With 2018 well underway, the focus of activity at CSIRO’s Boorowa Agricultural Research Station will continue to be on site development, with considerable progress achieved already.
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The research station at Boorowa will enable CSIRO to continue to produce quality research on improved cropping and livestock practices.
While much of this research is done in a lab, scientists benefit from seeing how the seeds, livestock and equipment they’ve produced function in a real-life farm setting. In the past year research scientist, Dr Anton Wasson, and his team used the Boorowa farm to run an experiment on different wheat species’ ability to take up phosphorus.
A special set of 400 wheat varieties were grown with and without phosphorus fertiliser. By analysing which varieties used the fertiliser most efficiently, the team will be able to identify genes in wheat that optimise phosphorous use; profitable information for wheat breeders.
Currently CSIRO is farming a crop rotation of wheat and canola with some oats and vetch. However, more experimental crops and livestock are expected to be brought in once the site development nears completion.
In the wake of the New Year, construction has focused on completing the roadworks and building pads for the site. The design for the buildings themselves is currently being finalised.
If the present rate of development continues, the building is expected to be finished and the site fully operational in late 2018. Please stay tuned for a building update in a month’s time to find out how the site is progressing.
Written by Imogen Brown, CSIRO Agriculture and Food