Ongoing innovation will be crucial to the grains industry’s survival in the face of new global challenges, according to Terry Enright, chairman of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).

Since 1990, the GRDC has consulted and worked closely with the grains industry to focus R&D investments on grower needs. During this period, the value of the grains industry has quadrupled to almost $9 billion, with investment in Australian R&D contributing to an 86 per cent rise in average annual grain production (to about 43 million tonnes) drawn from a 64 per cent increase in land sown (currently about 23 million hectares).

Mr Enright told this year’s Grains Week conference in Canberra that 74 per cent of Australian grain growers, who participated in an independent survey in 2005, found that they had not only directly benefited from R&D initiatives but they also rated the GRDC’s performance as high or very high.

“Achievements in Australian grains R&D over the past 15 years, combined with growers’ willingness to embrace new farm management and agronomic practices, are indicative that continued innovation is the key to the industry’s survival.”

For example, in the past 12 months Mr Enright explained that the GRDC has:

• Delivered the National Variety Trials which provides data, through NVTOnline information, on the performance of soon to be released crop varieties

• Established a national approach to:

  • barley breeding through Barley Breeding Australia and helped establish linkages to Barley Australia

  • pulse breeding through a National Pulse Breeding Program (a cooperation between GRDC, Pulse Australia and state government pulse breeding agencies)

• Launched a joint crop biofactory initiative between GRDC and CSIRO

• Released two new chickpea varieties

• Established another international joint venture with Canadian company Philom Bios which will commercially develop new soil inoculant products for cereal and canola growers

• Made good progress on the implementation and communication of strategies that underpin The Way Forward which has improved communication with growers, grower organisations, investment partners and the Australian Government.

The National Variety Trials are an excellent example of broad industry collaboration. GRDC, at the request of the Grains Council of Australia, provided funding for this initiative. There were some 511 sites planted and of these some 486 have been harvested. Australian and state governments worked closely with seed producers and graingrowers who were involved in the selection of sites. Results have been analysed by independent biometricians and are now available online at www.nvtonline.com.au

The role of R&D as a key contributor to grain’s impressive 3.2 per cent annual productivity growth is significantly ahead of beef, dairy and sheep.

“Growers have identified new crop varieties, disease control and farm practices, and their corresponding economic and environmental outcomes, as key benefits emerging from GRDC activities over the past five years,” Mr Enright said.

“The GRDC is committed to the ongoing delivery of R&D outcomes that will enable Australian graingrowers to compete effectively in the wake of new challenges including a shifting international market and increasing production potential overseas,” Mr Enright said.