A CALL for a new round of research projects to benefit West Australian grain growers has been announced by the Council of Grain Grower Organisations Limited (COGGO).

COGGO is looking to fund new innovative ideas for start-up R&D projects commencing in 2021 to benefit growers in the Western Australian grains industry.

In calling for Expressions of Interest, COGGO chairman Rhys Turton said: “Whilst 2020 is proving extremely challenging for research project operations, COGGO is pleased to give confidence to the grains industry in announcing opportunities for funding of new local research and development projects starting next year for anything that can benefit the Western Australian grains industry”.

Projects funding ranges between $20,000 up to $75,000 per annum for a one or two-year project and is allocated on a competitive basis to projects which offer clear benefits to Western Australian grain growers as a result of that research.

Topics funded for projects commencing in 2020 included:

• Development of non-GM frost-tolerant wheat for WA growers
• AI for grain biosecurity.
• Maximising fallow rotations with a ‘Strip and Disc’ strategy to increase water use efficiency and subsequent crop yields across the wheatbelt region of Western Australia.
• Canola establishment – is it improved through the application of wetters to the seed in marginal conditions?
• Improving grains growth and yield using liquid potassium phosphate fertiliser
• Impact of stubble management on small conical snail mortality.

COGGO established the COGGO Research Fund to invest in innovative research and development projects across the whole supply chain that can demonstrate a direct benefit to Western Australian grain growers. It is focused on funding catalytic or start up “proof of concept” research that can lead to further development using government, grower or commercial funding.

The COGGO Research Fund is financed through a voluntary levy collected from WA grain growers who are members of COGGO with the cooperation of grain acquisition and marketing companies. All WA grain growers are eligible to become members of COGGO.

The Grain Industry Association of WA (GIWA) provides research administrative support for the COGGO fund.

Applications can now be received for projects to commence from 1 January, 2021.  Funding levels are available for projects for up to $75,000 per annum for two years to a maximum total of $150,000.

Applications are invited from commercial companies, organisations and individual researchers.  COGGO tends to favour funding catalytic innovative projects which may then go on to be funded by industry.

The Application process for the 2020 COGGO Research Fund will be conducted in two stages:

Stage 1 – Expression of Interest (EOI).  Submission of an EOI is designed to enable applicants to outline their project to determine if it is eligible and likely to be competitive in terms of the criteria used to evaluate project proposals in Stage 2.  This should be submitted by 5pm on Friday, 17 July, 2020.

Stage 2 – Full Project Proposal. Applicants submitting an EOI will be advised if their EOI is successful by email and invited to progress to Stage 2 and submit a project proposal which will be due by 5pm WST on Monday 31 August, 2020.

Further information and an “Expression of Interest” application form is available from GIWA at www.giwa.org.au/coggoresearchfund or by phoning (08) 6262 2128.

Information on past recipients can be found at http://www.giwa.org.au/coggoresearchfund

Source: COGGO