South Perth, Western Australia
September 25, 2008
The Department of
Agriculture and Food is undertaking research to determine
how cereal crops respond to frost and its impact on cereal
production.
Department research officer Ben Biddulph said it was well known
that frost could cause significant economic losses to growers in
the Western Australian grains industry.
“Frost damage to cereal crops can occur at anytime but is most
devastating at heading as a consequence of aborted florets, head
damage and stem damage,” he said.
“Frost events that occur when the grain is filling also
contribute to significant losses through increased screenings
and down grading of quality.”
Mr Biddulph said past research and extension activities had
aimed to minimise the impact of frost, by managing flowering
time to avoid frost events, either through cultivar selection,
time of sowing or growing less susceptible crops.
“This year’s research is looking at crops that are exposed to
frost during flowering and how this impacts on production.
Mr Biddulph said a trial site of wheat and barley had been
established east of Cuballing, and was monitored for induced
sterility on flowering plants and environmental conditions,
which would enable the characterisation of the frost environment
in WA.
“To date, the very frosty conditions that have been experienced
in the WA wheatbelt through July, August and September have
worked in well for the progress of the investigation for this
season,” he said.
The research is part of a four-year project, which is a
collaboration between the department and the Queensland
Department of Primary Industries, the University of Adelaide and
the Grains Research and Development Corporation.
Photo caption
Department research officer Ben Biddulph tagging barley plants
at the east Cuballing frost research site. Barley and wheat
varieties were sown at weekly intervals from the 21st of April
this year in order to have material flowering over a range of
frost events. |
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