A NEW $5 million Crop Research Hub is set to be established in Western Australia in a bid to bolster crop productivity and reduce the affect of disease nationwide.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and WA Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan announced the project at Murdoch University last Wednesday.
The investment has been kickstarted by a $3m Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) infrastructure grant, a $1.5m contribution from Murdoch University and $250,000 from Curtin University and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
The research hub will be primarily based at Murdoch University where 18 glasshouses will be built and 2.8 hectares of irrigated, netted field plots will be established.
A separate glasshouse will be built at Curtin University and will work hand-in-hand with its new Centre for Crop Disease and Management, while allowing pathogen studies separate from the Murdoch glasshouses.
GRDC chairman John Woods said WA growers and the State economy would benefit from the research undertaken at the facility.
“The collaborative hub and state-of-the-art infrastructure is expected to improve the efficiency and productivity of crop research in WA, helping to enable new research outcomes to reach growers’ paddocks faster than before,” Mr Woods said.
“The purpose of the grant program is to boost capacity and capability in Australian grain research and development through funding key infrastructure and to create enduring profitability for grain growers.”
Mr Joyce said the Federal government – which helped fund the GRDC – saw research and development as a priority.
He said progress in R&D would see WA better prepared for dry seasons such as 2017.
“WA is going to have a bit of a tough year this year, obviously up around Geraldton could be an absolute dog of a season and it’s not going to be any good at all, down south probably a lot better,” Mr Joyce said.
“You had about 17 million tonnes last year but you’ll be lucky to crack the 10mt this year, so we’ve got things that we need to do.
“What’s great is to come to a place like here at Murdoch and find those smart people who are part of that task.
“With this money from the GRDC, the capital infrastructure that is going towards things such as the glasshouses, it gives the capacity for Murdoch and Curtin universities and the Federal and State governments to be at the forefront of this incredible task.
“This innovative project will draw on the specialist research skills from each party to develop new research in crop pathology, plant physiology and genetic improvement.”
Murdoch University deputy vice chancellor of research and innovation David Morrison said the Crop Research Hub would enhance WA’s reputation as a global research leader.
“Our research partnership is making a difference on a global scale and this investment provides a platform for even greater achievement,” he said.
“It will make a big difference to productivity in agriculture and create a lot of opportunities for those not just locally to work more closely together, but it also creates opportunities to collaborate and make a contribution nationally and internationally.”