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Chickpea puffing power could drive new niche markets
Chickpea puffing power could drive new niche markets
Chickpea puffing power could drive new niche markets
Chickpea puffing power could drive new niche markets
Farmers want water 'banked' for future droughts
20 May 2013
Australian farmers want excess water from large floods to be 'banked' in aquifers for use in dry times.
A survey by the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT), which included Charles Sturt University (CSU) researchers, shows that farmers in the Namoi catchment area in the Murray Darling Basin (MDB) mainly support water banking, or storing extra water underground, from large floods.
Their positive response is a big step towards providing rural and agricultural communities with additional water without drawing more from the over-extracted rivers of the Basin, says Professor Allan Curtis from CSU's Institute for Land Water and Society (ILWS). "Australia's farmers manage around 65 per cent of the continent and have access to large volumes of surface and groundwater," Professor Curtis said. "With scientists predicting less rainfall and runoff in the southern MDB over the next 60 years, we urgently need to help them address the growing threat posed by scare water."
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New hub for Graham Centre
17 May 2013
The grain and livestock industries of south-eastern Australia are significant contributors to the nations's economy and play an important role in natural resource management. Growth and performance of these industries is underpinned by research, development and extension.
The Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation was established in 2005 as an alliance between CSU and NSW DPI to integrate the research undertaken by CSU and NSW DPI, thereby increasing the productivity of our industries, whilst reducing the risks of natural resource degradation and addressing the challenges of climate change, creating efficient and profitable food and fibre production, biosecurity and the skills shortage.
The new offices of the Graham Centre will officially be opened by Mr Michael McCormack MP, Federal Member for Riverina on Wednesday 22 May, 2013.
Download media release for further details.
Chickpea puffing power could drive new niche markets
9 May 2013
Australian grain growers could potentially capture a share of the growing global healthy snack food market by specifically growing chickpeas with desirable "puffing" qualities.
Grains Research and Development Corporation-funded research being undertaken at Charles Sturt University's School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, is exploring the ability of Australian chickpea genotypes to puff when subjected to high temperature for a short time without oil – a process which results in a light, crisp and tasty product.
PhD student Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay, under the supervision of CSU Associate Professors Paul Prenzler, Chris Blanchard and Anthony Saliba, and Dr Jenny Wood from the NSW Department of Primary Industries, says puffed chickpeas are already a common snack food in India, and because they are not fried they are ideal for western societies' health-conscious populations.
Mrs Paul Mukhopadhyay said that while the suitability of different Indian cultivars of desi chickpeas for puffing had been studied and reported, knowledge of Australian desi chickpea performance in this respect was lacking. Her research project was established to benchmark the puffing potential of Australian desi chickpea genotypes against common Indian cultivars, and to screen Australian genotypes for puffing quality.
"If an Australian chickpea puffs to the same extent, or better than the Indian cultivars, it could be marketed in a way that would achieve price premiums and increase demand, thereby improving the value and export potential of Australian chickpeas in general," Mrs Paul Mukhopadhyay said.
"By investigating the range of puffing abilities in a selection of current breeding lines and understanding their desirable sensory attributes, the Australian chickpea breeding program will be able to actively select for chickpeas suited to this end-use."
Download media release for further details
Costs and benefits of farm finance package: CSU expert
1 May 2013
Professor of Economics, John Hicks, a Charles Sturt University (CSU) expert in international trade has highlighted the costs and benefits of the farm finance support package announced last weekend by the Federal government.
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Chickpea taste test
1 May 2013
PhD student, Ms Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay (pictured right with Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce AC CVO and Associate Professor Chris Blanchard), from CSU’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences has been putting chickpeas to the taste test as part of research that aims to develop the export market and diversify the Australian diet.
Read more on CSU News
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