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Author Archives: Maarten Stapper
Canberra Times: Stapper in Food & Wine about wheat
In this article ,”A scientist who knows his wheat” , published 31 August 2004 (in The Canberra Times) Dr Maarten Stapper says paddocks are like the human body – they’re both complex biological systems where simple solutions often don’t work –
Crop monitoring and Zadoks growth stages
Introduction Crop monitoring is the skill to link strategic and tactical management decisions to plant development and crop growth. Strategic management relates to decisions before sowing and lessons to be learned within season for future seasons, such as variety choice, … Continue reading
The road to sustainability
While ‘sustainable agriculture’ has been defined in many ways, it is fundamentally a process of social learning, not led by a science that overemphasises production and neglects maintenance functions within agroecosystems. Hill (1998) sees this blind spot as one of … Continue reading
Soil Health outcomes
Farms that have achieved healthy soils look and smell good, with dung beetles present in pastures and no slugs or snails in crops. Plants growing on such farms have less disease and insect damage, less frost damage (high sugar content … Continue reading
GM is losing clout, there’s no yield advantage
The issues of yield increases for GM and no price premiums for non-GM were hot in the GM debate. Maarten Stapper wrote letters to the editor about these issues in late August 2007. It was published as GM is losing … Continue reading
Prof Pratley response to critique and Stapper reply
The letter-to-the-editor “Research doubts” by Maarten Stapper in The Land of 6 December and The Weekly Times of 12 December (see media ‘CSU GM canola’) provoked a response from Professor Pratley. Published in The Land (13 Dec.) and The Weekly Times … Continue reading
ABC: CSIRO support for organics questioned
Anna Salleh Friday, 23 March 2007 ABC Science Online Australia’s national science agency says it is sticking with research into organic and biological farming, in response to recent comments suggesting it is abandoning the field. Despite CSIRO’s reassurance, some critics are concerned the … Continue reading
CSU GM canola study in the news
A press release about a Charles Sturt University 1999 to 2003 GM canola study generated reporting by the Rural Press in FarmOnline ‘Report says GM Canola in front’ (13 Nov.) and The Land ‘CSU research supports GM canola’ by Alan Dick(15 Nov.). The first … Continue reading
Weekly Times April 2007: Burdon vs Stapper
The Sunday Age, 27 May 2007 … “I could have continued working for the CSIRO but I would have to give up all my beliefs about good agriculture and keep my mouth shut about GM,” he said. “I didn’t want … Continue reading
Sunday Age May 2007: CSIRO ‘dumps’ anti-GM expert
The Sunday Age, 27 May 2007 … “I could have continued working for the CSIRO but I would have to give up all my beliefs about good agriculture and keep my mouth shut about GM,” he said. “I didn’t want … Continue reading