Australian grain growers are being invited to help shape major new research opportunities that could deliver significant gains in productivity and profitability. The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is currently exploring nitrogen as part of an increase in 'blue sky' research to discover new science solutions for some of growers' biggest challenges and is seeking input to help guide this work.
Each year, Australian grain growers spend approximately 11 to 16 per cent of their crop revenue on fertiliser and it is increasing over time. Yet research shows when it comes to nitrogen only an estimated 40 per cent is used by crops in the year of application, while the rest is retained in the soil, residues or lost via multiple pathways.
While Australia is recognised for responsible fertiliser use, other challenges remain with most fertiliser imported and costs tied to global energy markets, exposing growers to both price and supply volatility.
Growers have consistently raised fertiliser costs and decision making as one of their major on-farm constraints. GRDC is now investigating how to build on three decades of research, development and extension (RD&E) success to transform nitrogen use-efficiency and fix more nitrogen on-farm.
GRDC Board Chair and South Australian grain grower Sharon Starick said the focus on nitrogen was in direct response to grower needs and the identification of new and emerging research that could deliver significant financial gains.
"On our farm we have seen the difference long-term research can make: better varieties, improved rotations, soil amelioration and smarter agronomy have all lifted our water and nitrogen performance," she said.
That success provides a great platform to take the next step in nitrogen research. This is about breakthrough technologies and novel research that are high-risk for high reward, such as engineering new crops to fix nitrogen or produce their own, or on-farm or regional nitrogen fertiliser production.
This sort of blue sky research could significantly reduce grower's fertiliser costs and increase yields. GRDC's focus is on investing with an international, co-ordinated approach to build on what growers have already achieved and set them up for the future.
During the past 20 years, GRDC research into water use efficiency (WUE) and nitrogen management coupled with growers' ingenuity has driven remarkable improvements on Australian farms with improved varieties, smarter rotations, better soil management and targeted agronomy lifting performance and resilience.
Analysis commissioned by the GRDC shows significant gains in WUE during the past 20 years, with wheat WUE rising 36 per cent in Western Australia, 29 per cent in Victoria and 22 per cent nationally. Canola WUE is up 59 per cent in South Australia and 40 per cent in Western Australia and barley WUE has improved 30 per cent in WA and 28 per cent in Victoria[1].
GRDC Managing Director Nigel Hart said these gains showed what co-ordinated, persistent investment could achieve. The question now is whether the grains sector can take the next step on nitrogen management and unlock a new wave of benefits.
"The opportunity is significant. Early modelling by GRDC suggests that even partial success could deliver more than $10 billion of additional value for growers should new science solutions be uncovered, " Mr Hart said.
Grower innovation and hard work coupled with quality, responsive and strategic investment in RD&E have already driven marked increases in both yield and profitability particularly over the past two decades.
But we can't take our foot off the pedal. Growers want to know whether long-term, co-ordinated investment can take nitrogen management to the next level. We want to use research to help growers grow markedly higher yielding crops per unit of applied nitrogen.
Mr Hart said while GRDC was exploring new investment opportunities for nitrogen, the organisation was also seeking grower feedback about other blue-sky research areas that could drive major change on-farm.
GRDC is currently inviting grains industry stakeholders to share their views on nitrogen and nine other strategic challenges raised by growers via the online 'have your say and indicate your priorities' portal. Growers, advisers, researchers and industry stakeholders and can show support, provide feedback or offer alternative suggestions.
