Posted on behalf of Lynne Sealie, CSIRO
The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) and Museum Victoria (MV) are proud to announce the launch of the Australian Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL). [Read more…] about The Atlas of Living Australia
Cellulose: from paper planes to powering jet planes
30% of US transport fuelled by plants by 2030
The man who heads up the world’s largest integrated bioenergy research institute is pretty confident the US will meet its target of producing 30 per cent of its transport fuels from plants by the year 2030. And Australia is helping them do it. [Read more…] about Cellulose: from paper planes to powering jet planes
Saving the world’s wheat from rusting
Australia’s wheat crop looks to have been saved from a devastating infestation of rust—for now.
In 1999 a new strain of stem rust, a devastating fungal disease of wheat, emerged in Uganda. It has now spread to north to Yemen and Iran, and south to South Africa. Rust transport from South Africa to Australia by wind has been documented in the past. [Read more…] about Saving the world’s wheat from rusting
War on Willows
Posted on behalf of CSIRO, Ref 11/82
Willows are major environmental weeds of riverbank habitats across much of south-eastern Australia. They obstruct water flow, increase water temperature, change water chemistry and can displace native riverine plant species.
A CSIRO project looking at the reproductive ecology and dispersal ability of the most aggressive invasive species of willows in Australia is providing urgently needed information to help land managers more efficiently control this weed. [Read more…] about War on Willows
Thursday's stories at the Botanic Congress
At the Botanical Congress today
- Secrets of a voodoo plant revealed – it could reshape Australian crops, and rescue African farmers from a disastrous plant parasite
- How cotton was born: a million year-old mating opens up an improved future
- Is there too much cyanide in imported cassava products?
- Sister Water Lily meets the Big Bad Banksia Man – do they hold the key to a new era in botany education?
- Why life depends on plants and what we need to do to for biodiversity and humanity – an op ed from Peter H. Raven, President Emeritus,MissouriBotanical Garden. [Read more…] about Thursday's stories at the Botanic Congress
IdentifyLife and Atlas of Living Australia joint release
Posted on behalf of Lynne Sealie, Communication Manager, Atlas of Living Australia. Photos available.
“The beginning of wisdom is to call a thing by its right name.” Chinese proverb
IdentifyLife is being launched at 1.00pm on Thursday 28th July at the International Botanical Congress in Melbourne. [Read more…] about IdentifyLife and Atlas of Living Australia joint release
Tuesday at the International Botanical Congress
The world’s favourite tree
The world loves our eucalypts. Now Eucalyptus had become the world’s favourite tree for farming and today in Melbourne its genome is revealed at the International Botanical Congress.
Other stories today include: a series of talks on how plants will respond to climate change; more on the future of wine and the Breathing Planet Programme. [Read more…] about Tuesday at the International Botanical Congress
Eucalyptus genetic secrets unlocked
The world’s most farmed tree has had its genome read, opening the way to new breeding, biofuel, and conservation opportunities.
The genome of one of Australia’s biggest Eucalyptus trees, the Flooded Gum or Eucalyptus grandis, has now been mapped, allowing scientists and conservationists an insight into the secrets of an important piece of Australiana. [Read more…] about Eucalyptus genetic secrets unlocked
Adapting crops and ‘natives’ to a changing climate
Posted on behalf of CSIRO
CSIRO scientists are investigating the potentially damaging effects climate change will have on Australia’s agricultural crops and native plants as carbon dioxide concentrations, temperatures and rainfall patterns change.
“We’re facing an urgent need to develop new crop varieties for anticipated conditions in 20 to 50 years,” said a team leader in the climate-ready cereals project at CSIRO, Dr Jairo Palta. [Read more…] about Adapting crops and ‘natives’ to a changing climate
The Eternal Order in Nature: The Science of Botanical Illustration
Botanical illustration incorporates an extraordinary range of plant representations from flower paintings to finely detailed drawings of plants used for botanical purposes. As an artform it is often based in science and as a scientific document it is often viewed as an artwork. [Read more…] about The Eternal Order in Nature: The Science of Botanical Illustration