Research PDF 

Primary Industries Research

There is a range of research programs currently underway.  Below are details of two programs that aim to assist producers in this region to manage climate variability on a variety of levels and the emerging requirements to abate greenhouse gases from primary production.
Also look under the "Primary Industries" menu tab (above) and navigate to the "More Information" section for some research projects occurring in the different industries listed.

Research in South West Victoria

Primary industries in South West of Victoria are being used as a Pilot Case Study Area thanks to the formation of the South West Climate Change Forum.   A connection was made with the Department of Primary Industries early on in the Forum formation.  So when the Victorian Climate Change Adaption program was looking for a pilot region, the Forums connections with a range of primary industries made accessing key people to assist in the research development easy.  VCCAP has allowed the Forum to readily access information, specialists and support to undertake project work.

As the research develops and information is made available, DPI VCCAP will work with South West Climate Change Forum to communicate the outcomes of this research including on this website.

Department Primary Industries Victorian Climate Change Adaptation Program

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The Victorian Climate Change Adaptation Program (VCCAP) is an initiative under the Victorian Government’s Sustainability Action Statement (2006), which includes actions for understanding the potential impacts of climate change and developing Victoria’s ability to respond.

In collaboration with VCCAP, the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has developed a research program DPI VCCAP focused on ensuring Victoria’s agricultural industries can adapt to a changing climate by increasing the knowledge and capability of government, the agriculture sector and farming businesses to undertake good and informed planning, policy and decision making, that maximise the benefits and minimise the costs of climate change; economically, socially and environmentally.

DPI VCCAP Research and Development

The influence of climate change on agricultural systems is very complex, requiring a multidisciplinary research approach to develop understanding of the challenges and opportunities. DPI VCCAP has six themes of research and development designed to be integrated and interdependent to ensure a systemic understanding of climate change is developed and communicated.

 DPI VCCAP has four key questions guiding its research: 

  1. What are the impacts of climate change on agriculture in regional Victoria?
    With specific reference to pilot region; south west Victoria.
  2. What are the climate change adaptation options and likely responses for /of the primary industries in regional Victoria?
  3. What are appropriate government policy responses to assist the primary industries to adapt to climate change?
  4. How do we ensure effective communication and utilisation of the information developed by DPI VCCAP?

The key outcome for DPI VCCAP will be government and the primary industry sector equipped with appropriate knowledge, guidance and tools to support informed and holistic decisions in relation to climate change and the future sustainability and growth of Victoria’s primary industries.

DPI VCCAP will work with South West Climate Change Forum to communicate the outcomes of this research in the future.

ImageDPI Greenhouse in Agriculture (GIA)

The themes of the Greenhouse in Agriculture (GIA) research program are to research and communicate understanding of greenhouse gas emissions and cost-effective (win-win) options for the abatement of the potent greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide from Victorian agricultural systems and support sound policy development for the representation and management of these emissions by government and the agriculture sector.

Greenhouse in Agriculture is collaboration across three DPI Divisions; Future Farming Systems Research Division (FFSRD), Biosciences Research Division (BRD) and Farm Services Victoria (FSV) under the leadership of Dr Richard Eckard, (FFSRD).

Research History: 2000 and ongoing

Initial focus:

  • Develop the capability and capacity of DPI Victoria’s research skills in the science area
  • Define agriculture’s contribution and reduce uncertainty in estimates
  • Raise profile of GIA program and position for knowledge exchange and utilisation relationships with next-users; government and agriculture sector policy, research and extension organisations and the farming community.

Present focus:

  • Abatement: on-farm technologies that deliver win-win abatement
    - Methane research: feeding, breeding and animal management
    - Nitrous oxide research: fertiliser and soil management
  • Utilisation: research to support knowledge development and decision making

Program website: Greenhouse in Agriculture

  • Project descriptions
  • Emissions Calculators
  • Best Management Practices
  • Research Newsletters

Current GIA Projects

GIA Mixed Farming Systems:
Using existing long term sites at DPI Horsham and DPI Hamilton GIA Nitrous Oxide is assessing and modelling a range of management practices that improve production efficiency while reducing methane, nitrous oxide and carbon loss from mixed (crop/pasture/animal production) farms at a whole farm systems scale.

Project Leader: John Graham, FFSRD, DPI Hamilton.

GIA Methane:
The investigation of ways methane (a highly concentrated form of energy lost as a greenhouse gas) in dairy cattle can be efficiently re-directed back into production providing a win-win outcome of increasing milk production while reducing greenhouse emissions.

Project Leader: Dr Chris Grainger, FFSRD, DPI Ellinbank.

GIA Genomics:
GIA’s Genomics team is undertaking a metagenomics analysis of the rumen microflora aiming to greatly expedite knowledge of the rumen composition and enable the development of research diagnostic tools for the analysis of rumen composition and its relationship to key issues that affect farming systems.

Project Leader: Dr Dadna Hartman, BRD, DPI Attwood.

GIA Modelling:
Using the GrassGro and DairyMod models and information from existing farming systems research, this GIA project is modelling methane outputs from livestock grazing across different production techniques to provide benchmarks for farming systems relative to production and emissions.

Project Leader: John Graham, FFSRD, DPI Hamilton.

GIA Breeding:
This GIA research team aims to develop a DNA test that could be used to predict whether a cow is a high or low emitter of methane under differing nutrition and temperature conditions.

Project Leader: Prof Mike Goddard, BRD, DPI Attwood and the University of Melbourne.

GIA Communications and Utilization
The Communication and Utilization team is the interface for connecting GIA’s research with stakeholders (investors, partners and end-users) and provides inclusive planning for and implementation of communication, engagement, utilisation and evaluation activities.

Project Leader: Traci Griffin, FSV, DPI Rutherglen.
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For further information:
Greenhouse in Agriculture