Current Projects

Crop type(s): Wheat, Barley, Canola

Project Lead: FAR Australia

Region: North, South, West

FAR Australia contact: Darcy Warren darcy.warren@faraustralia.com.au

Cultivating sustainable solutions to increase broadacre productivity through research, extension, training and adoption.

Industry Innovations (II) – what is it and how can industry get involved?
FAR Australia has joined forces with industry to provide innovative research solutions which will create a more productive and sustainable future for the Australian grains industry. With Crop Technology Centres (CTCs) operating nationally across the more productive growing regions of Australia, FAR Australia has a strong platform to showcase your innovation(s). Whether you have new crops, cultivars, agrichemicals, fertilisers or Ag technologies, we would like to work with you.

For full details and to download a brochure, please click here.

As part of Industry Innovations (II), we invite you to be involved in our Fungicide Fingerprinting and/or Germplasm Evaluation networks.

Fungicide Fingerprinting, developed by FAR Australia, launched in 2021 and is the first coordinated and independent fungicide evaluation network in Australia. This initiative aims to generate an independent evaluation of existing and newly developed fungicides to help growers and advisers make better decisions when managing disease and fungicide use. For full details and to download a brochure, please click here.

Germplasm Evaluation Network, launched in 2022, FAR Australia will work with breeders to help bring new germplasm to the marketplace whilst ensuring that genetics fulfil their yield potential. FAR Australia is partnering with industry to independently showcase germplasm performance in a series of high productivity evaluation trials across the country, initially as two disease management scenarios. For full details and to download a brochure, please click here.

Contract Code: FAR2403-002SAX

Project start date: 22/04/2024

Project end date: 16/07/2027

Crop type(s): Wheat, Barley

Project Lead: FAR Australia

Region: North, South, West

FAR Australia contact: Nick Poole nick.poole@faraustralia.com.au

In the high rainfall zones of Australia, there are significant gaps between the crop yields produced in commercial paddocks and the water-limited yield potential. A considerable amount of RD&E has been conducted in the high rainfall zones (e.g Hyper Yielding Crops over the past decade or more, however recent peer-to-peer learning has been a major success factor in reducing in these gaps and prompting growers to reassess their yield targets. Facilitated discussions and crop inspections enabled growers to better understand and test the management practices required to produce crop yields previously thought to be unattainable, and the implications of integrating these practices into their farming systems.

This investment will see FAR Australia manage and support seven innovation and benchmarking hubs throughout the high rainfall zones of Australia, starting in 2024, for three growing seasons. These facilitated groups will feature discussions throughout the year addressing best practice agronomic management for high-yielding and profitable wheat and barley crops in the high rainfall zones of the south coast WA, south-eastern SA, southern Victoria, Tasmania and southern NSW. Paddock benchmarking will allow growers to compare cereal agronomy, production and financial performance, and a small trial program will also be supported at each hub. These activities will facilitate the continued extension of key agronomic management strategies suited to the high rainfall zone and will promote broad on-farm adoption of practices that boost the performance of wheat and barley in profitable and sustainable ways.

This investment will include the development of a high rainfall cropping manual to facilitate the collation of research including case studies of how to best leverage rainfall in the high rainfall zone for high yielding and profitable crops.

https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=FAR2403-002SAX

Contract Code: CSP2404-020RTX

Project start date: 15/04/2024

Project end date: 30/09/2027

Crop type(s): Wheat, Barley

Project Lead: CSIRO

Region: South

FAR Australia contact: Darcy Warren darcy.warren@faraustralia.com.au

This GRDC investment led by CSIRO brings together experts in crop agronomy, physiology, modelling, economics and communication. The focus is on raising yield potentials in environments where water is more likely to limit yield in some seasons more than others. While the Hyper Yielding Crops (HYC) investment has shown a higher yield frontier can be achieved in non-water limited environments with tactical agronomy, there is less clarity for low to medium rainfall areas, where agronomic data is often scattered, inconclusive, and forensic (e.g. the benefit of hindsight).

The investment will demonstrate, evaluate, and compare cereal crop management strategies across different seasonal outcomes in the L-MRZ of South Australia and Victoria with the establishment of six core sites. The goal is to provide evidence for assessing the probability and profitability of various management strategies, enabling growers to shift from conservative low-input approaches to more ambitious strategies when conditions are favourable or to answer how growers can better set up tactical systems to take advantage of good seasons without increasing risk in environments where early season decisions dominate. Understanding the impact of early season decisions on yield in above-average rainfall years is crucial for long-term productivity and profitability. This will be supported by simulation modelling and economic analysis to scale findings over multiple scenarios, supporting better adoption of tactical agronomy for maximizing yield during critical periods in variable climates.

Key outcomes include updated benchmarks for crop and soil traits at actionable points in the season to better target and increase water-limited yield potential (WLYP) in the L-MRZ. The goal is to develop agronomic systems with high stability and adaptability to most seasons, and to explore innovations that can raise the WLYP frontier above current benchmarks. The project will rigorously evaluate the highest known genetic yield potentials for wheat and barley in L/MRZ under both low and high-input conditions, and under logistical constraints like sowing date and timing of inputs.

https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=CSP2404-020RTX

Contract Code: FAR2403-001SAX

Project start date: 01/03/2024

Project end date: 28/02/2025

Crop type(s): Wheat

Project Lead: FAR Australia

Region: West

FAR Australia contact: Darcy Warren darcy.warren@faraustralia.com.au

The need for GRDC to investigate the fit for early sown winter wheat varieties in the Albany and Esperance Port Zones has been raised at a number of NGN forums in both the Albany and Esperance Port Zones 2023. With the longer seasons experienced in the HRZ on the South Coast growers would like to investigate the opportunities that winter wheat could provide with late summer rainfall. An opportunity exists with local growers in the Albany and Esperance Port Zones to investigate earlier sowing times for commercially available winter wheat varieties. With the trend towards earlier sowing dates to either satisfy large hectare programs or to take advantage of late summer rainfall utilising some winter wheat varieties as an addition to more common spring wheat varieties could allow growers to take advantage of the conditions when they can. The recent GRDC Barley disease workshop held in Albany also highlighted the need for rotational diversity on the South Coast of WA to reduce economic reliance on tight barley rotations

Contract Code: UOM2312-001RTX

Project start date: 26/02/2024

Project end date: 30/07/2027

Crop type(s): Wheat

Project Lead: University of Melbourne

Region: South, West

FAR Australia contact: Dr Ben Jones ben.jones@faraustralia.com.au

This project aims to quantify the historical genetic gains in harvest index and grain yield of Australian winter wheats and to determine opportunities to further lift the yield frontier of winter wheats. This will be done by improving understanding of the physiological mechanisms influencing harvest index in early-sown Australian winter wheats compared to those achieved for adapted high yielding spring wheat cultivars.

https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=UOM2312-001RTX

Contract Code: DAQ2304-008RTX

Project start date: 03/04/2023

Project end date: 30/05/2027

Crop type(s): Barley

Project Lead: State of Queensland acting through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

Region: North, South, West

FAR Australia contact: Nick Poole nick.poole@faraustralia.com.au

Net form net blotch (NFNB) is an important foliar fungal disease of barley that decreases grower profitability by impacting yield and quality. Yield losses in susceptible varieties can range from 18-31%. Generally, less prevalent than Spot form net blotch (SFNB) over the last decade, NFNB is becoming increasingly common since the widespread cultivation of susceptible varieties. There is a need to better understand the yield impact of NFNB and to develop improved cultural practices to mitigate its impact.

This investment will develop and deliver cost effective IDM strategies for NFNB across all rainfall zones of the Northern and Southern regions by:

• Determining the impact of NFNB by measuring the yield and quality loss incurred in response to the different IDM strategies.
• Investigating the decline of NFNB inoculum levels of stubble over time and in different growing environments.
• Developing integrated disease management strategies and determine the cost benefit for implementing IDM strategies in each rainfall zone.
• Developing and delivery of an extension strategy to drive grower adoption.

https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=DAQ2304-008RTX

Contract Code: DJP2304-004RTX

Project start date: 01/04/2023

Project end date: 04/04/26

Crop type(s): Lentils, Faba/Broad Beans

Project Lead: Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)

Region: North, South

FAR Australia contact: Nick Poole nick.poole@faraustralia.com.au

The profitability of lentil and faba beans is limited and threatened by the presence of diseases. Ascochyta blight and Botrytis diseases (Botrytis Grey Mould and Chocolate Spot) are the most serious disease constraint impacting on lentil and faba bean production in the absence of control, AB in lentil and faba bean can result in losses greater than 70% of these crops, Botrytis CS in faba beans cause 30-50% and BGM of lentil 15 -25%.

Without adequate genetic resistance, disease management relies heavily on the limited fungicide actives registered for pulse crops. Further heightening this pressure is the intensity of production and area grown to pulses due to their profitability and the use of prophylactic fungicide applications to protect this investment by growers.

This investment will determine the relationships between lentil and faba bean varietal resistance rating, disease severity, and grain yield and quality loss and determine the economics and risk benefit of applying IDM strategies (chemical, cultural and genetic) for high, medium and low rainfall areas of the Southern region and NSW.

https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=DJP2304-004RTX

Contract Code: CUR2302-002RTX

Project start date: 10/02/2023

Project end date: 30/11/2025

Crop type(s): Wheat, Barley, Chickpeas, Lentils, Canola/Rapeseed

Project Lead: Curtin University

Region: North, South, West

FAR Australia contact: Nick Poole nick.poole@faraustralia.com.au

The development of fungicide resistance and the limitation of available fungicide Mode of Actions is an ongoing issue for grain growers.

The investment CUR1905-001SAX Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN), led by Curtin University, has successfully engaged a network of experts in plant pathology and fungicide resistance to develop consistent messaging and management strategies to combat the development of fungicide resistance in grain crops. A platform of resources has been developed and information delivered directly to growers and advisers through a series of workshops across Australia, which have improved the baseline knowledge and understanding of fungicide resistance development and management strategies.

This investment will ensure that the network of plant pathologists and fungicide resistance experts is maintained to extend existing information and new research information to the grain industry via dynamic communication and extension activities.

Contract Code: FAR2304-002RTX

Project start date: 01/04/2023

Project end date: 31/12/2025

Crop type(s): Wheat

Project Lead: FAR Australia

Region: North, South, West

FAR Australia contact: Dr Ben Jones ben.jones@faraustralia.com.au

What do the nitrogen bank, grain and graze crops, and understanding yield gaps have in common? Answer: the crop simulation model APSIM. APSIM has tested all of these ideas in low and medium yield environments. This project aims to improve APSIM for high wheat yields, so it can be better used to explore new concepts and assist farmer decision making.

The project will gather high yielding experimental results to provide test data and insights into any model changes required. High yielding wheat experiments in New Zealand will detail how wheat converts light into sugar, and how that in turn converts to grain. This understanding will be checked against and used to improve the APSIM wheat model.

The first uses of the improved model will be to redraw the potential yield map for Australia’s High Rainfall Zone, and to estimate yield gaps on FAR Australia’s Hyper Yielding Award paddocks.

https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=FAR2304-002RTX

Contract Code: BCG – FAR ARG004

Project start date: 24/04/2024

Project end date: 22/03/2028

Crop type(s): All

Project Lead: CSIRO

Region: North, South

FAR Australia contact: Ben Morris ben.morris@faraustralia.com.au

Improving farmers’ decision making around financial risks offers a wide range of benefits and opportunities, and is key to the economic stability and sustainability of the farming enterprise.  Farming is a complex business and is best analysed in discrete parts, with the three key aspects of financial risk being real estate (“dirt”), machinery (“diesel”) and inputs (“dice”).  By understanding the risks and returns on investment (risk-reward profiles) associated with each aspect of their enterprise, a farmer can focus on the part that will benefit their business as a whole, and adjust their decision making accordingly.

This component of RiskWi$e will focus on obtaining empirical data for analysis, together with insights into the behaviours that drive farmer decision making by –

• Delivering intensive workshops on financial risk management themes that are guided by growers and advisors and supported by professionals in decision making and finance.
• Benchmarking data on farm machinery purchases to understand the risk-reward trade-offs in these decisions, and from this insight, developing a machinery purchase decision support tool.
• Developing a framework for use by growers and advisors to assist with financial decision making and to support self-assessment of important investment decisions.
• Developing a decision support tool that can be used to scrutinise financial risk and develop strategies that not only manage risks but also drive growth opportunities.

Contract Code: BCG – FAR ARG002

Project start date: 24/04/2024

Project end date: 22/03/2028

Crop type(s): Wheat, Barley

Project Lead: CSIRO

Region: North, South

FAR Australia contact: Ben Morris ben.morris@faraustralia.com.au

Over the last decade, the link between the physiological importance of the top four leaves in cereal crop canopies and the success of disease management strategies has been well-established.  This research has identified key application timings based on specific development stages of the crop which coincide with the emergence of the most important leaves in the canopy.  The risks of straying from these timings and extending the gaps between the timings have been clearly identified, resulting in timings either too late to properly protect the crop or the over-application of fungicides.

This research component of RiskWi$e aims to use the key physiological timings for fungicide applications, combined with the monitoring of key criteria, to improve decision making on disease management.  This will be achieved through the development of a simple Decision Tree, which aims to address the question of “should I spray or not?”.  A prototype of the Decision Tree will be tested over three cropping seasons, both in small plot trials to enable the model to be refined, and in larger on-farm trials to validate its effectiveness under real-world conditions.

By engaging with local growers and advisers to co-develop and refine the Decision Tree, this project aims to equip growers and advisors with a straightforward and robust tool to make informed decisions about fungicide applications.

Contract Code: BCG – FAR ARG001

Project start date: 30/03/2023

Project end date: 30/03/2028

Crop type(s): All

Project Lead: CSIRO

Region: North, South

FAR Australia contact: Ben Morris ben.morris@faraustralia.com.au

Recent research suggests that the adoption of a nitrogen bank (N-bank) approach to nitrogen management, where nitrogen (N) is replenished and maintained at sufficient levels to achieve water-limited yield potential in most seasons, is less risky and more profitable than conventional N strategies. 

This research component of RiskWi$e compares various N management strategies to determine their legacy effects on subsequent crops.  A key focus of the research is on the performance of organic, compared to mineral, N banks, with both on-farm and small plot trials set up in 2023 and designed to be monitored over several years.

By delivering large-scale on-farm trials, this research aims to inform and improve risk-reward understandings of on-farm N management decisions and to support evidence-based practice change.

Contract Code: BCG ARG001-NRMI-RTX

Project start date: 30/03/2023

Project end date: 30/03/2028

Crop type(s): All

Project Lead: CSIRO

Region: North, South, West

FAR Australia contact: Ben Morris ben.morris@faraustralia.com.au

RiskWi$e (the National Risk Management Initiative), is a 5-year national initiative of approximately $30 million that will run from 2023 to 2028. It seeks to understand and improve the risk-reward outcomes for Australian grain growers by supporting grower on-farm decision-making. To do this it will:

1. Involve grain growers in the identification of on-farm decisions that have unknown components of risk-reward that will be studied to elucidate new insights.
2. Develop an improved understanding of the risk-reward relationships for on-farm management decisions.
3. Inform growers and their advisers of new insights into optimising rewards and managing risk.
4. Challenge grower decision-making so future management decisions are evaluated in terms of the probability of upside returns offset against the associated downside risks.

Our target outcome is that 80% of grain growers can articulate their production management decisions in terms of probability of upside returns (reward) offset against the associated downside risks.

To deliver RiskWi$e, a participatory action research methodology (an approach to research that pro-actively involves members of communities affected by that research in the research itself) will be employed. The centrepiece of this will see growers and their advisers quantifying the probabilities of uncertainty of outcomes and assessing the risk-reward payoffs for specific management decisions in the context of their own farming operations.

RiskWi$e was developed in response to two primary issues. Firstly, growers in various forums including the GRDC National Grower Network highlighted that the risk associated with grain production has escalated and needs attention. Secondly, to action Objective 5 ‘Manage risk to maximise profit and minimise losses’ of the GRDC RD&E Plan (2018-23).

https://grdc.com.au/research/partnerships-and-initiatives/strategic-partnerships/riskwise

Contract Code: FAR2302-001RTX

Project start date: 28/02/2023

Project end date: 30/05/2025

Crop type(s): Wheat

Project Lead: FAR Australia

Region: North

FAR Australia contact: Tom Price tom.price@faraustralia.com.au

Wheat powdery mildew can cause up to 25% yield loss in Australia with commonly grown varieties possessing poor resistance, ranging from susceptible to very susceptible. Wheat powdery mildew is found throughout the wheat growing regions of NSW and is particularly problematic in the western lower rainfall areas of NSW in years of higher-than-average rainfall and in irrigated paddocks. This investment builds upon previous findings to expand the validation and extension of wheat powdery mildew management strategies for northern grain growing regions.

https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=FAR2302-001RTX

Contract Code: FAR2204-001RTX

Project start date: 11/04/2022

Project end date: 31/10/2025

Crop type(s): Wheat, Barley, Canola

Project Lead: FAR Australia

Region: North, South, West

FAR Australia contact: Max Bloomfield max.bloomfield@faraustralia.com.au

Australian crop production takes place in a challenging environment where growers have to cope with climatic extremes. Managing production risk in yield-limiting environments due to abiotic events such as drought, high temperatures and frost is a necessity for growers to remain financially viable. It is estimated that $360 million is lost on average annually in wheat production as a result of frost depending on the severity of the events. Frost damage avoidance could be achieved through the manipulation of crop phenology using novel agronomic practices, including the application of plant growth regulators or mechanical defoliation. These approaches need to be researched at field scale over a range of production environments. Products that purport tolerance to/protection against frost will be assessed separately or in combination with phenological manipulation to arrive at novel outcomes for frost avoidance and protection in wheat, barley and canola crops.

https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=FAR2204-001RTX

Contract Code: DJP2105-006RTX

Project start date: 20/05/2021

Project end date: 31/07/2025

Crop type(s): Lentils, Chickpeas, Faba/Broad Beans, Field Peas, Vetch

Project Lead: Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)

Region: North, South

FAR Australia contact: Aaron Vague aaron.vague@faraustralia.com.au

This investment will deliver local development and extension to close the economic yield gap and maximise faming systems benefits from grain legume production. This will be achieved through the delivery of a hub and spoke model of delivery for grower-driven grain legume validation and demonstration trials across Victorian sub-regions to address these gaps.

Three major validation (hub) sites will focus on a combination of sub-regional grower driven D&E priorities and extension of new research learnings from aligned projects delivering a series of fully replicated trial designs. Six on farm demonstration (spoke) sites will focus on-farm with one to two trials at each site which may include full scale strip trials, and/or small demonstration plot trials driven by local grower D&E priorities.

Trials undertaken as part of the investment will cover the following:

1. Economic impacts of grain legumes on farm profitability
2. Disease and integrated weed management strategies in grain legumes
3. Flexible responses to emerging grower issues.

Other key components include the delivery of flexible extension activities linked to each of the sites, and monitoring and evaluation to benchmark and undertake some preliminary assessment of long-term impacts.

https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=DJP2105-006RTX

Contract Code: UOA2105-013RTX

Project start date: 26/05/2021

Project end date: 30/06/2025

Crop type(s): Lentils, Chickpeas, Faba/Broad Beans, Field Peas, Lupins, Vetch

Project Lead: South Australian Research and Development Institute

Region: South

FAR Australia contact: Aaron Vague aaron.vague@faraustralia.com.au

The investment will deliver local development and extension to close the economic yield gap and maximise faming systems benefits from grain legume production. This will be achieved through the delivery of a hub and spoke model of delivery for grower-driven grain legume validation and demonstration trials across South Australian sub-regions to address these gaps.

Three major validation (hub) sites will focus on a combination of sub-regional grower driven D&E priorities and extension of new research learnings from aligned projects delivering a series of fully replicated trial designs.

Ten on farm demonstration (spoke) sites will focus on-farm with one to two simple trials at each site which may include full scale strip trials, and/or small demonstration plot trials driven by local grower D&E priorities from the scope of trial areas.

Trials undertaken as part of the investment will cater to the following scope of activities:

1. Economic impacts of grain legumes on farm profitability;
2. Disease management and integrated weed management strategies in grain legumes;
3. Flexible responses to emerging grower issues, primarily arising from the GRDC Grower Networks.

Other key components include the delivery of flexible extension activities linked to each of the sites, and monitoring and evaluation to benchmark and undertake some preliminary assessment of long-term impacts.

https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=UOA2105-013RTX

Contract Code: BRA2105-001RTX

Project start date: 31/05/2021

Project end date: 15/06/2025

Crop type(s): Lentils, Chickpeas, Faba/Broad Beans, Field Peas, Vetch, Lupins

Project Lead: Brill Ag

Region: North, North

FAR Australia contact: Tom Price tom.price@faraustralia.com.au

The Service Provider is engaged to deliver development and extension to close the economic yield gap and maximise farming systems benefits from grain legume production in Central and Southern New South Wales. This will be achieved through the delivery of a hub and spoke model for grower driven grain legume validation and demonstration trials across Central and Southern NSW to address these gaps. This model includes 2 major validation (hub) sites and 5 on farm demonstration (spoke) sites.

• Hub sites will focus on a combination of sub-regional grower-driven D&E priorities and extension of new research learnings from aligned projects delivering a series of fully replicated trial designs to measure yield gap.
• Spoke sites will focus on-farm with one to two simple trials at each site which may include paddock scale strip trials, and/or small demonstration plot trials driven by local grower D&E priorities.

Trials undertaken will cater to the following:

1. Economic impacts of grain legumes on farm profitability (approx. 50%);
2. Disease and integrated weed management in grain legumes (approx. 20%); and
3. Flexible responses to emerging grower issues, primarily arising from the GRDC Grower Networks (approx. 30%).

Other key components of this procurement include the delivery of flexible extension activities linked to each of the sites, including provisions for peer-to-peer approaches, and are designed to enable a bespoke approach for targeting grower behaviour change around specific practices.

Monitoring and evaluation to benchmark grower behaviour change and adoption, is a key component of this investment. This will include measures such as area grown to grain legumes, crop mix and rotation, economic yield gaps.

https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=BRA2105-001RTX

Contract Code: RPI2206-003SAX

Project start date: 15/06/2022

Project end date: 30/06/2026

Crop type(s): Faba Beans, Wheat, Canola

Project Lead: Riverine Plains

Region: North

FAR Australia contact: Ben Morris ben.morris@faraustralia.com.au

Due to the abundance of feedlots and other intensive livestock operations in northeast Victoria, there is local interest in using manure to supply nutrients to grain crops and to address any prevailing soil constraints.  In collaboration with Riverine Plains, trials were established in 2022 and 2023 to assess the benefits of organic amendments in restoring fertility following a grain legume (faba bean) crop, as it seems that in high yielding situations, most of the nitrogen fixed by this legume is exported at harvest.  Yields from the following year’s wheat crops were compared under a variety of fertiliser treatments including 2.5, 5 and 10 tonnes/ha of manure.

A two-year extension to the project provides an opportunity to assess the legacy effects of these treatments.  Over the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons, the legacy of the treatments’ effects will be assessed at the 2023 trial site, specifically in relation to yield and soil nutrition.