text: Newsletter Number 4 March 2008 www.ioa.uwa.edu.au UWA Institute of Agriculture 1 The University of Western Australia Institute of Agriculture Agriculture Science graduates show their talents at the Young Professionals in Agriculture Forum Prof Kadambot Siddique email@example.com The Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology Ms Joanne Elliott's presentation tested the hypothesis that piglets (AIAST) recently awarded top honours for scientific excellence in reared in Werribee farrowing pens (WFP) would explore more than agriculture to The University of Western Australia (UWA) animal those in conventional farrowing crates and potentially lead to science PhD student, Ms Joanne Elliott, and Department of Ag- increased feed intake at weaning. riculture and Food (DAFWA) research officer, Ms Neroli Smith, as joint winners of the Young Professionals in Agriculture award. continued page 2 photo: Mr Peter Maloney (L to R): Mr Don Burnside (President, AIAST), Ms Neroli Smith, Ms Chelsea Fancote, Prof Lyn Beazley (Chief Scientist WA, and Prof of Zoology UWA), Ms Joanne Elliott, and Mr Ian Longson (Director General DAFWA). In this issue Grain farmers with smaller carbon footprint ..... p7 New appointments ....................................................p10 Director's column .........................................................p2 Ties strengthened with NWAFU .............................. p7 Alumni ............................................................................. p12 Farmer awarded honorary doctorate ..................p3 New perennial pasture legumes to enhance New research projects ............................................. p13 biodiversity .....................................................................p8 Climate change challenge .........................................p3 Research & industry recognition .......................... p13 Leadership training leads to excellence ..............p8 Iranian input to barley breeding.............................p4 Visitors............................................................................. p13 CLIMA chickpea collaboration with India Farmer insights into Institute of Agriculture ......p4 New MSc and PhD students ...................................p14 blossoming......................................................................p9 FIA WA Inc moves to UWA Shenton Park ............p5 Publications .................................................................. p15 Next generation scientists at Rottnest .................p9 "Seeds of Life" breeds new life ................................p5 Upcoming meetings and events 2008 ..............p16 ARWA Centre for Ecohydrology to receive centre Undergrad agricultural science numbers ...........p6 "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" of excellence funding................................................p10 2 UWA Institute of Agriculture Recently UWA has made several new Director's appointments relevant to agriculture which includes Professor Tony O'Donnell (Dean, column Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences), Professor William Erskine (CLIMA Director), Dr Ken Flower (Lecturer in Production Agronomy and Framing Systems and others (see page 10 in this newsletter). Prof Kadambot Siddique In early March IOA Program and Deputy firstname.lastname@example.com Program Leaders undertook a one- day training workshop on leadership Agriculture and food production systems met on 28 March 2008 at UWA. The EAB development. At his opening address UWA world wide are experiencing rapid change. approved the IOA's strategic plan, which Vice Chancellor Professor Alan Robson The world's population is forecast to rise is now available on our website. The EAB emphasised the importance of IOA in from six to nine billion by 2050. The growing endorsed a proposal for the establishment enhancing agriculture teaching and research biofuels industry is expected to use 400 of an "International Centre for Plant at UWA and the role of program leaders million tonnes of grain per annum by 2020. Breeding Education and Research" at UWA. in achieving this. The above workshop Currently, world grain stock is at its lowest The proposal promotes UWA as the primary provided an opportunity to enhance the level ever. The biofuels demand is adding to institution in Australia to revitalise plant capacity of program leaders and deputies soaring needs for food and feed worldwide breeding education and research. This is in to work together effectively, ensuring that as the population increased and the wealth response to a decline that has been noted the Institute achieves its important mission of countries such as China and India grew. at the highest levels in Food and Agriculture and objectives. The training was organised In the Australian context these changes Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) by the Organisational and Staff Development include increased on-farm costs, bigger, and leading educational institutions in the Services of UWA. fewer and more sophisticated farms, climate USA, Canada and Asia. Work is in progress Once again UWA agricultural graduates change and high commodity prices. Greater establishing the Centre by July 2008. The showed their talents at the recent Australian scientific and technical understanding of the proposed Centre will significantly contribute Institute of Agricultural Science and value chain may help to capitalise on short and to the IOA's mandate to integrate agricultural Technology (AIAST) 'Young Professionals long term opportunities. Global agriculture and natural resource management research, in Agricultural Forum'. Ms Joanne Elliot commodity experts suggest that we are in education, training and communication and Ms Chelsea Fancote gave excellent the early stages of an agricultural rally that across the University. presentations and won the first and second could last up to 20 years. Australian farmers The EAB also agreed to support the prizes respectively. Emeritus Professor Philip are gearing up to capitalise on record prices establishment of a UWA Agriculture Cocks received the prestigious Farrer Medal for farm commodities (especially grains) by Foundation within the IOA. The Foundation 2008 for his outstanding contribution to increasing the areas under winter crop during will provide support to teaching and agricultural and natural resource research and the 2008 season. Let us hope for the return of research in agriculture and related areas leadership. It is also pleasing to note that Mt good winter rainfalls during 2008. at UWA by alumni, individuals, farmers, Barker farmer, Terry Enright, became the first The Institute of Agriculture (IOA) kick- agricultural industries and business. The farmer to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate started 2008 with the Mike Carroll Memorial Education, Communication and Technology in Agriculture from UWA. Congratulations to Travelling Fellowship award function, the Exchange Program made a presentation on all on their fantastic achievements. Hector and Andrew Stewart Memorial the progress and future directions of the IOA has planned several interesting activities Public Lecture and delegations from several program. Overall, the EAB was pleased with during 2008. I recommend visiting our overseas institutions. the progress achieved by the Institute since website for more information: The IOA's External Advisory Board (EAB) its launch in March 2007. www.ioa.uwa.edu.au. continued from p1 Her Honours research found that piglets in Werribee farrowing pens exhibited 40 per cent more exploratory behaviour than those in farrowing crates, however, piglets in the farrowing crates engaged in more than 50 per cent more feeding behaviour after weaning. Although the WFP encouraged more explor- atory behaviour, this did not lead to increased feed intake at weaning and does not provide a solution to the post-weaning growth depression. Ms Neroli Smith joint first prize winner is currently a research officer with DAFWA's dairy team in Bunbury while also completing an Honours project in meat science at Murdoch University. She manages a sheep meat breeding enterprise and was recognised for her exceptional work on the use of computer tomography to predict composition of live sheep and carcases. Both winners received $1000 in prize money. The second prize and the award for best presentation went to Ms Chelsea Fancote for her UWA animal science fourth year project, "investigation of cattle and sheep performance on saltbush pastures". Prof Graeme Martin (Head of School of Animal Biology), DAFWA Director, General Mr Ian Longson, said this year's winners presented scien- Ms Chelsea Fancote, Ms Joanne Elliott and Prof Kadambot Siddique (Director of the Institute of Agriculture) tific research of the highest calibre which would benefit Western Australia's animal industries. Photo: Mr Peter Maloney "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" UWA Institute of Agriculture 3 Mt Barker farmer awarded Honorary Doctorate in Agriculture strategic direction of agricultural research He is a past member of the WA State Barley and education. Research Committee (which allocated and administered the research levy paid on all Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Robson, barley grain delivered in WA) and assisted in who is also Hackett Chair in Agriculture the development of important new barley at UWA, praised Dr Enright's significant varieties by helping establish the barley contributions to the University and said he genetic resources project at UWA. was a very worthy recipient of the Honorary Doctorate. As a member of the GRDC Western Region Panel from 1991 to 1996, a period "Dr Enright has played a major role in the of tremendous expansion in agricultural administration of agricultural policy in WA research, he allocated research funds and the promotion of agronomy and has drawn from compulsory levies on all WA represented the interests of WA growers broadacre crops. He was Panel Chair from and state agricultural research institutions in 1996 to 1999. the national research agenda," Prof Robson said. "He was instrumental in establishing a Dr Enright was on the Advisory Board of Chair of Agronomy and a lecturer position the Centre for Legumes In Mediterranean in Production Agronomy and Farming Agriculture (CLIMA) from 1992 to 2000, Systems, in partnership with UWA." assisted in the formation of the WA Herbicide Resistance Initiative (WAHRI) within UWA's As Chairman of Albany Port Authority from Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (1998 to 1993 to 2003, Dr Enright presided over the 2001) and was a Board member of the Export Mt Barker farmer Terry Enright became $15 million port expansion to accommodate Grains Centre (EGC), an associated party to the first farmer to be awarded an the growing grain and wood-chip industries UWA-based Canola Breeders WA Pty Ltd. Honorary Doctorate in Agriculture from The University of Western Australia of the Great Southern. From 2004 to 2007 he was 'Chair of Chairs' (UWA). Dr Enright is a former Chair of the Board of the Federal Government's rural research Dr Enright, who grows barley, canola and of the Grains Research and Development and development corporations. He is pulses, and grazes sheep and cattle on Corporation (GRDC) – he was appointed in currently a Board member of Agricultural his Great Southern property, has devoted 2002 – where he supported international Research Western Australia (ARWA), Chair 25 years to agriculture, natural resource initiatives to conserve genetic resources of ATSE Crawford Fund WA Committee management and research, and has played and established strong links with the and a Commissioner on the Export a leading role in the administration and international agricultural sector. Wheat Commission. Climate change challenge animal health surveillance The impact of climate change on animal health surveillance in Northern Europe is posing a challenge to the French Food Safety Authority - this was the message from Dr Michel Pépin during his visit to UWA in early March. According to Dr Pépin, Project Manager on Emerging Viruses from Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments (AFSSA - French Food Safety Authority) in Lyon, human health, food safety and animal welfare are of increasing significance to government, industry and the community. Zoonoses, animal diseases that could affect humans, are of particular concern. Research into the role of climate change in the spread into northern Europe of diseases previously (L to R) Dr Michel Pépin with Dr Penny Hawken, Prof Kadambot Siddique and Prof Graeme Martin during his visit to UWA considered to only affect equatorial regions is a major focus of the AFSSA, an agency Recent work has been on the development the change in climate", Dr Pépin said. similar to AQIS. of a research program on Rift Valley Fever While his work is based on the European virus and other potential emerging viruses context, the lessons learnt could still Dr Pépin, whose four week visit was in France and Europe. be applied in Australia especially with sponsored by DAFWA, is well known in Europe as an authority on sheep and goat "Rift Valley Fever comes from Kenya, concerns about diseases like malaria diseases. He has extensive experience in spreads throughout Africa and the spreading from north to south. animal disease research in a range of species. Arabian Peninsula to Europe because of "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" 4 UWA Institute of Agriculture West welcomes Iranian input to barley breeding Quantifying how well cereals, such as barley and wheat, can tolerate drought can be a measure of their true value to dryland agricultural systems, such as those in Western Australia and Iran. Some similarities were recently assessed by Iranian PhD scholar Shahab Maddah- Hosseini while in WA on a six month ATSE Crawford Fund training award from August 2007 to January 2008. In his studies, supervised by the UWA Chair in Agriculture and Director of the IOA, Prof Kadambot Siddique, and CSIRO Plant Industry Principal Research Scientist, Dr Jairo Palta, he found that grain filling in barley varied according to variety under terminal drought conditions. He saw that photosynthesis of the awns (part of the ear) was greater than that of (L to R) Iranian PhD student, Mr Maddah-Hosseini, Dr Jairo Palta of CSIRO and Prof Kadambot Siddique of UWA discuss the the flag leaf in some of the Australian barley contribution of awns to grain filling in different barley varieties under terminal drought in the glasshouse at CSIRO. varieties– Clipper, Corvette, Stirling, Gairdner, Baudin and Vlamingh. These findings have Mr Maddah-Hosseini visited sites at "For Australia, his work will help future barley implications for breeding barley cultivars to Geraldton, Morawa, Wongan Hills, Brookton breeding programs in terms of specifically dryland environments. and Merredin in the WA grainbelt, where targeting traits for superior adaptation trials and crops of barley, wheat, legumes to drying climatic conditions," Professor UWA's Research Station in Shenton Park has and oilseeds were grown. This allowed him Siddique said. more than 11,000 lines–comprising wild to observe field experimental systems and types, landraces, varieties and breeding lines "As his experimental glasshouse data requires techniques used to evaluate adaptation of – in its general barley collection. The 30-year- further analysis, he will maintain regular barley and wheat genotypes in areas limited old UWA barley germplasm enhancement contact with his supervisors at UWA and by water and nitrogen. project has contributed to the development CSIRO." of several successful barely varieties in WA Mr Maddah-Hosseini's discussions and "Once this analysis is completed, we will help and nationally, most recently providing interaction with supervisors, mentors and Mr Maddah-Hosseini prepare a manuscript for parental lines used in the breeding of the researchers at CSIRO and UWA would also submission and publication in an international malting variety, Vlamingh, launched in help him generate new research ideas on scientific journal", he said. February 2006. drought tolerance of cereals in Iran. Farmer insights into UWA Agriculture Ms Erika von Kaschke email@example.com What makes farmers more excited than optimising potassium cycling in soils and Farmers particularly enjoyed the subsoil seeing great crops grow: envisaging the crops, crop biology, development of perennial constraints lecture. "The concepts of soil difference research will make in increasing and annual legumes, and finally a tour of the were explained very clearly so that all who yields and creating a more profitable and lab and glass houses, which most stated as attended took something away from the sustainable future. a highlight. presentation," one farmer noted. The Grower Group Alliance (GGA) facilitated Another area of interest was how chemical a visit of the Holt Rock Group (HRG) to UWA resistance occurs in weeds and hearing about on the 12th of February. According to group the new chemicals being released on the coordinator, Ms Sarah Males, the best thing market. In future they would be interested in about their visit was that members got to meet chickpea trials, ripping and deep placement researchers one on one and started forming of lime trial, salt tolerant wheat variety, or strengthening their relationships. mustard variety trials, and investigating root "Most of us enjoyed hearing about the zone salinity. different research that is happening. The By the end of the day it was clear that these interaction also has helped us with ideas for farmers will go home with a renewed vision research that the HRG could initiate in our of better collaboration between farmers and area", Ms Males said. IOA. "Getting an overview of what happens in (L to R) Mr Mark Ditchburn, Mr Robbie Trenorden, Topics of the day included IOA activities, Agriculture at UWA from the presenters and Mr Clint Couper, Mr Rolf Meeking, Mr Craig Mayfield, subsoil constraints, salinity tolerant also the tour of the labs was a real eye opener farmers from the Holt Rock Grower Group take a closer wheat development, herbicide resistance, look at seeds of Australian native legumes. for all who attended", Ms Males said. "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" UWA Institute of Agriculture 5 Food Industry Association WA Inc moves to UWA Shenton Park research facilities Ms Andrea Bertiet firstname.lastname@example.com The Food Industry Association WA Inc (FIA) will soon be moving to UWA's Shen- ton Park Research Facilities. Incorporated in May 2007, the FIA now represents more than 70 members including the WA Wine Industry Associa- tion, the WA Fishing Industry Council, and 75 per cent of the WA food and beverage manufacturing industry. The FIA was formed by some of WA's food and beverage industry leaders and most active entrepreneurs to become the peak body assisting this State's industry, and to be united in taking up future challenges it faces in a national and global market. It will (L to R) Mr P Steel (CEO, Golden Eggs), Mr R Pace (MD, Cannon Foods), Ms A Berteit, (CEO FIA), Mr P Giddy (CEO, Challenge Dairy), Ms Leanne Wesche (MD Pacco Group), Mr John Helay (Partner, Bruce Harvilah & Assoc.), and Mr G Kuepper (EO FIA). help shape a business environment that encourages food and beverage industry growth and sustained profitability. Mem- Cunningham, CEO of Accuweight, Cannon stronger industry linkages can be developed bers include Berri Ltd, D'orsogna, Coca Cola Foods Director, Mr Richard Pace, lawyer, Mr with the University as part of a Memoran- Amatil, Harvey Fresh, Anchor Foods and John Healy, and Ms Leanne Wesche, who dum of Understanding that will be dis- Kailis and France. operates one of WA's largest fruit and veg- cussed between the Association's Board and The Board of Directors is chaired by Phil etable packing houses. IOA Director, Professor Kadambot Siddique, Steel, CEO Golden Eggs and other directors The FIA is headed by Ms Andrea Berteit, for- in the FIA board meeting on 8 April. are Mr David Lock, CEO of Craig Mostyn, mer DAFWA's industry and market develop- The FIA's new location at the Shenton Park Mr Chris Delima, a director of Hungry Jacks ment manager. She is supported by a small research facility, opens up avenues where it and KFC parent company Competitive team of staff including industry consultants. could be promoted and developed stronger Foods, Challenge Australia Dairy Pty Ltd It is planned that through the FIA being as an integral part of the University's excel- chief executive, Mr Peter Giddy, Mr Brenton hosted by the UWA Institute of Agriculture, lent teaching and research facilities. "Seeds of Life" breeds new life into East Timorese farms Adjunct Professor Harry Nesbitt firstname.lastname@example.com A new peanut variety released by the Seeds of Life (SoL) program in East Timor is being adopted by more than 70 per cent of farmers cultivating it in on-farm trials. Originally bred by the International Crops Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the East Timorese variety release committee named the new variety 'Utamua' after one of East Timor's ethnic languages, Makasae. Utamua was initially evaluated on research stations and then compared with one other introduced variety plus the best local variety on farmers fields under farmer conditions. On-farm demonstration trials (OFDTs) were installed during the wet season of 2005, dry sea- son of 2006 and wet season of 2006 before one of the introduced varieties was released in March, 2007. Some farmers were so enthusiastic about the new variety that they replanted seed harvested from the on-farm trials over expanded areas. East Timorese farmers grow crops for subsistence rather than sale. Utamua has a large seed, taste good and is very saleable. One farmer said that she hadn't sold any food crops off the farm since the Indonesian time but now with this new, higher yielding peanut variety she will have surplus pods for sale. In OFDTs, Utamua yields on average 48 per cent more than local varieties. This yield advan- (L to R) SoL Research/Extension advisor Ms Rebecca tage is being replicated over larger areas. It is an exciting result for the Centre for Legumes in Andersen; Australian Program Coordinator for SoL, Adjunct Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA) managed, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Professor Harry Nesbitt; SoL/Ministry of Agriculture and Research (ACIAR) and Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) funded Fisheries research assistant Mr Leandro Pereira and a farmer project. Similar yield advantages are being experienced by other SoL food crops being inspect a newly released variety of peanut growing for third evaluated in East Timor. season at a field site in Liquica, East Timor. "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" 6 UWA Institute of Agriculture Positive trend in Undergraduate Agricultural Science numbers at UWA Mrs Christine Richardson email@example.com The new teaching year commenced PROGRAMS 2006 2007 20081 on 3 March with a pleasing increase in enrolments in six of the ten un- Agricultural Economics 3 5 6 dergraduate programs in agriculture and related disciplines when com- Agricultural Science 22 22 19 pared with 2007. These numbers are expected to improve further follow- Animal Science 15 6 9 ing the mid year intake in July. Climate Studies - - 4 Agricultural science and natural re- Environmantal & Resource Economics 6 6 9 source management programs attract- ed the greatest enrolments, with good interest in the two econom- Genetics & Breeding 7 6 6 ics based programs. Students have also shown a high interest in enrolling in combined degrees; with 20 per cent of the 2008 cohort Horticulture 3 3 1 combining their science degree with commerce, economics or en- Land Rehabilitation 5 3 2 gineering. The new program in climate studies has only attracted four students Landscape Management 4 1 2 in its inaugural year. However, this is not unexpected given approval of the degree was only granted in November 2007. Natural Resource Management 11 10 14 The commencing enrolments for Semester 1, 2008 are compared 1 with full year enrolments for 2006, 2007 and 2008. Semester 1 commencing students only Undergraduate Degree Completions 2001 – 2007 PROGRAMS 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Agricultural Science 26 17 15 20 24 14 15 Agricultural Science /Economics or /Commence - - - 4 3 5 6 Animal Science 2 4 16 15 18 9 4 Environmantal & Natural Resource Economics - - - - - - 1 Horticulture 5 - - - 2 2 - Horticulture & Viticulture - 3 11 3 5 2 - Landscape Management - 8 2 3 - 2 - Natural Resource Management 19 15 19 18 20 13 10 Viticulture & Oenology - - - - - - 1 Total 52 47 63 63 72 47 37 Completion of undergraduate degrees in agriculture and related and landscape management. UWA graduates are in high demand disciplines for the six year period from 2001 shows a relatively stable and the majority receive employment offers as soon as they com- output of graduates over that time period. The greatest numbers plete their degrees. A good proportion returns to UWA for their of graduates have been in agricultural science and natural resource postgraduate studies. management, with smaller numbers in horticulture, animal science Institute of Agriculture Food and Agriculture Lectures "Climate change and the failure of our democratic institutions" Emeritus Professor Philip Cocks Perhaps the greatest environmental problem of our time is the increase in greenhouse gases leading to global warm- ing and massive climate change. The causes are known, solutions are available, most citizens believe that there must be action and indeed many national governments agree on what measures should be taken. Yet, some key devel- oped nations seem oblivious to the problem. In his seminar Emeritus Professor Phil Cocks will examine the nature of western democracies and how decisions are supposedly based on reasoned debate. Monday, April 28, 2008 5.15 – 6.15 pm Molecular and Chemical Sciences Lecture Theatre (G.33), UWA Fairway Entrance No. 4 Car Park 14 and 21 "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" UWA Institute of Agriculture 7 Grain farmers with smaller carbon footprint CO2-equ (3%) and N2O contributed 56 kg of CO2-equ (22%). Using these factors to estimate N2O emissions from the Western Australian grain-belt doesn't seem to be appropriate and is probably due to differences in N fertiliser management, soil types and climate," Dr Biswas said. According to Dr Barton, in WA there is great uncertainty surrounding N2O emissions from the application of N fertiliser to land. Overseas estimates suggest that 1% of all N applied to soil will be emitted as N2O. Using these factors to estimate N2O emissions from the Western Australian wheat-belt is not suitable because of differences in N fertiliser management, soil types and climate. "We recommend the use of regionally specific data for nitrous oxide emissions (L to R): Dr Daniel Carter (DAFWA), Dr Louise Barton (UWA) and Dr Wahidul Biswas (Curtin University of Technology) found from land, rather than the international that regionally specific data should be used when calculating greenhouse emissions from grain farms. default value when assessing and developing strategies for minimising Grain production is expected to nitrous oxide (N2O). 'Life cycle assessment' greenhouse gases from agricultural contribute less to greenhouse (LCA) is an internationally recognised way production systems", Dr Barton said. gas emissions in the grain belt as of calculating greenhouse gas emissions results from a joint research project from production systems. It adds up the After similar findings by the Victorian between Drs Louise Barton (UWA), inputs and outputs from a production Government, the Australian default value Wahidul Biswas (Curtin University of system, and assesses their potential stands at 0.3%. Technology) and Daniel Carter (DAFWA) environmental impacts. Environmental The team is funded by the Federal showed that in successive wheat crops, impacts can then be identified at all Government's Department of Climate 0.02% of the nitrogen applied to wheat stages in the production cycle. Change and Water, Department of is emitted as nitrous oxide, which is "Utilising regionally specific soil N2O Agriculture and Food Western Australia, 50 times less than the international emissions, we calculated 259 kg of CO2- Grains Research and Development default value. equ were produced during the production Corporation. This season, after completing Greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted from and delivery of one tonne of wheat to measurements from a canola crop, agricultural systems mainly includes port. Carbon dioxide contributed 196 the research team will start measuring carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and kg (75% of total), CH4 contributed 8 kg emissions from a lupin crop. Ties strengthened with Northwest A&F University, China The IOA strengthened ties with Northwest A&F University (NWAFU), China during a high level delegation visit to UWA. In addressing the delegation Prof Hans Lambers, Head of the School of Plant Biology stressed the importance of links with China and the NWAFU in particular. The NWAFU is one of China's most highly regarded national universities and falls directly under the Ministry of Education. It is supported in key projects by the Ministry of Education and is one of only 56 universities in Prof Sun Wuxue (President), Prof Zongsuo Liang (Dean, College of Life Sciences), Prof YunCheng Liao, and Prof Zheng Shao China with a graduate school, and is qualified Feng from NWAFU visited FNAS. UWA was represented by Prof Kadambot Siddique, Prof George Stewart, Prof Hans Lambers, to enrol international students. Associate Prof Wallace Cowling, Associate Prof Martin Barbetti and Dr Guijun Yan. The Chinese delegation said that they were students studying in China. After 70 years, the water saving irrigation, wheat breeding, proud of the history of Chinese students doing university has developed a diverse program integrated management of soil and water PhD programs in agriculture at UWA, but would and a well-developed discipline structure; erosion in the Loess Plateau, environmental also like to see more Australian agriculture teaching and research on dryland farming, protection, and biotechnology. "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" 8 UWA Institute of Agriculture New perennial pasture legumes to enhance biodiversity Dr Jiayin Pang email@example.com UWA School of Plant Biology researcher carboxylates than lucerne. Use of species Dr Jiayin Pang has been selecting perennial that have fast rates of carboxylate exudation legumes with efficient phosphorus use and is generally recognized to provide greater P studying underlying morphological and availability for plant growth. physiological mechanisms. Her studies Studies on the physiological responses of native showed that utilization of new perennial perennial legumes to different P sources, and legumes could enhance phosphorus (P) use mechanisms to survive dry summer period efficiency, reduce phosphorus fertiliser use and enhance biodiversity. under low P conditions are currently under investigation. Phosphorus deficiency is one of the main constraints to agricultural production in In future, it would be interesting to explore the Western Australia. Although this non- possibility of increasing the availability of both renewable source applied in fertiliser is water and nutrients through 'hydraulic lift' by also extremely efficient, global phosphorus Dr Jiayin Pang in a glasshouse with several perennial legume deeper roots of some species which are active reserves are being depleted while world species supplied with different phosphorus sources in the lower, wetter, nutrient-poor soil layers demand is increasing. when the nutrient-containing surface layers A/Prof Mark Tibbett at UWA and Dr Clinton are dry in dry summer. Consequently, research in new perennial Revell and Dr Mike Bolland at DAFWA are legumes that can result in more efficient use The selection and development of new working on the development of novel is particularly urgent in Australia. One new perennial legumes has great potential to perennial legumes, funded by Australian and exciting approach to these problems transform the nutrient and water use over involves the inclusion of exotic and Australian Research Council (ARC). large areas of agricultural land, reducing native perennial herbaceous legumes in the Dr Pang's results to date indicate that recharge to groundwater. The incorporation of farming system. several novel perennial legumes showed perennial species will also reduce soil erosion In collaboration with DAFWA and other greater biomass accumulation to the current and acidification. The project will contribute industry partners (Heritage Seeds, the major perennial legume, lucerne under low substantially to our understanding of the Chemistry Centre of Western Australia, the phosphorus conditions. Some native legumes responses of native perennial legumes to soil P, Facey Group and Mingenew-Irwin Group), a needed less P to reach optimum growth an essential prerequisite before these species research group led by Dr Megan Ryan, Prof than lucerne. Four native legumes among 11 can be utilised to help develop new perennial Kadambot Siddique, Prof Hans Lambers, species studied had higher root rhizosphere agricultural systems. Leadership training leads to excellence The Institute of Agriculture does not innovative concept that ensures that the Systems) and Prof Laurie Faraone (Head of take good leadership for granted. University has the ability to act in partnership Microelectronics Research Group), leaders The professional trainers from UWA's with national and international organizations who are highly successful at building Organisational and Staff Development to address issues critical to the long-term relationships and winning co-operation, success of agricultural industries and natural Services held a leadership program on 6 joined the group. They narrated their resource management. March to ensure that the leaders at the experience on how to influence when you IOA stay on track towards excellence. "This innovative approach places special are not formally in charge of others. responsibility on the program leaders and The purpose of the training was to enhance their deputies, who are asked to work in non- the capacity of the Director, Program leaders traditional ways to make a link between the and deputies as a team. This will culminate in needs of agricultural industry/community and working effectively as a team, and achieving the research expertise spread throughout the the Institute of Agriculture's objectives. Faculty and University. This requires special Leaders had the opportunity to learn from leadership skills in influencing, networking, each other and other leaders who operate teamwork and community/industry by influence, and make contact with senior engagement", he said executive and other relevant people external Participants used a self-assessment to the faculty and university. questionnaire, DiSC, to examine the As part of the training, the leaders' framework preferences each has for leadership, for innovation and decision-making looked communication and teamwork. In future they at the way leaders can tailor make decision- could use this knowledge to enhance the way making to complex situations. This included in which they interact with one another as a theory, exercises, peer discussion and the team and to extend their understanding of opportunity to work on current complex how to lead others effectively. issues facing the IOA. Finally, Prof Peter Klinken (Western Australian In his opening address, the Vice Chancellor, Institute of Medical Research), Prof Mark Vice Chancellor, Professor Alan Robson, emphasised the Prof Alan Robson, said that the IOA is an Cassidy (Centre for Off shore Foundation importance of leadership skills within the IOA at UWA. "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" UWA Institute of Agriculture 9 CLIMA chickpea collaboration with India blossoming The results from collaborative chickpea farmers have commenced harvesting. Dr the project for AB resistance under field research at the International crops Pooran Gaur (Chickpea breeder, CRISAT) conditions. Research Institute for the Semiarid Tropics said that ICRISAT bred chickpea varieties The breeding component of the project will (ICRISAT) are meeting expectations. are rapidly being adopted by farmers in the be formally reviewed by COGGO in January CLIMA will further its collaboration with regions. Together with improved agronomic 2009. The project review team will meet in practices farmers are achieving 1 to 1.8 ton/ mid January 2009 at ICRISAT's headquarters. India after Prof Kadambot Siddique, ha for short duration chickpeas. In addition to The review team will also visit PAU, Ludhiana Assoc Prof Tim Colmer and Mr Geoff this, farmers in other districts where irrigation site following the review. Dr Dyno Keatinge Smith (CEO, COGGO) visited ICRISAT in facilities are available, grow chickpea with the subcontinent. During their visit the (Deputy Director General Research, ICRISAT) supplementary irrigation achieving very high thanked the Australian scientists and COGGO team assessed the progress of various yields of 2 to 2.50 t/ha. for their collaboration and support. joint projects and had discussions with Mr Geoff Smith thanked ICRISAT and project collaborators. personnel for the outstanding progress made The physiology and breeding activities of on the project. He said that the project will the project are progressing exceptionally lead to the release of one or two improved well. Numerous cross bred lines (F3 to F5) varieties of desi chickpea in WA. The project are in the field. Large numbers of progenies has also brought together scientists with appropriate maturity (in relation to WA from ICRISAT and WA on salinity standard cultivars), plant height, ascochyta and boron toxicity tolerance. blight (AB) resistance, (podding and seed Mr Smith also announced characteristics) were observed in the field. that COGGO has approved "These lines will be further screened for AB further two years in the field at Punjab Agricultural University (2008 and 2009) (PUA) prior to raising in WA quarantine of funding to PAU facilities. A number of lines from the project through CLIMA to are screened for fusarium wilt tolerance in the screen chickpea field at ICRISAT", Prof Siddique said. breeding The team visited several farmers near lines from Patancheru district. Chickpea is grown as a sole crop or intercropped with other annual (L to R) Prof Kadambot Siddique, Assoc Prof Tim Colmer, Dr JS Sandhu (PAU, India), Dr Vincent Vadez (ICRISAT, India), and crops. Crops were at maturity and many Dr Lavinder Kaur (PAU, India) inspecting salinity and boron tolerance experiments at ICRISAT, India. Next generation scientists retreats and grows at Rottnest The next generation plant scientists and Biological Sciences, ANU), Prof Howard Choat postgraduate talk. This year one of the guest researchers from the UWA School of Plant (School of Marine Biology & Aquaculture, speakers, Prof Robyn Owens, awarded an Biology descended upon Rottnest Island James Cook University), Mr John Brennan additional UWA prize for the best presentation from 3-6 February 2008 at the Kingstown (Water Corporation Perth), Prof Robyn Owens to Mr Richard Bennett (evaluation and selection Barrack's Youth Hostel for the annual (Pro-Vice Chancellor Research and Research of Cullen species for perennial pastures in WA's Rottnest Island Postgraduate Summer Training, UWA), Dr Ed Barrett-Lennard (DAFWA graintbelt). Mrs Aneeta Pradhan ('Synthesis of School retreat. and School of Plant Biology). hexaploid Brassica from B. napus and B. nigra') received the prize for best student talk and This Summer School is a four-day retreat that "The student talks are the major part of the Mr Sudheesh Manalil got the best first year is unique to the School of Plant Biology. Each summer school. It gives students the chance student presentation award ('Measurement year the program includes invited leading to share their research with one another,", Ms and modelling of herbicide resistance guest speakers; lectures about how to attract Foteini Hassiotou, PhD student and organiser evolution in Lolium rigidum at low rates of funding and equity and diversity; student of the retreat said. herbicide application'). talks; and social activities. This year's line-up Every year the guest speakers award Plant Prof Hans Lambers, Head of the School, considers included Dr John Evans (Research School of Biology prizes for the best first year and overall the Rottnest retreat an extremely valuable experience for all postgraduates and staff. "It is a fantastic opportunity for all our postgraduates to present their work and receive constructive feedback on their presentations. They also learn a lot about what is actually going on in our vibrant School. It's one of those activities in School of Plant Biology that makes me proud. The quality of the talks is getting better every year, and of a level that exceeds what I experience at many international conferences", he said. "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" 10 UWA Institute of Agriculture ARWA Centre for Ecohydrology to receive centre of excellence funding Professor Keith Smettem email@example.com The Western Australian State Government of climate change and water abstraction recently allocated additional funding of regimes on agricultural resources and native $1.5 million over three years towards ecosystems, and modelling impacts of their vision to see ARWA (Agriculture climate change and land management to Research Western Australia) Centre minimise negative downstream impacts from for Ecohydrology become a 'centre of agricultural activities. excellence'. This was backed with further cash and in-kind support of over $1 million In terms of evaluating and mitigating impacts, provided by UWA, Edith Cowan University this work will focus on understanding and the Department of Water. native ecosystem response to groundwater abstraction for municipal supply and The Centre for Ecohydrology was established developing sustainable abstraction regimes twelve months ago as a joint venture between Department of Agriculture and Food Western using adaptive management. It will aim Australia (DAFWA) and the University. It created to understand the response of the mosaic a new strategic research partnership, with 12 of remnant vegetation and farmland in staff co-located to the campus and involvement The new funding recognises the crucial role that water plays the dryland agricultural region of Western of major research groups in Waroona, and in the survival of ecosystems. Australia to variable rainfall and runoff, and Albany, with further input from other regional the new funding recognises the crucial role that to evaluate landscape-scale management DAFWA staff. water plays in the survival of ecosystems and options to support ecosystem sustainability The initial research program of the centre brings together a powerful team of scientists coupled with productive agriculture. focused on development and application of with the capacity to develop sustainable By modelling impacts of climate change and adaptive management strategies that seek to models of water use that balance the needs land management, the new initiative will bring balance environment and human needs for of the environment, industry, agriculture and together modellers from the Department of water and mitigate downstream impacts of domestic supply. Water and field scientists from the Centre extensive and intensive agricultural activities. The new funding will be directed towards two for Ecohydrology. New research staff will Research Director Prof Keith Smettem and mains sectors of ecohydrological research be located at UWA, Edith Cowan University Project Director Dr Neil Coles (DAFWA) said that namely evaluating and mitigating impacts and DAFWA. New Appointments New Dean: dedicated scientist with people at heart Prof Tony O'Donnell was recently appointed as the Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at UWA. Prof O'Donnell after obtaining his PhD in 1979 from the University of Bristol, joined Newcastle University as a Post-doctoral Fellow during 1979 to 1984. His lecturing career started in 1984 in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science at the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. From 1992-1994 he was a Senior lecturer, and in 1996, promoted to Prof in Soil Microbiology and Molecular Ecology. Prof O'Donnell is currently Director of the Institute for Research in Environment and Sustainability. As a member of the University Research Committee, he was instrumental in the development of a strategic research plan for the University. This involved a major restructuring of the University (from seven faculties and some 70 schools to three faculties and 30 schools). Since 2001 Prof O'Donnell has been active in the establishment of the Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability (IRES), the identification and implementation of its research strategy, the design of the building and the reallocation of academic, technical and support staff. IRES was formally launched in 2002 and Prof O'Donnell became its first Director. Prof O'Donnell currently sits on the UK's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council grants board for Plant and Microbial Sciences and on their Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Panel. He also sits on the Natural Environment Research Council research advisory panel for the Centres for Ecology and Hydrology (Biodiversity panel). He has previously chaired the grants board of the Finnish Academy of Sciences and holds adjunct Profships in Thailand and Brazil. Prof O'Donnell is set to take up his position at UWA in early August 2008. "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" UWA Institute of Agriculture 11 Prof William Erskine, Assistant Director General (Research) at the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Syria for the last seven years, has commenced as Director of the Centre for Legumes In Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA) at UWA. Prof Erskine, completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1973, a Masters of Agriculture in 1976 and a PhD (University of Cambridge, Department of Applied Biology) in 1979. He was a tutor with the Agriculture Faculty of the University of Papua New Guinea, 1973 to 1977; Coultshurst scholar, Department of Applied Biology, Magdalene College, Cambridge, 1978 to 1979; Post-doctoral fellow in lentil breeding at ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria, 1980 to1981; lentil breeder at ICARDA, 1981 to 1998 and Leader, Germplasm Improvement Program, ICARDA, 1998 to 2000. Prof Erskine intends to maintain CLIMA's focus on beneficial outcomes for WA legume growers and industry, while improving links to other Australian and overseas legume research groups. Dr Ken Flower has recently been appointed as a lecturer in the School of Plant Biology at UWA in Production Agronomy and Farming Systems. This position is a joint appointment between the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and UWA. For the past three and a half years, Dr Flower has been the Scientific Officer for the West Australian No- Tillage Farmers Association (WANTFA), where he gained valuable research and extension experience on no-till farming systems. While at WANTFA he established widespread industry contacts and gained appreciation of the issues facing broad-acre agriculture in WA. He managed the technology demonstration site at Meckering and developed a new long term no-till farming systems project that is funded by the GRDC. In addition to his UWA commitments, Dr Flower will continue to work with WANTFA to expand the research input on the long term no-till project. Prior to joining WANTFA he was working in Zimbabwe as Head of Agronomy and Plant Physiology for the Tobacco Research Board and then as Technical Manager for a horticultural company exporting fresh vegetables to the UK. Dr Flower did both his MSc in weed science and PhD on computer based agricultural expert systems at the Imperial College, University of London. Ms Kaye Phillips-Webb has been appointed as WANTFA Communications Manager, based at UWA. She will manage WANTFA's communication activities, the production of the WANTFA newsletter, and events. A large part of her role includes communications planning, developing and expanding WANTFA's communication and promotional activities, managing the website and developing long term relationships with industry and the media. Kaye will also be working with WANTFA Committee and Industry Partners to promote WANTFA and to achieve their goals. Tel (08) 64887465, Mobile: 0427 223 395 Email: email@example.com Mrs Erika von Kaschke joined the IOA as Communications and Development Officer in February. She is responsible for the development and preparation of the IOA website, annual report and newsletters, organising the Food and Agriculture Lectures, various events and field days. Erika left the world of journalism in South Africa to discover working in development in Phnom Penh. After working as a consultant for major International Development Organisations like World Wild Life Fund (WWF), she took the position as Regional Communication Officer for Oxfam America. She has experience in media planning, training and liaison; marketing; website development; strategic communications and planning. During her time at Oxfam she completed various videos and new media projects, and was an advisor to the Oxfam International branding team. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Phone : (08) 6488 3756 "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" 12 UWA Institute of Agriculture Alumni Profiles Dr Stephen Loss Fertiliser Services Manager, CSBP Ltd. Dr Stephen Loss introduced himself by speaking of the final year of his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Hons) degree, back in 1985, trying to collect milk from lactating sows so that he could measure its fat content for his honours thesis. "This was no easy task! I had a significant component of agronomy in my undergraduate degree and I was employed by the WA Department of Agriculture, as it was known then, to investigate ways to manage frost damage in cereal crops. This was a three year project funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation", Dr Loss said. When the frost project was completed he went back to UWA to undertake his PhD into the effects of lupins on soil fertility, particularly soil acidity. "I was one of Prof Alan Robson's last students, not because I was such a difficult student, but he was going onto bigger and better things within UWA!", Dr Loss said After completing his PhD, he was employed in various industry funded roles at the Department of Agriculture and the CLIMA. His last job involved developing and promoting production packages for alternative legume crops such as faba bean, chickpeas and lentils. During this time he came across an ancient fertility treatment which involved cooking chickpeas in camel's milk and honey. "My previous experience with milking sows proved useful when it came to acquiring the ingredients for this concoction!", he said In 1999 he to took the plunge into private enterprise and accepted a job managing the field research program for CSBP. He has been with CSBP for the past eight years and, in addition to the field trials, currently oversees soil and plant testing services, satellite biomass imagery and precision agriculture services. "I enjoyed my seven years at UWA's School of Agriculture and would encourage any person interested in agriculture to consider undertaking study at UWA. The undergraduate course was remarkably diverse and enabled students to specialise in a wide range of areas and end up in obscure careers". Dr Loss speaks highly of the UWA academic staff's passion for their particular field of expertise, and their commitment to teaching others about scientific methods and principles. "The disciplines of practical science, and you couldn't get more practical than agriculture, have served me well throughout my career", he said Dr Lewis Amollo Metho Directorate: Research Co-ordination and Technology Development KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs, South Africa Dr Lewis Amollo Metho did the BSc Agric. Honours and MSc Agric. degree at UWA from1983-1987 under the supervision of Dr R H Sedgley and Prof W R Stern. Before taking up a SCAAP/IDAAB award to study at UWA, Dr Metho spent 10 years working as a scientific researcher officer with the Government of Kenya. Dr Lewis Metho was appointed as Principal Researcher soon after completing his PhD from the University of Pretoria (UP), Department of Plant Production and Soil Science, in 1999. From 2002 to 2005 Dr Metho's career went into top gear. He was promoted from an Assistant Director and Head of Agronomy, Specialist Researcher (2003), Deputy Manager: Research (Specialist Services) (2004), to Acting Manager: Directorate, Research Co-ordination and Technology Development in 2005. Dr Metho's research activities includes crop rotation, involving cereal crops with grain-legumes based systems and conservation tillage practices; biofuels; evaluation of impact of GMOs and biotechnology crops; agrarian revolution and massification projects on poverty alleviation in rural resource-poor communities; Nguni indigenous African (Zulu) livestock breeds revitalization program; sustainable rural development agriculture; and research liaison and collaborations with e.g. Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Farmer Associations, Southern Africa Development Countries (SADC), private agricultural companies, New Partnership in African Development (NEPAD), EU, USAID and CGIAR countries. In the future Dr Metho hopes to strengthen ties with UWA. "I would like to go on a sabbatical leave at UWA in the not so distant future, so that I can give back what I got from the IOA", he said. For several years, he has been an external examiner in the specialised area of crop production systems in the tropics for both the Universities of Pretoria and KwaZulu-Natal. He is also a permanent member of the South African Society of Crop Production (SASCP) and ARC - National Research Planning Committee on Small Grain Cereals. Ms Sue Bestow Senior Agronomist with Australian Agricultural Crop Technologies in Wee Waa NSW "My story is a 'how did I get here?' one…. and it does involve UWA agriculture", Ms Bestow introduces herself. After making her career choice with a very lackadaisical attitude (A for agriculture, first in the book at the end of year 12), she had completed her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Hons) in no time. She went on and did a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science at Murdoch. After a two year stint working as a "greenie" she worked for the Department of Agriculture in Moora and then Geraldton. Working as Agricultural Advisor she describes as "I muddled on, learning quickly from other staff and growers to find that I could actually give some very sound advice". Some years after leaving the Department she met a grower who told her "you made a lot of money for me in those years while you were at the Department, thanks for that". In 1997 consulting drew her to NSW where she remains and works for a small company that specialises in seed production. "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" UWA Institute of Agriculture 13 New research projects Title Funding Period Funding Body Supervisor(s) "Investigating the role of temperament in 2007-08 Department of Agriculture, Fisheries Ms Samantha Bickell the establishment of the ewe lamb bond and and Forestry (DAFF) lamb survival". "Western Australian Herbicide Resistance 2007-10 Grains Research and Development Prof Stephen Powles Initiative- Phase 3 Corporation "The characterisation of RNA-binding proteins 2008-2009 Group of Eight Daad German Research Prof Ian Small, Dr Anne-Laure Chateigner-Boutin, involved in chloroplast RNA editing" Cooperation Dr Kristina Kuhn "Centre of Excellence in Ecohydrology 2008-11 Government of WA Prof Keith Smettem, Dr Neil Coles Research & industry recognition Name Award Mr Andrew Broun Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society Honours Thesis prize WA Emeritus Prof Philip Cocks Farrer Memorial Medal 2008 Dr Graeme Doole PhD prize for Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society 2008 Ms Joanne Elliott First prize in Young Professionals in Agriculture award AIAST Ms Chelsea Fancote Second prize in Young Professionals in Agriculture award AIAST Dr Terry Enright Honorary Doctorate in Agriculture from UWA Assoc Prof Ross Kingwell President-elect of Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society Dr Guijun Yan Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award 2007 Ms Megan Chadwick (PhD student, School of Animal Biology) Mike Carroll Memorial Traveling Fellowship 2007 and Mr Weihua Chen (PhD student, School of Plant Biology) Visitors to Institute of Agriculture Name of the Visitor Visitors' organisation and country Host details Dates Host contact Email Prof.Sun Wuxue, Northwest A&F University, China Prof. Hans Lambers 17 February 2008 email@example.com Prof. Zongsuo Liang, Prof.YunCheng Liao, Prof.Zheng Shao Feng Dr Michel Thibier Conseiller Scientifique, French Ambassy Prof. Graeme Martin 3 March 2008 firstname.lastname@example.com Adj Prof Julian Cribb University of Technology Sydney Prof Kadambot Siddique 7 March 2008 email@example.com Dr Michel Pépin Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire Prof. Graeme Martin 8 March 2008 email@example.com des Aliments (AFSSA - French Food Safety Authority) Dr. Aris Junaidi Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Prof. Graeme Martin 18 March 2008 firstname.lastname@example.com Indonesia Dr Sorn San National Veterinary Research Institute Prof. Graeme Martin 20 March 2008 email@example.com Dr Jim Fortune R&D Consultant, Adelaide Prof Kadambot Siddique 28 March 2008 firstname.lastname@example.com Dr Xiangwen Fang Lanzhou University, Gansu Province, China Prof Kadambot Siddique 10 May 2008 to firstname.lastname@example.com 17 May 2008 Dr Saleh Bader Ministry of Agriculture, Iraq Prof Kadambot Siddique 10 May 2008 to firstname.lastname@example.com 17 May 2008 Dr. Sa'ad H. Mohamed State Board of Agricultural Research, and Prof Kadambot Siddique 2 May 2008 to firstname.lastname@example.com Baghdad University, Iraq 21 June 2008 Mr Raad Hameed Ministry of Agriculture, Iraq Prof Kadambot Siddique 2 May 2008 to firstname.lastname@example.com 21 June 2008 "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" 14 UWA Institute of Agriculture New MSc and PhD students Name Topic School Supervisor(s) Funding Body PhD Students Mr Lalith Suriyagoda Response of perennial pasture legume Cullen sp., to Plant Biology Prof Hans Lambers SIRF (Federal Govt.) and moisture and soil phosphorus, interaction with non- Dr Megan Ryan School of Plant Biology legumes and modelling physiological processes under Dr Michael Renton field conditions Ms Eleanor Bradbury Linking vegetation and plant functional types to site Plant Biology Dr Erik Veneklaas APAI through ARC ecohydrology: vegetation types, phenology and growth Dr Tim Bleby responses at Telfer, arid Australia Mr Sharif-Ar Raffi Physiology and genetics of salt and waterlogging Plant Biology Assoc Prof Tim Colmer Endeavour IPRS, UPAIS tolerance in Hordeum marinum and H.marinum-wheat cytogenetic stocks Mr David Savage Confidence levels for EPP detection and response to Plant Biology Dr Michael Renton Plant Biosecurity CRC incursion Prof Martin Barbetti Scholarship Mr Bill McLeod (DAFWA) Ms Rebecca Haling Root growth in difficult soils Plant Biology Prof Hans Lambers Hackett Postgraduate Scholarship Ms Padmaja Developing plant growth models Plant Biology Dr Michael Renton Future Farm Industries CRC Ramankutty Mr Marcal Gusmao Adaptation of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus cv. Ceora) to Plant Biology Dr Erik Veneklaas, ACIAR John Alright marginal environments: performance under conditions Prof Kadambot Siddique Fellowship of drought and low phosphorus availability and Adj. Prof Harry Nesbit Mr Isharudin Md Isa Erosion and conservation Earth and Prof Zed Rengel and University Putra Malaysia Geographical Dr Christop Hinz Science Mr Mohammad Azham Sequestration of carbon in biological and conventional Earth and Prof Zed Rengel and Malaysian Government farming systems Geographical A/Prof Mark Tibbett Science Mr Adrian Wong Chemistry of micronutrients in peat soils Earth and Prof Zed Rengel APA Geographical Science Mr Basu Dev Regmi Zinc Dynamics in Conventional and Biological Farming Earth and Prof Zed Rengel IPRS Systems Geographical Science Ms Bingah Hardiputra Phosphorus fractionation in biological and conventional Earth and Prof Zed Rengel ARC farming systems Geographical Science Mr Roger Barroga Cyber communities and agricultural development in Earth and Prof Matthew Tonts AusAID Australian the Philippines: Creating new social and economic Geographical Prof Kadambot Siddique Leadership Award opportunities for farmers Science Mr Sushil Sood Biological and chemical constraints in short-term Animal Biology Dr Irek Malecki, IPRS. RIRDC and long-term storage of emu sperm (Dromaius Prof Graeme Martin novaehollandiae) MSc Students Mr Vasanth Kumar Rapid generation technology for grain legumes Plant Biology Dr Heather Clarke, Self funding Garela (chickpea, field pea) Dr Janine Croser Prof William Erskine Ms Junko Takahira Flow cytometry to improve prediction of ploidy status in Plant Biology Assoc Prof Wallace Cowling Private (GradDipSc) young microspore-derived plantlets of Brassica napus Dr Matt Nelson, and Ms Anouska Cousin "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" UWA Institute of Agriculture 15 Publications Jan-March 2008 Refereed journals Barton L, Kiese R, Gatter D, Butterbach-Bahl K, Buck R, Hinz C and Li CX, Wratten N, Salisbury P, Burton W, Potter T, Walton GW, Murphy DV (2008). Nitrous oxide emissions from a cropped soil in Sivasithamparam K, Banga S, Singh D, Liu S, Fu T and Barbetti a semi-arid climate. Global Change Biology, 14, 177–192. MJ (2008). Relative responses of Brassica napus and B. juncea germplasm from Australia, China and India to the Australian Colmer TD and Pedersen O. (2008). Oxygen dynamics in submerged races of the blackleg fungus (Leptosphaeria maculans). rice (Oryza sativa). New Phytologist 177: on-line early at New Australasian Plant Pathology 37: 162-170. Phytologist website. Nasar-Abbas SM, Plummer JA, Siddique KHM, White PF, Harris D, Colmer TD and Pedersen O. (2008). Underwater photosynthesis and Dods K (2008). Nitrogen retards and oxygen accelerates and respiration in leaves of submerged wetland plants: gas films colour darkening in faba bean (Vicia faba L.) during storage. improve CO2 and O2 exchange. New Phytologist 177: 918-926 Postharvest biology and technology 47: 113-118. Danehloueipour N, Clarke HJ, Yan G, Khan·TN, and Siddique, KHM Nasar-Abbas SM, Plummer JA, White PF, Siddique KHM, D'Antuono (2008). Leaf type is not associated with ascochyta blight disease M, Harris D, and Dods K (2008). Effect of site, harvesting in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Euphytica DOI 10.1007/s10681- stage, and genotype on environmental staining in faba bean 007-9617-x. (Vicia faba L.). Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, Garg H, Li H, Sivasithamparam K and Barbetti MJ (2008). Cotyledon 59: 365–373. assay as a rapid and reliable method of screening for resistance Vincenot L, Balesdent MH, Li H, Barbetti MJ, Sivasithamparam against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Brassica napus genotypes. K, Gout L, Rouxel T. (2008). Occurrence of a new phylogenetic Australasian Plant Pathology 37: 106-111. sub-species of Leptosphaeria biglobosa in Western Australia. Hoyle FC, Murphy DV and Brookes PC (2008). Microbial response to Phytopathology 98: 321- 329. the addition of glucose in low-fertility soils. Biology and Fertility Xuanli Ma, Hua Li, O'Rourke, T., Sivasithamparam, K. and Barbetti, of Soils, 44: 571 - 579 M.J. (2008) Co-occurrence of Aphanomyces euteiches and Kaur P, Li CX, Barbetti MJ, You MP, Li H and Sivasithamparam K. (2008). Phytopththora clandestina in subterranean clover pastures First report of powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe cruciferarum in the high rainfall areas of the lower south-west of Western Opiz ex Junnel on Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss in Australia. Australia. Australasian Plant Pathology 37: 74-78. Plant Disease 92: 650. You, M.P., Lancaster, B., Sivasithamparam, K. and Barbetti, M.J. Li CX, Sivasithamparam K, Walton G, Fels P and Barbetti MJ (2008). (2008). Pathogenicity of different zymogram groups of the Both incidence and severity of white rust disease reflect host root rot pathogen Rhizoctonia solani on pasture legumes in resistance in Brassica juncea germplasm from Australia, China and Western Australia and implications for rotational crops. Plant India, screened using artificial or natural inoculum in field trials as and Soil 302: 203-211. well as in glasshouse trials. Field Crops Research 106: 1-8. 2007 Publications (All publications listed below were not included in the 2007 IOA newsletters Refereed journals Blache D, Chagas LM and Martin GB (2007). Nutritional inputs Cookson WR, O'Donnell AJ, Grant CD, Grierson PF and Murphy into the reproductive neuroendocrine control system – a DV (2007). Impact of ecosystem management on microbial multidimensional perspective. In: Reproduction in Domestic community level physiological profiles of postmining forest Ruminants VI:123-139. Edited by JI Juengel, JF Murray and MF rehabilitation. Microbial Ecology 55: 321-332. Smith. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, UK. Cookson WR, Murphy DV and Roper MM (2007). Characterizing Barbetti MJ, You MP, Hua Li, Xuanli Ma and Sivasithamparam K the relationships between soil organic matter components and (2007). Management of root diseases of annual pasture legumes microbial function and composition along a tillage disturbance in Mediterranean ecosystems – a case study of subterranean gradient. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 40: 763-777 clover root diseases in the south-west of Western Australia. Cookson WR, Osman M, Marschner P, Abaye DA, Clark I, Murphy Phytopathologia Mediterranea 46: 239-258. DV, Stockdale EA and Watson CA (2007). Controls on soil Chateigner-Boutin A-L and Small I (2007). A rapid high-throughput nitrogen cycling and microbial community composition method for the detection and quantification of RNA editing across land use and incubation temperature. Soil Biology and based on high-resolution melting of amplicons. Nucleic Acids Biochemistry 39: 744-756. Research 2007; 35(17):e114. Gout L, Kuhn ML, Vincenot L, Bernard-Samain S, Cattolico L, Camacho Ronquillo JC, Pró Martinez A, Becerril Pérez CM, Sandoval Barbetti M, Moreno-Rico O, Balesdent M-H and Rouxel T (2007). BF, Martin GB, Valencia J & Gallegos Sánchez J (2007). Prevention Genome structure impacts molecular evolution at the AvrLm1 of suckling improves postpartum reproductive responses to avirulence locus of the plant pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans. hormone treatments in Pelibuey ewes. Animal Reproduction Environmental Microbiology 9: 2978-2992. Science doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2007.06.021 "Sustaining productive agriculture for a growing world" 16 UWA Institute of Agriculture 2007 Publications continued Hawken PAR, Evans ACO and Beard AP (2007b) Prior exposure with Nasar-Abbas SM, Plummer JA, Siddique KHM, White PF, Harris D rams enhances their behavioural interactions with rams but is not a and Dod K (2007) Cooking quality of faba bean after storage at pre-requisite to their endocrine response to the ram effect. Animal high temperature and the role of lignins and other phenolics Reproduction Science: doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2007.06.031 in bean hardening. LWT - Food Science and Technology doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2007.07.017. Hawken PAR, Evans ACO, Beard AP (2007c) Short term, repeated exposure to rams during the transition into the breeding season Williams M, Magarey P and Sivasithamparam K (2007). Influence improves the synchrony of mating in the breeding season. Animal of environmental factors on germination of Plasmopara viticola Reproduction Science: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2007.05.009 spongangia sourced from Mediterranean Western Australia. Phytopathol. Mediterr. 46: 225-229. Herrmann AM, Clode PL, Fletcher I, Nunan N, Stockdale EA, O'Donnell AG and Murphy DV (2007). A novel method for the study of the Book chapters biophysical interface in soils using Nano-Scale Secondary Ion Jones DL, Farrar JF, Macdonald AJ, Kemmitt SJ and Murphy Mass Spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry DV. Dissolved organic nitrogen in agricultural systems. In: 21: 29-34. Quantifying and understanding plant nitrogen uptake systems modeling. Eds. Ma L, Ahuga L and Bruulsema T. SSSA-CSSA- Herrmann AM, Ritz K, Nunan N, Clode PL, Pett-Ridge J, Kilburn MR, ASA Publication Murphy DV, O'Donnell AG and Stockdale EA. Nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry – a new analytical tool in biogeochemistry and soil ecology. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 39: 1835-1850. Upcoming meetings and events 2008 Hoyle FC and Murphy DV (2007). Microbial response to the addition of soluble organic substrates. Australian Journal of Soil Research, Institute of Agriculture, UWA 45: 559-567. "Frontiers in Agriculture". Post Graduate Showcase 10 June 2008 www.ioa.uwa.edu.au Hoyle FC, Murphy DV and Brookes PC (2007). Microbial response to the addition of glucose in low-fertility soils. Biology and Fertility Institute of Agriculture Open Day, Shenton Park, UWA of Soils, in press doi: 10.1007/s00374-007-0237-3. 8 August 2008 www.ioa.uwa.edu.au Jones DL and Murphy DV (2007). Microbial response time to sugar and amino acid additions to soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry Other National and International Events 39: 2178-2182. 1st International Conference on Technologies and Strategic Management of Sustainable Biosystems, Fremantle, WA Li CX, Li H, Siddique AB, Sivasithamparam K, Salisbury P, Banga SS, 6-9 July 2008 www.etc.murdoch.edu.au Banga S, Chattopadhyay C, Kumar A, Singh R, Singh D, Agnihotri A, Liu SY, Li YC, Tu J, Fu TD, Wang YF and Barbetti MJ (2007). The Dowerin Field Day, Dowerin, WA importance of the type and time of inoculation and assessment 27 - 28 August 2008 www.dowerinfielddays.com.au in the determination of resistance in Brassia napus and B. juncea to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research WANTFA Spring Field Day, Meckering, WA 58: 1198-1203. 9 September 2008 www.wantfa.com.au Macdonald AJ, Murphy DV, Mahieu N, Fillery IRP (2007). Labile soil 12th International Lupin Conference, Fremantle, WA organic matter pools under a mixed grass/lucerne pasture and 14-18 September 2008. www.lupins.org adjacent native bush in Western Australia. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 45: 333-343. 14th Australian Agronomy Conference, Adelaide Convention Centre, SA Murphy DV, Stockdale EA, Poulton PR, Willison TW and Goulding 20 - 24 September 2008 www.agronomy.org.au KWT (2007). Seasonal dynamics of carbon and nitrogen pools and fluxes under continuous arable and ley-arable rotations in 7th International Safflower Conference, Wagga Wagga, NSW a temperate environment. European Journal of Soil Science, 3-6 November 2008 www.australianoilseeds.com 58, issue 6, start page 1410. 9th International Conference on Dryland Development. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt. 7-10 November 2008 www.icarda.org The Institute of Agriculture's Mission: Design and production: firstname.lastname@example.com "To advance research, education, training and communication in agriculture and resource management, for the benefit of mankind" To receive this publication by email Institute of Agriculture Tel: +61 (08) 6488 4717 please contact us. The University of Western Australia Fax: +61 (08) 6488 7354 MDG M082 Editor: 35 Stirling Highway Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Erika von Kaschke Crawley, WA, 6009 Email: email@example.com Australia Web: www.ioa.uwa.edu.au Cricos provider No. 00126G DISCLAIMER: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this newsletter, the Institute of Agriculture (IOA) cannot accept any responsibility for the consequences of the use of this information. The newsletter provides a brief overview of agricultural research and other activities in progress and is a guide only.


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2 cups celimix pancake mix
1 cup Betty Crocker Gluten free white cake mix
1 cup celimix bread ( rice ) mix
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
3/4 cup of gluten free - lactose free soft margarine ( I use Becel Vegan as it states that it is gluten free - lactose free right on the carton )
3 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups of gluten free - lactose free soy milk ( Sensational Organic Soy is the best )
Make sure that the soy milk and the margarine you use is both gluten free and lactose and dairy free as some people are not only intolerant to lactose but also allergic to the protein in any forms of dairy products.
In large mixing bowl stir together the pancake mix, the white cake mix and the bread mix. Stir in the salt and baking powder to mix well. Using your fingers work the margarine in gently. Place the 3 eggs in 2 cup measuring cup. Beat with electric mixer. Now fill to the 2 cup mark with the soy milk. Stir well to blend. Slowly add to the flour mixture, adding only enough to make a soft dough. It will need approximately 1 and 1/2 cups of the egg/soy milk mixture to get the dough to the right consistency. Using your hands, form into tiny balls, placing them on greased baking sheet. Bake approximately 8 - 10 minutes at 375 F oven. Cool. Store in freezer in airtight container till time of use.
Serve at your church Communion Service.
The pictures below shows some of the ingredients I use for this recipe.
Celimix bread mix |


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American Craft Beer Fest returns to Boston on May 29 & 30, featuring 640+ beers from 140+ brewers. Tickets are on sale now.
Maclay Inns Ltd.
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- JUnior Gaultier - Mael from £66.00
- Junior Gaultier - Maher from £72.50
- Junior Gaultier - Manami from £33.00
- JUnior Gaultier - Marin from £44.50
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- Junior Gaultier - Sac OUT OF STOCK
Our story begins with the birth of our first and only child Parhum. Before long, we gave him the nickname JouJou which means 'chicklet' in Persian, and soon after learning to speak he formed an imaginary sister, Lucy.
JouJou & Lucy grew up inspiring not only each other, but us too, making us want to be as involved with children as possible. As parents do, we wanted to dress our son in an individual and beautiful style to reflect his vibrant imagination. In the most natural progression, our boutique for children, JouJou & Lucy was conceived.
At JouJou & Lucy we not only stock exclusive brands that echo our quest for originality, we take pride in sourcing new, enthusiastic designers who share our vision.
Please come and visit us if you cherish individuality as much as we do.
VISIT OUR STORE Monday to Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 11am-5pm
32 Clifton Road – Maida Vale – W9 1 ST London
Tel :020 7289 0866


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Thursday, May 1, 2014
Hello_Writer May Blog Train freebie
Reactions: |
13 comments:
- Mersija's Majestic Design said...
Thank you for your awesome "Hello" kit.I also grabbed the add-on in facebook.Looking forward to designing something nice.
- May 1, 2014 at 8:39 PM
- Marisa Lerin said...
So lovely! Thanks!
- May 2, 2014 at 1:17 AM
- anitab said...
So glad the muse got you moving - this is excellent!!
- May 2, 2014 at 12:41 PM
- Raye Mann said...
Gorgeous & original :) I would never have guessed you had trouble. Thanks so much!
- May 3, 2014 at 1:38 PM
- Miss Becki said...
I love your papers!!! So glad that it worked out for you to join! :)
- May 4, 2014 at 11:05 AM
- Lisa Zimmerman said...
Love it! It' my favorite so far!
- May 4, 2014 at 12:43 PM
- Michelle King said...
Thanks so much for your awesome contribution.
- May 5, 2014 at 9:38 AM
- Lis said...
Thank you for this lovely mini!
- May 17, 2014 at 1:50 AM
- R said...
Your kit is very pretty and classy! :) Thank you for sharing it with us.
- May 25, 2014 at 11:05 AM
- Mademoiselle d' Abanville said...
I am going to thank you greatly for this. You inspired me with your choice so greatly. My muse has been some where off the map as a writer and you hooked me this late night.
I so want to thank you and let you know ll creatives can loose the muse and when we delve towards another area or take a break, wham, it comes back!
I shall enjoy this greatly. Thank you for sharing your spirit.
Mira - May 25, 2014 at 12:35 PM
- Unknown said...
Thank you very much for all of your sweet parts. -Marie
- May 30, 2014 at 1:47 PM
- Mary Kruschke said...
You did amazing things in three days! Thank you kindly for sharing with us...adorable!
- May 31, 2014 at 11:18 AM
- Rashed said...
Thanks for the tip. I can also see it clearly in Safari. I will have to see if one of my add-ons is preventing it from showing up or something.Clipping Path
- June 17, 2014 at 2:25 PM


text: The Credit Crunch Banks Overview • The outline of the story is well known. – Banks in several countries may too many loans to the property market – These loans have now gone bad as the bubble has burst – The banks are now in financial trouble and have to be rescued by governments • To see how exactly this happened we to see how banks work Banks Business Model • Bank takes in money – Depositors – Selling securities on financial markets (Borrowing on financial markets) • Bank lends it out – Formal loans – Buy securities on financial markets • Bank profits largely determined by differential between interest rate on deposits and interest rate charged on loans. – The old "3 -6 -3" rule – However, must allow for bad debts as any business Liquidity vs Solvency • Liquidity is having enough cash on hand – Banking suffers from an inherent liquidity problem – Banks assets and liabilities are of different maturities – Liquidity problems can be solved by borrowing from CB or market providing have assets for collateral • Insolvency is assets<liabilities and capital cannot cover the difference – Capital is the cushion that absorbs bad debts – too small in the Irish case • Solvency is the more important issue – Solvent: have enough assets – Liquid: have enough cash Balance Sheet • Easiest way to see how this all works is the bank's balance sheet • Liabilities is source of bank funds – Deposits (traditional) – Financial markets (new): "Bond Holders" • Assets: – Cash and govt securities (cushion) – Loans (traditional) – Financial markets (new) • Imagine what would happen if bank liquidated – Owners of bank would end up with Assets-Liabilities – "Equity" or "Capital" or "Share-holders funds" or "Reserves" Bank Balance Sheet Assets Liabilities Cash Deposits from Loans the Public Banks Bond holders Companies Individuals Equity (Capital) Leddin and Walsh Macroeconomy of the Eurozone, 2003 Mortgage lenders Aug 07 Assets Liabilities Cash etc 22 Deposits 384 Loans 482 Equity 34 Others 22 Debt 108 Total 526 Total 526 Leddin and Walsh Macroeconomy of the Eurozone, 2003 Role of Equity • Crucial to the way bank operates • The idea is that if banks suffers losses they are absorbed by the shareholders not the depositors or bond holders • Therefore equity has to be large enough to absorb expected losses • This is the money you have to put down in order to own a bank • Common sense and regulation require a certain level – "reserve ratios"; "Capital requirements"; "Tier 1" • Banks want the ratio as low as possible as it means can lend out more • Think of two examples – Ratio of 10% – Ratio of 5% • The lower ratio allows bank to take in twice the deposits for the same level of commitment from shareholders • Profits higher • Risk higher because cushion lower – Smaller bad debts would bankrupt the bank Bank Balance Sheet Assets Liabilities Cash 15 Deposits 100 Loans 95 Equity 10 Total 110 Total 110 Leddin and Walsh Macroeconomy of the Eurozone, 2003 Bank Balance Sheet Assets Liabilities Cash 15 Deposits 200 Loans 195 Equity 10 Total 210 Total 210 Leddin and Walsh Macroeconomy of the Eurozone, 2003 Key Issue: Solvency • One of the key issues in the banking crisis was that the cushion was too low – Banks like small cushion because higher profits – But higher risk also • This was a failure of regulator and banks own risk management – Should have realised property lending risky because of bubble • Regulator require higher cushion – Reduces profits so lending to property slows down – Canadian approach Another Key Issue: Liquidity • Capital ratio so low that banks couldn't find enough deposits to finance all the lending they required • Borrowed on the international markets – Reflected in BOP: cap inflows • "Hot money" – Often 24 duration – Run at first sign of trouble • Makes liquidity problem worse Foreign Liabilities of Deposit Money Banks 400 350 300 250 % 200 150 100 50 0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year Example: AIB • Lets look at a particular bank just before the crash – Annual report for 2007 – Total loans of €137bn • Lots of foreign borrowing – In the deposits section • Capital 8% – Sounds good but not enough as we will see • Key facts – Property a growing share of loans – Much of this in "development" % of Group loan portfolio Dec-06 Dec-07 25% 23% 12% 12% 12% 11% 8% 8% 5% 5% 3% 3% 2% 2% Agriculture Construction & Residential Manufacturing Personal Services Transport & Other Property Mortgages Distribution Property & construction % ROI *GB/NI CM Group Commercial Investment 34 33 78 41 Residential Investment 7 15 7 9 Commercial Development 22 14 8 18 Residential Development 34 32 6 29 Contractors 3 6 1 3 Total 100 100 100 100 Balances €m 27,804 10,054 6,696 46,410 *An element of management estimation has been applied in this sub-categorisation The problem • Huge reliance on property and on development in particular • Bubble bursting creates huge potential for losses – Particularly so in development loans – What NAMA is now concentrating on • AIB aware of this potential & try to assuage investors fears – Say LTV is 65% Solvency • LTV is important – Indicates how much the bank could get back if borrower defaults – One of the key assumptions of NAMA • Suppose 65% is true • Suppose 50% of development loans default (50*36*29) – Represents 5% of total loans defaulting – €7bn (AIB had total of around €137) • If LTV was 65%, this €7bn in loans was secured on assets originally worth €11bn • Key issue is "originally" • How much are they worth now? • As long as they have declined by no more than 35% bank will get its money back • Bubble graph suggests that prices were twice fundamentals – expect decline of 50% – Bank gets back €5.5bn – Maybe less as overshoot Assessment • Bank can handle €1.5bn loss • But very optimistic assumptions • LTV of 65% seems unrealistic – some say 100% – The other 35% in form of property not cash • Why expect only 50% of loans to default? – Why not all? • Why only development? – Why not investment, mortgages etc Banking System • We can do the same sort of analysis for the main banks • Approx numbers – but give the sense • What happens when loans go bad? – Small losses: handle as "bad debts" – Medium losses: Zombie bank – Large Losses: bankrupt Zombie Bank • Losses wipe out lots (but not all) of capital • Bank remains solvent but cannot operate effectively • For illustrative purposes suppose €20bn goes bad – If it were any other business the bank will be liquidated or some sort receivership – Assets sold off to pay the creditors – Owners get the remainder €14bn Mortgage lenders with €20bn bad debts Assets Liabilities Cash etc 22 Deposits 384 Loans 462 Equity 14 Others 22 Debt 108 Total 506 Total 506 Leddin and Walsh Macroeconomy of the Eurozone, 2003 • Bank will probably continue in existence – But limited lending – Remember the role of equity – has to cut back on lending – Zombie bank: not dead but not alive either • Solution: Get more capital from markets or government – Dilute shareholders wealth – So shareholders may prefer zombie • Japan during 1990s Bankrupt • Now suppose even Bigger Losses – e.g, €80bn • This is more than the shareholders funds can absorb • Bank bankrupt: cannot continue in operation • Any other business all creditors take a hit in proportion or priority – Get 90c for every €1 • This means that depositors would loose 10% of savings • To avoid this the government usually steps in some way • Rational for NAMA-like arrangements Bad Debts of €80bn Assets Liabilities Cash etc 22 Deposits 384? Loans 402 Equity 0 Others 22 Debt 108? Total 446 Total 446 Leddin and Walsh Macroeconomy of the Eurozone, 2003 NAMA • Don't want banks bankrupted for two reasons – To avoid depositors taking a hit – Banks central to economy so formal bankruptcy (even temporary) is very disruptive • So government needs to deal with hole in the banks • Need to decide three related Q – How big is the hole? – who pays? – What is done with the banks afterwards? Who Pays? • Someone has to • 4 possibilities – Depositors: want to avoid at all costs – Shareholders: "rules of capitalism" – Bond holders: rules also • 4th possibility Tax payers – Make up gap if share and bond holders not enough – It looks like NAMA has taxpayers take on some of the losses even without share and bond holders funds being exhausted – We will look at whether this is necessary What happens to Banks? • After the losses are dealt with banks will need sufficient capital to work with – Avoid zombification – After NAMA: AIB, BOI <4% (JP Morgan) – 10% now standard internationally • Certain that they will not have enough on their own – Shareholders will absorb some losses – International practice now requires more capital • "Recapitalisation" can happen – Via market: rights issue BofA – Via government share holder: RBS 80% owned by UK – Overpayment: NAMA pays €54bn for €47 How Big is the Hole? • How much are the bad debts of the banks? • IMF estimated them at €35bn • Probably a low estimate • Government is more optimistic – Assume LTV 77% – Assume prices reached bottom and will rise 10% – Lead to a conclusion that NAMA will make a profit NAMA's Valuation • Govt.'s view on size of the hole • See Ronan Lyons Blog • Loans of €68bn backed by assets originally worth €88bn – Implies LTV of 77% • Add to that €9bn in unpaid interest • NAMA to take loans of face value of €77bn • Govt. estimates market fallen by 47% so collateral worth €47bn (=53% of €88bn) • Govt will deliberately overpay for loans by giving banks €54bn – Expect prices to rise 10% from current levels Three Key Assumptions • LTV=77 – Anecdotal evidence of 100% – Use other property as collateral for the loan – If 100% then the original value of the collateral was €68bn • 47% decline – Large decline – Maybe €21bn in land where decline has been 95% – 34% of loans outside Ireland – If decline is (or will be) 60% then current value is €27bn (=0.4*68) • LTEV will be €54bn – Rationale for overpayment – Based on assumption that prices rise by 10% from current level – 10% reasonable – is the current level the bottom? • Probably not! • Even bigger loss A Comment • Any prediction difficult • Govt seems optimistic but possible • Real issue is not the numbers but how it is structured and who takes the risk – Why over-pay? – Why not take shares in the banks? – Why not have bond-holders pay the price? • Under NAMA tax payer bears risk of asset values – There is a notion of future levy Consequences for Banks • See balance sheet – Ok to use 07 • Loans decline by €77bn • Banks paid €54bn in bonds that may be exchanged for cash at ECB • Losses of 77-54 absorbed by shareholders • Capital ratio below 4% • Need capital injection of €30bn – Market or government Mortgage lenders Aug 07 after NAMA Assets Liabilities Cash etc 78 Deposits 384 Loans 405 Equity 13 Others 22 Debt 108 Total 505 Total 505 Leddin and Walsh Macroeconomy of the Eurozone, 2003 Mortgage lenders Sept 09 After NAMA Assets Liabilities Cash etc 76 Deposits 571 Loans 556 Equity 21 Others 60 Debt 110 Total 692 Total 692 Leddin and Walsh Macroeconomy of the Eurozone, 2003 Consequence for the Taxpayer • Govt already spent €7bn on capital injection to banks in return for preference shares that pay 8% • Overpayment is a form of recapitalisation – Without pref shares and overpayment equity would be only €7bn – No ordinary shares in return • State guarantees all liabilities of banks – Taxpayers bears all the risks of business – Get very little return • In the end taxpayer will provide almost all the capital of the bank but will (likely) have less than 100% shares Alternatives • What are the alternatives? • Any sensible alternative is going to look at lot like NAMA – Segregate bad assets from good – Some government involvement • The big differences among the alternatives is who pays what and who bears the risk Alternative 1: Nationalise the Banks • Wipe out the equity holders • Admit that total losses are likely to be more than the current shareholders funds • Risk to taxpayer reduced as we now have assets as well as liabilities • Consequences – Overpayment no longer matters – Total losses to be absorbed by the state will be less by the amount of the equity – Taypayer will get the value of the future business of the bank to offset losses Arguments Against • Unfair to shareholders – Maybe if losses actually less than equity – Unlikely – Retrospective compensation possible • Too expensive because share price is too high – Lenihan made this argument – Clearly nonsense – Price is only above zero because of NAMA • Nationalised banks become politicised – True – Re-privatise early – Very expensive way of avoiding corruption • Foreigners will not deal with nationalised banks – Maybe true for some but not generally true – In any case will not deal with any bank without state guarantee so seem unlikely to object to state ownership • Doesn't get rid of the losses so is irrelevant – True that losses remain – But get share (or all) of future profitable business to offset losses – Eg €7bn overpayment or for shares • Nationalisation hurts reputation – Banana republic – Other countries have done it UK – Partial possible • Nationalisation will lead to higher risk premium on corporate and national debt – Anglo cited as evidence – Premium already up because of extent of bad debts – Idea is that nationalisation would increase it further – No evidence that ever happened before Alternative 2: Bond-holders • In addition to wiping out equity holders we could force bond-holders to take some of losses • Could even force them to take all the losses (after equity) – Mirrors normal bankruptcy – Joseph Stiglitz & Morgan Kelly – "Debt-equity swap": INM • Minimises cost and risk to taxpayer Arguments Against • Bank financing premium in future – Maybe true – Cost to banks – Pass on to society in short run – In long run foreign Competition will mean no cost to society • Pension funds loose out – Mainly foreigners – deal with pension funds directly • Sovereign Risk – Defaulting on the bank debt will be seen as equivalent as defaulting on national debt – Big issue: risk premium of national debt will increase: huge cost – Plain wrong: no evidence of it internationally – Makes no sense: sovereign risk premium rose when we took on the bank liabilities (guarantee) and bad assets (NAMA) – Why would the risk increase if we hand-back those liabilities.


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Prodel Birra Del VecchioBrewed by Prodel S.R.L. Maida, Italy This beer has been made out of antique European recipe, utilising the best Product. Brewed with natural Ingredients (malt, hop).
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Learn how MacUpdate Desktop can install apps on MacUpdate with the simple click of the icon. Plus, keep all your apps updated.
If you've lost data and you need to get it back, CameraSalvage is your best choice for getting it back. CameraSalvage is the ultimate Mac OS X tool for data recovery for digital images . CameraSalvage recovers deleted files, damaged or missing volumes and even formatted disks.
What's New
- Updated scan and recovery engine
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"Lightning Forks Illuminated," by Philip Ball. Nature Science Update, 10 April 2002.
The apparent similarities in branching in systems as diverse as blood vessels,diverging streams, and lightning forks has captivated many imaginations. NowDutch researchers have given a mathematical explanation for these similarities.Their study shows how lightning forking arises out of a condition calledLaplacian instability, which was already known to be behind many other kinds ofbranching behavior.
--- Rafe Jones
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Three of the mayor Digital freedom groups around Boston metro(Free Culture Boston, Binary Freedom Boston and the Free Software Foundation) got together for a one day event in Encuentro5 in Chinatown Boston. We got a great
turn out with more than 90 people on our workshops,presentations and such.This was a great
opportunity for social justice groups from the area and hackers to come together and discuss topics
related to digital rights, new projects, philosophy and Free Software.
http://www.binaryfreedom.info –
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Ireland's Best Parkland Venue
Voted Ireland's Best Parkland Venue 2014, Powerscourt features two Championship Courses. Discover our beautiful scenery and famous greens, located moments from Dublin
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Powerscourt membership is more than just access to 2 Championship courses. It is the opportunity to join one of Ireland's clubs, with an active and friendly membership
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We have limited openings for Lease Memberships available for 2015. Contact our general manager Bernard Gibbons to find out more.
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Find and book golf tee times at Powerscourt online. We also welcome enquiries and bookings by phone. Call us today on (01) 204 6033.
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Come and enjoy the fantastic surroundings that Powerscourt has to offer, Enjoy great service and great quality throughout.
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