Novel in-season approach may help growers avoid frost damage in Australia

Canola Seed & Rapeseed

Barley

Wheat

Australia

Published Aug 2, 2022

Tridge summary

A new research project is underway to help Australian grain growers protect against or avoid frost damage in wheat, barley and canola crops by varying their in-season agronomic practices. Frosts are difficult to predict, understand and manage and can have a significant impact on growers, their families and their communities. For wheat alone, it is estimated that frost causes losses to the Australian grains industry of approximately $400 million per year.

Original content

Now, a $5.45 million, three-year co-investment between the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and a research consortium led by Field Applied Research (FAR) Australia will trial novel in-season approaches, across varying agro-ecological zones and multiple seasons, to provide growers with confidence in adopting new management strategies to mitigate frost risk. Working across Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales, the project will explore how crop phenology - the biological life of a plant and how it is impacted by seasonal and climatic conditions - can be manipulated using approaches such as plant growth regulators or mechanical defoliation. It will also examine the crop protection capacity of commercially available products for controlling ice nucleation active bacteria in the three crops. The project will be led by FAR Australia’s Dr Kenton Porker and includes a multi-disciplinary team of research partners such as the Western Australian ...

Source: GRDC