Highlights
Further development at Urrbrae
1955 - Australian Wine Research Institute established
1958 - CSIRO Soils moved into new facilities, Waite Road. Increased interest in soil microbiology, root diseases
1963 - CSIRO Division of Horticulture (major viticulture emphasis – breeding, mechanical harvesting)(Other CSIRO Divisions: Mathematical Statistics [Cornish – Wheat Yields]; Water Resources [Alison – Groundwater Studies])
Central laboratories for Department of Agriculture
1957 - Allan Callaghan suggested Bedford Park to Tom Playford (unsuccessful as later became Flinders University)
1958 - Northfield Mental Hospital Farm secured leading to the Northfield Laboratories and Research Centre (Soil science, legume breeding, cereal varietal testing, weed science, entomology, dairy technology; dairy research; Northfield Horticulture Unit; Northfield Pig Research Unit; Artificial Breeding Board)
1960 - Parafield Poultry Centre upgraded
Main aspects of the era
- Rural reconstruction
- Wool boom
- Soldier settlement schemes
- Irrigated horticulture - Loxton
- Dryland - Kangaroo Island, South East
- Allocating land
- Private sector investment in settlement
- Nintey-Mile Desert Scheme
- Micronutrient research - the basis of land settlement
- Legume agriculture-dryland farming
- Role of private sector consultants
- Widespread mechanisation of all agriculture
- Impact of university and Roseworthy graduates
- Quarantine issues
- Fruit fly
- Plague locusts
- Weeds
- Automation begins to supersede manual systems
- Changed relationship with media, impact of television