ProfessorMatthew Harrison FTSE

Project Total: $7,937,062; We propose quantification and development of adaptations to drought and seasonal climate variability in rain-dependent viticulture and horticulture, with a focus on winegrapes, apple and cherry in the higher altitude regions of NSW, and southerly latitudes of Tasmania. Recent vulnerability assessments for NSW, using the NARCliM2.0 dataset, show these regions face a future of declining rainfall and increasing evaporation demand even under low emissions scenarios. This represents a significant threat as vineyards and orchards in these regions that already have high rainfall dependency, limited access to secure water sources for irrigation, and lack the experience and decision support tools to manage scarce water resources in an increasingly dry and variable climate. Under Criteria 2 we outline a strategic project design that will scientifically develop innovative practices to improve resilience, quantify water efficiency gains, adapt to climate variability such as heat waves, frost and/or drought. We will explore the viability of such adaptations under future climates (which in general comprise more volatile climates) using contemporary systems approaches. For the field trials, we will establish a network of long term industry based trials to test strategies that shift water balance in favour of the target crop, increase volume of soil water accessed by the root system, and deliver supplementary irrigation to the root-zone in the most effective manner. Additional treatments will extend to other climate risks such as heat damage to fruit that are accentuated by drought. We will work with producers to identify the key crop specific information they need to manage their water and plan in advance for drought, and explore opportunities for transformational practice change at the time of planting. A key objective of the project is the rainfall derived water component, which does not duplicate the larger body of research in warmer regions. For irrigation, our question will also cover best management practices associated with limited supplementary irrigation, which is often derived from multiple sources such as dams, bores and creeks, and the whole system approach to water management that this entails. To scale or findings, the project consortium brings together modelling expertise to quantify the impact of implemented practice change on water use and soil water dynamics, extend these findings forward in time to determine adaption capacity against long term climate projections, and then assess the implications of shorter term drought response treatments for longer term sustainability goals. The question of maintaining cash flow before, during and after drought, is complex and highly context dependent. We will first work with growers to document their experience of previous droughts, understand the vulnerabilities of their production systems, and opportunities to improve their preparation for future droughts. Along with data collection needed for economic analysis, including long term yield records, this will be done as a final step of the project that models scenarios to optimise revenue through cycles of historic or future droughts. Funded by: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Grant; Charles Sturt University; University of Tasmania ($165,556).

Project Total: $45,000; PLANT PRODUCTION AGRIVOLTAICS. This technology provides a pathway for producers to move towards carbon-neutral production systems and retain global market access, and at the same time can provide significant co-benefits for increasing climate resilience of crop production. By leveraging the network built by the Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs (Hubs), which link researchers, industry and producer networks across the agricultural innovation pipeline, the proposal will help cultivating a thriving Australian agriculture innovation system. The project builds on and amplifies the pilot currently undertaken by the Victoria Hub, funded in the first round of AgriFutures Innovation Grants (PRO-017276). That pilot demonstrates the potential win-win conditions in a plant production agrivoltaics system and built one demonstration facility in a Victorian vineyard. We now propose to establish a well-connected network of agrivoltaics demonstration facilities across southern Australia (involving the Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and South-West Western Australia Hubs), extending on-farm demonstration work across agro-ecological zones and expanding to further horticultural industries. This project will compile robust information collected under realistic Australian field conditions, which is crucial to adapt these technologies to local requirements and optimise co-benefits. By facilitating knowledge sharing and access to relevant information through the Hubs the proposed project will enable producers to identify increased opportunities and provide confidence to adopt innovations suitable for their production systems. Funded by: AgriFutures - Grant; University of Melbourne; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $32,757; Tasmania has a legislated GM Free Policy and monitors former GM Canola trial sites to support the policy. However, in maintaining the GM Free status the Tasmanian Government audits and manages sites which grew GM canola trials in the early 2000s, and sites which were sown with GM contaminated seed. Canola as a plant species can have post- harvest spilled seed remain dormant in the soil seedbank for many years before favourable environmental conditions break the dormancy and facilitate the germination of remaining seed. This project will explore factors causing seed to remain dormant and persist in the soil seedbank, break dormancy, and germinate. The project will also explore risk management approaches for reducing Government management restrictions on growers which can ultimately guide Government in declaring some GM Canola trial sites as free from GM Canola, or requiring less auditing of the sites. Funded by: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $6,330,626; Given a common set of experimental interventions conducted across four sites (e.g. interventions aimed at improving drought resilience), the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) proposes to synthesise experimental and modelled results across sites to examine the economic, environmental and biophysical potential of selected interventions across sites. The primary aim of this work is to examine the extent with which biophysical, economic and environmental indicators are impacted by a common set of drought adaptations across agro-ecological zones. Given a common set of experimental interventions across four sites (e.g. interventions aimed at improving drought resilience, such as new crop genotypes, reduced tillage practices, integrated crop-livestock management or application of regenerative agricultural practices), TIA will: 1. Contrast biophysical impacts using a range of integrated metrics (e.g. production per hectare, per DSE and/or per 100 mm rainfall) relative to conventional baseline systems in each region, Baselines will be assumed as controls. 2. Contrast economic impacts using a range of integrated metrics (e.g. gross margins per hectare, per DSE and/or per 100 mm rainfall) relative to conventional baseline systems in each region, Baselines will be assumed as controls. 3. Assess environmental impacts using a range of integrated metrics where appropriate (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions per hectare, per DSE and per unit product [emissions intensities]). 4. Synthesise findings from the previous steps across disciplines to identify drought adaptation potential at the landscape level. This step will compare experimental results across sites to identify drought adaptations that are win-win-win in terms of productivity, environment and farm prosperity. It is likely that relative benefit derived from any given intervention will depend on (1) baseline systems already in operation, (2) environment (climate x soil type interaction) and (3) difference proposed by the intervention in terms of (genotype x environment x management interaction). These aspects will be dissected to assess the extent to which an intervention has beneficial outcomes across agroecological zones. This work will be conducted in parallel with a similar Future Drought Fund (FDF) project funded by The University of Melbourne. Please note that TIA were co-applicants in the funding application with both the University of Melbourne and Charles Sturt University. Funded by: Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment - Future Drought Fund; Charles Sturt University; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $59,760; Regenerative agriculture encompasses a number of components (e.g. lower use of synthetic fertilisers, cell grazing, plant species diversity, improved soil carbon, integration of livestock, conversion of annual to perennial systems, Silvopasture etc.). However, it is difficult to determine which of these components impacts on carbon, GHG, production or profit when combined holistically. As such, the current project DELIGHTED aims to deconstruct two key components of regenerative agriculture (plant species diversity and cell grazing) using a number of scenarios to determine which component is more likely to influence soil carbon, pasture production, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and profit. The motivation of this work is to add richness and rigour to the existing BENEFITS/CN30 Pathways case study farm information. We will do this through biophysical treatments that are modelled over the long-term. In this way, seasonal performance will be evaluated over 100 years of real climatic conditions, providing more rigorous insight as to the benefit (or detriment) of a given treatment relative to conventional enterprise management. To be cost-effective, we aim to use data from existing BENEFITS sheep farms. This will save a significant amount of time collecting and refining baseline information with farmers. In BENEFITS, this stage has taken around 6 months to complete. It could be hypothesised that farms in higher rainfall zones sequester more carbon (due to greater growth), but this additional growth would also support additional carrying capacity, which in turn would increase enteric and manure methane per hectare. Such trade-offs underscore a clear need for a holistic systems analysis that captures all animals on farm and all GHG emissions (CO2, N2O, CH4), as reductions in one GHG could be more than offset by increases in another GHG with any given intervention. To disaggregate the impacts of annual rainfall and carbon emissions, we will present results across a rainfall gradient to determine whether there is driving effect of rainfall on GHG emissions and associated variables. The aim of this work is to determine whether pasture diversity and cell grazing influences productivity, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enterprise profit over the long term. This work will add richness to, and be conducted in parallel with, another project already underway in the Carbon Storage Partnership (BENEFITS). Funded by: Australian Wool Innovation Limited ($59,760); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $7,204,015; Given a common set of experimental interventions conducted across four sites (e.g. interventions aimed at improving drought resilience), the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) proposes to synthesise experimental and modelled results across sites to examine the economic, environmental and biophysical potential of selected interventions across sites. The primary aim of this work is to examine the extent with which biophysical, economic and environmental indicators are impacted by a common set of drought adaptations across agro-ecological zones. Given a common set of experimental interventions across four sites (e.g. interventions aimed at improving drought resilience, such as new crop genotypes, reduced tillage practices, integrated crop-livestock management or application of regenerative agricultural practices), TIA will: 1. Contrast biophysical impacts using a range of integrated metrics (e.g. production per hectare, per DSE and/or per 100 mm rainfall) relative to conventional baseline systems in each region, Baselines will be assumed as controls. 2. Contrast economic impacts using a range of integrated metrics (e.g. gross margins per hectare, per DSE and/or per 100 mm rainfall) relative to conventional baseline systems in each region, Baselines will be assumed as controls. 3. Assess environmental impacts using a range of integrated metrics where appropriate (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions per hectare, per DSE and per unit product [emissions intensities]). 4. Synthesise findings from the previous steps across disciplines to identify drought adaptation potential at the landscape level. This step will compare experimental results across sites to identify drought adaptations that are win-win-win in terms of productivity, environment and farm prosperity. It is likely that relative benefit derived from any given intervention will depend on (1) baseline systems already in operation, (2) environment (climate x soil type interaction) and (3) difference proposed by the intervention in terms of (genotype x environment x management interaction). These aspects will be dissected to assess the extent to which an intervention has beneficial outcomes across agroecological zones. This work will be conducted in parallel with a similar Future Drought Fund (FDF) project funded by Charles Sturt University. Please note that TIA were co-applicants in the funding application with both the University of Melbourne and Charles Sturt University. Funded by: Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment - Future Drought Fund; University of Melbourne; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $2,496,400; This project develops requisite crop genetics, management practices, and state of the art systems models for quantifying economic, environmental and biophysical implications of crop waterlogging. By October 2026, the project will have enumerated the impact of anaerobic stress and recovery on several crop types through experiments in Managed Environment Facilities (MEF). Treatments will examine the severity and duration of stress across phenological stages of diverse cultivars. Practices conducive to accelerated recovery, such as bespoke nutrition or growth regulators, will be explored. Treatment design and data collection will be integrated with systems model development and execution to develop best management practices for reversing detrimental impacts of crop waterlogging. Project staff will conceive and deploy algorithms defining the responses of barley, canola and fababean to anerobic stress, allowing prognostication of how early, mid, and late anerobic stress impacts on growth, development and yield. The enhanced modelling framework will provide a contemporary platform for dissecting species by management by environment (G*E*M) interactions to quantify impacts of waterlogging and the benefit/cost of mitigation. Scenarios examined will include prospects for avoiding severe waterlogging (e.g., through early sowing to deplete soil water) and accelerated recovery through nitrogen fertiliser management. Potential and perceived benefits from engineering (drainage, raised beds) and tillage interventions will also be examined. Funded by: Grains Research & Development Corporation - Tender ($2,496,400); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $259,700; The overall project aim is to develop and demonstrate a data driven approach to soil carbon quantification, and the ability for remote sensing and machine learning (RS/ML) methods to directly predict soil organic carbon SOC, thereby decreasing the number of soil samples required for accurate soil carbon quantification commensurate with the $3/Ha goal. Funded by: Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources - Grant - National Soil Carbon Innovation Challenge; FarmLab Pty Ltd ($259,700); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $31,590; This project examines the extent to which regenerative agricultural practices impact on greenhouse gas emissions of livestock farms. Through systems modelling, participatory research, demand-driven mitigation bundles will be developed with farmers across Australia. These mitigation bundles will tease apart regenerative agricultural principles, including grazing regimes, pasture species diversity, fertiliser use, remnant vegetation planting and enterprise diversification. The project will discuss wider social, economic and political implications associated with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation policies. Funded by: Westpac Banking Corporation - Scholarship-Future Leaders ($31,590); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $2,556,029; The University of Tasmania hosts one of eight Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs established across Australia under the Commonwealth's Future Drought Fund. Hubs are intended to be enduring institutions. The current proposal is about the Commonwealth's call to expand the Hubs' remit to service four priority areas under the National Agricultural Innovation Agenda. If funded, the Hub in Tasmania will need to operate under two agreements: the current agreement for the 'Drought Hub' and a new agreement that is about developing the Hub's pathway to expansion, while continuing to deliver to the 'Drought Hub' under the current agreement. This proposal presents the Hub's Statement of Claims on its ability and commitment to deliver practical activities and a business case that supports the National Agricultural Innovation Agenda Funded by: Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment - Agricultural Innovation Hubs Program ($2,499,999); Optimum Standard (Aus) Pty Ltd ($56,030); University of Tasmania ($100,000).

Project Total: $416,710; Through people-centric engagement with Australian wool farmers, this project aims to (1) benchmark and compare the effects of grazing and soil management, planting trees and holistic farm management across farms, (2) Document existing biodiversity and natural capital on Australian wool farms (3) Co-design regionally-appropriate adaptations that show HOW improvement in natural capital and biodiversity on wool farms impacts on long-term profitability, productivity and farm greenhouse gas emissions. Funded by: Australian Wool Innovation Limited ($416,710); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $308,000; Building on adoption workshops with farmers in NSW, Victoria and a pilot study underway in Tasmania, this project will drive adoption of drought resilience skills and technology through the broader rollout of the Farming Forecaster decision support tool in drought-affected regions of Tasmania. Through professionally guided learning, we will train farmers to use the platform, understand seasonal climate outputs and expand our established community of practice to include additional farmer regions. The project will pursue close working relationships with industry groups to understand local pressures and deliver innovative improvements to the Farming Forecaster platform through place-based co-development of Tasmanian-relevant scenarios, novel pasture types, whole farm management and feed quality data. The project includes ground truthing data through nutritive assays and quantification of seasonal trends in soil moisture to advance the quality of information available to inform livestock, carbon and feed management decisions. Examining alternative management and business alternatives using the Farming Forecaster will provide insight into demand-driven options most amenable to drought adaptation. Funded by: Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment - Future Drought Fund; Southern Regional Natural Resource Management Association Inc (NRM South); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $487,017; Livestock represent over 70% of Tasmania's agricultural value but also dominate the State's agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Tasmanian livestock emissions have changed little since the 1990s, signifying an urgent need for productive, profitable pathways for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Red algae (produced in Tasmania by SeaForest) offers significant and cost-effective opportunities to mitigate enteric GHG emissions, but delivery options for grassfed livestock at scale are lacking. Through on-farm participation with numerous Tasmanian livestock producers, this project will assess the novel combination of red algae with biochar as a practical solution for Tasmanian livestock producers under commercial conditions. Biochar offers a unique delivery pathway for red algae but also may pass through the animal and contribute to improved soil carbon. Through multiple on-farm experiments, this project will assess emissions, profitability and practical issues associated with adoption of novel GHG emissions abatement options. The proposal is part of the competitive Agricultural Development Fund: https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/agri... Funded by: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania - Agricultural Development Fund ($574,035); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $4,185,917; Background: The CN30 Pathways Consortium is a coordinated, multi-party, multidisciplinary national collaborative effort designed to explore biophysical, economic, environmental and social pathways to a carbon neutral red meat sector by 2030. CN30 Pathways foci include carbon storage and sequestration, integrated management systems and leadership building to support growth in capacity and competency among individuals and organisations. Products: Through application of self-contained, nationally-distributed scalable Modules for research, development, extension, adoption and commercialisation (RDEA&C), the Consortium will develop Products including knowledge and practices required for (1) enhancing soil C and woody biomass sequestration through improved grazing management, (2) improving the accuracy and reducing the cost of measuring soil C on grazing lands, (3) restoring environmental stewardship through activities such as planting of trees, shelter belts and perennial legumes, (4) quantifying and enhancing on-farm natural capital and biodiversity, enabling co-benefits for livestock productivity, (5) establishing trade-offs between GHG emissions, carbon sequestration, profitability, liveweight and timber productivity in silvopastoral systems (SPS), and (6) determining the impacts of future climates including extreme events on pasture production, soil C and GHG emissions. One of the seven consortium Modules will be led by UTAS. Extension and adoption: Extension will be conducted across at least ten agro-ecological regions representing the majority of the national herd and flock through facilitated workshops, face-to-face training and industry publications to ensure international peer-review, scientific credibility, industry confidence in project outcomes and public recognition of CN30 research conducted by the Consortium. A series of adoption packages with practical steps to simplify user uptake will be developed and conducted to ensure research products achieve impact. Uptake of Consortium Products will be measured through a dedicated self-contained monitoring and evaluation program. Leadership and governance: The Consortium governance structure includes a Steering Committee (SC) for guidance and oversight, and a Consortium Leadership Group (CLG) responsible for implementation of component Modules, sharing project information across activities and for review of project progress, milestones and outcomes. Outcomes and impact: Key outcomes include improvement and implementation of management approaches and technologies for increasing soil C, woody biomass and biodiversity on farm across Australia, enhanced sustainability and animal welfare through environmental stewardship, greater understanding of the co-benefits of trees and shelter-belts on farm, advanced, low-cost scientific measurement and modelling approaches for GHG emissions mitigation through soil or woody C quantification, emissions mitigation or whole of farm system effects, predictions of pasture production and net farm emissions under future climates and a series of practical packages facilitating adoption by the industry. Collectively, these outcomes will maintain or increase profitability and sustainability while moving the industry towards net zero GHG emissions. Funded by: Meat and Livestock Australia - Grant ($4,082,641); Integrity Ag & Environment ($103,276); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $16,037,500; Water is a major asset for Tasmania linked to livelihoods, energy production, irrigated and rainfed agriculture, environmental management and conservation. Competing demands for water intensify during droughts and as hot and dry years increase in number. Wise and fair water management requires a multi-stakeholder partnership to innovate for drought resilience, optimal water management and self-reliance. Our Hub will enable drought preparedness in Tasmania through collective and co-designed actions that sustain Tasmania's high-value, clean, green international brand. We will engage with local knowledge and land stewardship through a deliberate and negotiated process and uphold the rights of Tasmanian Aboriginal people to benefit from innovations they enable. The Hub, for the first time, brings together the major players - farmers, land and water managers, researchers, and indigenous knowledge owners - who, together can reduce the risks associated with drought in Tasmania. Funded by: Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment - Future Drought Fund ($16,384,300); The Northern Tasmanian Natural Resource Management Assoc Inc. ($513,000); Private Forests Tasmania ($50,000); The Derwent Catchment Project Inc ($50,000); East Coast Primary Producers Association ($3,000); Landcare Tasmania ($1,000); University of Tasmania ($1,324,683).

Project Total: $26,828,516; Funded by: Meat and Livestock Australia Ltd

Project Total: $194,375; Remote sensing informed pasture production, such as biomass and productivity has been mostly considered optical systems (MODIS, LANDSAT, SENTINEL). Available Decision Support System (DSS) are also using the optical source to measure pasture ground cover. Some of these are helping in decision support by providing biomass estimation (both real-time and predictive). However, the practicability of use of such DSS required further investigation using field observation and biomass measurements. Recent studies explored the prospects of SAR data and showed potential benefits due to the free access of high-resolution SAR time series data form Sentinel-1 with no cloud constrain. In addition to that, the use of hyperspectral data is most certainly increasing as there are various hyperspectral sensors launched, such as EnMap and HyMap. Hyperspectral camera mounted Unmanned Arial Vehicle (UAV) system also offers a good and reliable source of hyperspectral data. However, research on production traits or management with a clear focus on pasture using spaceborne or UAV based hyperspectral data are rare. There are some explorative studies, like investigating the performance of Hyperion data within a biomass model based on spectroradiometer data and biomass samples or testing emulated spaceborne sensor data. In contrast to space-borne data, multiple studies are using airborne hyperspectral data to retrieve biophysical variables of grasslands. In addition to multispectral and SAR, the exploitation of UAV hyperspectral data indicates a key gap and forms a promising research opportunity to improve practices of pasture management at paddock level. Such practices will add a value for the land holders and community to advance natural resource management. The outcome may also help to see the differences in grazing trial to understand the feasibility of regenerative agriculture implementation in Tasmania's grassland Funded by: Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment - Future Drought Fund; Rockpool Land & Water Services Pty Ltd; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $49,744; Tasmania is often referred to as a future breadbasket? of the country, and extensive investment is planned to take advantage of the warmer climate (West 2009). However, warmer conditions increase the potential for new pest species to establish permanent populations in Tasmania. Until recently, species introduced from warmer regions have been constrained by growing seasons that are too short, or winters that are too cold. This is changing. Not only are new pest species likely to establish under future climate conditions, but the activity and impact of existing pests may also increase, as population growth rates rise and higher survival and development rates lead to an increased number of generations per year. With more intensive irrigation and agriculture planned, across more diverse crops, the risk is further increased. This potential for increased risk has not yet been systematically studied. Using the most up-to-date, fine resolution climate projections available in Australia, this project will identify species that may become commercially important agricultural pests in Tasmania under a changing climate. It will extend previous research (e.g. Holz et al. 2010, Sultana et al. 2017) on future changes to the distribution of the Queensland Fruit Fly, to incorporate lifecycle information at a fine spatial and temporal resolution and to investigate changes in growth and number of generations on seasonal and inter-annual timescales. The improved precision of the downscaled simulations will allow policy makers to be more strategic in their planning of surveillance networks and in the design of pest management strategies for the future. The results from this case study will be used to develop a methodology for assessing changing pest risk, to communicate the potential for change to occur over the next decades and engage industry stakeholders in ongoing research. Project outcomes will include a comprehensive list of species considered to be of high risk to the agricultural industry in Tasmania, based on industry engagement, existing data, and an assessment of life history traits and current distribution. This research will provide essential information about the susceptibility of Tasmania's agricultural sector to insect pest species now and in the future. This will improve our preparedness for change and ability to maintain pest-free status; facilitate more informed trading arrangements (e.g., winter window? arrangements); and enhance the capacity of the Tasmanian government and industry to manage the risks posed by insect pest species currently arriving in Tasmania and to proactively and strategically plan for future biosecurity risks. Funded by: Department of Premier and Cabinet - Climate Research Grants Program ($49,744); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $314,659; This project is a mandatory part of the Livestock Productivity Partnership's NEXUS project. Background: The NEXUS project will investigate future integrated grazing system designs using a collaboration of partners in the Livestock Productivity Partnership (LPP). Outcomes from the project will form the basis for future R&D priorities in grazing systems along the entire east coast of Australia for MLA, SAMRC and NABRC. The project will identify a range of options for future grazing systems that will: - Deliver up to 3% return on assets for a range of grazing systems in Tasmania - Be conducted in the context of significant known and predicted changes to climate parameters including temperature, rainfall and frost (including emerging new patterns and the incidence of extreme events) - Examine the opportunity to diversify income from carbon mitigation projects under the Emissions Reduction Fund using new grasses or legumes, new supplements, and the integration of grazing management within carbon projects - Examine the opportunity to diversify income and integrate into grazing or carbon management the emerging market for eco-credits - Facilitate investment for their effectiveness as adaptation options using a number of metrics, including farm scale production, profitability, economic risk, farm-scale greenhouse gas emissions and the ease of implementation. The current project: A mandatory milestone for the NEXUS project is the development of a strategy and protocol for commencing 'Involve and Partner' activity/ies complete. To include a funding budget developed with the MLA Project Lead and Adoption Team.? This part of the project is focussed on extension activities, and the translation of modelling in NEXUS to end user adoption and impact. The NEXUS project cannot proceed without having the 'involve and partner' part of the project co-funded by TIA. Importantly, this part of the project will be where the impact - and benefit for Tasmanian farmers - is gained; it is the pathway to adoption. The methods outlined below have been developed in response to feedback from MLA. Project staff will partner with leading red meat farmers who will be resourced to implement farm system practice change. Each Involve and Partner Farm (IPF) producer will also host a discussion group facilitated by the project. The three discussion groups will focus on the IPF practice changes being tested, and will explore the wider range of prospective adaptations from the NEXUS project in terms of productivity, profitability and emissions mitigation. The development of viable implementation pathways for prospective adaptations will be a feature of the discussion group activities. IPF hosts will be industry innovators and early adopters, with preceding interviews confirming that they are willing to implement a selected practice change. TIA will form, coordinate and facilitate the discussion groups associated with the three IPF's in late 2021. Discussion groups will comprise neighbouring farms and those within the IPF hosts' existing social network. Establishing adaptation discussion groups will provide the consistent interaction between peers (and invited researchers) over time that supports learning, relationship building and working through the practicalities of implementing research outcomes in a real farm context. Funded by: Meat and Livestock Australia - Livestock Productivity Partnership ($148,423); University of Tasmania ($332,470).

Project Total: $1,240,510; This is a collaborative project that will investigate future integrated grazing system designs using a collaboration from three new partners to the LPP. It also offers the opportunity for collaboration and linkage with existing LPP partners. The outcomes will form the basis for future R&D priorities in grazing systems along the entire east coast of Australia for LPP, MLA, SAMRC and NABRC. The project will directly contribute to the planning and implementation of the MLA and industry driven CN30 initiative and the RMAC Sustainability Framework. The project will identify a range of options for future grazing systems that: - will identify ways to deliver up to 3% ROA for a range of grazing systems in Tasmania, Gippsland, NWQld and the Northern Territory with methodology linkages to the MLA funded project investigating farming system options in NVic, NNSW and Central Qld and work being conducted by the NSW DPI Climate Group. - will be conducted in the context of significant known and predicted changes to climate parameters including temperature, rainfall and frost (including emerging new patterns and the incidence of extreme events) - examine the opportunity to diversify income from carbon mitigation projects under the Emissions Reduction Fund using new grasses or legumes, new supplements, and the integration of grazing management within carbon projects - examine the opportunity to diversify income and integrate into grazing or carbon management the emerging market for eco credits - will be developed using reference groups from the relevant SAMRC and NABRC regional committees and regional consultants to advise on system options - are assessed for their effectiveness as adaptation options using a number of metrics, including farm scale production, profitability, economic risk, farm-scale greenhouse gas emissions and the ease of implementation. The work in Tasmania will first calibrate systems models using existing management of representative sheep and beef farms in Tasmania. The number and location of case study farms will be conducted in consultation with SAMRC committee members. Model files calibrated based on grower/industry feedback will then be used to explore adaptations for each farm. Adaptations (hereafter, 'development options') will be selected in consultation with the SAMRC committee and may include changes to pasture base, animal genotype and/or management (hereafter termed 'development options'). Development options in each region will be defined by a panel of producers to ensure they are regionally relevant. Examples of development options to be investigated could include: pasture (e.g. property scale integration of forage options, both existing and currently being investigated in feedbase research), animal (e.g. increased heat tolerance), management (e.g. integration of trees, increased livestock/live-weight throughput, optimising lifetime feed-use efficiency and selling strategies) and technology (e.g. virtual fencing). Following the approach conducted by the Uni Melb CC project, each development option will be evaluated in terms of profit targets, economic risk and farm-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity. The case study farm and development options will be analysed in historical and future climate scenarios based on projections for 2030. Funded by: Meat and Livestock Australia - Livestock Productivity Partnership ($1,170,292); University of Tasmania ($725,582).

Project Total: $99,500; This project will focus on improving timing of rotational sheep grazing with a focus on pasture composition, biomass, and leaf emergence is now well established as being able to improve non-native Phalaris pasture utilization and productivity by ~20% over set grazing. Sheep will selectively graze the most palatable plants first within any given area, and as such can be moved on before Phalaris pastures are damaged and grazing pressure shifts to unfenced bush remnants containing threatened vegetation communities. Remote sensing can enable offsite monitoring of grazing pressure on improved and native pasture and thus improve management efficiencies. Remote sensing can help inform of preferred times for rotational grazing, as both under- and over-utilization penalizes livestock productivity, is detrimental to the environment and inhibits vegetation recovery post grazing. Integrated management through good rotational grazing, fencing, woody weed removal and indigenous cultural informed burning can improve the condition of adjoining EPBC listed threatened lowland Themeda grasslands & woodlands, the timing of this improvement will be indicated by project monitoring. The outcomes will improve grassy vegetation cover and increase resilience from climate change induced high intensity rainfall and runoff causing soil erosion. The proposal provides a beneficial demonstration of an integrated approach to non-native pasture and native grassland management in areas where remnant native vegetation has become highly fragmented due to past land clearing or native grassland to pasture conversion. The project will be led by Rockpool Land & Water Services Pty Ltd under which TIA will be subcontracted. Funded by: Department of Agriculture and Water Resources - Grant-NLP2 Smart Farms Partnerships; Rockpool Land & Water Services Pty Ltd; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $760,225; Irrigated cropping is an important component of Tasmania's 2050 AgriGrowth Vision. In other states, irrigated cropping is prominent in the Murrumbidgee and Murray valleys of southern NSW, the Murray valley of northern Victoria and south-east South Australia and the SA / Victorian Mallee. Recent changes have challenged the profitability of these irrigated cropping systems. This includes a three to four fold increase in water costs; an increased focus on winter crop production systems that complement summer cropping programs, and new irrigation layouts and technologies to accommodate a diverse range of winter and summer cropping options. The substantial increase in water values means crop selection, crop management and quantity of irrigation water applied to crops significantly effects gross margins. Significant gaps in knowledge exist regarding the true economically attainable yield potential of winter and summer grain crops in an environment where water supply can be manipulated to realise yields not possible in traditionally dryland production systems. In addition, information and knowledge is lacking regarding the most appropriate agronomic practices to deploy to realise the genetic potential of commercially available germplasm to maximise profit where water is no-longer the limiting factor. Growers can modify crop selection for irrigation layout and soil type; schedule irrigation according to target yield; and deploy crop agronomy practices based on existing data and knowledge. However, the practices developed initially for dryland systems require adaptation and validation to maximise the economic return or $/ML of water. This investment is one of four that will provide irrigated grain growers with the knowledge, confidence and tools to adopt management strategies which optimise return on investment ($/ML). As such, the project will operate closely with the three other GRDC tenders throughout the life of the project, particularly the action-learning groups. The action learning groups will consist of eight teams of farmers and advisors spread across the irrigated cropping zones in SE Australia and will provide a conduit of information to/from the current project. The primary aim of the present tender is to develop an economic decision support tool. This work will use an existing irrigation optimiser developed by UQ and other partners from past GRDC investment. TIA will lead the project. Funded by: Grains Research & Development Corporation - Grant ($760,225); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $693,731; The project will develop sub-modules of APSIM and HowLeaky and then transferring these improvements into their derivative DSS's. It will provide enhanced decision support to the agricultural sector for addressing complex soil constraint challenges. Funded by: CRC for High Performance Soils Ltd - Grant; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $10,000; Effective dairy farm management requires regular estimates of paddock-level biomass. Livestock movements and hay cutting also necessitate timely, decisive management to maintain pasture biomass at levels optimal for grass quality and growth rates, since home-grown pasture is one of the cheapest forms of feed. Manual measurements of pasture biomass are time consuming and subject to sampling error, and cannot characterise entire paddocks. The recent launch of a new satellite constellation has provided a unique big-data opportunity for remote modelling of whole-farm pasture biomass at a previously unattainable spatial resolution of 3 x 3 metres, on a daily temporal scale. High resolution of both spatial and temporal data is essential to enable accurate characterisation of changes in pasture biomass on a timely basis in order to maximise pasture utilisation per unit farm area. Heretofore, such spatial and temporal resolution has not been achievable due to constraints in satellite spectroscopy. Further, previous attempts to regress NDVI with actual pasture biomass have not demonstrated reliable predictive capability beyond farms on which they have been trained, and consequently perform poorly on paddocks containing irregular topography, water bodies and trees. Two major reasons for poor predictive performance have been the quality of satellite data and the structural inadequacies of regression models used to capture fine-scale spatial variability of vegetative growth. Funded by: University of Tasmania - Grant - DKD Research Theme; University of Tasmania ($10,000).

Project Total: $119,004; The productivity of livestock in the developing world is low, relative to its potential. There are significant opportunities to increase it via adequate mixtures of technologies, policies and investments in farms and product value chains. However, until recently, the baseline data needed to adequately characterize livestock productivity levels in different parts of the developing world was either not available, or not at a level of disaggregation necessary to make informed decisions on the upscaling potential of key interventions and their impacts on productivity and household nutrition and income. This is quickly changing due to new data sources but there is a significant need to study and synthesize the potential for productivity increases in smallholders systems for improved programmatic decision making and for targeting poverty and food security strategies. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and other donors and development agencies need to target investments in the livestock sector in ways that are likely to maximize the impacts for broad numbers of producers and consumers. Estimating and understanding how to measure and trigger productivity changes in livestock systems is essential for better defining the technological and investment needs in the livestock sector. Estimates of livestock yield gaps are not available and these are necessary for developing feasible scenarios of how the production of different livestock commodities might evolve in the future, how systems might change and what would be the resource use implications and their costs, both for donors and for public and private entities in target countries. Productivity and yield gap analyses will also help define the most appropriate technology entry points for different livestock species: health, nutrition, genetics, policy levers, others. This information will contribute to making informed investment decisions and target technologies in the livestock sectors of developing countries as part of the SEBI grant coordinated by the University of Edinburgh on behalf of the BMGF. Funded by: CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation ($119,004); University of Tasmania.