September 10, 2014
Representatives from the Grains Research and Development Corporation – the statutory authority that directs R&D investment in the Australian grains industry – visited Kingaroy today.
The GRDC Northern Panel members met with growers and heard updates on GRDC-funded research projects.
Peanut Company of Australia CEO John Howard briefed the panel on the Australian Genetic Peanut Improvement Program.
PhD students Dan O’Connor and Kylie Wenham, who are conducting GRDC-funded research projects at the J Bjelke-Petersen Research Facility in Kingaroy, led the Panel members through a tour of peanut breeding facilities at the station.
Dan is investigating ways to quickly identify the genetic markers for three key peanut breeding traits which are sought after by the Australian peanut industry: blanchability, resistance to net blotch and Hi Oleic oil.
Kylie is conducting research into Neocosmospora, a fungal pathogen that was first identified as damaging peanut crops in the Ban Ban Springs area in 2005.
Other guest speakers included entomologist Hugh Brier who discussed integrated pest management in pulse and grain crops.
Prof Mike Bell updated the Panel on soil and nutrition projects.
Neil Halpin, from DAFF at Bundaberg, and Ian Crosthwaite, from BGA AgriServices Kingaroy, provided an overview of the Coastal and Inland Burnett node of the Grower Solutions Group, part of GRDC’s regional cropping initiative aimed at promoting R&D suitable for local conditions.
- External link: GRDC Gets Out In The Paddock
