Better Frost Decisions September 2022

Can we reduce frost damage in early sown crops and high-risk areas with in season management tools?

The new GRDC investment in frost is taking a different approach to frost research, looking beyond genetic screening to investigate management options that may become 'farmer ready' within a short time frame if proven to be successful.

The new project, involves some 13 research and farming system group collaborators is led by FAR Australia's Research Director, Dr Kenton Porker.

By 2025, the project aims to validate and quantify the opportunities in adopting a range of different in season management practices to avoid frost damage nationally.

Some of the practices that will be tested in conjunction with altering genetics and sowing date and include: mechanical and chemical defoliation the use of growth regulators the use of cryoprotectants and bactericides other agronomic management decisions & novel practices.

Growers may have heard about one or more of these strategies in the past, with various claims made about their effectiveness when it comes to mitigating frost damage.

However, this project will take a deep dive into the different approaches and fine tune strategies that may have potential.

As strategies are climate dependent each region will require different strategies dependent on germination opportunity, heat and drought risk and the ability to produce biomass at sub optimal conditions.

This work will complement other GRDC research investments, with much work still to take place in beating frost.

FAR2203-001RTX "Enhancing Frost Tolerance and/ or Avoidance in wheat, barley and canola crops through in season agronomic manipulation

A strong collaborative research team will be able to validate strategies in different environments.

Collaborators: FAR Australia, DPIRD, CSIRO, Living Farm, University of Adelaide, SARDI, NSW DPI, Charles Sturt University, EP Ag Research, Birchip Cropping Group, Mallee Sustainable Farming, Frontier Farming Systems, Federation University.