The creation of a digital archive database system for the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people in Central Australia has been a challenging information technology (IT) project requiring unique thinking about database design, implementation and deployment. What might seem like sound, standards-based IT practice in a typical urban or academic location becomes unworkable in the physical realities of remote Australia and in the context of indigenous Australian cultural sensitivities. Based on the experience of the Ara Irititja Project, this chapter outlines the central issues facing the development of archive databases for indigenous peoples in remote Australia and points towards the need for a new approach to IT best practices in this context.

In vitro ruminal fermentation techniques rely on the availability of fistulated ruminants for rumen fluid (RF), a major constraint for resource-poor institutions. An alternative would be to use faecal microbes. This study was therefore designed to compare the potency of fresh bovine faeces against RF as sources of microbial inocula for fermenting six contrasting tropical forages using the Tilley and Terry (Journal of British Grassland Society, 18, 104-111) technique. Faecal inocula were prepared at concentrations of 250 g (Faec250), 300 g (Faec300), 350 g (Faec350), 400 g (Faec400) and 450 g (Faec450) fresh cow faeces per litre bicarbonate buffer. In vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) increased with increasing concentration of faeces at 12-, 24-and 48-h incubation intervals. All faecal inocula except Faec450 had lower potency when compared with RF at all incubation intervals. Digestibility of forage substrates with Faec450 (533 ± 23 g kg )1 DM IVOMD) was comparable to RF (566 ± 5 g kg )1 DM IVOMD) after 48-h incubation. Faec450 showed greater potency on more fibrous and low-protein substrates than RF. The coefficient of determination of the regression models for predicting 12-, 24-and 48-h RF IVOMD from Faec450 were 0AE914, 0AE75 and 0AE756 respectively. It was concluded that inocula prepared from 450 g cow faeces demonstrated great potential as a substitute and predictor for RF in 48-h IVOMD assays of tropical forages.

The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy and reliability of 2 optical chlorophyll meters: FieldScout CM 1,000 NDVI and Yara N-Tester, in predicting neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN) and in vitro ruminal organic matter degradability (IVOMD) of 3 tropical grasses. Optical chlorophyll measurements were taken at 3 stages (4, 8 and 12 weeks) of regrowth in Brachiaria hybrid, and Megathyrsus maximus and at 6 and 12 weeks of regrowth in Paspalum atratum (cv. Ubon). Optical chlorophyll measurements showed the highest correlation (r = 0.57 to 0.85) with NDF concentration. The FieldScout CM 1,000 NDVI was better than the Yara N-Tester in predicting NDF (R2 = 0.70) and ADF (R2 = 0.79) concentrations in Brachiaria hybrid and NDF (R2 = 0.79) in M. maximus. Similarly, FieldScout CM 1,000 NDVI produced better estimates of 24 h IVOMD (IVOMD24h) in Brachiaria hybrid (R2 = 0.81) and IVOMD48h in Brachiaria hybrid (R2 = 0.65) and M. maximus (R2 = 0.75). However, these prediction models had relatively low concordance correlation coefficients, i.e., CCC >0.90, but random errors were the main source of bias. It was, therefore, concluded that both optical chlorophyll meters were poor and unreliable predictors of ADIN and ADL concentrations. Overall, the FieldScout CM 1,000 NDVI shows potential to produce useful estimates of IVOMD24h and ADF in Brachiaria hybrid and IVOMD48h and NDF concentrations in M. maximus.

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The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the Fieldscout CM 1000 NDVI and Yara N-Tester as easyto-use and cost-effective tools for predicting foliar chlorophylls (a, b and total) and crude protein (CP) concentrations in herbage from three tropical grass species. Optical chlorophyll measurements were taken at three stages (4, 8 and 12 weeks) of regrowth maturity in Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) and Mulato II (Brachiaria hybrid) and at 6 and 12 weeks maturity in Paspalum spp (Paspalum atratum). Grass samples were harvested subsequent to optical measurements for laboratory analysis to determine CP and solvent-extractable chlorophylls (a, b and total) concentrations. Optical chlorophyll measurements and CP concentrations were highly correlated (Yara N-Tester: r 2 = 0Á77-0Á89; Fieldscout CM 1000 NDVI: r 2 = 0Á52-0Á84). Crude protein prediction models from the Yara N-Tester and Fieldscout CM 1000 NDVI accounted for 70-89% and 44-73% CP variability, respectively, in Mulato II and Guinea grass. The Yara N-tester produced more accurate and reliable CP estimates based on very high concordance correlation coefficient [CCC (0Á73-0Á91)] and low rMSPE, mean and regression bias. It is concluded that the Yara N-Tester produces more accurate and reliable CP estimates of tropical pastures.