Tony Perrett (right) tours the Central Queensland Smart Cropping Centre with Member for Gregory Sean Dillon.

DEPARTMENT of Primary Industries researchers at the Central Queensland Smart Cropping Centre in Emerald are using six purpose-built chambers to study the impacts of high night-time temperatures on sorghum.

The technology will enable research that aims to uncover the impacts of heat stress and identify practical strategies to reduce production risk.

This research is one of more than 230 actions the Qld Government under Premier David Crissafuli is delivering over the next five years under Primary Industries Prosper 2050, a landmark blueprint designed with rural and regional communities and industry.

Prioritising practical research and development with a focus on productivity, it is part of the government’s target of increasing the value of primary production output to $30 billion by 2030.

To aid in the sorghum research, six infield heat chambers have been commissioned and designed specifically for Qld conditions, in partnership with global technology company Biora.

The structures are the largest of their kind in the world, and can simulate higher night-time temperatures by raising conditions inside the chamber by up to 3 degrees Celsius.

The chambers are set up in the paddock and equipped with remote monitoring devices, ensuring researchers can gather critical data to support climate productivity research for grains and pulses.

Qld Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said the scientific infrastructure positioned Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries as a national leader in farmer-focused R&D.

“By leveraging advanced technologies like in-field heat chambers, we are equipping Queensland farmers with the knowledge to better understand and manage the impacts of an increasingly variable climate,” Mr Perrett said.

“We are proud to partner with industry to invest in research that delivers practical management options growers can use now and into the future.”

Source: Qld DPI