Boophilus microplus spells big trouble for cattle.
Prevalent in the tropical regions of Australia and South America,
it is by far the major tick species that causes extensive
productivity losses to cattle producers. The ticks infest
the animals and ingest their blood, causing stress in cattle
that results in sub-standard beef stock and damaged hides.
Some also die from anaemia or from the diseases transferred
by the tick.
The solution has so far been the use of chemical pesticides. The problem with chemicals is that they are harmful to the environment, and Boophilus microplus often develops a resistance to them.
An eight year research programme conducted by biotechnologists from the CSIRO Division of Tropical Animal Health and Biotech Australia Pty Limited has resulted in a vaccine that increases the resistance of cattle to ticks. The breakthrough is based on a recombinant tick protein produced in E. Coli.
Whereas chemical pesticides kill the ticks immediately on application and the cattle get re-infested soon after returning to pasture, the vaccine has a more gradual but longer term effect. The vaccine's effects actually increase over the tick season because it works continuously to decrease the reproduction capacity of each successive generation. Biotech's tick vaccine reduces the frequency of mustering and treating cattle, is one less reason to use chemical pesticides, and generally great news for cattle and ranchers alike.
Fastest new visual test for
salmonella
An innovative screening test for detecting Salmonella developed
by Biotech Australia Pty Limited has reduced the waiting period
for results from four or five days down to just 24 hours.
Conceived and developed entirely by a team of microbiologists
and biochemists at the company over a four year period, the
new system for pathogen detection called Immunocapture was
first released in 1990, and is manufactured and marketed worldwide
by Biotech's Tecra Diagnostics division.
Conventional culture tests and other rapid assay techniques are time consuming and involve selective enrichment and post-enrichment procedures.
The Tecra Immunocapture system is the fastest visual Salmonella test in the world and captures more than 300 strains of Salmonella organisms on a specially treated dipstick, directly from environmental swabs or food samples. Once captured, the dipstick is placed in another tube where the Salmonella multiply to sufficient numbers for detection. The sample is heated to release the Salmonella antigens from the dipstick and finally the three stage Salmonella visual immunoassay process is used to reveal any Salmonella antigens that may be in the sample.
Easy to use, the innovation which was awarded the 1992 Australian Food Industry Innovation Award, does not require the handling of toxic or carcinogenic materials.
The advent of faster and more accurate Salmonella test results will give companies the opportunity to speed up their despatch and reduce their inventory costs, while continuing to ensure that consumers are at all times protected.
A test for Listeria in food in the same format will be launched in 1997 and tests for other important pathogens will follow.
New accurate test for eradicating
TB in cattle
While tuberculosis remains a leading cause of death for people
in many poor nations, in countries where it is under control,
attention has been focused on the eradication of bovine tuberculosis
caused by Mycobacterium bovis.
To eradicate TB in cattle, it is necessary to accurately test herds, slaughter infected animals, and keep re-testing them until all traces of TB are eliminated. Because of the 80% success rate of the conventional tuberculin test, up to ten rounds of testing may be necessary on an infected herd before it is free from TB. Even when farmers are compensated for condemned cattle, inaccurate results lead to a waste of good cattle and money.
The standard skin test requires mustering and holding the cattle for three days after injecting to assess the results. Providing feed and water for a large mob of restless cattle in temporary yards and assessing whether a tiny lump appears at the site of the injection is a difficult and subjective task to say the least. Because the tuberculin test can affect the reliability of subsequent tests, the animals can not be re-tested immediately, and must be mustered and tested again after 60 to 90 days.
The bovine gamma-interferon test is a simple, accurate and quick blood based test for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis jointly developed by scientists at CSIRO Division of Animal Health led by Dr Paul Wood in collaboration with Dr H Mario Geysen and his colleagues at CSL Limited. The test kit was commercialised in 1990 by CSL, who holds the exclusive licence to manufacture and market the kit worldwide.
Field trials in Australia in 1989 and 1990 on more than 13,000 cattle have shown that it is much more sensitive and specific than the tuberculin skin test. It is also non-invasive and does not affect the immune status of the animal, allowing repeat testing of suspected animals without waiting.
The new test not only replaces the conventional TB test, the principles of which date back 100 years, the development has applications beyond TB and represents a major breakthrough in disease diagnosis for veterinary and human medicine.
Pregnancy control vaccine
for cattle
Until recently up to 80% of female cattle were pregnant when
sent to the abattoir, a fact wich represented significant
penalties in terms of loss of condition and value of the pregnant
animal. The loss of final body weight is the result of ingested
feed being diverted from adult body tissue (beef) to the development
of the unborn calf. This is seen most significantly in the
last three months of pregnancy.
The conventional way of avoiding this has been surgical spaying (removal of the ovaries) - an unpleasant procedure which in itself causes a loss of weight and production. It is estimated that almost a quarter of a million cattle are spayed every year in northern Australia alone, and from both management and humane considerations, an alternative procedure was long overdue. Now a vaccine has been developed to prevent unwanted pregnancies in cattle destined for slaughter.
Arthur Webster Pty Ltd, CSIRO Divisions of Animal Production and Tropical Animal Production, and Peptide Technology Limited have developed VAXSTRATE, the world's first anti-reproductive vaccine for cattle. VAXSTRATE uses the animal's own immune system to produce antibodies that block the normal hormonal pathway involved in reproduction.
As a result of vaccination, the cow's ovarian function closes down soon after the second injection, for a period of up to five or six months, after which the animal gradually reverts to variable but normal reproductive capacity.
VAXSTRATE provides a new management aid to graziers by controlling pregnancy in cattle destined for slaughter and thereby increasing their profitability. Vaccinated cattle can also optimise their full growth potential as a result of uninterrupted grazing from reduced hormonal activity within the animal.
Capsule for preventing bloat
in cattle
Bloat is an unpredictable problem. It happens quickly and
can be fatal. Caused by the excessive production of gas in
the rumen and the inability of the animal to expel it, bloat
can cause heart faliure and asphyxiation due to internal pressure
on the diaphragm and the lungs.
Conventional remedies such as sprays and drenches take up to 30 minutes every day to administer, cost money and manpower, and because they are reactive measures, they are often too late to be effective.
Based on an invention by Ralph Laby at the CSIRO Division of Animal Production, the world's first preventative anti-bloat capsule for cattle was commercialisead in 1987 by Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lilly Australia Pty Ltd.
The Rumensin Anti-bloat Capsule is 16cm long slow release plastic capsule with a core matrix containing 32g of monensin. The capsules provide bloat prevention for up to 100 days. They are administered with ease - swallowed and retained without discomfort by the animal. In time, the wings of the capsule snap off, allowing the animal to regurgitate the emply capsule.
Because the active ingredient of the capsule improves the feed efficiency of the animal through its natural biological action, it makes more energy available to the animal. This translates into increased milk production or weight gain.
Chemical-free relief from
buffalo fly for cattle
Haematobia irritans exigua, better known variously
as the Buffalo Fly or Horn Fly, suck the blood of the cattle
causing irritation and stress. Cattle use up energy and get
sores from rubbing against posts and trees in an effort to
remove the flies. Their feeding and resting are disturbed.
The stock gets out of condition and lose weight, and dairy
cows produce less milk.
A new innovative fly trap covered with solar-weave film, has done away with the need to spray the cattle six to seven times a year, as well as the problem of the flies becoming immune to the effects of the chemicals. Invented by scientists Dr Bob Tozer and Bob Sutherst at the CSIRO Division of Entomology in 1989, with financial support from the Dairy Research and Development Corporation, the Buffalo (Horn) Fly Trap was commercialised by Country Industries of Australia in 1992.
The cattle do all the work, by walking through a steel framed, plastic covered tunnel that resembles a small greenhouse, which wipes the flies from the cows' bodies. The flies rise towards the ceiling, get trapped in the dome and die from the intense heat generated by the solarweave film exposed to sunlight. The cattle quickly learn to enjoy the relief from being rubbed over by the plastic brush inside the innovative fly trap.
Flies are now being collected from the traps and analysed to identify the types of flies, as it is likely that the traps will also help control house flies and other biting flies that are also found around dairy areas.
Copper supplements for sheep
and cattle
Copper is an important ingredient in the diet of sheep and
cattle. Sandy soils and those with excessive amounts of other
minerals such as molybdenum, sulphur, zinc, iron, cadmium
and calcium, reduce copper's availability to livestock. Copper
deficiency can have a major impact on stock health and productivity.
In cattle, it can result in poor growth rates, lowered milk
production, reduced fertility, bone softness, anaemia and
fading coat colour and loss of hair condition. The last of
these can be a major setback in sheep where the wool loses
its tensile strength and elasticity and develops a sheen known
as "steely wool".
Oral drenches and injections required repeat applications during the year and could cause toxicity, while mineral licks supplied copper at low levels and could be ineffective.
Researchers at the CSIRO Division of Animal Production developed oxidised copper wire, and Dr Robert Hamilton from Mallinckrodt Veterinary Limited developed the world's first polyoxide capsule, superior to previously used gelatin capsules. The two innovations came together and in 1986, Pitman-Moore commercialised Cuprax capsules that could provide continuous copper supplement for livestock over a 12 month period.
Once administered, the capsule lodges in the animal's rumen where it dissolves and releases oxidised copper needles. These particles slowly pass through to the stomach where they gradually release copper which is absorbed into the blood stream. Cuprax is helping graziers and wool growers who have copper deficient soils improve the quality of their produce, and the health of their animals.
Controlled release capsule
for nematode worms in sheep
Commercialised byCaptec Pty Ltd, the Extender 100 capsule
provides a worm control programme for 100 days continuous
protection against helminths in sheep. Marketed in Europe
by Smith Kline Beecham as ProfTril, when administered at the
recommended time, the capsule can control worms for as long
as one year. This is because it not only diminishes the number
of resident worms in the animal, but by preventing the establishment
of larvae ingested from the paddock, the capsule treated sheep
reduce the worm output onto the paddock, resulting in safer
pasture. It also aids in the control of dags and reduces the
incidence of intestinal worms in lambs prior to weaning.
A stack of tablets containing the medication are housed inside a polypropylene tube. One end of the tube is dome shaped and the other has an opening. The tablet at the capsule orifice swells and forms a gel when it comes into contact with the fluid in the rumen and is brushed off into the rumen. Two wings at the domed end prevent regurgitation of the capsule. For safe administration, the wings are taped to the body of the capsule with water soluble tape. The capsule is designed to stay in the rumen for the life of the sheep.
The controlled release technology was developed by Dr Ralph Laby of the CSIRO Division of Animal Production, and the application of this technology for the administration of anthelmintics was initiated by Dr Norm Anderson of the CSIRO Division of Animal Health.
It is estimated that parasites can reduce the weight gain of sheep by as much as 79% and that the effective supression of helminths can increase the fleece weights of young sheep by up to 46%. Extender 100 is providing long lasting protection and promoting both growth and productivity in sheep.
Inducing ovulation in mares
for efficient breeding
The spring heralds a busy time on a stud farm. It is the
time of year when the breeding programme starts and valuable
stallions need to be mated to chosen mares. The problem is
that the time interval between oestrus (or "heat") and ovulation
can vary anything from one to eight days.
To improve the likelihood of fertile mating, Peptide Technology Limited have developed a small biocompatible implant called Ovuplant to significantly reduce the variability in the time of ovulation. Ovuplant was commercialised by the company in 1995.
Mammals produce two reproductive hormones, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and leutinising hormone (LH), from a gland at the base of the brain. In females, these hormones trigger the development, maturation and release of the egg from the ovary.
The release of FSH and LH into the blood stream is regulated by a peptide hormone, gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH), produced by specialised cells. Ovuplant works by augmenting the naturally secreted GnRH which increases the levels of FSH and LH.
Ovuplant is packed inside a syringe-like applicator and inserted under the mare's skin. The implant contains a peptide hormone to augment the mare's natural reproductive hormones. Because the level of peptide needs to be maintained at a defined dose over several days to be effective, special controlled release technology was developed for the implant.
The increased accuracy and control of mares' ovulation will result in considerable savings for professional horse breeders.
Optimum environment control
for chickens
Leaving chicken sheds unattended even for short periods of
time is risky because small changes in the environment of
the chickens can be harmful to their growth or survival. The
temperature, humidity and quality of air inside the sheds
needs to be near constant throughout the day, to maximise
production and growth.
Now, poultry farmers can monitor and regulate the climatic environments in all their chicken sheds simultaneously and independently with Minder - the world's foremost passive environmental control system for poultry houses which was invented by engineers Ian Thompson and Tim Bult in 1991.
Commercialised by Agricultural Systems Engineering Pty Ltd, trading as Systems Intellect, it is designed specifically for natural ventilation chicken houses with adjustable ridge apertures, side-wall vents, fans, foggers and heaters. Minder opens, shuts and regulates these to ensure a constant and ideal environment for the chickens and provides extensive data logging and reporting on prevailing conditions in each chicken house. It can even page and alert the farmer in the event of an emergency.
Minder is good news for chickens and poultry farmers alike, and will result in increased production and better quality chickens for everyone.
Software for successful piggery
management
Running a successful piggery is a complex business. To be
profitable, the pig farmer needs to consider and optimise
the combined effects and interactions of factors such as the
strain and sex of the pigs, the amount and composition of
the feed eaten, the climatic conditions and penning arrangements,
the prices paid for carcasses of various weights and quality,
and the availability of capital, labour and other resources.
Now a user-friendly computer package is helping pig producers to improve the nutritional management of their livestock.
In collaboration with the Victorian Government's Department of Agriculture and the Pig Research and Development Corporation, Dr John Black and his team at the CSIRO Division of Animal Production developed and commercialised AUSPIG in 1990. The world's first fully integrated computer system for the pig industry, the innovation won the New Product Award 1990 at the Australian Pig Fair.
The software utilises extensive research findings about pig performance and piggery profitability. It greatly improves decision making in the purchase of feed ingredients and the formulation of diets; methods and levels of feeding; the use of capital, labour and other resources; the most profitable weight and quality of carcase to produce; and the modification of climatic and other housing conditions.
AUSPIG has resulted in substantial improvements in the profitability of commercial piggeries using the system.
World's first canine parvovirus
vaccine
In the late 1970s a new virus - canine parvovirus - appeared
in the United States and spread rapidly around the world,
decimating unprotected dog populations internationally.
Arthur Webster Pty Ltd led the world by developing the first effective, inactivated parvovirus vaccine, quickly followed by a live, attenuated vaccine. The benefits of this innovative research were soon obvious, and providing dogs were adequately vaccinated, parvovirus disease could be controlled - with one major exception.
Newly born puppies inherit a level of antibodies when they suckle their first milk, which declines at a regular rate as they grow older. From about six weeks of age, it is common for a situation to arise where these levels of maternal antibodies may be still high enough to interfere with successful vaccination, but are too low to protect against parvovirus disease. These puppies are at risk unless they are vaccinated every few weeks.
In 1991, Webster introduced a parvovirus vaccine which had been specifically researched to provide better protection for these pups.
PROTECH parvovirus vaccine has the ability to overcome the maternal antibodies that hinder successful vaccination and field trials showed that 80% of six week old pups responded to vaccination - a substantial increase in response compared with previously available vaccines. And, following a second vaccination six weeks later, 100% of puppies were fully protected.
The new PROTECH parvovirus vaccine has been incorporated with other Webster products to provide a comprehensive vaccine range against all the major viral canine diseases such as parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis and parainfluenza - the PROTECH range.
Planning paddocks for optimum
land use
The risk of land degradation can be minimised in a number
of ways. Graziers can move fences, relocate water outlets,
fence off areas that are under threat of degradation, control
the number of sheep or cattle on the property, and eradicate
feral animals. The question facing pastoralists is which to
move, where and when for the best possible result.
A simple, cheap way of estimating these factors was developed by Dr Mark Stafford-Smith and his team at the CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology. Called RANGEPACK Paddock, it is an IBM PC compatible software that enables pastoralists to test alternative paddock layouts to improve productivity while minimising the risk of land degradation. The package was commercialised by the Division in 1990.
Name everything that can
grow in your garden
Predicting just what you can and can not grow in combinations
of different soil and climate conditions is not an easy question,
even for the most experienced farmer or horticulturalist.
Now, a new software package called PLANTGRO has the answers
to such questions.
PLANTGRO represents a breakthrough for predicting the growth of lesser-known plants anywhere in the world. It is being used by agriculturalists, students, researchers and environmentalists. The package provides starter data files for 60 plants, 30 soils and 40 different climates. This means for example that users can immediately try growing bananas in Bombay, cowpeas in Hongkong, and fuelwood trees in Africa.
Conceived by plant ecologist Dr Clive Hackett at the CSIRO Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, PLANTGRO was released in 1993 by Iris Media Pty Ltd. The software is easy to use. Details about the type of plant to be tested, the soil type and weather conditions are entered into the computer, and the software does the rest.
The innovative software has many practical applications for a wide variety of global users, including those involved in reforestation programmes and the optimisation of land use for small farms.
Instrument to accurately
measure soil structure
Assessing the structure of soils, a crucial consideration
in agriculture, has until recently been a cumbersome procedure
involving the measurements of soil particles. In the late
1980s
Dr Ian White and Dr Michael Sully from CSIRO Division of Environmental Mechanics and Dr Michael Melville of the University of New South Wales, developed a portable, easily operated instrument that assesses the pore structure by measuring how quickly water will soak into a particular soil - a theory developed 20 years earlier by another CSIRO scientist, Dr Robin Wooding.
They recognised that the spaces between soil particles are more important than the size, structure and arrangement of the particles. These pores determine the soil's ability to transport water, nutrients and gases to the plants.
The instrument, the Disc Permeameter, is now manufactured under license by A L Franklin Pty Ltd. It measures flow as it happens in nature, where the water spreads outwards as well as downwards and can be used in crusted, self-mulching, cracking, saline or stony soils.
The instrument, considered to be the best of its kind, can accurately measure soils' ability to absorb rainfall, their performance under crops, and the impacts of different management practices on water uptake, run-off and erosion.
It also allows engineers to measure the performance of mining dumps and reclaimed land, or assess the permeability of construction materials such as concrete or bricks, roadways, dams and clays used to line landfill.
Natural state preseved flowers
and foliage
An amazing innovation developed and commercialised by Plantex
Australia Pty Ltd in 1989, is a natural state plant preservation
process that transforms the aesthetic life span of flowers
and foliage from a few days to a as long as two years.
It works by replacing the water in the plant with chemicals to prevent drying, brittleness and general degredation. The plant looks and feels the same as a fresh flowers or foliage. The preservative, which can be used on a wide variety of flowers and foliages grown world wide, can be used with many different colours and textures of plant material. It is resistant to sweating in humid climates, repels dust and can treat material up to 2 metres high.
While nothing will ever be quite the same as the "real thing", the innovation is one that will inevitably be greeted with opened arms by people such as restrateurs, receptionists and hoteliers.
Keeping plants watered in
dry environments
In hot and dry environments, water evaporates quickly. To
survive, plants use capillary action to draw moisture from
the deep soil. But this is rarely enough, because evaporation
pressure persists.
In response to this, a unique water additive called Hydretain was developed by Ronn Hansen of Ecologel Systems Pty Ltd in 1992 to improve the efficiency of water use by plants. Plants watered with Hydretain form an organic microlayer on the root surface which is not absorbed by the plant - creating a film-like envelope that promotes osmosis and inhibits evaporation. The plant then has access to moisture for much longer periods of time.
The time between waterings can be doubled. In some circumstances, depending on the available humidity and moisture in the environment, benefits can last for weeks and longer.
Made from a blend of organic substances in a water solution, Hydretain is free of undesirable side effects and does not harm the air, soil and animal or insect life, and eventually degrades by bacterial action into normal soil constituents. Hydretain can reduce the current use of toxic fertilisers and chemicals in agriculture and horticulture.
Cross-flow spraying to avoid
polluting the environment
While biological pest controls in agriculture are rapidly
developing, the reality is that for now, current intensive
crop production relies heavily on the use of chemicals, to
produce the best crop and financial results for growers. The
overwhelming array of chemicals available today, are used
in astronomical quantities, much of which ends up contaminating
the soil and the environment.
Most of these chemicals are applied by spraying systems that use high pressure air to apply chemical droplets onto the foliage. However, a very high percentage of the chemical spray does not reach the target. Many crops such as grapes and apples are sprayed during early stages of growth, with the target area representing just 5% of the spray area, where 95% of the chemical wastes into the ground or the atmosphere.
A major breakthrough in crop spraying is the highly imaginative Cross-Flow Spraying System invented by engineer Darryl Whitford in 1988 and commercialised by his company, DRW Engineering Pty Ltd in 1989.
The machine, which is towed behind a tractor, prevents soil contamination by recovering a great majority of spray which does not adhere to plant foliage. In a radical departure from conventional spray technology, the Cross-Flow uses a very high volume spray system propelled by a high pressure air curtain. Residual spray is sucked up into a large hood suspended opposite the spray on the other side of the plant. Excess spray collected in the hood is filtered, re-circulated and again released by the jets onto the plant. This unique system eliminates residual overspray and reduces chemical use by up to 70%.
Not surprisingly, the innovation has been showered with an array of prestigious awards and prizes. The Cross-Flow Spraying System has made a major contribution, both to the environment and to cost-efficient farming.
Conquering bacterial blotch
disease in mushrooms
Pseudomonas tolaasii can be found on most farms.
The bacterium which causes mushroom blotch is present in all
mushroom crops, whether disease symptoms are present or not,
and when it gets into the water supply, can be spread to other
crops.
First detectable as pale yellow lesions on the mushroom cap, they soon become yellow to chocolate brown and the mushroom cap takes on a slimy feel. Although the discolouration is superficial, the lesions can cover the entire cap and greatly reduce the market value of mushrooms - in some cases making them unsaleable. Mushrooms can be attacked by blotch at any time during their development, even during cold storage following harvesting.
During the early 1970s, work at the Biological and Chemical Research Institute of the New South Wales Department of Agriculture led by Dr Peter Fahy established that the biological control of bacterial blotch on mushrooms was possible. Ensuing collaborative development programme with Mauri Laboratories Pty Limited culminated in the release in 1986 of Conquer, the world's first biological control agent for the treatment of bacterial blotch disease in mushrooms. The impressive innovation was awarded the Food Industry Innovation Award by the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology.
Conquer contains a living culture of the organism Pseudomonas fluorescens which is antagonistic to the blotch strain. Extensive studies have shown that proper application of Conquer resulted in more than 85% reduction in crop loss and a 68% improvement in post harvest storage. Apart from reducing crop losses and improving the visual appeal of mushrooms, Conquer is reducing the use of chemical pesticide alternatives.
The product has been a great success in Australia and is being introduced internationally by Sylvan Foods Inc in the United States.
Following this initial success, Mauri Laboratories is investigating other biological control agents which are under development in Australian research organisations, with a view to commercialisation.
Environmentally friendly
non-chemical pesticide
Increasingly in the nineties, research scientists are working
to find environmentally friendly solutions to pest control.
Researchers at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute, University of Adelaide in conjunction with Bio-Care Technology Pty Ltd have developed a new, non-chemical biological control agent. Invented by Professor Allen Kerr in 1988, the active ingredient of NOGALL is a bacterium called Agrobacterium radiobacter, strain KI026, which is incorporated into a moist peat pure culture. It is used as a biocontrol treatment against crown gall disease in stone fruits, nut trees and roses.
NOGALL is applied as an aqueous suspension to seeds, seedlings and cuttings before planting, and works by protecting wound sites from infection. For effective action it has to be applied within two hours of damage caused by taking cuttings, repotting, lifting and planting techniques.
The NOGALL bacteria belong to a non-disease causing species of the crown gall bacteria group and act as a biological control agent primarily due to the production of a neutral antibiotic called agrocin 84. The key to the development of the strain KI026 was the removal of a small piece of DNA from the bacterium. This prevents the transfer of the agrocin 84 genes to other soil bacteria, and hence prevents any immunity build-up against the protective nature of strain KI026. Containing strain KI026, NOGALL was the first live genetically-engineered micro-organism made available to the public.
Crown gall disease causes hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage to crops worldwide. With the exceptional protective benefits of NOGALL, horticulturalists around the world can expect to obtain greatly improved crop returns and significant savings for consumers.
Sexual confusion controls
moth populations
Pheromones are chemical signals secreted in minute quantities
by insects to communicate with each other. Their survival
depends on it, because females use pheromones to indicate
when they are ready to mate. Confuse the signals, and you
create untold chaos for insects. The female codling moth has
a devastating effect on fruit crops like peaches. Environmentalist
George Rothschild from the CSIRO Division of Entomology went looking for a solution to the problem and in 1983 came up with Isomate M, an artificial pheromone to control their mating habits. The product was commercialised in 1985 by Biocontrol Ltd and is widely used internationally.
Small tubes containing Isomate M are hung on trees in the orchard creating an incomprehensible maze of false trails that confuse the male moth's reliable method of locating female moths. This results in fewer matings, and soon the moth population in the orchard dwindles. Fewer eggs result in fewer caterpillars, and that in turn means less damage to shoots and fruit.
Understanding the sexual habits of insects, is not only helping fruit growers, it is also saving the environment from the use of chemical pesticides.
Tree seeder revolutionises
revegetation projects
Replanting vegetation on cleared land prevents wind erosion,
salt amelioration and restores wildlife habitat, but can be
an expensive and time consuming exercise. A new direct seeding
machine capable of seeding an estimated 5 kilometres per hour
has revolutionised the process of revegetation.
Invented by Rod Burford and Dennis Daniell at South Australian Government's State Flora, Primary Industries, the Rodden III tree seeder has introduced a cost-efficient and effective new process of revegetation.
Towed behind a 4-wheel drive vehicle, the robust machine sows the seed precisely into a continuous or intermittent furrow. When towed by a spray unit, weed control, ground preparation and seed sowing can be implemented in one pass. This allows the broadscale establishment of trees and shrubs with seed sown directly into the ground, by-passing the need of raising seedlings.
The cost of seeding with the Rodden III can be as low as 15% of the cost of seedling planting. With the machine, one person can establish the equivalent of 12,000 trees per day, compared to 500 seedlings per day with hand planting, or several thousand by machine seedling planting.
The Rodden III has been used for sowing wind breaks, fodder species, restoration of mine sites and quarries, woodlots and wildlife habitat.
Safe pesticide residue-free
grain fumigant
The problem with storing grain for any period of time is
controlling the many insects that can infest the grain. Traditionally
this has been done by the use of grain protection chemicals,
but the global trend towards pesticide free grain has seen
a shift towards the use of fumigants.
The most common fumigant used has been phosphine. Typically, phosphine is generated in-situ from pellets, but phosphine's flammability combined with the pellets' tendancy to leave residues have been a problem.
A new phosphine fumigant called Phosfume was recently developed by Robert Ryan, Chief Scientist at the BOC Gases Australia Ltd (formerly The Commonwealth Industrial Gases Limited), and has overcome these problems by mixing phosphine and carbon dioxide.
Phosfume is for use in gas-tight silos and is dispensed directly into the silo via a simple series of pipes. It offers the operator safety, quicker fumigations, controllable dosage and no fire hazard, while killing grain insects and leaving no residues.
A diluted version of the gas is used in SIROFLO, the continuous gas fumigation process developed by the Stored Grain Research Laboratory and CSIRO Division of Entomology for non-air tight storages.
With a global move towards eliminating all pesticide residues from our foods, Phosfume is a major breakthrough that will benefit people all over the world.
Pest-free grain storage for
unsealed silos
Most existing grain storage facilities and silos are not
air-tight and fully sealing them can be a difficult and expensive
exercise for many grain handlers. Until the development of
SIROFLO, keeping grain stored in leaky or poorly sealed silos
free of pests involved placing tablets or sachets of phosphine
into the grain, which reacted with moisture to produce a phosphine
gas. The gas reached its peak in a day or two and then began
to dissipate. And while it was effective in controlling larvae
and adult insects, it left some of the eggs and pupae unharmed
to live another day, as well as leaving a residue in the grain.
Developed, commercialised and marketed by the CSIRO Division of Entomology, SIROFLO is a fumigation system specifically for unsealed silos, using diluted phosphine gas. Phosphine gas from cylinders is mixed with an air stream and pumped into the base of the storage facility, from where the gas spreads upwards and evenly through the grain mass.
The system maintains a constant and continual level of gas flowing through the grain, ensuring that all eggs and pupae are killed. Exposure time can be increased when required to kill insects that have become resistant to normal levels of phosphine. The system can be used as an ongoing means of protecting grains from infestation or as a single fumigation treatment.
With this innovation, the solution to a leaky grain silo need not be an expensive one.
Accurately weighing grain
on the move
How can you accurately weigh grain as it travels along a
chute from a storage silo into trucks and rail wagons? Early
attempts at solving the problem proved futile with variations
in grain type and condition affecting accuracy.
Engineer Brian Lewis at Flow Force Technologies Pty Ltd worked on the problem for two years and in the process designed the world's first accurate grain flow meter in 1990. Researched jointly by the company and the South Australian Co-operative Bulk Handling, and funded by the Australian government's DITAC (now Department of Industry Trade and Regional Development) and the Grains Research and Development Corporation, the Econoflow has an average error level below 0.5% of true weight. The robust looking product belies its sensitive interior. The grain collides with a sensing plate supported by precision load cells which register the force of the impact and convert it into a tonnes per hour measurement. A microprocessor allows the flow meter to be adjusted to weigh different grains according to their calibration on site.
Apart from eliminating the need to build costly weighing stations at silos, the ingenious new product has many other benefits for grain growers, handlers and buyers. It is also capable of weighing other materials such as mineral sands, cement, foodstuffs and chemicals.
New test for pesticide residue
in grains
Grain is rarely pesticide free. Although most pesticides
are designed to largely break down by the time the grain is
milled or processed into bread or other products, residues
still show up in small quantities in the end product. And
many countries' regulations require low residual pesticides
in the cereal grains they import, in preference to insects.
For processors, exporters, traders and consumers of grains,
these regulations are crucial.
Increasing global consumer demand for additive-free foods has resulted in new rapid and sensitive tests for the detection of agricultural pesticide residues.
One of the problems with traditional tests is that they have to be conducted in laboratories well away from where the grain is grown and stored. The delay in the testing process means that shipments can be delayed. Another drawback of conventional testing is the cost of the laboratory equipment and the need for specially trained analysts which limits the amount of grain that can be tested.
With initial funding from Grains Research and Development Corporation, a team of scientists led by Dr John Skerritt at the CSIRO Division of Plant Industry developed procedures for simple, rapid detection of pesticide residues in wheat. A collaborative research programme with Millipore Australia Pty Ltd has resulted in kits for the detection of five grain protectants - now a part of Millipore's range of 20 Envirogard pesticide detection kits.
There are two types of test kits. One for use in the field and the other in a laboratory. The beauty of the field tests is that they are designed to be used by grain handlers rather than scientists. Each field kit can process up to 12 samples.
Envirogard kits have given grain exporters an easier way to ensure that their grain has the required level of pesticide residue to meet the regulations of various governments. Importantly, they may one day be used to ensure grains for human consumption are actually free of pesticide residues. Something every consumer will be happy to hear.
Dual grade electronic land-levelling
laser
Levelling a large area of land exactly flat, or creating
a precise incline for water run off, is not as simple as it
may seem. The days of pegging bits of string to the ground
using spirit levels, have long ago given way to the precision
of modern lasers. Precision, that until now relied more on
the patience and competence of the operator than the accuracy
of the laser beam.
Design engineers at Monochromatic Engineering Pty Ltd recently developed the first touch-control dual grade rotating laser, especially for agricultural and construction earthmoving and land-levelling applications. The LS 220 Lasergrader emits a visible red beam to distances of up to 700 metres which is optically deflected by a rotating head to create a plane of light either horizontally level or at an incline. The dual grade function means that the inclined plane can be tilted at will, while the electronic self levelling capabilities of the instrument ensures a correct and reliable reference.
Operated by a full function remote hand set, the Lasergrader is easy to set up and use. It has touch-pad controls for all functions, an illuminated LCD display and incorporates a high alert signal to avoid making potentially expensive mistakes.
Zooplankton harvester for
improved aquaculture
Zooplankton are small aquatic animals that graze on micro-algae.
Their commercial potential has not yet been widely recognised
but they are a valuable primary resource in two areas. They
are essential food for larvae and juveniles of almost all
species of fish and crustaceans, and have specific nutritional
characteristics which promote the health and survival of larger
fish. Zooplankton also play a critical role in controlling
the growth of algae, particularly where nutrient pollution
is causing the rapid growth of algae.
A company called Zootech Australia was awarded award for its invention of a zooplankton harvester at the Bordeaux Aquaculture 1992 conference in France. It was said to be the invention of greatest significance to aquaculture and one that possessed the most potential to generate benefits for the industry. The harvester, named Baleen after the plankton feeding whales, is an unusual looking craft designed to harvest zooplankton for specialised farming ponds, and is capable of filtering very small suspended solids from the water with extraordinary efficiency.
The innovation opens the way for developing a new industry which links environmental management to the production of valuable resource for aquaculture.
Novel water outlet for lay-flat
irrigation tubing
Farmers and land owners well recognise the importance of
making good use of water. In drought or flood, they need to
move large volumes of water, effectively and efficiently.
This requires a water handling system that is both portable,
flexible and dependable.
One such system is Flexiflume from C E Bartlett Pty Ltd, a reinforced UV stabilised flexible fluming made from Trafab, a strong woven fabric capable of supporting high water pressures, for use in flood or furrow irrigation and other water transfer requirements. It comes in 50 and 100 metre lengths. It can be rolled up or folded flat and stored. It can be laid across rugged uneven terrain without special reinforcement or damage. Even farm vehicles can be driven over it.
Recently, Keith Bartlett from C E Bartlett got together with Jon Sneddon from the Ideation Professional Design Co and developed a unique new adjustable outlet for Flexiflume, for use in row crop flood irrigation. The Flexiflume Outlet, which was commercialised by the company in 1993, is arguably the best of its kind on the market. It is easy to install and has a threaded valve to allow precise flow adjustment. Erosion in lighter soils is minimised by the soft deflected stream. The flexible valve seat on the flume allows easy removal of the outlet, and it can be left in place without damaging the tubing when it is rolled up for storage.
The intelligent irrigation
system
Water is a precious resource that is essential to all life.
For people living off the land, lack of it or too much of
it can be disastrous to their crops, livestock and their livelihood.
Until now, conventional irrigation systems have lacked the
subtle control and sophistication necessary to minimise the
use of water, while maintaining a balanced level of moisture
across all the fields or paddocks being irrigated.
In 1987, DRW Engineering Pty Ltd developed one of the most innovative automatic irrigation systems in the world, the MicroLink Computerised Irrigation System, invented by engineer Darryl Whitford.
MicroLink is the world's first truly reactive computerised system with a central controller connected to a number of remote control sites, which in turn are connected to stainless steel probes in the soil up to one kilometre away.
The probes check the soil moisture at the crop's root level every hour. When soil moisture is low at a particular location, the central controller activates the relevant pumps to irrigate the area until the readings reach the correct moisture level. Fertilisers can also be added to the water. A number of probes can be placed at different depths to detect water variation. Other sensors can also be connected to MicroLink to monitor factors such as water flow and rate, pressure, temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and velocity.
The remote control units activate the small thermal heaters in each probe for a fixed period of time. The higher the moisture in the soil, the lower the temperature change. This measurement is the basis for calculating the amount of soil moisture present.
The multi-award winning innovation has taken the business of farming and land management firmly into the 21st century.
Modified atmosphere packaging
for fresh produce
The latest innovation in food preservation is specially
engineered polyethylene films known as modified atmosphere
packaging that greatly extend the storage life of fresh fruit,
vegetables and cut flowers, without the use of chemicals.
Unlike ordinary polyethylene films, these films actually slow
down the ageing process of fresh produce.
The first such film was developed in Japan, but while it regulated the respiratory needs of produce, it did not effectively deal with the problem of ethylene production - the plant hormone which stimulates ripening and ageing.
Even after they are picked, fruit, vegetables and flowers are still alive and continue to take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. The rate of respiration controls the rate of ripening and ageing. And while cool room storage slows down the rate of respiration, it can be slowed further by changing the atmosphere around the product. Following initial research into ethylene absorbing polyethylene film with the CSIRO Division of Materials Science and Technology, in 1992 Australian Challenge (Operations) Pty Ltd produced and commercialised Fresha-Pac, the first controlled respiration and ethylene absorption film that could substantiate such claims.
The special properties of the film modify the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the closed and refrigerated package, while absorbing ethylene. After packing and sealing, the atmosphere around the produce is modified by the film and slows down the ripening process and holds in flavour.
However, different types of produce have different rates of respiration and give off varying amounts of ethylene. Consequently Fresha-Pac film is produced with different permeation and absorption rates to suit a wide range of produce.
The innovation could mean lower freight costs, increased storage life, extended seasons, and reduced waste in the export and distribution of fresh produce. Thanks to Fresha-Pac, vegetables, fruit and cut flowers can now be shipped to many parts of the world and arrive fresh.
Non-CFC
and HCFC polystyrene food trays
In most countries, meat and fish in supermarkets is presented
on polystyrene trays, and some of these trays are made using
ozone depleting gases such as CFC's or HCFC's, as the foaming
agents. The alternative non-ozone depleting foaming gases
used are pentane and butane, which are highly explosive gases
that require expensive safety measures in their use. They
are also liable to cause low level smog.
A recent environmental breakthrough was the development of a remarkable new process to produce foamed polystyrene meat trays using carbon dioxide as the blowing agent. The technology behind the environmentally friendly
Glofoam meat trays was developed in 1990 by engineers Colin Brown and Tom Winstead and commercialised in 1991 by the Plastics Packaging division of ACI Operations Pty Ltd.
ACI's breakthrough technique which uses carbon dioxide as the foaming agent, has no destructive effects on the ozone layer, and has 700 times less global warming potential than HCFC's, and more than 10,000 times less GWP than CFC's. Also, foamed trays use around half the amount of plastic that non-foamed meat trays use.
The innovation has been attracting interest internationally. The company has already licensed Mexico's largest meat tray producer with the technology, and several other major international organisatons have recognised its value. Look for Glofoam meat trays in your supermarket.
Controlled atmosphere packaging
for fresh red meat
Imagine a packing system for consumer display-ready fresh
red meats that would allow you 25 days or more to get your
product from slaughterhouse to the consumer. A system that
would effectively lower your total cost per package, eliminate
out-of-stock problems on the retail level and reduce shrinkage
to a negligible amount. A system so advanced that it is destined
to revolutionise the meat packing industry, while giving the
consumer a wider choice and ultimately cheaper fresh meat.
Australian Tony Garwood is the inventor of such an innovation. His company, Garwood Packaging Inc, located in Indianapolis in the United States manufactures and sells the unique controlled atmosphere packaging system for fresh red meats in North America. The system is known as Flavaloc in Australia and New Zealand, where ACI Operations Pty Ltd trading as ACI Plastics Packaging is the exclusive licensee and marketer.
Garwood technology is a revolutionary new controlled atmosphere packaging system that is specifically engineered for fresh meat packaging. It consists of a white tray, a thin gas permeable membrane stretched across the meat and a clear dome, all of which are recyclable.
When the meat is packed into the tray, the air is completely evacuated and a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen is then back-flushed into the chamber at atmospheric pressure. Patented single chamber technology then seals the package with a plastic dome. The result is a very consumer appealing package containing meat in an additive-free environment which inhibits spoiling, rancidity and discolouration for over 21 days, with a further four or more days following dome removal at the point of sale.
The major problem Garwood has solved is that while the nitrogen and carbon dioxide mixture greatly enhances the life of freshly packed meats, the lack of oxygen causes red meat to turn purple or grey. The two-stage Garwood system means that when the retailer is ready to display the meat, the dome is simply peeled away leaving the tray and stretch overwrap exposed to air. Within 20 minutes, the red bloom associated with freshly cut red meat returns.
Lighter stress-free plastic
food containers
It may be a mouthful, but cuspation-dilation thermoforming
is the latest buzzword in the food packaging business. Also
known as CD thermoforming or the Hitek system, it is the new
method of producing plastic products by forming in the melt
phase, which results in stronger stress-free containers.
The principle behind the innovation is that the natural property of plastic is such that a cold needle can not pierce through heated plastic, but can only stretch it into a cusp - similar in shape to the Eiffel Tower. A variation of plug-assisted melt-phase thermoforming, CD uses a series of dilating fingers instead of a solid plug to push melt-phase plastic sheet into a mould. This produces containers which are lighter and more uniform in material distribution than any previous technology.
Invented by engineer Tony Flecknoe-Brown and developed by Hitek Ltd in 1982, the Hitek system is licensed to ACI Operations Pty Ltd for Australia and New Zealand, and Reed Plastics Ltd in England for the United Kingdom.
While the drawback of the process is its relatively high initial cost, it is aimed at high-volume users and can result in up to 20% savings in raw material costs. The technology has meant that plastic containers made by this method can compete with steel cans in the processed food market.
Capturing the very essence
of good taste
The reason why you can taste the difference between instant
and freshly brewed coffee, concentrate and freshly squeezed
orange juice, and tomato paste and fresh tomatoes, is because
the delicate natural flavours and aromas have been lost during
processing. The elements known as volatiles are destroyed
by prolonged heating in food processing.
All that is about to change, and processed foods will now taste and smell better, thanks to a quantum leap in food processing technology invented by Dr Don Casimir at the CSIRO Division of Food Science and Technology, and commercialised by Flavourtech Pty Ltd.
The process is based on the spinning cone technology of the 1930s, but whereas traditional technology created turbulence in the liquid phase, the new patented system from Flavourtech introduces turbulence in the vapour phase.
The spinning cone column contains a succession of alternate rotating and stationary metal cones. A thin film of liquid flows over the upper surface of each cone. Steam, carbon dioxide or nitrogen is pumped in the opposite direction to the liquid in the spaces between the cones. The vapour strips the volatiles from the liquid as they evaporate. Once extracted, they are stored until all the liquid is processed, and are then added back into the liquid. Because the cone operates at low temperatures and with short retention times, it is exceptionally good at recovering volatile fractions such as flavours from liquid food streams. It can also handle liquids which contain a high proportion of suspended solids.
The column is now in commercial production and is being used worldwide on a wide variety of food processing applications including the extraction of aroma from fruit juice, coffee and tea; de-alcoholisation of beer and wine; removal of aroma from beer and wine for later addition to low-alcohol products; sulphur dioxide removal from fruit juices; recovery of natural flavours from vegetables and fruits for addition to prepared foods; and the removal of tainted odours from edible oils.
As well as handling liquids, the technology can also handle slurries, and while the main emphasis of the technology is on the food industry, there is a great potential for the innovation in the chemical, petrochemical and related industries.
Direct starter cultures for
cultured milk products
During the 1960s the race was on to develop direct-to-the-vat
frozen starter culture concentrates containing live bacteria
for use in the production of cultured milk products such as
cheese and yoghurt. Researchers at Mauri Laboratories Pty
Limited worked in collaboration with the CSIRO on the theory
and following many years of pioneering research and development,
commercialised DIRECT-SET in 1978, which was awarded the Food
Industry Innovation Award by the Australian Institute of Food
Science and Technology the following year.
DIRECT-SET starter cultures are a free-flowing granular material containing highly concentrated starter bacteria in a deep frozen or freeze-dried form. Each year the company has been adding new strains of starter cultures for use in an increasing number of applications including all types of cheeses, yoghurt and other cultured milk products.
The products contain defined strains which can be supplied in strain systems tailored to suit individual applications.
The company is involved in a long term research and development programme with the University of New South Wales to develop starter cultures which have been genetically manipulated to enhance performance.
Low fat high protein milk
that tastes like whole milk
One reason why most low fat and high calcium milks do not
taste as fresh is because they rely on the addition of skim
milk powders and calcium to achieve a satisfactory composition.
Even then they tend to taste watered down and turn beverages
a grey colour.
A joint research and development effort into producing a low fat, high calcium milk that tasted just like whole milk was undertaken jointly by the Food Research Institute in Victoria and Sandhurst Farms. The result was the launch of the world's first ultrafiltered milk in 1986 under the brand names of PhysiCal and PhysiCal Skim. Produced by ultrafiltration where small molecules, including water, are filtered out thereby intensifying the natural calcium and protein in the milk.
By this process, it takes nearly two litres of ordinary milk to produce one litre of PhysiCal or PhysiCal Skim. PhysiCal has 60% less fat than normal milk while PhysiCal Skim has virtually zero fat. A 400ml glass of PhysiCal contains 800mg of calcium which is the normal daily allowance of calcium for women between the ages of 19 and 54 and men between 19 and 64 years. At last, people who want or need to drink low fat high calcium milk can enjoy the good wholesome taste of unprocessed milk.
First international standard
rapid automated starch test
Starch is used in many end products, from bread, to paper
and cardboard, for different reasons, including flavour, texture,
and for binding.
To determine how starch will perform when added to a given product, its consistency, or viscosity, must be measured accurately. However, current methods of analysis, such as quality control tests, have traditionally been unreliable.
A new instrument, capable of analysing as little as two or three grams of sample, now provides the most effective means of determining the cooked viscous properties of foods. The only system to provide rapid automated testing to internationally approved standards, the Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA), was developed by Newport Scientific Pty Ltd in 1984, in conjunction with the CSIRO Division of Plant Industry and the Bread Research Institute of Australia Inc.
Starch is mixed with water and chemicals to form a paste. By analysing profiles of mixing, measuring, heating and cooling the paste, the RVA provides a direct measurement for determining the changes in starch when it is cooked and therefore how it will impact the final product. Test results are produced graphically, or can be stored for later batch processing and pictorial comparisons.
With the RVA, manufacturers can now tailor an unlimited number of testing profiles and conditions for their specific requirements.
Natural beta carotene for
dietary supplements
Beta carotene. The little known substance whose rich yellow-orange
colour is used in foods has become the new buzzword in the
dietary supplement market. Whereas vitamin A is toxic when
consumed in high doses, beta carotene is readily metabolised
by the body into vitamin A when needed. Furthermore, an increasing
number of scientific researchers now believe that beta carotene
may have a therapeutic effect of its own. The National Cancer
Institute in the United States is testing beta carotene for
its chemo-preventative effects on cancer. Meanwhile, other
studies have already shown that a supplement of beta carotene
may even reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease, prevent
cataracts and at the same time stimulate the body's immune
system.
High concentrations of this marvellous substance were found in the microscopic salt water alga or plant called Dunaliella salina long ago. But because of the technical difficulties in harvesting the plant, until recently only synthetic beta carotene could be made in commercial quantities using synthetic organic chemicals.
Australia is one of the few countries in the world that has the right climate and conditions to cultivate these algae, and in 1985, scientists at Betatene Limited developed a unique and commercially viable algal harvesting technique.
The company operates three salt water lakes in Whyalla on the Spencer Gulf in South Australia totalling 265 hectares (650 acres). The salt water bearing the naturally occurring algae is pumped through the plant continuously, beta carotene is recovered and the water returned to the lakes. The process is both self contained and environmentally friendly.
The world first innovation, which was awarded the Australian Food Industry Innovation Award, is used to produce a number of beta carotene formulations and supplies about 80% of the natural beta carotene market.
Continuous fermentation process
for biscuits
Traditionally, cracker biscuits are made by a sponge and
dough process that involves mixing the flour, shortening and
other ingredients. The sponge dough is mixed and fermented
for 20 hours by a combined lactobacillus/yeast culture. After
more flour is added, the sponge is then fermented for another
4 hours before being machined and baked.
A new continuous fermentation process developed by Arnott's Biscuits Limited, reduces the time consuming process by more than 20 hours, without compromise to product quality.
The ACF Process involves the continuous fermentation of flour using a selected yeast/lactobacillus culture under special conditions. The fermented flour slurry is mixed with four, shortening, activated yeast and fine ingredients. The dough is proofed for just 2 hours before being machined and baked.
Custom developed by programmers at the company, the programmable logic controller (PLC) at the heart of the process, controls and monitors cycle times, flow rates of solids and liquids, valves, pumps and in-place cleaning of the system.
The innovative process developed at Arnott's has been sought by the world's leading biscuit manufacturers to reduce the cost and time of production, and bring consistency of product quality to consumers.
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