grdc growers' report - Grains Research & Development Corporation

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from the grdc regions The new facilitators will work with new ‘networks’ created for each of the five WA regions, with these networks each including a member of the GRDC Western Panel. They will work with the networks in each region to help identify and prioritise local production issues. They will then establish the critical research, development or extension question needed to be answered to address the priority issues, and provide feedback to the GRDC and the Western Regional Panel. Another role of the facilitators will be to maintain a regional database of the GRDC project activities and results. Barley powdery mildew Many growers of susceptible barley varieties—particularly Baudin A —have been hit hard by barley powdery mildew in 2011. The high disease levels were partly caused by powdery mildew developing resistance to triazole fungicides, also known as demethylation inhibitors (DMIs). The GRDC and its research partners are investing significant resources to address this problem. Investment by the GRDC has included funding of research conducted by the Australian Centre for Necrotrophic Fungal Pathogens (ACNFP) which aims to identify different virulence genes expressed by the powdery mildew pathogen. This information is helping plant breeders select genes resistant to powdery mildew, which could result in new barley varieties, with improved resistance to the disease, becoming available in coming years. The GRDC is also calling tenders for a new $1.35 million project aimed at broadening the range of fungicides available to cereal and pulse growers. This three-year investment will reduce the threat of future fungicide shortages, and The GRDC Western Regional Panel members. (From left) Mike Ewing, John Even, Shauna Stone, Peter Roberts (Western Regional Panel Chair), Paul Kelly, Ralph Burnett, Narelle Moore, Bill Ryan and Darren Hughes. Photo: GRDC help farmers manage fungicide resistance to diseases such as powdery mildew, and potential regulatory changes. Although the GRDC and its industry stakeholders are working hard to make new fungicides available, growers are being urged to seriously consider replacing the very susceptible variety Baudin A with less susceptible varieties in 2012. Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre At this year’s Dowerin GWN Machinery Field Days the GRDC announced it would partner the State Government to establish an Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) in WA. The new centre is an exciting new initiative which will establish world class skills and capability in export grains innovation and industry development. It is the second National Centre of Research Capability to be established under the grains industry’s National Grains RD&E Strategy. The creation of the centre addresses significant industry needs including grain quality for export markets, grain economic analysis, market intelligence, grain quality genetics, processing and product functionality, and storage and product integrity. Importantly, it builds national research capability in the Western Region and will focus on investment in innovation that provides the greatest return to grain growers and the broader supply chain. Managed environment facilities A significant investment by the GRDC has been establishing managed environment facilities (MEFs) in three locations in Australia, including Merredin in WA, as well as Yanco and Narrabri in New South Wales. The MEFs will help scientists unlock the genetic drivers for drought tolerance and better water use efficiency, and allow crop breeders to produce better varieties, faster. About 1500 trial plots were seeded at the Merredin MEF in 2011. GRDC Western Regional Panel members, growers and consultants at the Lake Grace NVT trial. Photos: GRDC 14 GRDC GROWERS’ REPORT 2010–2011
Investment Highlights Practices Group Practices objective To develop better farming practices and have them adopted faster. What the Practices group does and how it does it The Practices group develops and promotes innovative and integrated practices and technologies to increase the grains industry’s capacity for on-farm change. The focus is in the areas of soil constraints, water and nutrient use, crop threats, environmental variability, agronomic improvements and biosecurity. Because grower and adviser information needs and preferred delivery mechanisms differ according to production region, enterprise mix and individual circumstances, the Practices group packages, tailors and delivers region-specific information. The integration of natural resource management practices into cropping systems is essential for long-term viability of the grains industry. Through the Practices group, the GRDC aligns sustainable production systems research at a farm level with broader, community-based land use initiatives. Funds invested $60.18m was invested through Practices in 2010–11. In addition, there was significant co-investment from research partners. David Gooden, who received a GRDC-supported Nuffield Australia Farming Scholarship in 2009–10 to study herbicide use, sees better spray drift management as a chance for Australia to develop world’s best practice. Photo: Kellie Penfold Diagnostic agronomy The diagnosis of poor crop performance in a paddock is a complex task. With the advent of yield mapping and precision agriculture more detailed information has become available to help growers and advisers to develop solutions. Some paddocks have sections which consistently perform poorly. Agronomists are increasingly looking at a number of paddock zones and attempting to determine the causes, and potential remedies, of poor yields. This has brought an increasing level of intensity to growers’ desire to diagnose problems and seek agronomic advice. Accurate symptom diagnosis most often relies on field experience and expertise. In partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA), a wheat diagnostic tool, MyCrop, has been developed to bring together existing soil and crop diagnostic tools and place them within a logical electronic framework. The tool is found at www.agric.wa.gov.au/mycrop. Weed management In 2010–11, new types of herbicide resistance were discovered in a number of weed species in Australia; examples include resistance to paraquat in ryegrass, and resistance to glyphosate in windmill grass and fleabane. Such discoveries highlight the increasing rate of herbicide resistance development and the need to integrate non-chemical and cultural approaches with strategic herbicide use to effectively manage weeds. In response to these challenges, a national integrated weed management (IWM) plan was developed by the GRDC-supported National Integrated Weed Management Initiative, in consultation with growers and researchers. Recent GRDC-supported projects have demonstrated the effectiveness of non-chemical weed management approaches such as seed collection and destruction and genetic improvement of crop competitiveness. Modelling suggests that a combination of those approaches results in a natural decline in populations of weeds such as ryegrass and wild radish; research to validate and quantify the effects is underway. Pest management Integrated pest management The benefits of integrated pest management (IPM) for maintaining beneficial invertebrate populations and reducing the threat of insecticide resistance are widely recognised. In 2010–11, to address some of the ongoing challenges, a national IPM plan was developed through the GRDC-supported National Invertebrate Pest Initiative. The plan recommends tailoring future research to: • clearly identify the business proposition for IPM adoption • improve knowledge of the appropriate use of control thresholds, modelling and on-farm surveillance programs. The GRDC’s investments in IPM research in 2010–11 included work to better understand the threats posed by insecticide resistance, and to increase industry awareness of threats across all invertebrate pest species. The research, which includes expanded studies on sucking pests, such as aphids, builds on other GRDC-supported work on chewing pests, such as helicoverpa species and diamondback moth. It includes molecular studies on the mechanisms of resistance, to increase understanding of the risks related to cross-resistance to other insecticides while building management strategies to reduce future risks. Pesticide technology The GRDC’s Minor Use Program helps to make permits available for the use of a range of pesticides in minor pulse and oilseed crops, offsetting a shortfall in market investment in generic, off-patent pesticide technology. The program supports a significant number of emergency permits for industry use of pesticides to control key pests in localised areas. In 2010–11 this included permits for control of disease in pulses, weeds in lupins, diamondback moth in canola and head blight in wheat. This investment will significantly broaden the scope of cost-effective pest control options for growers, and will ensure that GRDC research outcomes on pesticide use are incorporated into improved label registrations. Crop sequences During 2010–11 the GRDC successfully established a range of projects under its Crop Sequencing Initiative, which aims to: • achieve quantitative and measurable improvements in crop production, farm profitability and resource condition by appropriate crop sequencing, within five years • facilitate capacity building and empower the agricultural community across the region to participate in RD&E, access information and training, and benefit from the full spectrum of GRDC-supported research. GRDC GROWERS’ REPORT 2010–2011 15
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grdc growers' report - Grains Research & Development Corporation

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