INNOVATIVE ideas for start-up research and development projects commencing in 2023 to benefit Western Australian graingrowers are being sought by the Council of Grain Grower Organisations Limited (COGGO).
Projects can target any part of the WA grain supply and funding from $20,000 to $75,000 per annum is available over a project life of one or two years, to a maximum of $150,000.
COGGO chairman Rhys Turton said the funding aimed to improve the profitability and sustainability of the WA grains industry.
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"We are set up for another stellar year but the shine is definitely tempered by the huge rise in input costs," Mr Turton said.
"This reinforces the need for continuing research to help grain growers improve the productivity and sustainability of our farming systems.
"COGGO has a long history of providing catalytic funding for new R&D ideas and has seen many past recipients make a significant impact on returns for WA graingrowers."
Examples of COGGO funded projects already funded and underway include:
- Mingenew Irwin Group: using biobeds for reducing environmental impact of pesticide contamination - a project to build a biobed prototype and demonstrate the principles of biobeds for use onfarm with the aim of containing waste contaminated spray liquid.
- Edstar Genetics: developing higher protein wheat with superior processing characteristics - a project aimed at delivery of market ready varieties which are entered into the National Variety Trials (NVT) with the accompanying data on protein content, dough extensibility and dough strength.
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development: using high throughput sequencing technology to transform disease surveillance.
- CSIRO: iIdentifying opportunities to integrate a spring-sown summer crop into winter wheat-based cropping system in WA.
- Murdoch University: identify and combine the best alleles from two genes to achieve maximum pod shattering resistance in narrow-leafed lupins.
Initial expressions of interest (EOI) applications need to be submitted by July 1 and those applicants who have their EOI accepted will then be invited to submit a full project proposal.