Vital grains research feeling the pinch from drought

Grains researchers have had to adapt their projects this year as a result of drought.

Each year upward of 50 different research crops are grown in New South Wales.

Studies of new grain varieties are required before they’re made available for growers.

DPI Leader of Agronomy and Crop Protection Keith Pengilley told Macquarie’s Rural Reporter Eddie Summerfield, they’ve needed to be diligent in where this year’s crops have been planted.

“We came back to the drawing board in February, as New South Wales DPI, and looked at where we had suitable sites to conduct research,” Mr Pengilley said.

“We were tossing up between us, what were the options, do we have irrigation, do we have a full profile of moisture to sow trials onto.”

The annual research plays a pivotal role in the development, and use of new grain varieties by farmers.

“We have new varieties that are being released from plant breeders all of the time, and we as an industry need to know what are the best management practices, that we should adopt as an industry for when the varieties are commercially release,” Mr Pengilley said.

“So growers are armed with the right information on what nitrogen application, sowing time, and how to manage those crops.”

Listen to the full interview to find out how they determined the sites where crops have been grown, and if they’ve made it through the season.

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