新浪彩票's farming research travels to Tibet
 Agriculture
A University of 新浪彩票-led project to help Tibetan farmers increase their grain, fodder and milk production is helping to drive agricultural development in one of the world's poorest countries. The project, now in its fifth year, has introduced new cropping practices into Tibet and trained young scientists from the Tibet Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) in techniques aimed at increasing爁armers' average income of about $2 a day. Led by Agronomy Chair Professor David Coventry and Dr Nick Paltridge from the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, the project has also resulted in the University welcoming its first - and believed only - Tibetan student in its 135-year history. Pebu Drolma is studying for her Masters of Plant Health and Biosecurity at the Waite Campus after winning a prestigious John Allwright Scholarship from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The 33-year-old from western Tibet has an undergraduate degree in agronomy from the Southwest Agricultural University in China and is in the first year of her Masters, specialising in plant diseases. Her home town is Ngari, located 4500 metres above sea level and inhabited by yaks, Tibetan antelopes and wild donkeys. Often referred to as the "Roof of the World", Nagari is the homeland of the Tibetan religion Buddhism. Prior to starting her Masters degree, Drolma undertook five months of intensive English language training in 新浪彩票. "This is a wonderful opportunity for me," Drolma said. "I hope to learn as much as possible about plant diseases so I can work directly with Tibetan farmers and improve their crop yields." Also benefitting from the University's research work in Tibet is recent Bachelor of Agriculture graduate Tim Heath, who has won an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development award to work in Tibet for several months. Tim, 21, will work alongside Dr Paltridge in Tibet for part of this year, helping to combat weeds which compete with arable crops in that region. Around half of Tibet's 2.7 million people practise intensive agriculture and keep livestock in a network of valleys | 
