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Regenerative agriculture is an alternative approach to farming that has been gaining traction and interest among farmers due to its potential to reduce input costs, improve soil health, and increase the resilience of farming systems. This paper undertakes a practice-based analysis of farmers, applying a lens of regenerative agriculture. Surveys were developed as a part of a broader project using an established methodological framework. Topics were developed and adapted with input from local stakeholders before being mailed out to three farming regions across Australia (the Western Australian Wheatbelt, the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia and Central West New South Wales). The research clustered farmers into two groups: those who are using best-practices that fall inside the scope of regenerative agriculture, and those who are not. The similarities and differences in farmer attributes, as well as self-reported knowledge levels and information sources used by each group are explored. Results indicate that a belief in anthropogenic climate change may be one of the primary divides between the two groups, and therefore a possible driver of best-practice implementation. The findings provide insight into perceptions of regenerative agriculture for Australian farmers, and may assist with knowledge dissemination amongst those managing our environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Dr Hanabeth Luke reports financial support was provided by Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC). Mathew Alexanderson reports financial support was provided by Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC)., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Agriculture is the second largest source of greenhouse gases emissions in Australia. Any substantial reduction in national emissions will require behavior changes within the farming community. This study aimed to identify the primary psychological drivers and barriers associated with the adoption of low emission agricultural practices (LEAP) in a sample of 551 Australian farmers (mean age = 51.40 years; SD = 11.99). Multiple regression analysis revealed that farmers were more likely to adopt LEAP if they: perceived a clear financial benefit for such practices, believed they possessed the relevant knowledge and skill, were future oriented, and exhibited low levels of environmental apathy. Latent profile analysis categorized the sample of famers into four distinct segments: Non-Green Dismissive (11%), Uncommitted (57%), Green Adopters (20%) and Profit-Driven Adopters (12%). Both Green and Profit-Driven adopters engaged in more LEAP than members of the Uncommitted and Non-Green Dismissive segments. Our results indicate that unique combinations of psychological drivers and barriers may influence LEAP adoption in each segment. This information can be used to inform the development of segment-specific messaging and engagement strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canegrubs, larvae of a complex of endemic melolonthine scarabs, are the key pests in Australian sugarcane. In the early 1990s, following the withdrawal of organochlorines, the Australian sugarcane industry faced a crisis with increasing canegrub damage. A comprehensive integrated pest management strategy was developed on the basis of research on a wide range of topics such as basic taxonomy, species identification, ecology and biology of the different species within the sugarcane system, development of new insecticides and new formulations of insecticides, potential development of genetically modified pest-resistant canes, and methods for predicting risk of infestations. The value of the research depended on a wide-ranging extension program that saw broadscale adoption of the new strategies. However, the cropping system is not static, and recent changes have the potential to alter plant architecture and phenology and therefore could affect canegrub biology, canegrub feeding, the impact of natural controls on canegrubs, and the accessibility to soil for sampling and insecticide application. Growers also demand cheaper, easier-to-use options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade a growing body of work situated at the intersection of masculinity and agriculture has emerged in the literature of rural sociology and human geography. A number of these studies have examined masculinity through discursive analytical frameworks which focus on the symbolic, cultural and embodied representations of what it is to be masculine in agriculture. It is with the latter that this paper is concerned. Here gender is located in a social constructionist framework and understood as something that is produced as a set of cultural practices which constitute men's and women's bodies in different ways. Two focus group discussions were conducted with ten young male dairy farmers in northern Victoria. A comparative analysis of the data suggests that perceptions from the masculine perspective of the non-farm work of women could be changing away from a traditional emphasis of a supportive and administrative role toward one where women's roles are acknowledged more as managerial in terms of the financial management of dairy farms. What also emerges from the young farmers' discourses is a degree of doubt and uncertainty about themselves and their own identities as managers. It would appear that they are far more confident in their roles as hands on farmers doing the outdoor physical work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]