Agroecology team, CSIRO
Short Name: CSIRO
Type of organisation: Research Institution
Canberra, Australia
Actors involved: Agroecology team in Canberra and Brisbane, in collaboration with other research teams across Australia
Area of expertise: Agroecology, Arthropods, biodiversity, landscape ecology, pest management, digital, area-wide management
Presentation: CSIRO is Australia’s national science agency, and the Agroecology team sits within the Agriculture and Food Research Unit. The Agroecology team conducts research to help translate ecological principles and natural resource management concepts into practical advice directly relevant to the needs of stakeholders in agri-food chains. CSIRO have significant expertise working with invertebrate pests on-farm and at the landscape-scale, but they also work on weeds, insects as recyclers of waste, pollinators, natural enemies like parasitic wasps and predators and biocontrol agents and pathogens. CSIRO have projects based in horticulture, grain and cotton systems in Australia and diverse smallholder production landscapes overseas. Their research contributes to diversifying farming systems, reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture, and ensuring that pest management is sustainable for farmers and the community. They collaborate with other research groups to develop the tools, new knowledge and practices needed to support growers trying to adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in order to reduce the risk of pest outbreaks. Optimal integration of new technology and practices and low impact pesticides into existing systems will ensure that sustainability issues are addressed and environmental impacts are lessened. One of their strengths is the deep understanding of the ecology of pests, natural enemies, and pollinators in agricultural systems. When required for addressing certain research questions, they work closely with other teams within CSIRO and outside CSIRO, who have complementary skills.