Murdoch University and Curtin University will both have new infrastructure built as part of the facility announced by Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce and Agriculture and Food WA Minister Alannah MacTiernan Murdoch.

A $5 million research hub designed to boost crop productivity and reduce disease impact will be built across two WA universities.

The hub, primarily based at Murdoch, will be used to examine and develop crop pathology, plant physiology and genetic improvement.

It will include up to 18 new glasshouses and 2.8ha of irrigated and netted field plots at Murdoch and a glasshouse containment facility at Curtin.

GRDC chairman John Woods said the hub was a collaborative effort.

He said the $3 million GRDC grant was part of $15 million the GRDC board had agreed to invest in a strategy to build national research capacity.

“The purpose of the grant program is to boost capacity and capability in Australian grain research and development through funding key infrastructure,” he said.

“It will create enduring profitability for grain growers. Without the GRDC funding, the collaborative hub and associated infrastructure would be very difficult to develop.”

Mr Morrison said the project would develop new research in crop pathology, plant physiology and genetic improvement.

“The outcomes of the research will be applied to improve crop productivity and resistance to disease and will strength the national grain industry,” he said.

Source: https://thewest.com.au/