Sustainable Agriculture Flagship

Efforts to reduce livestock methane emissions in Australia received a major boost with the launch of a new research cluster drawing on Universities and leading world research organisations including CSIRO.

A new CSIRO project takes dual-purpose crops to the whole-farm level, increasing flexibility for farmers as climate conditions become more challenging and offering potential extra earnings of A$150m per year in New South Wales alone.

CSIRO is involved in the Livestock Methane Research Cluster (LMRC), a collaboration between world leading scientific experts to develop accurate and practical methods to measure and reduce livestock methane emissions in the northern Australia beef herd.

CSIRO Land and Water undertakes research focusing on the measurement and prediction of the availability and condition of Australia’s land and water resources.

A major transformation in the food system is needed to address future threats to food security according to experts from some of the world’s leading science organisations.

Allan Peake is a research agronomist who is developing improved agronomic management techniques for irrigated grain crops, and is conducting research into how crops use water.

In a new partnership with sub-Saharan Africa, Australian scientists and farmers are hosting a delegation of key African cotton industry representatives and researchers to share their knowledge and insight to help improve farming practices and thereby reduce poverty in West Africa.

Increasing the productivity of Africa’s agricultural systems is one of the most significant challenges facing global agriculture. CSIRO is working with African scientists and institutions to help African’s develop long term solutions.

Plant Industry researchers promote profitable and sustainable agrifood, fibre and horticultural industries, developing new plant products and improving natural resource management.

CSIRO researchers are attending a number of Grains Research and Development (GRDC) Research Updates in coming months to cover topics like: soil carbon, water use efficiency, nutrient use efficiency and new technology for farmers and land managers.

A method for measuring the environmental impacts of water used in crop and food production is helping businesses develop more sustainable practices and consumers make wiser choices.

For more than 20 years CSIRO has worked with partners in the Queensland Government and the University of Queensland to develop an innovative approach to understanding agricultural systems. Researchers have worked to benefit rural industries and the environment by developing a management tool called APSIM. APSIM is now used across Australia and the world to help land managers understand how they can better manage their farming systems for increased food and fibre production.

Farmers and policy makers are often making difficult decisions dealing with lots of information and complexity. CSIRO is helping by providing tools, like computer models, that can assist them make better decisions.

This 101-page report reviews the water quality and biodiversity effects of using plantation forests in streamside management zones on cleared farmland.

Dr Saul Cunningham is researching how insect communities can be managed to benefit agricultural production and biodiversity conservation.

Read about the CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture Flagship's goals, major research challenges and international  partnerships in this two-page brochure.

CSIRO has worked with researchers, advisors and farmers to identify principles for sustainably managing the food fed to livestock on mixed cropping/grazing farms. Farmers now have access to better information to manage their feedbase to achieve better profits, healthier natural resources and social factors.

On a planet with sufficient food for all, a billion people go hungry, while millions are suffering from chronic disease due to over-consumption.

Bangladesh consumes more than twice the wheat it grows, and importing the shortfall is eating into its foreign currency reserves – but researchers have identified potential for large increases in production.

Achieving another agricultural revolution.

CSIRO and the Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) are working together to develop and support Yield Prophet®, a web-based decision-support tool for grain growers. Yield Prophet® is built on the farming systems model APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems Simulator).

Researchers at CSIRO have been scanning trees (in this case, Jeffrey pine trees in the United States of America) with ground-based laser scanning technology (called ECHIDNA) to estimate how much plant material forests have. (0:58)

CSIRO is helping to understand, monitor and manage Australia's landscapes and soil resources. The Australian Collaborative Land Evaluation Partnership, a collaboration with many agencies, provides a hub for data and information on Australian soil and land resources.

ASRIS is a collation of the best available, nationally consistent data and information on Australia’s soil and land resources. It facilitates better planning and decision making.

The CSIRO National Soil Archive is Australia's primary resource for conserving soil specimens and making them accessible for future research.