Sharing farm science across the seas

Phil Glatz helping villagers improve their poultry feeding systems near Buscarate in Malaita Province, Solomon Islands.

From the jungles of Papua New Guinea to the highlands of Tibet, Australian researchers are working with farmers to save them money and time, and to improve their health and the natural environment surrounding their farms.

This feature from ABC Rural highlights the work of ACIAR-funded South Australian scientists who are working in developing nations, sharing farming technology and their skills to boost local production.

Dr Graeme Lyons, HarvestPlus Research Fellow, the University of Adelaide's Waite Institute, is using the humble sweet potato to fight malaria. His project, funded by ACIAR and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, takes him to villages in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

Dr Phil Glatz, Senior Research Scientist, South Australian Research and Development Institute, has been developing feeding options using some local feed to overcome expensive feed imports in the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Tonga through ACIAR projects for the past ten years.

Dr Rai Kookana, Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Land & Water, is introducing a water quality monitoring system, first developed in South Australia, for the Philippines most important water resource, Laguna de Bay, which provides water for the capital Manila, and supports 28 thousand fishing families.

Professor David Coventry, from the University of Adelaide, is working in Tibet on an ACIAR project which is increasing the livelihood of farmers by helping them to boost milk production by increasing forage production.

Read the full story on ABC Rural at http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2008/s2642637.htm.