The aim of this project is to understand how soil properties influence the effects of pesticides on soil health. The project team will assess six targeted pesticides in 10 contrasting South Australian broadacre cropping soils. This knowledge will deliver farmers essential information for identifying the best pesticide-soil combinations to maintain healthy soil microbial communities.
This study investigates the impact of native revegetation on suppressing conical snail populations on the Yorke Peninsula. The establishment of revegetation strips adjacent to grain cropping paddocks and near silos can enhance the survival of a beneficial parasitoid fly by providing essential floral food resources and refugia, boosting parasitism rates and suppression of pest conical snails.
This is a pilot project focused on seed quality improvement and enhanced grain production in wheat, barley, chickpea and canola as major diverse crops in SA. This will be achieved by generating new formulas for seed coating that enhance the delivery of Trichoderma, mycorrhizal fungi and other beneficial microbes, nutrients and other effective additives.
Barley head loss is an ongoing issue that leads to reduced yield based on environmental factors and cultivar sensitivity. Although management options exist, improved genetic solutions are needed to limit the seasonal and site variability. In this project, researchers will extend current knowledge of head loss management and peduncle structure to consider new cultivars and candidate genes that might influence head retention.
This project will be undertaken by SARDI researchers who will use a novel bread wheat mapping population and high-throughput phenotyping method (X-ray computed tomography) to measure spike traits that contribute to yield, and identify genetic markers associated with improved yield for breeding programs. This project includes controlled environment studies and field trials.