Overcoming challenges in the transition from mining …...Overcoming challenges in the transition...
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Overcoming challenges in the transition from mining to agriculture Katinka X. Ruthrof 1,2 , Joseph B. Fontaine 1 , Anna J.M. Hopkins 1,3 , Mark P. McHenry 1 , Jen McComb 1 , John Howieson 1 , Graham O’Hara 1 , Giles E. St.J. Hardy 1 1 School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia 2 Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, Kings Park, Perth, Western Australia, 6005 3 Centre for Ecosystem Management, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, Western Australia, 6027, Australia
Transcript of Overcoming challenges in the transition from mining …...Overcoming challenges in the transition...
Overcoming challenges in the transition from
mining to agriculture
Katinka X. Ruthrof1,2, Joseph B. Fontaine1, Anna J.M. Hopkins1,3,
Mark P. McHenry1, Jen McComb1, John Howieson1, Graham O’Hara1,
Giles E. St.J. Hardy1
1School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
2Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, Kings Park, Perth, Western Australia, 6005
3Centre for Ecosystem Management, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, Western Australia, 6027, Australia
Globally, the use of degraded habitats for agricultural production:
• increasingly practical
• economically viable
• alternative to clearing pristine environments
• alternative target for rehabilitation (non-analogue systems)
Advantages for agriculture following mining
• availability of labour and machinery
• need for food and animal feed beyond mine closure
• need for employment beyond mine closure
• social responsibility
These industries could collaborate more often…
Christmas Island
• Unique opportunity to research transition from mining to agriculture
• Leading industry: rock phosphate mining (deplete by ~2030)
• There is critical need to:
o Provide on-going employment for the community
o Find alternative industries
o Increase food security - heavy reliance on airfreighted produce
About Christmas Island
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/climate/station.jsp?lt=site&lc=200790
• Tropical climate: 80-90% humidity, 22-28oC, ppt~2000mm/yr (2016:~5000mm)
• 1897: CI Phosphate Company• ~1500 people: Chinese, Malay, Vietnamese and
Caucasians
• ~10o S, 2600km NW of Australia, 360km S of Indonesia
• Phosphate rich volcanic soils over limestone
Christmas Island Red Crab Gecarcoidea natalis
• Vegetation: rainforest, open forest
• Rich in endemic fauna
Substrates often have abiotic and biotic challenges for plant growth, including:
• poor fertility (e.g. low OC, K, N)
• heavy metals (e.g. cadmium)
• lack of beneficial microbes
Challenges for post-mining agriculture
• Evaluate scientific basis for introducing agriculture following mining• Reduce the economic dependence on imported products • Increase export opportunities• Collaborate with the community
Likely direction:1. Food for the island 2. Protein for on-island industries 3. High value crops for export
MINTOPE
MINTOPE or “Mining to Plant Enterprise” is an agricultural research project sponsored by the
Commonwealth Government, Christmas Island Phosphates & Murdoch University
Mining to plant enterprise (MINTOPE): aims
Nutrient trials
• Which nutrients are critical for legume and cereal growth? o legumes inoculated with appropriate rhizobia
Potassium and legumes
…potassium (K) was the key limiting nutrient for legumes
Field trials using lablab and cowpea…
95%CIRuthrof et al. Land Degradation and Development, in press
Heavy metal concentrations
..decreased with increasing biomass
..decreased with increasing potassium addition
Ni Pb
Cr Cd
As
95%CI
Hypotheses – K reduced heavy metal concentration:
• High biomass, diluting all non-limiting elements
• Higher water use efficiency
• Suppressed uptake of all other cations (Clarkson and Hanson 1980)
• Helping the anti-oxidant defence against heavy metal stress (Song et al. 2015)
• Heavy metals stabilised in substrate and reduce availability to plants (Sisr et al. 2007)
• After 7 weeks, fast release fertiliser produced higher biomass• After 23 weeks, slow release fertilisers trended towards better than fast release
Means of 4 samples/ treatment, SE
• K is the critical nutrient for legumes in post-phosphate mine sites
o biomass, health and heavy metal concentrations
• These results are applicable for transitioning from mining to agriculture:
o food security and food safety
o employment for stakeholders
o information for land-use policy makers
Take home messages
AcknowledgementsThe MINTOPE team: Peter Skinner, Neil Ballard, Lorri Skinner, Val Ballard, Luca De Prato, Sofie De Meyer, Regina Carr, Tom Edwards, Emma Steel and Neale BougherChristmas Island PhosphatesChristmas Island CommunityParks AustraliaShire of Christmas IslandVolunteers: Lyn O’Brien, Marg Rogers, Leonie Valentine, Moira Desport, Will DitchamTroforte InnovationsMarine and Fresh Water Research Laboratory (MAFRL)Funding: Christmas Island Phosphates, Australian Government Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Australian Research Council
MINTOPE
MINTOPE or “Mining to Plant Enterprise” is an agricultural research project sponsored by the
Commonwealth Government, Christmas Island Phosphates & Murdoch University
For more information: [email protected]
