In this section:
Clare Crop Improvement Centre
The Pulse Improvement Program as part of the Crop Improvement SPA, delivering research outputs in plant breeding and germplasm enhancement through improved varieties and agronomic management systems of pulse crops to industry. It also provides key scientific and technical advice across government, industry and the community for key issues relating to sustainable farming systems and grain crop production.
The program is a major collaborator of the National Pulse Breeding Program (Pulse Breeding Australia) and through this produces innovative and new pulse crop products with specific adaptation, production and marketing benefits to the states pulse industry. This then in turn provides the state with:
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environmental benefits - through sustaining rotations, improving soil health and reducing land degradation practices
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social benefits through healthy communities and providing opportunities for returns in regional area through secondary industry development.
The program has extensive national and international collaboration and links with key pulse research organisations.
Research
The pulse improvement program research led by Larn McMurray concentrates on the high valued food crops of lentils, faba beans and kabuli and desi chickpeas. It also has a major emphasis on field peas targeted at both human and stock feed markets. The program has had a major contribution to the recent variety releases of:
Nipper, Boomer & Nugget lentils
Genesis 090, Genesis079, & Genesis114 Kabuli chickpeas
Genesis508 & Genesis 509 desi chickpeas
Key areas of research include:
Development of improved lines of pulses for variety release as part of PBA through - identifying parental lines, elite lines and traits of importance, early generation selection for SA and release commercial lines for SA.
Early generation selection and evaluation of pulses by -
understanding the genotype by environment and genotype by management interactions in SA, assessing lines in SA for yield, quality, disease and agronomic characteristics.
Screening of national pulse breeding early generation material for herbicide tolerances – devise methodology for herbicide tolerance screening of pulse crops and conduct national screening of field peas, lentils and chickpeas for tolerances to registered herbicides
Agronomic management research - Devising agronomic management systems for maximising production and minimising costs and risk of pulse crops in farming systems.
Current research projects include:
Australian Field Pea Breeding Program (SA Node)
Australian Lentil Breeding Program (SA Node)
Australian Chickpea Pea Breeding Program (SA Node)
New Varieties, New Agronomy - Pulse Agronomic Research, South-Eastern Australia
Exploring opportunities for improving field pea management practices
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