"IT is time to get serious about frost" - that was the message of a letter sent to the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) on behalf of farmers in the eastern Wheatbelt.
The letter was sent by independent agricultural and pastoral consultant Alan Peggs earlier this month after many of his clients were hammered by the frost event that hit the grain growing region over September 4 and 5.
Mr Peggs said it was clear, even one week after the event, that this year's frost was significantly worse than the last devastating one in 2016.
"In that year I had clients in the eastern Wheatbelt lose 50 per cent of their crop, while this year I think it is going to be 75pc - not only is this damaging financially, it is overwhelming and emotionally distressing," Mr Peggs said.
"Just think about it - it is potentially the best crop you have grown and because it is a bin buster you have given it every chance to reach its potential with extra fertiliser, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides.
"Plus because you had such good summer rain and a wonderful early start to the season in April, you even put more crop in the ground than budgeted.
"But then, despite receiving 50pc more growing season rainfall, your final yield will now be well below average - all due to frost."
The effect of that frost event on overall harvest estimates has been well documented, with the Grain Industry Association of Western Australia (GIWA) predicting a decline of at least 700,000 tonnes - with the current State estimate sitting at 19.3 million tonnes, down from just over 20mt in August.
GRDC senior regional manager - west, Peter Bird said the early September frost events in the eastern Wheatbelt were particularly severe, and they recognised that other areas were also affected.
"These damaging frost events have caused significant emotional stress to many growers and we are now starting to realise the extent of the yield impact," Mr Bird said.
"The GRDC Western Region Panel toured parts of the eastern Wheatbelt just days after the frost and I and other staff members from our Perth office have met with growers and advisers at the Grower Group Alliance (GGA) field walks organised in response to the frost event.
"These field walks were a GRDC initiative that was put in place in the case of significant frost events this season and were designed to support growers with frost identification and management."
While Mr Peggs was the first to admit that the GRDC had funded an extensive program in frost research, he believed the most pressing problem was the susceptibility of crops, in particular wheat and barley, to below freezing temperatures, at or near flowering.
According to his letter, the only solution to that problem is to develop wheat and barley cultivars which could tolerate temperatures down to -5c and that the only way to do that is through genetic engineering.
"There is no need to be afraid of using genetic engineering to enhance the frost tolerance of wheat and barley cultivars - there will be a market for genetically modified wheat and barley, albeit if it is only livestock in the immediate future," Mr Peggs said.
"The GRDC should immediately develop a frost tolerant cereal program based on genetic engineering and that program should be located in WA with sub-programs in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
"With a combination of above average crop prices and a forecast record crop this year - albeit one that will be two million tonnes lower in WA due to frost - the GRDC should be in a strong financial position to establish this program in the coming financial year."
Mr Peggs did hear back from the GRDC in a timely manner, both via a letter from interim managing director Cathie Warburton and a call from Western panel chairman Darrin Lee.
While they did not confirm Mr Peggs' direct request, they did reassure him that the GRDC was committed to helping graingrowers in frost-prone areas and mentioned an exciting development in the wheat variety space that would soon be announced by an Australian plant breeder.
Mr Bird told Farm Weekly that GRDC's research, development and extension (RD&E) investments into frost currently target the development of farming systems, crop genetic improvement and spatial temperature mapping and damage assessment tools to enable growers to manage frost risk.
"Like growers, we understand that natural events, such as frost, heat, droughts and excessive rainfall, are part of the natural climate variability experienced in farming, and all need to be managed dependent on their probability," he said.
"Frost impacts grain production globally and many countries and organisations have and continue to invest in R&D to minimise frost impact but despite these collective efforts, frost still impacts yields and will likely continue to be part of the ongoing climate risk that growers need to manage.
"GRDC is committed to supporting growers through RD&E that helps manage climate risk, that looks to improve how effectively and accurately we can identify frost damage, investigates agronomic manipulation of crops to avoid or reduce frost damage, and explores genetic solutions for frost and chilling tolerance."
