Disinfecting honeycomb with ozone
17 March, 2014US Department of Agriculture (USDA) research has shown that fumigating honeycombs with ozone gas can reduce pests, pathogens and pesticide levels.
Solvent will provide energy savings to paper industry
24 February, 2014Professor Maaike Kroon, from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), has developed a solvent that will potentially enable the paper industry to make big energy savings in production.
Some understanding but little action when it comes to sustainable food choices
19 February, 2014The European Food Information Council (EUFIC) has conducted a pan-European study into consumers' understanding of sustainability and food products. The results were published in the journal Food Policy.
Climate change paper one of the most talked about in 2013
22 January, 2014 by Lauren DavisA researcher from the University of Queensland, who last year published a paper on the scientific consensus on climate change in the journal Environment Research Letters, has had that paper rank 11th in Altmetric's list of the world's most talked about academic papers of 2013.
Fire frequency curves used to predict water yield
20 January, 2014A researcher from RMIT University has correlated the severity and frequency of bushfires in order to predict water yield in related natural water supply catchments.
Biofuel research looks beyond yield
17 January, 2014Researchers from Michigan State University (MSU) have found that certain types and locations of biofuel crops have various benefits, and that it is unwise to focus solely on biomass yield.
E-tags for bees
15 January, 2014A world-first research program, led by CSIRO, is monitoring honeybee populations by tracking the insects with tiny sensors - a technique known as 'swarm sensing'. With 5000 bees taking part in the program, this is the first time such large numbers of insects have been used for environmental monitoring.
Assessing the assimilative capacity of catchments for nitrate
13 January, 2014Lincoln Agritech, a subsidiary of New Zealand's Lincoln University, has conducted research into the impact of denitrification - the conversion of nitrate into gaseous forms of nitrogen - on catchment management.
Colorbond Steel has reduced environmental impact
16 December, 2013Manufacturing changes made to the latest version of Colorbond steel have produced substantial environmental improvements.
Red sand could be used for road construction
12 December, 2013Curtin's Sustainable Engineering Group (SEG) has found that red sand could be used as a viable and more environmentally friendly alternative to virgin sand and limestone in road construction. This would reduce the need for quarries to extract those materials.
Green building addresses global change
22 November, 2013 by Lauren DavisThe University of Queensland's Global Change Institute (GCI), officially opened in August, was constructed to be a hub for research into sustainable building solutions. The building's purpose is reflected in its design, with environmentally friendly features meaning the institute is carbon neutral and consumes zero net energy.
Herbs and barramundi - the perfect complement for urban farming technology
19 November, 2013With the help of Commercialisation Australia, Urban Ecological Systems Australia (UESA) has developed a patented $5m integrated glasshouse and aquaculture polyculture system whereby herbs and barramundi can be simultaneously and sustainably produced. UESA has now won a five-year organic produce supply agreement with Coles.
Global study shows impact of climate change on rangelands
04 November, 2013A team of international researchers, including Dr Matt Tighe from the University of New England, has found that the arid rangelands which cover around 70% of Australia may be profoundly altered by the impact of climate change. This will be due to a relatively small change in soil nutrient levels over the next 100 years.
Australian Soil Consortium calls for food revolution
28 October, 2013The Australian Soil Consortium (ASC) - a group of farmers, agribusiness companies and scientists who are concerned for the future of one of the nation’s most valuable assets - says Australia needs a nationwide effort to raise soil fertility.
Improving storage life of fresh produce to reduce waste
19 August, 2013If we can add just one day to the life of fruit or vegetables through using novel microbial management methods we can make an enormous difference, according to a UWE research team. The team aims to develop a practical means of controlling food spoilage, storage life and shelf life of post-harvest produce while also minimising microbiological contamination from contact surfaces, collectively helping to reduce waste and improve food security and food safety.
