Key Programs and Initiatives
Key Programs and Initiatives
Low Methane Sheep
The Low Methane Sheep project will give sheep producers the option to genetically select for animals with lower enteric methane emissions, thus increasing their productivity. This project is in collaboration with University of New England (UNE), Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) and MLA Donor Company.
This project will measure the amount of methane emissions from individual sheep to genetically predict which animals will naturally produce low amounts of methane. Researchers will develop a mobile field test for measuring methane emission on 10,000 sheep in research as well as in breeder flocks. Combined with their genotype information, this data will allow genomic prediction of breeding values on selection candidates.
We will also determine the economic value of selecting for low methane emitting sheep and develop a strategy for breeders to genetically improve sheep for low emission traits, along with selection for productivity. A data pipeline will be developed to feed this information directly into the single-step genetic evaluation by Sheep Genetics. An optimal selection index will be developed that allows a balanced genetic improvement of Australian sheep to reduce methane emission by about 1% per year while at the same time improving production efficiency and product quality.
Developing NIRS calibrations to screen for methane production
The project's goal is to create and commercialise a Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) calibration that can quickly and affordably predict the fermentability and methane production potential of various legumes, grasses, and mixed swards. This project is in collaboration with MLA Donor Company.
By achieving this, the project aims to benefit the industry in several ways:
- Enable plant breeders and researchers to identify low methane species, varieties, and farming practices suitable for different environments and forage breeding programs.
- Facilitate rapid assessment of feedbase methane production and provide additional data for grazing study research.
- Compare the methane efficiency of different grazing systems when used in conjunction with live weight, intake, and methane output data.
- Serve as a cost-effective tool for comparing and selecting species and accession early in forage breeding programs, instead of evaluating methanogenic potential at a later stage
- Disseminate information to suppliers, allowing producers to choose pasture species with higher antimethanogenic properties, thereby reducing their carbon footprint while maintaining productivity and profit.
NSW - National Grains Diagnostic & Surveillance Initiative (NGDSI)
Exotic pests and diseases are a threat to Australian agriculture as they can potentially damage crops, increase costs and inhibit exports. The potential annual cost to growers to control an incursion and impact on trade during an incursion is conservatively estimated at $100.4M. Timeliness of detection and response are critical to success when it comes to biosecurity. Early detection of a pest or disease can mean the difference between cost-effective control and the devastation of an industry. In instances where the pest or disease is detected early it may be easier to eliminate it or control it and use fewer resources in doing so.
Biosecurity diagnostics require a major uplift to improve throughput and timeliness, which can be achieved through the modernisation of diagnostics methods. The grains industry faces increased biosecurity risks from a range of factors including increased international movement in trade and people, increasing chemical resistance, decrease in number of traditional taxonomists, and increasing cost of inputs. There is a need to provide the grains industry with fast, accurate diagnostics for key industry personnel, including growers, to enable timely management decisions that reduce the impact of biotic threats on grain crops.
Of the 54 high priority exotic grains pests that could impact the Australian grains industry, less than 10% have an approved National Diagnostic Protocol and none are based on high throughput sequencing (HTS). Similarly, many of the established diseases and pests (endemics) do not have diagnostics based on HTS.
NSW DPI will be working on the following areas:
Theme A: Adoption of modern quantitative PCR (qPCR) and HTS platforms as diagnostics standards for the Australian grain industry
Theme B: In-field or near field diagnostics systems advanced and implemented for near real time identification of biotic threats.
Theme D: Forecasting seasonal occurrence, magnitude and distribution of diseases and pests
Source: NSW - National Grains Diagnostic & Surveillance Initiative (NGDSI) (grdc.com.au)
Biosecurity – Varroa Destructor Mite
The Varroa destructor mite is now considered established in New South Wales, so beekeepers are required to monitor and report its presence. The national Transition to Management plan for Varroa mite aims to increase resilience of the beekeeping industry, and minimise ongoing impacts of varroa mite naturalisation across Australia's bee and pollination-dependent industries.
Over the next twelve months the National Varroa Mite Management Program will host many Varroa mite management workshops across Australia. These free workshops will cover topics including Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Varroa impacts, organic and chemical treatment options, frame rotation, record-keeping and much more.
Overseas experience tells us that if beekeepers prematurely treat their hives the mite will quickly develop miticide resistance. If this occurs, treatment options become limited and less effective. While slowing the spread of Varroa mite is critical, so too is ensuring the mite doesn’t build resistance. Best-practice mite management suggests all hives in an apiary be treated only when a five (5) mite threshold is reached in a monitoring action sample of 300 bees from any hive in that apiary.
Developing management strategies to enhance the recovery of horticulture from bushfires
This project co- invested by Hort Innovation is being undertaken in NSW and South Australia and was initiated after the devastating bushfires that occurred in the 2019/20. Sections of orchards that were affected by radiant heat (‘blowtorch’ sites) have shown impressive recovery levels three years after the bushfire damage, while trees that suffered trunk burns (‘slow cooker’ sites) are still struggling to survive. The work includes field experiments that investigates recovery options of fire damaged trees and will conclude with a bushfire recovery manual that will include guidelines for better preparedness of such extreme events.
Evaluating the 2nd generation of disease resistant winegrape varieties
This national project co-invested by Wine Australia is assessing the viticultural performance of over 500 mildew-resistant varieties in the Riverina and Orange grape growing regions. These selections were planted in the 2023/24 growing season as single vines with their establishment monitored. Later in the project, small-scale wines will be made over at least two growing seasons of fruit produced in the Riverina, followed by wine sensory evaluation. Those 2nd generation varieties showing the most potential will be selected for planting in replicated trials in the Riverina and Orange regions for further evaluation.
Improving Farming Systems efficiency in Southern NSW
Coupling field research with modelling and economic analysis to develop strategies that convert rainfall into more profit across crop sequences. Entering its eighths season in 2024, this project has been a long-term collaboration between NSW DPI, CSIRO and GRDC. This research enables growers to develop strategies to convert rainfall into more profit across crop sequences while managing costs, risks, soil fertility, weeds and diseases.
Contributing to planning programs that has seen hundreds of agribusiness consultants and growers use the outputs in farm planning over the past three years.
Improving Heat Tolerance in Canola
Investigates the heat stress on canola by imposing heat shocks at critical growth stages between flowering and pod fill. NSW DPI developed and constructed the heat chambers used in this project, which have been duplicated worldwide. Resulting data will be provided to canola breeding companies to use in breeding lines to target high temperatures and reduce heat shock impacts.
Heat shock currently impacts canola crops across NSW and reduces the movement of canola into hotter environments eg northern NSW. With climate change impacts this project will improve the yield from canola. A 5% increase in canola yield will result in an extra 140,000 Tonnes of seed valued around $70,000,000.
Managing Sclerotinia in Oilseed and Pulse crops in Northern and Southern farming systems
Sclerotinia diseases of pulse and oilseed crops are emerging as an important constraint within cropping systems in Australia. Changes in farming practices are favouring the establishment and continued development of the disease between seasons where Sclerotinia disease has now become a problem every year. Broadleaf crops within cropping rotations, in particular canola and narrowleaf lupin, are very effective at building up levels of sclerotia (the survival structures of the Sclerotinia fungus) that have the ability to survive in soils for up to 10 years and potentially cause future infections. This presents are problem for grain producers in spring when the Sclerotinia fungus releases spores from fruiting structures that result in significant crop injury when conditions are favourable.
This national project is led by NSW DPI at Wagga Wagga and has collaborators based in South Australia, Victoria, northern NSW, and Queensland. The aim of the project is to improve our understanding of Sclerotinia diseases of pulse crops (including lupin, faba bean, lentil, chickpea, and peanut) and develop strategies that can be used by grain producers to manage the disease. Most importantly this project focuses on managing Sclerotinia diseases across the entire farming system and investigates the interaction of Sclerotinia diseases across all broadleaf crops in the rotation including canola.
At Wagga Wagga field experiments are conducted to establish critical yield loss figures that are used to benchmark economic control parameters in lupin, faba bean, chickpea and lentil. Agronomy experiments are conducted to investigate the use of non-chemical management options for the disease, including plant density and time of sowing, and understanding the impact of crop canopy development. The strategic use of fungicides is also being investigated as another tool to be used within an integrated disease management approach.
Identifying novel sources of resistance to Septoria Tritici Blotch (STB) in Australian and International wheat germplasm
Development of at least 5 novel broad spectrum adult plant resistance genes for STB for Australian and international breeders. NSW DPI is the lead in this research developing screening methods that are patented.
Germplasm from this project will be passed onto Australian wheat breeders to develop disease resistant lines for growers to access. This reduces the reliance on fungicides to create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly cropping system. Reducing growers’ costs of fungicides and local environmental impacts.
National Variety Trials (NVT) for NSW
NVT is GRDC’s flagship project for crop variety evaluation across the country. NSW DPI is the service provider in NSW and undertakes evaluation of newly released and pre-release varieties of all cereals, pulses and oilseeds to provide annual information for growers to make the best choice for their region, environment and soil type. NSW DPI leverages this work by also providing the pathology for new varieties under a separate but related project.
DPI leverages the information from being the NVT service provider in NSW to extend appropriate information to NSW growers.
The data collected is also used in the annual production of the DPI flagship publication, the “Winter Crop Sowing Guide”.
Low methane pastures - statewide
The project will identify existing and new pasture species to reduce methane emissions from ruminants. Ruminant livestock emit 75% of agricultural GHGs emissions through methane production.
The project will establish which pasture species can be successfully grown across NSW to reduce methane emissions, identify specific compounds which promote this reduction and assist with the development of methodologies (GHG) for producers. This will assist NSW in meeting GHG emission reduction targets and achieving Net Zero.
StockPlan Plus
Update the StockPlan suite of products and enable data sharing across planning and recovery tools such as Drought and Supplementary Feed Calculator (DASFC)
StockPlan Plus is invested through the Storm and Flood Industry Recovery Program (SFIRP) and will enable select web and mobile based tools to be able to share and use data to assist with planning and recovery from significant climatic events.
The suite of projects includes Stock Plan, Trigger Points, Grazing Intelligence and DASFC. Trigger Points assists producers and advisors to plan and compare to regionally based ‘best bet’ plans, Grazing Intelligence uses satellite data and AI to measure and predict pasture production and will incorporate animal performance modules to assist producers make timely decisions to avoid over grazing and reduce potential erosion. DASFC is already being used by LLS and advisors to assist with stock feeding decisions.
High performance pastures (acid soil & carbon) - statewide
The project is identifying high performance perennial pasture species and production systems for acid soils across NSW and measuring impact on soil C. NSW has significant areas of acid soil or soil which is at risk of acidification causing negative production, environmental and sustainability issues.
High performance perennial pasture systems can increase farm productivity while stabilising ground cover to reduce issues such as erosion. Additionally, the project aims to improve management of acidifying soils across NSW. Perennial pastures are the only real method at present of potentially assisting with the sequestration of soil C. Identifying perennial pasture systems which can successfully sequester soil C will assist to develop approved methodologies will assist NSW reach net zero targets.
Unlocking Soil Potential Stratgic Partnership (USP)
The USP investment is a $15 million strategic partnership between GRDc and NSW DPI over five years (2023 -2028) and is designed to lift and shift the grains production frontier by ‘unlocking’ access to water and nutrients in constrained NSW cropping soils. This partnership aims to improve soil management through the use of existing knowledge and traditional technologies, combined with the development and commercialisation of next generation soil technologies currently at various stages of technology-ready levels), to address multiple soil constraints across six sub-regions.