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Research to characterise frost

13 August 2009

The impact of frost on wheat and barley around Australia is being examined as part of a research project that may eventually help to breed more frost tolerant cereal varieties.

Frost damage cost Australian grain growers an estimated $109 million in the 2008 season.

The Department of Agriculture and Food is working with the University of Adelaide and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries on the four year project, funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

The project is examining the performance of nine lines of barley and three lines of wheat under local frost conditions and how that relates to their genetic makeup.

A farm east of Cuballing, 192 kilometres south east of Perth, is hosting the WA trial, which includes a weather station that sends researchers a text message when a frost occurs.

Department research officer Ben Biddulph is travelling this month from Cuballing to Toowoomba, to see collaborators’ work on characterising frost events and their impacts on grain sterility.

“Frost damage to cereal crops could occur at anytime but is most devastating from August to September at or after heading as a consequence of aborted florets, head damage and stem damage,” Dr Biddulph said.

“Frost events that occur during grain fill also contribute to significant losses through increased screenings and quality down grading.”

Dr Biddulph said the project builds on South Australian and Queensland work on frost tolerance.

“Each frost is different, so it is important to measure the time, duration and severity of each event and how it relates to the performance of the plant,” he said.

“By understanding how a range of material response with different frosts will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms required for plant breeders to develop more frost tolerant varieties.”

The barley varieties involved in the trial include Gairdner, Kaputar (Qld), Stirling, Gilbert (Qld) and several pre-breeding lines, while the wheat lines are Wyalkatchem, Young and Kite (Qld).

“This project is not comparing varieties, rather it is looking at how different varieties react to local conditions and the relationship between different environments,” Dr Biddulph said.

“The first year of the trial last year revealed genetic variation for frost tolerance with minor frosts but it is really too early to provide any concrete information.”

A group of Japanese researchers recently visited the site to examine the barley lines, some of which originally came from Japanese plant material.

The Cuballing site can be viewed at the Facey Group Spring Field Day on Wednesday, 16 September. For more information about the field day contact Carmen Bayley  on 9888 1223.

Department of Agriculture and Food research officer Dr Ben Biddulph (left) and Dr Atsushi Oyangi, Senior Researcher, National Institute of Crop Science, Tsukuba, Japan at the WA national frost trial at Cuballing inspecting frost damage in Japanese derived barley material during a field visit in late July. 

Media contacts:

Dr Ben Biddulph, Research Officer                                        0428 920 654

Lisa Bertram, media liaison                                                    9368 3937/9368 3325