THE South Australian Grain Industry Trust (SAGIT) has allocated a record $3 million in funding to research projects which aim to boost productivity in South Australia’s cropping sector.

The sum is being shared by 26 projects.

SAGIT chair Michael Treloar said the trust was pleased to be able to increase funding support this year on the back of the record-breaking South Australian harvest.

“We continue to be pleased with the quality and diversity of project applications we receive, and we believe these new projects will provide some excellent outcomes for growers with a real mix of extension, communication and scientific projects,” Mr Treloar said.

SAGIT is unique among Australian states as it is funded through a voluntary grower levy of 30 cents per tonne.

“As a grower-funded organisation, we are always mindful of selecting projects that will deliver tangible results to growers.”

Since its inception in 1991, SAGIT has invested on average $1.4m a year to support research, development and extension in the grain industry, and received a record 49 applications for research projects in 2017.

In addition, SAGIT has continued to fund grower groups which belong to the Ag Excellence Alliance to cover costs associated with hosting guest speakers, and has awarded five groups a total of $14,500 in funding.

“These smaller grants are designed to cover travel, accommodation and speaker fees, which can add up quickly when you’re a small organisation.

“We want to ensure growers across the state have access to a broad range of national and international expertise in growing the best crops they can, so it is vital we support the grower groups in bringing these experts to SA.”

Recipients for 2017

AgCommunicators: Seed to Store video clip competition

Agronomy Solutions: Efficiency of fertilizer N products on calcareous and sandy soil types

Hart Field-Site Group: Regional internship in applied grains research

Insight Extension for Agriculture: Spading header rows for grass control, improved yields and soil protection

LEADA: Copper management for the future

LongReach Plant Breeders: Development of dual-purpose awnless wheat varieties for frost management

MacKillop Farm Management Group: Trial Results Book

Northern Sustainable Soils: Uniform seed distribution along the row to increase yields and reduce seed costs

Rural Solutions: Publication of the 2018 Farm Gross Margin Guide for SA

SANTFA:

• Farm scale AquaTill demonstration and field day
• SANTFA Conference 2018

SARDI:

• CARASA: Cereal Aphid Risk Assessment for South Australia
• Common vetch as a break crop for marginal cropping systems
• Developing new capability for research on Rhizoctonia
• Enhancing diagnostics and extension for Khapra Beetle to secure trade
• Further development of crown rot resistance in durums
• Improving monitoring and management of Etiella in lentils
• SA Crop Variety Sowing Guide
• Swathing for barley grass weed seed collection and applying drone technology
• Towards molecular selection for heat stress tolerance in field pea

Trengove Consulting: Optimisation of Seed Terminator settings in the South Australian context

University of Adelaide:

• Development of wheat population using speed breeding for salinity tolerance
• Enhanced N-use efficiency in durum through improved genetics
• Field testing of sodicity and salinity-tolerant oat varieties
• Use of drones to non-destructively assess wheat varieties

Upper North Farming Systems: Increasing the knowledge and understanding of micronutrient deficiency in the Upper North

Grower groups

Ag Excellence Alliance: Ag Excellence Alliance Grower Group Forum

Ag KI: Accu-Spread spreader calibration workshop

EPARF: Farming Systems Alternatives workshop – 2017 Member Day

Northern Sustainable Soils: Deep soil amelioration speaker at field day

Upper North Farming Systems: Getting more from crop rotations: Cereals, the new UN break-crop?

Source: SAGIT