A MAJOR international collaboration to develop innovative weed management solutions for local grain growers is entering a new phase.
Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Bayer Crop Science division have announced the Herbicide Innovation Partnership would be extended for another four years.
The partnership was formed in 2015 and has since delivered promising results in the identification of chemistry candidates for new sustainable modes of action.
HIP’s major objective is to provide growers with new technologies to manage herbicide resistance and support modern crop production systems.
Weeds cost growers almost $3.3 billion every year, and Australia has the second highest number of herbicide-resistant weeds in the world.
HIP is focused on discovering selective herbicides which target weeds in wheat and other cereal crops, according to GRDC acting general manager of crop protection, biosecurity and regulation Ken Young.
“HIP was initiated in 2015 in response to increasing prevalence of herbicide resistance and the ongoing threat of product removal due to the changing of regulatory standards,” Mr Young said.
The four-year extension of HIP will entail an additional $36 million GRDC investment.
Mr Young said the HIP objectives were long term, as it took at least 10 years to bring compound through the commercial development pipeline.
“However, progress has been significant and HIP has developed herbicide field candidates to deliver new weed control technology,” he said.
“With this GRDC investment, there is a program focused on sustainable weed-management technologies specifically for Australia.”
Bayer Australia managing director Joerg Ellmanns said the HIP placed Australian weed species at the centre of discovery for the next generation of sustainable weed control.
“We are dedicating infrastructure and people at our centre of excellence for weed control research in Frankfurt, Germany, supporting the development of the Australian herbicide pipeline,” Mr Ellmanns said.
“The investment has contributed to our scientists synthesising tens of thousands of new molecules for laboratory and greenhouse testing, and several of these have progressed to readiness for field testing.”
HIP phase two will involve a continued focus on the search for new modes of action, along with field testing at various global locations.
Twelve weeds are subject to testing under glasshouse conditions, while additional species will be taken into account through field testing.