Building crop protection and production agronomy R&D capacity in regional WA
The WA grains industry has identified the need to develop regionally-based crop production and crop protection capability in WA with the skills to provide a wide range of advice to growers, grower groups and advisors.
Similarly, industry has recognised the difficulties with facilitating the delivery of on ground activities from large nationwide projects due to a range of reasons.
This project will recruit and develop critical research capacity within DPIRD to increase the level of R&D capability and coordination within each of the five port zones in the Western region.
Regionally based crop production and protection capability will be developed in teams working within each of the five port zones.
Each team will consist of a crop production agronomist (CPA) and a crop protection generalist (CPG) supported by technical staff.
They will become resources for identifying challenges and opportunities for improving production agronomy and crop protection.
They will become the go-to people for information across a range of disciplines within each port zone.
They will be responsible for assisting in the design of regional development and extension responses to these challenges and providing focussed advice for growers, grower groups and consultants wanting to access information and expertise about crop production and crop protection matters.
These teams will work closely with a range of industry support networks such as the Regional Cropping Solutions Networks (RCSN), grower groups, agribusiness and other research providers to assist in the identification and prioritisation of the key industry challenges in their regions.
For more information contact Vanessa Stewart on +61 (0)8 9081 3149.
Improving the efficiency of slug and snail controls
Innovative techniques are needed to map the distribution of slugs in paddocks before they cause significant crop damage.
This project will produce a system that will create maps of snail and slug infestations using automated mapping techniques to better target bait applications in paddocks.
Improved knowledge of the distribution of the slugs and snails would allow targeted baiting and reduce control costs by approximately 10-90% depending on the patchiness of infestation.
For more information contact Svetlana Micic on +61 (0)8 9892 8591.
Tolerance and resistance of oats to crown rot in WA
Crown rot is wide spread across WA and inoculum has been increasing since 2010. Expression of the disease occurs most commonly in the low to medium rainfall areas, a region where oats have not been grown traditionally and no information is available on crown rot impacts on yield in this area.
This project will identify oat varieties that have minimal yield loss to crown rot (tolerance) and least inoculum build-up (resistance) ultimately reducing costs and losses for WA growers in the grainbelt; and identify oat varieties with improved tolerance and increased resistance to crown rot used by oat breeders to improve future releases of oat varieties for the benefit of the Australian grain industry.
For more information contact Daniel Huberli on +61 (0)8 9368 3836.
Seed and fertiliser granule coating technology for use in cropping systems
There is an opportunity to develop coating technologies to increase the efficiency of agricultural inputs by placing these inputs directly around the seeds or fertiliser granules.
The aim of this project is to develop seed and fertiliser coating techniques to: (a) increase efficiency of surfactant, high water absorbing polymer and elemental S for overcoming the problem of water repellent soils and S deficiency in canola; (b) examine if coating of surfactant and water absorbing polymer onto the seeds to increase crop establishment and seedling vigour in a climate which has become drier and more variable on soils which are becoming more water repellent.
The proposed seed coating will complement work been undertaken in GRDC project DAW00244.
For more information contact Geoff Anderson on +61 (0)8 9690 2104.
New methods to allow early sowing of field peas in WA farming systems
Many growers find it critical to sow crops as early as possible to avoid a possible dry finish in spring and reduced yield, however, this is not usually considered a plausible option with field pea.
There are major reasons that deter growers from sowing early which include the increased chance of failed nodulation, exposure to inoculum of black spot (Mycosphaerella pinodes, Phoma medicaginis, Ascochyta pisi), root rots (rhizoctonia) and lack of weed control.
This project proposes to explore ways that enable sowing field peas earlier in the growing season.
As there is a very wide area of collaborative research required, studies in this project will mainly focus on the pea-rhizobia symbioses including measurements of nodulation and nitrogen (N) fixation and yield.
For more information contact Ron Yates on +61 (0)8 9368 3665.
Rapid pest/disease surveillance and monitoring using smart technology for crop protection and market access
This project will also establish a network of smart traps in the WA grainbelt which will utilise both rapid molecular techniques such as LAMP and standard PCR assays in conjunction with traditional morphology techniques for the identification of targeted endemic pests and diseases.
The Smart Trap array will be linked to decision support tools and delivered by PestFax and direct email platforms that will provide rapid and accurate information to growers to assist them to make management decisions on disease and pest control during the growing season.
In addition, the Smart Trap array could provide real time surveillance for incursions of exotic pests and diseases allowing a rapid response to incursions.
For more information contact Dusty Severtson on +61 (0)8 9368 3249.
Gravel soils (two components)
New approaches to quantifying the properties of gravel soils and for sampling inverted soils to improve crop management
New approaches are required to improve fertiliser and lime applications for gravel and inverted soils in the Western region, however, knowledge gaps are constraining future accurate recommendations.
A low-cost approach to assessing gravel soil properties is required to improve recommendations for these soils; machine vision (automated digital image analysis) is a prospective method but it has not been developed yet.
Similarly, a low-cost, practical approach to sampling inverted soils is required but there is limited understanding of which soil properties are most important and how crop roots are responding to a changed spatial and temporal supply of nutrients.
The target outcome of this project is an improved fertiliser recommendation whereby commercially recommended models including gravel content will provide capacity to use better information about gravel.
For more information contact Craig Scanlan on +61 (0)8 9690 2174.
Overcoming constraints to profitable cropping on forest gravel soils in the Western region
This project forms a vital component of a GRDC project (of the same name).
The aim of this project is to provide growers and advisors with knowledge that will improve the management of crops grown on gravel soils.
Current knowledge will be synthesised in a review of literature and grower and advisor experience to identify knowledge gaps.
Current knowledge on the spatial extent of gravel soils in the Western region will also be reassessed with the intent of identifying different gravel soil types that require different management.
The hydrology of gravel soils and their mineralogy will also be assessed with an emphasis on nutrient availability to crops.
All of this work will be used to guide a program of glasshouse and field experiments which will address key knowledge gaps and provide an evidence-base for extension.
More specifically, this Royalties for Regions contribution will be used for profile characterisation of gravel soil types, an agronomic transect study that will identify factors limiting yield on forest gravel soil and phosphorus isotope analysis to quantify the relative contribution of soil and fertiliser phosphorus on gravel soils.
For more information contact Craig Scanlan on +61 (0)8 9690 2174.
Epidemiological, genetic and farming system factors impacting on the development of powdery mildew in WA wheat production
Powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, is an important disease of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
Little is known about powdery mildew management in WA and the extensive cultivation of susceptible wheat varieties over the years combined with favourable environmental factors has seen the pathogen and its economic importance become more evident in recent years.
The aim of this project is to evaluate aspects of the epidemiology of this pathogen, survey for differences in virulence of the pathogen, relative responses of varieties (particularly in relation to growth stage and environment) and interactions with nutrient and soil type management.
The project will provide information and extension tools to aid growers in choosing appropriate varieties for regional disease threat, understand what farming system decisions, particularly plant nutrition, impact on disease development and relative crop vulnerability and potentially reduce reliance, or provide improved guidance of fungicide intervention.
For more information contact Geoff Thomas on +61 (0)8 9368 3262.
Screening wheat germplasm and identifying the genetic control for rapid emergence and rate of grain fill with less water
Yield maintenance under water limitation is an important objective for crop improvement in WA, however crops in the state's Mediterranean-type environments can be exposed to water limitation at both ends of the growing season, and adaptations that improve crop resilience at the beginning of the growing season will not necessarily be effective at the end and vice versa.
Identifying the number of genes and the genetic control of traits that respond to varying soil moisture, either at the beginning or the end of the growing season, provides much needed knowledge and resources for developing new improved commercial wheat varieties.
The germplasm identified and the associated DNA markers linked to genes controlling desirable trait expression will be delivered to wheat breeding companies so they have the tools and resources to breed new commercial varieties with higher probability of grain yields and stability under variable soil moisture conditions at both ends of the growing season.
For more information contact Michael Francki on +61 (0)8 9360 7575.
SoilsWest Alliance
This project is a foundational step in developing a SoilsWest Alliance between University of Western Australia and DPIRD in the first instance with option to transfer to the new grains research entity when it is established.
This project and a future SoilsWest Alliance will be substantially focused on the productivity and profitability of the Australian grains industry, but from time to time may address broader aspects affecting the agricultural sector.
The partnership will combine substantial complementary scientific and research capabilities, research and industry networks and infrastructure and technology for the long-term development of science capability in WA, and to develop and deliver strategic research projects supporting the WA grains industry in particular, but also contributing nationally to the Australian grains industry through innovative soil research.
For more information contact Kerry Regan on +61 (0)8 9368 3949.
Frost proofing – management and reduction of frost damage in WA
Royalties for Regions funds will support a number of staff appointments within the suite of projects contributing to the National Frost Initiative Management program.
One of these is an early career scientist whose work will enable grain growers to refine crop management strategies to optimise plant resilience, yields and quality – and ultimately increase profitability.
In the National Frost Initiative, Dr Dion Nicol aims to identify gaps in the existing knowledge of a plant’s physiological response to minor frost damage, such as damage to its vascular system and photosynthetic capacity, and how plants recover.
His work will span plant physiology and nutrition and will be integrated into ongoing farming systems research.
For more information contact Dion Nicol on +61 (0)8 9690 2154.