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The 3.5-year N-ABLE project is the third to be announced under the WA Agricultural Research Collaboration’s (WAARC’s) broader Grains Transformation program.

N-ABLE is a co-investment between the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and WAARC (including its six members Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), CSIRO, Grower Group Alliance (GGA), and WA universities: Curtin, Murdoch, and The University of Western Australia).

The project’s collaborators include CSIRO, DPIRD, Murdoch University, and Albany-based grower group Stirlings to Coast Farmers.

WAARC Director Kelly Pearce said support from GRDC and WAARC would allow the N-ABLE project team to explore innovative cropping systems that were not in widespread use.

Incorporating grain and pasture legumes into the production system in new ways, presents an opportunity to contribute to a sustainable supply of adequate nitrogen to cereal and canola-based systems, leading to increased productivity and improved grain quality,” Dr Pearce said.

The N-ABLE project will develop and evaluate new and emerging legume crop systems.

These systems are part of a range of strategies that will contribute to a potential 50% reduction in synthetic nitrogen use, while maintaining crop yield and profitability in subsequent cereal and canola crops.

CSIRO Farming Systems Senior Scientist and N-ABLE Project Lead Andrew Fletcher said the project brought together a team of experts in farming systems, legume science and agronomy to explore the opportunity.

“This exciting project will explore new crop management approaches including the use of legume companion cropping in medium and high rainfall zones, and the use of summer active legumes in high rainfall zones,” Dr Fletcher said.

“CSIRO will lead the project and undertake companion cropping experiments, while the DPIRD and Murdoch teams will contribute their expertise in legume science and rhizobial inoculation. Stirlings to Coast Farmers will provide vital links to growers and lead the summer active legume research.”

Enquiries

If you’d like more information about this, or any of our other projects, please contact the team.

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