Stock & Land: Wimmera builds ties with China

A range of Wimmera grain businesses and researchers were given the chance to forge closer ties with the economic powerhouse of China, when a delegation of Chinese agricultural bureaucrats visited Grains Innovation Park in Horsham, and also visited other areas of Australia and New Zealand The delegation was from the Hunan provincial agriculture department. Hunan is a province in south-central China.

The visit began with an outline of Department of Primary Industries （DPI） research activities at its Horsham site. Michael Materne highlighted facilities at the Grains Innovation Park, which hosts about 200 people and includes offices and laboratories, 15 glasshouses and two plastic igloos.

"I explained how we carry out research into genetic improvement including new genetic variation, improved adaptation, improved grain quality, disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance," Dr Materne said.

"I told them how Horsham is home to a major pulse breeding program which includes development of agronomic packages to accompany the new varieties."

The visitors also had a chance to look at the impressive seed bank stored at Grains Innovation Park, as part of the Australian Temperate Field Crops Collection, a seed bank which houses 34,000 different varieties of seeds, including seed from China, held nowhere else in the world.

There was also a trip to DPI Victoria's Lower Norton trial farm, where the delegation got an opportunity to see first hand the cutting edge research being conducted as part of the Agriculture Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment project （AGFACE） which investigates the impacts of growing crops under the elevated carbon dioxide levels predicted for 2050. "This project is examining the impact of elevated CO2 on crop growth, wheat grain quality, pests and diseases and soil fertility to guide research that will enable farmers to adapt to changed environments in the future," Dr Materne said.

There was also a trip east of Horsham to Taylors Lake to see work being carried out for the National Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative （NAMI） project which aims to directly involve farmers and advisers in designing on-ground demonstrations of adaptation to climate change to maintain or enhance farm viability.

Dr Materne, who recently travelled to China, said it was great to host a Chinese delegation at Horsham. "China is an exciting and expanding economy that has a major focus on agriculture and while we already enjoy some valuable collaborations with Chinese scientists these tours only help to strengthen our international relationships."