning the north into Asia's food and water bowl. • Genetically modified crops will be heavily planted; rice, cotton, grapes, sugar, lemons and oranges will be abundant. Crops designed for Asian markets - such as bok choy - will abound.” http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=264308 www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES RAINS Farmers told to move north 'where water is‘ Senator Heffernan says farmers need to go where the water is. • "It is estimated that in 15 to 20 years somewhere over 4 million people in northern China are going to run out of water … There's going to have to be some dramatic reconfiguration of the use of water." "There's no question climate change is a reality. We've got to take our farm to where the water is," he said. • (Hmmmm….what about Australia running out of water?) The north is seen to have an abundance of water…. http://www.abc.net.au/water/stories/s1766574.htm OCT06 http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=264308 DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES RAINS • CLIMATE CHANGE (OR UNPREDICTABILITY?!?) – “Climate change is considered the most serious long-term threat to agriculture” – Agriculture expected to be more affected by climate change than other sectors due to its dependence on natural resources – New senate inquiry to investigate climate change impact on agriculture (27 Sept 07) www.nt.gov.au/dpifm http://www.aciar.gov.au/node/2391 DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES RAINS • There are 4 main climate related drivers on agriculture: – Elevated CO2 – Rainfall and associated water availability – Temperature and associated evaporation – Extreme weather events (droughts, cyclones) • “Enhanced plant growth and water use efficiency resulting from higher CO2 may result in initial benefits, but the balance is expected to become negative with general warming in excess of 2-4oC and associated reductions in atmospheric moisture” – “Few of these studies were specific to the NT” All interact to affect agricultural productivity, quality, pests and diseases www.nt.gov.au/dpifm » Report for NT DIPE 2004. Climate Change in the NT DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES AUTOMOBILES Considerable debate over the pros and cons of biofuels “Biofuels contribute little or no CO2 to the buildup of greenhouse gas emissions” http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy99osti/24052.pdf “The potential of the current technologies of choice – ethanol and biodiesel – to deliver a major contribution to the energy demands of the transport sector without compromising food prices and the environment is very limited.” » (Report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Sept 2007) “Any increase in the biofuels industry competing for foodstocks has the capacity to ‘completely re-order’ world agriculture. www.nt.gov.au/dpifm » (Futurist Paul Higgins, QLD Country Life Sept 27) DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES AUTOMOBILES Biofuels conference in Brisbane last week - new Biofuels lobby group - embrace biofuels at a time when the worldwide biofuels industry is experiencing rapid growth. “We have the situation in Australia where neither the Coalition nor the Opposition has a national policy or strategy for meeting national energy security.” Renewable Fuels Australia executive director, Bob Gordon DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Biofuels Research •Identify bio-fuel crops that are agronomically suitable for the NT. •Collate crop production figures (grain biomass, oil or carbohydrate content). •Rank crops according to economic viability. •Soybean •Coconut •Canola •Mustard •Cassava •Sesame •Sunflower •Safflower •Maize •Pongamia •African oil palm www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Putting it all together?!? Plants….gm….climate change…biofuel • Scientists win prize for genetic modification of oil producing plants • Scientists who have found a way to control plant genes have won this year’s Prime Ministers’ Prize for Science. • gene-silencing used to combat climate change. – Eg. plants that could produce biofuels customised for different engines. These crops would be much more efficient at making biofuels than the current processes using corn or sugar. • They’d capture the CO2 when they grow, and release it when used as fuel-a closed circle with no net carbon emissions! www.nt.gov.au/dpifm Posted on 22 September 2007 by Luke Hallam DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES • Environmental Footprint – – – – Off-site effects of plant industry Pesticides Biodiversity Water www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Future CFH projects 1. SCENARIO PLANNING •Asks: What if???? – Project: “Scenarios for a different future” •Develop specific scenarios through participatory workshops •Uncertainty in climate models – predictions of climate change presented as a set of possible scenarios eg. Wetter ? Drier? Aims: test scenario planning as a tool www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES 2. WATER SMART Alternative Irrigation Approaches for Northern Australia –Evaluate the on-site, catchment and regional environmental/ecological implications of various irrigation approaches –Engage Indigenous Communities –Understand the economic imperatives –Apply a framework for capturing and disseminating knowledge Hmmmm….thought we didn’t have flood irrigation in the Territory! www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES BPSLUNT • Property development planning • Native vegetation and natural eco system management • Water management • Soil management • Weed management • Pest management • Nutrient management • Farm waste management • Chemical management www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES PROJECTS • Water Use Efficiency – irrigation tech • Deep Drainage • Carbon Offsets / Trading • Allows companies to plant enough trees to trap the same amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases that would be created by the manufacture of their products • Government Policies – NT and National • • • • • land water gm climate change biofuels www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES CONCLUSIONS • There is a link between: – climate variability (change?!), – rain abundance in the NT, – increased demand for plant production – gm crop adoption – biodiesel • Underlying all these issues is the need for environmental sustainability • Global and local drivers • All will influence the future of plant industries in the NT – Have an opportunity to contribute to: • Regional development • Indigenous development • Asian trade • How DPFIM will address these in the future – Applied research into plant industries – Scenario planning – WaterSmart – Environmental monitoring “SUCCESSFUL RESOURCE BASED INDUSTRIES THAT OPERATE TO BENEFIT TERRITORIANS” www.nt.gov.au/dpifm DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES AND MINES Every beginning is from some other beginning’s END. www.nt.gov.au/dpifm