Australia
February 11, 2016

GRDC northern panellist Jack Williamson caught up with sorghum breeder and geneticist Professor David Jordan at the Hermitage Research Station, Warwick.

The research priorities of Queensland and New South Wales grain growers were the focus of intense scrutiny this week when members of the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s (GRDC) northern panel met in Toowoomba.

Panellists spent two days deliberating the key production challenges facing northern growers to ensure that existing research investment is delivering effective and practical solutions and identify where research funding gaps exist.

The panel meetings also play a critical role in ensuring future levy investment is well-targeted, nets a tangible return for growers and reflects growers’ research needs and priorities according to GRDC northern panel chair James Clark.

“The panel’s role is essentially to be a conduit between growers, the wider industry and GRDC management. We have a responsibility to ensure that levy investment will deliver farm-ready solutions to production constraints, help reduce production costs and have a positive impact on farm profitability,” Mr Clark said.

“To fulfil this responsibility we also need to put some hard questions on the table such as `is existing investment effective, are there investments that aren’t delivering sufficient returns for growers, do our investment ratios accurately reflect the impact of production constraints and what new production challenges are likely to raise their head in the future’?

“When addressing these sorts of questions the input of panellists is invaluable as it provides a practical, localised perspective. At the same time the science community offers us the way forward, not just in terms of solving current production constraints but by providing an insight into future research needs and that’s what we’ve been addressing this week.”

This week’s panel meeting was broadly consultative with the itinerary including meetings with research teams at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Tor Street offices, Leslie Research Centre, the University of Southern Queensland and Hermitage Research Centre.

Some of the innovative research projects being undertaken at these facilities and other research nodes across the north will be showcased at the upcoming GRDC Grains Research Updates, offering growers and advisors an opportunity to interact with GRDC northern panellists and leading industry professionals to understand how GRDC-funded research programs are helping tackle some of the north’s most pressing production challenges.

First on the calendar is a two-day GRDC Grains Research Update at Wagga Wagga on February 16 and 17 while a one day Update will be held at Corowa on February 18.

Updates will also be held at Coonabarabran on February 23-24, Walgett on February 25, Nyngan on February 26, Goondiwindi on March 1-2 and North Star on March 3.

Event details are available on the GRDC website www.grdc.com.au/Research-and-Development/GRDC-Update-Dates

For more information or to register for the Wagga Wagga Update, contact ORM on 03 5441 6176, email admin@orm.com.au or visit www.orm.com.au

For more information or to register for the Coonabarabran, Walgett, Nyngan, Goondiwindi or North Star events, contact John Cameron or Erica McKay, ICAN, on 02 9482 4930, e-mail northernupdates@icanrural.com.au or visit www.icanrural.com.au

Website: http://www.grdc.com.au

Published: February 11, 2016