Farmers' Newsletter No 177, Summer 2008
For other issues see here
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| VARIETY DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT |
Cold tolerance development (195 K)
- A dedicated crossing program has provided a critical mass of cold tolerant plants for screening of cold tolerance at the pollen microspore development stage, in numbers unprecedented in the Australian rice breeding program
- Staggered sowing dates and cold water treatment were demonstrated as sound field screening methods to deal with large numbers of breeding lines that are required to service a breeding program
- Strong research ties made possible through a federally funded research grant should expedite future germplasm exchange with China
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Progress in the breeding program – 2006-07 (197 K)
- The key feature of the 2006–07 rice season was the reduction in trials of advanced breeding lines due to water restrictions
- A full suite of 14 on-farm trials was sown but most were de-watered and only five were harvested
- While water limitations restricted evaluation of advanced lines, the program re-focused attention on screening early-generation material through increased use of DNA markers, and field-based screens for cold tolerance and straighthead
- Linkage to and development of new projects is providing new varieties for breeding and a flow of information on traits such as cold tolerance, adaptation to aerobic conditions and the genetic control of chalk in rice grains
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Genetic analysis to aid variety development (201 K)
- A laboratory machine developed for the efficient analysis of the human genome, the Sequenom® MassARRAY®, is also being used to gather information about the rice genome
- Five important genes are tracked in the breeding of rice varieties – to date, up to eight different individual tests need to be carried out to find out if the breeding line carries the desirable trait
- The Sequenom® MassARRAY® can gather information on all five important rice genes in a single test
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Biotechnology to aid variety development (152 K)
- This project is investigating a number of techniques to better understand the molecular nature of cold tolerance in rice plants, as well as identifying methods and technologies to speed up the breeding of cold tolerant varieties for the Australian rice industry
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Grain quality assessment for variety development (154 K)
- The Rice Grain Quality Project has investigated and developed methods for making the screening of grain quality characteristics of lines in the rice breeding program more precise and efficient
- The project has also carried out research to understand the genetic characteristics that are linked to the cooking quality of different types of rice
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Understanding rice cooking quality (154 K)
- The use of rice in cooking and industry depends on its cooking qualities, in particular the structure and characteristics of the starch in rice
- Understanding starch structure will ultimately lead to the development of designer rice varieties to meet specific markets and end uses
- Research over the course of this project suggests that a particular component of one of the starches in rice grain (the hot water soluble fraction of amylopectin), may be contributing to peak viscosity, texture of the cooked rice and glycaemic index
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Screening breeding lines for straighthead (154 K)
- Straighthead can lead to crop losses ranging from 10–30% in medium grain rice and up to 90% in short and long grain rice
- Research is underway at Yanco Agricultural Institute to find a way that breeding lines can be tested for straighthead susceptibility, and thus eliminated from the breeding program
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| CROP AGRONOMY & PHYSIOLOGY |
Beds in bays – the final season (333 K)
- The performance of wheat sown in the final cropping season of the ‘beds in bays’ experiment was hampered by seasonal conditions and availability of irrigation water, and conclusions about irrigation systems could not be drawn
- The over-riding conclusion of the work over the last three years is that adoption of terraced zero-graded bankless channel rice layouts (including raised beds) is likely, as the layout system increases cropping choice and flexibility, and significantly reduces labour requirements
- Adoption will be dependent on locations with:
- existing land grades that allow creation of zero-graded layouts with appropriate terrace widths and steps to allow adequate drainage (landforming costs not being excessive)
- access to large irrigation flows or on-farm storages in order to achieve satisfactory short duration 'water on/ water off' times for crops other than rice
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Beds in bays – the economics (137 K)
- An economic analysis was conducted to determine the financial benefits available to rice growers who use permanent lateral raised bed layouts (beds in bays)
- The results of a benefit cost analysis show that the adoption of beds in bays is potentially more profitable than adoption of several other irrigation designs for rice-based farming systems
- The analysis also suggests that beds in bays are viable in their own right from a financial perspective
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Variability of growth & yield in rice fields (230 K)
- A new project commenced in the 2006–07 season to study the causes of variability in rice growth and yield across a field, and to identify management options to address the variability
- The project will conduct a series of field experiments to identify factors contributing to 'within field' yield variability
- The project will contribute to the maintenance of the NIR tissue testing service and assess the potential of using satellites to measure panicle initiation nitrogen uptake
- The project will use findings to develop the zone management aspect of the maNage rice package
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System of rice intensification (SRI) (111 K)
- A rice production system called a system of rice intensification (SRI) was developed in Madagascar in the 1980s
- Recently, several prominent speakers have suggested that it may be applicable to the Australian rice industry
- None of the principles promoted for the apparent advantage of SRI are necessary for growing rice near its yield potential
- Some Australian growers are already achieving grain yields that are approaching 90% of the theoretical yield potential of rice grown in the Riverina
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Nitrogen fertiliser application strategies (285 K)
- This reports presents a summary of five years of experiments investigating a suite of timings for nitrogen fertiliser application
- Results indicate no significant differences in nitrogen responses among Australian rice varieties and optimum nitrogen requirement lies around 170–180 kg N/ha depending on the inherent soil nitrogen supply
- Five years worth of results show that the best yields are obtained when nitrogen application is split between pre-flood and panicle initiation applications
- A minimum pre-flood application of 90 kg N/ha in continuously cultivated bays is recommended to ensure adequate nitrogen supply during the vegetative growth stage of the crop to produce sufficient biomass to sustain a good yield
- A maintenance requirement of nitrogen at panicle initiation is recommended to ensure adequate nitrogen supply to the plant during the reproductive stages
- Mid-tillering nitrogen applications are warranted if an inadequate amount of pre-flood nitrogen was applied, early nitrogen application was not managed correctly, or the soil is inherently low in fertility
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| CROP PROTECTION |
New herbicide options for rice weeds (247 K)
- With long lead times to attain a registered herbicide in rice, our research program for weed control is focussed ahead for the times when irrigation water is once again available
- As a result of contacts made in Japan and the USA during and prior to 2006, four herbicide candidates were field tested in Australia during the 2006–07 summer
- Two experimental herbicides have been identified, one for grass weed control and another for broadleaf and sedge weeds, both of which potentially present new modes of action
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Stink bugs – incidence and impact (147 K)
- Stink bug numbers in 2007 rice crops were approximately six times higher than in the previous season
- 84% of stink bugs collected during the 2-year survey were a species known as Anaxilaus vesiculosus, which was not previously known to feed on rice
- Anaxilaus was reared from egg to adulthood on rice plants with no other food source. Grain from the plants used to rear the bugs showed high levels of feeding damage, confirming the relationship between Anaxilaus and ‘pecky’ rice
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| SUSTAINABLE IRRIGATION FARMING SYSTEMS |
Detecting off-site impacts of pesticides (144 K)
- Monitoring drainage systems for pesticide contamination is required for irrigation companies to comply with their drainage licences
- Results of this monitoring will affect the future availability of pesticides to farmers
- Alternatives to chemical analysis for the initial screening of samples may reduce the costs of monitoring, and also help determine whether current environmental guidelines accurately reflect the biological impact of particular pesticides
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Frogs in rice fields (144 K)
- Insectivorous frogs may be important for pest control in agricultural ecosystems
- Nearly five billion frogs may be produced in rice bays in the Riverina each year
- Native frogs born in rice bays consume a wide range of invertebrate pest species
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| EXTENSION OF KNOWLEDGE & TECHNOLOGY |
Extension program: mixed success in drought (249 K)
- The aim of the 3-year extension project was to improve rice yields and water use efficiency by 5%
- As a result of very cold temperatures at the pollen microspore stage in 2004–05 and drought effects in 2006–07, the average rice yield for the project period remained the same as the previous 5-year project period and water use efficiency (WUE) was 8% lower
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European rice tour & conference (173 K)
- An Australian delegation attending the pre-conference tour and the 4th International Temperate Rice Conference gained a comprehensive overview of the environment, production systems, processing systems and marketing of the rice produced in the areas visited
- The study tour provided a great deal of insight into the significant role of government in European rice production, and importantly, provided exceptional exposure to the latest advances in temperate rice research
- The delegation was able to establish and maintain international contacts, foster greater understanding of rice production and allow attendees to identify research gaps and foster new ideas for the Australian rice industry
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| REGULARS |
| Chairman’s foreword (87 K) |
| IREC Executive Committee (78 K) |
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