Issue No 4, July 1995.

NOTICE: Hard copies of the Australian New Crops Newsletter are available from the publisher, Dr Rob Fletcher. Details of availability are included in the Advice on Publications Available.

10. Survey of Extension Activity in New Crops in Australia

A survey has been conducted to determine the sources of information on new crops currently available to the extension community. An earlier survey of the entire Australian readership of this newsletter identified twenty four extension specialists with an interest in new crops.

The information supplied by the fourteen extension specialists who have so far responded has been collated. The first six of the eight questions on the survey related to the form of advice given by the extension specialists to producers, information sources used, and so on. The last two questions asked how the research community could supply information on new crops to the extension community. The following have been highlighted as being necessary in Australia:

A database on current research projects, contact people or organisations;
Information on agronomic aspects of new crops, especially environmental responses; and
Assessments of market potential, ease of marketing and economic appraisals of new crops.

Respondents have also made the following observations:

There is a need for producer associations to communicate findings;
There is a reluctance on the part of marketeers to divulge requirements in the short or long-term;
Much of the practical agronomic knowledge pertaining to new crops is in the heads of the growers who have been experimenting. This knowledge needs to be tapped in some way;
Extension personnel, producers and any other interested parties should be involved in the new crop research and development process from the beginning;
Several of the respondents were concerned about research money being spent on specific industries, without satisfactory industry input.

A more comprehensive report detailing the responses to each question asked is available from Dr Rob Fletcher (Editor).

Any claims made by authors in the Australian New Crops Newsletter are presented by the Editors in good faith. Readers would be wise to critically examine the circumstances associated with any claims to determine the applicability of such claims to their specific set of circumstances. This material can be reproduced, with the provision that the source and the author (or editors, if applicable) are acknowledged and the use is for information or educational purposes. Contact with the original author is probably wise since the material may require updating or amendment if used in other publications. Material sourced from the Australian New Crops Newsletter cannot be used out of context or for commercial purposes not related to its original purpose in the newsletter

Contact: Dr Rob Fletcher, School of Land and Food, The University of Queensland Gatton College, 4345; Telephone: 07 5460 1311 or 07 5460 1301; Facsimile: 07 5460 1112; International facsimile: 61 7 5460 1112; Email: r.fletcher@mailbox.uq.edu.au

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originally created by: GK; latest update 6 June 1999 by: RF