The Rotarian May 2017

At the height of AustraliaÕs 1970s recession, two young men leave home seeking fame and fortune. They travel through QueenslandÕs outback looking for work and arrive in Mount Isa, near broke. The city takes them in and so begins the adventure of creating their lives in the remote, rough and tumble environment of one of AustraliaÕs biggest mining communities. Set in among the hot, dry and arid landscape of QueenslandÕs Gulf Country, the two newcomers discover both the delights and difficulties of living far inland from their coastal origins. A variety of jobs take them to places that few people would have ever experienced, from prospecting deep in the bush to dark, damp mines located thousands of metres underground. Mates is a great story infused with warm Australian characteristics and humour. The regionÕs great mining history, Aboriginal people and extraordinary bushland have all been thoroughly researched and richly described by author Stephen Outram.

Global crop production must substantially increase to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population. This is constrained by the availability of nutrients, water, and land. There is also an urgent need to reduce the negative environmental impacts of crop production. Collectively, these issues represent one of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century. Sustainable cropping systems based on ecological principles are the core of integrated approaches to solve this critical challenge. This special issue provides an international basis for revealing the underlying mechanisms of sustainable cropping systems to drive agronomic innovations. It includes review and original research articles that report novel scientific findings on improvement in cropping systems related to crop yields and their resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors, resource use efficiency, environmental impact, sustainability, and ecosystem services.