Queensland now has a major national research laboratory to provide quality tests for the products of most field crops grown in Australia.

A Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) senior research scientist Glen Fox said an amalgamation of staff and equipment at three existing laboratories in Toowoomba was now providing Australian plant breeders with services not previously available.

Mr Fox said the laboratory was the first of its kind in Australia to handle such a diverse portfolio of grain and pulse crops.

He said the change was a result of amalgamating the Australian Malting Barley Centre, Barley Quality Laboratory and the Wheat Quality Laboratory to form the Queensland Grains Research Laboratory.

The expanded laboratory would remain at the Leslie Research Centre in Toowoomba.

Mr Fox said to demonstrate a commitment to providing a quality service, the new combined facility would operate under a single Quality Management System and attain full accreditation in the near future.

He said the expanded laboratory meant support for DPI&F plant breeders of almost all Australian field crops grown in the  Grains Research and Development Corporation’s northern region.

“We can now quickly provide information for plant breeders on the suitability of the products of their experimental lines for end uses.

“For example, we can rank grain from experimental barley lines on its suitability for malting, brewing and feed markets, or wheat for milling, feed, bread, or specialist niche uses such as yellow alkaline noodles and sponge and dough bread.

“A major new initiative for the Wheat end products group within this Laboratory is a new collaborative GRDC project between the DPI&F and CSIRO on sponge and dough bread,” Mr Fox said. 

“This new project is an important example of pre-breeding research that will deliver benefits to all Australian wheat breeding programs.

“We will also be able to measure the grain quality of pulse crops, such as peanuts, soybeans and chickpeas,” he said.

Mr Fox said the change would mean an increase in the number of samples tested from the present 25,000 a year, and a faster turnaround of samples and results through access to additional equipment and skilled staff.

The Leslie Research Centre (formerly Queensland Wheat Research Institute) Wheat Quality Laboratory was opened in 1962 and the Barley Quality Laboratory opened 10 years later.