The GRDC has for the first time committed to a multi-million-dollar global investment into dedicated research programs to address crop production constraints and the opportunities machine learning can provide, with the aim of driving profitability gains for Australian grain growers. 

Nine “use-cases” will form the core of the investment which will involve national and international research partners.

Contact:
Tom Giles
Senior Manager, Enabling Technologies
Grains Research and Development Corporation

T: 08 8198 8400
W: www.grdc.com.au
E: tom.giles@grdc.com
 


Useful resources:

GroundCover Supplement:
https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/innovation/industry-insights/machine-learning-set-to-offer-new-solutions-to-grains-industrys-challenges

Update Paper 2021:
https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2021/02/examples-of-using-machine-learning-for-mapping-soil-constraints-and-soil-moisture-to-support-improved-decision-making

Update Paper 2020:
https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2020/02/lasers,-machine-learning,-weed-recognition-and-new-innovations-in-weed-management

GRDC Podcast

Machine learning investments

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Some ground breaking research has resulted in a breakthrough for growers and agronomists wanting to measure the potential impact of disease on yield.

A national network of trials over five years will result in a new ability to quickly and accurately assess potential disease impact on some of the more popular cereal varieties.

On this podcast we look at the results of that research and also how it all came about and salute the hard work of the many agronomists, scientists and biometricians involved.

Useful resources:
https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/grains/prototype-yield-loss-disease-model-online-tool

Measuring the impact of disease on yield

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Growers in the north could consider fungicide resistance less of a threat than growers in the south and west, however there is no room for complacency.

As Professor Levente Kiss from the University of Southern Queensland’s Centre for Crop Health points out in this podcast, as long as there are fungal crop diseases there is a risk of fungal resistance. Barley, wheat and pulses can all be affected.

Northern growers need to appreciate the importance of rotating and mixing fungicides, including as seed treatments, in order not to encourage fungicide resistance in important diseases such as barley net blotches, mung bean powdery mildew, wheat powdery mildew and septoria tritici blotch.

Fungicide resistance in the north

South Australian grain growers have been alerted to several cases of fungicide resistance in recent growing seasons, including in net form net blotch of barley, and wheat powdery mildew.

In this podcast, Dr Hugh Wallwork, from the South Australian Research and Development Institute, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions’ research division, talks about the factors that contribute to fungicide resistance and how fungicide management needs to begin with variety and seed treatment selection before sowing.

He explains that growers should be using all available agronomic practices to reduce disease pressure and should avoid repeat applications of a single fungicide active or chemical Mode of Action. This will help protect the effectiveness and availability of their essential fungicide controls.

Fungicide resistance in the south

In Western Australia, outbreaks of fungicide resistance have occurred in several important diseases of barley. Resistance is a significant but preventable problem that can largely be managed by taking care not to repeatedly expose a pathogen to the same product or chemical Mode of Action Group.

It is important for growers to recognise that this management regime can include fungicide seed treatments and in-furrow fungicide applications, as well as foliar sprays later in the season. Fungicide rotations to manage and prevent fungicide resistance need to take all of these applications into account.

Geoff Thomas, plant pathologist from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development WA, discusses the importance of using an integrated disease management program to reduce disease pressure and manage fungicide use and resistance in WA cropping systems.

Fungicide resistance in the west

The ‘Fungicide Resistance Five’ is the basis for an integrated disease management strategy that growers can use on-farm to reduce fungicide resistance pressure on crop pathogens.

This six-part podcast series, produced through the Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN), unpacks the individual elements of the strategy to inform growers why and how they should minimise the risk of fungicide resistance developing in their paddocks. 

AFREN is a significant GRDC investment that brings together a national network of regional plant pathologists, fungicide resistance experts and communications and extension specialists. It is co-ordinated through the Centre for Crop Disease Management (CCDM), a co-investment between the GRDC and Curtin University.

Grains Research and Development Corporation

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