Agricultural
6 July, 2022
Darling Downs integral to new research
The three Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) facilities at Rockville, Wellcamp and Kingsthorpe will play an important role in the Queensland Government’s $140 million in research for 2022-23.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner was at the Leslie Research Facility in Rockville last week, which plays a key role in agricultural research, with laboratories, glasshouses, growth rooms, growth cabinets and seed storage facilities.
Mr Furner said Queensland agriculture’s Gross Value of Production rose to an estimated $23.54 billion in 2021-22, with the funding a commitment to the science that is backing the success of farmers.
“Our research support, which involves both government funding and investment by research partners, plays a key role in helping farmers to trial new varieties, advance technologies and manage pests while they get on with what they do best,” Mr Furner said.
Current Leslie Research Facility projects are:
Developing new legume crop Pigeonpea.
Screening broadacre weed seeds for herbicide resistance genes to educate industry on species shifts due to herbicide use, and strategies to combat these changes.
Quantifying soil constraints.
Industry workshops and online tools to support the broadacre grains industry.
Future Drought Fund team - fostering resilience.
World-leading team of biometricians, bioinformatics and statistical analysis. specialists who ensure our Crop and Food Science R&D is robust and innovative.
Grains Quality laboratory - supports cereal grain sector supply chain.
Other ongoing work includes managing Fall Armyworm in maize through entomological research, barley pathology trials and combined research and development projects between the DAF, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Southern Queensland and private industry that has been occurring at DAF facilities as well as on grower properties.
The Leslie weed science team is tasked with:
Mapping herbicide resistance in key weeds across Queensland grain and cotton farming systems.
Quantifying impact of growing competitive crops on suppressing weed growth and seed production
Measuring shifts in herbicide resistant weed populations in response herbicide practices.
Integrated weed management across Queensland’s grain and cotton farming systems.
Developing a soil testing method and decision-making tool to help growers in using residual herbicides.
