A PARTNERSHIP priming Australia as a key country in research to beat herbicide resistance is an "exciting" chance to make growers more profitable according to industry commentators.
The work by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) to link with multinational chemical and pharmaceutical company Bayer was applauded at a WA panel event.
The 'Farming, the key to Australia's future' road show was in Geraldton last week featuring host Liam Bartlett and touching on the topics that deal with the present and future of the industry.
Discussion centred on marketing, variety breeding and economic value of the $45 million, five-year contribution the GRDC announced with Bayer CropScience last year.
The joint venture, Herbicide Innovation Partnership, will address the global slow-down in weed-control research over the past two decades and the consequent absence of new herbicides to replace those succumbing to herbicide resistance.
The current cost of weeds to the grains industry in Australia alone is estimated at almost $3.3 billion a year.
GRDC deputy chairman Kim Halbert, Eneabba, said research and development (R&D) was for the future of grain growing in not only increasing yields, but ensuring every step was forward.
He highlighted herbicide resistance as a big issue in WA, a sentiment his fellow panel members in WAFarmers Grains Council president and Beverley grower Duncan Young and GRDC Regional Cropping Solutions Network Geraldton member and Northampton grower Karl Suckling agreed with.
"The Bayer Herbicide Innovation Project is really exciting," Mr Halbert said.
"Before we did that Australia wasn't on the radar for Bayer and their initial molecule testing had no Australian weeds.
"Now we're a tier-one country and all our worst weeds are in the initial screening."
Mr Halbert said this positioning kept Australia up with the likes of Europe and the US, something Mr Young said was very important for the future of the grains industry.
Mr Young said herbicide costs were almost on par with his fertiliser costs, making it a key concern in his productivity levels.
Instead of being considered a "blip on the radar" for Bayer's chemical development, Australia is now a key location and Mr Young said this was very welcome.
"We're less than one per cent (in the international grains market) so why would they bring a chemical into here when they're not going to make any money," he said.
"Our yields aren't high enough and returns aren't big enough that they can't sell that chemical for the price they sell in Europe.
"This Bayer opportunity to partner I think is lot bigger than many of people realise.
"It's putting us front and centre and I think there's huge opportunities that may come out of it."
Under the venture, the GRDC will support the expansion of weeds research capacities at Bayer CropScience in Frankfurt, Germany.
About 40 extra researchers, many to be recruited in Australia, will boost the ability to identify and explore advanced technologies.
A focus of this partnership is for Australian weeds to be included in primary screening in Germany and early assessments of new chemical molecules in Australia.
Fourteen Australian weeds will be included in the early assessment, including ryegrass, wild radish, feathertop Rhodes grass and fleabane.
Rachael Oxborrow
Grains writer for Farm Weekly.
Grains writer for Farm Weekly.
