It’s official, there’s a new Top Dog in conservation. After years of training, Zoos Victoria Detection Dog, Daisy, has used her incredible sense of smell to locate one of the rarest fungi in the world, tea-tree fingers. Daisy, a six-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo (Italian water dog), is a canine in Zoos Victoria’s Wildlife Detection Dog Squad – a team with a mission to help save Victoria’s threatened species.… Continue reading
Read MoreAstronauts have grown seeds on the International Space Station for a decade, and China’s Chang’e 4 2019 moon mission sprouted seeds on the Moon. Now, as part of NASA’s Artemis project, which is a step towards a Mars landing, astronauts will grow plants on the surface of the moon.… Continue reading
Read MoreModern rose hybrids have lost more than a quarter of their genetic diversity since the early 19th century.
The domestication of roses can be traced back about 5000 years and were cultivated independently in China and Mediterranean regions. The diversification during the 19th century is associated with crosses between the two previously isolated genetic backgrounds.… Continue reading
Read MoreA proposal by Pedro M.P. Correia et al, from the University of Copenhagen, suggests that horticulture generally could make use of naturally occurring selection processes to improve crop yields.
Most high-yielding crops are susceptible to abiotic and biotic stresses, making them particularly vulnerable to the potential effects of climate change.… Continue reading
Read MoreGlobal Footprints Scholarships – when passion and opportunity meet, great things happen. Could this be you or someone you work with, a colleague, an employee?
A fantastic scholarship opportunity is available for talented young people.
Key information
From 1 May 2024, the Global Footprints Scholarships for 2024 is available for young talent to apply:
We can all help by supporting young people to fulfil their potential and become inspirations to others.… Continue reading
Read MoreIn a world-first study, researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) screened 50 native plants and weeds to find a cheaper and more environmentally friendly source for the bulk producing urease enzymes, used to strengthen soil and help to prevent erosion.… Continue reading
Read MoreIn a world-first study, researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) screened 50 native plants and weeds to find a cheaper and more environmentally friendly source for the bulk producing urease enzymes, used to strengthen soil and help to prevent erosion.… Continue reading
Read MoreTwo views of a common mould summarised from research by Ritu Singh, Celine Caseys and Daniel J. Kliebenstein in the news from the British Society for Plant Pathology, and also from Levantine Hill Wine articles.
If you observe signs of decay on your fruits and vegetables, accompanied by the growth of fuzzy grey-brown mould, chances are it is Botrytis cinerea.… Continue reading
Read MoreThe evolution of electric vehicles and low power electronic devices such as mobile phones drive the search for better longer lasting energy storage. The amount of energy and the rate at which you can use it depends on, among other things, the surface area of electrodes that make up the bulk of the system.… Continue reading
Read MoreFebruary saw the release of the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2022/23. This annual compilation of statistics reflects the general health of Australian horticulture. From 2013 the horticulture industry has grown substantially overall but the industry growth has flattened out over the last couple of years.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Karen Smith
All is not lost in print media, and according to ‘theconversation.com’ magazines still have the place in the market. Here is a summary of the article on their website.
Print magazines, though not as popular as they once were, have defied predictions of demise.… Continue reading
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Dr Tom May, Principal Research Scientist (Mycology) at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, was awarded the 2023 Nancy T. Burbidge Medal, the highest award of the Australasian Systematic Botany Society (ASBS).
Dr Katharina Nargar, President of ASBS, said the award honoured Dr May’s longstanding and significant contribution to the discovery, description, understanding and conservation of Australia’s vast fungal diversity.… Continue reading
Read MoreMany harmful, invasive plant species are let loose in the wild by careless actions of home gardeners and well-meaning professionals. There are several examples where plants were introduced to solve a problem only to become the problem. Classic example is bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp.… Continue reading
Read MoreWhat is a Puteketeke (poo techie techie)? About 300,000 people worldwide now know because they voted to make it New Zealand’s bird of the century. Some Kiwi’s called foul (or should that be fowl) because of the influence of an American based talk show host who promoted himself as the Puteketeke campaign manager ruffling the feathers of many of New Zealand’s bird enthusiasts.… Continue reading
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By Karen Smith
The Global Footprints Scholarships awards night, held recently in Sydney, celebrated a group of fifteen talented young people as they chase their dreams and prepare to travel the world.
This program, previously known as (Big Brother Movement) BBM Awards, is all about aligning the goals of young tradespeople and the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development.… Continue reading
Read MoreTAFE NSW Moss Vale has helped a Southern Highlands woman realise her dream of working in horticulture – and to follow in the footsteps of her mother.
Maddie-Rose Watson, 22, has had a fascination with plants since she was a young child, tottering around the family’s Moss Vale yard as her horticulturist mother tendered to the garden.… Continue reading
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A 50-year old find at an abandoned allotment sees Coventry University researchers create a community tree nursery. The unexpected discovery in Coventry, England, has led to a project looking to preserve the city’s trees.
Coventry University researchers Liz Trenchard and Sam Green came across apple trees growing at the abandoned allotment site while walking around Charterhouse Park.… Continue reading
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A small plant species listed as extinct in Victoria has been re-discovered by botanists assessing recently flooded river land in Victoria’s north-west.
Cyperus squarrosus also known as Bearded Flat Sedge had been listed as extinct in Victoria for more than 60-years, with its last verified sighting in 1953.… Continue reading
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A recent investigation of collections of fungi Pseudobaeospora in Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria’s National Herbarium of Victoria has resulted in characterisation of the new species, Pseudobaeospora taluna.
Pseudobaeospora is a rarely encountered mushroom genus. There are no veils and so the whole sporing body is of rather simple construction.… Continue reading
Read MoreThe steel industry is one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. Turning iron ore into steel is an energy intensive process relying heavily on coal. BlueScope Steel in Wollongong received funding in 2022 from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to investigate biochar as a partial substitute for coal in the blast furnace refining process.… Continue reading
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