GRAINS Research and Develop­ment Corporation is investing almost $13 million in a research project to support the addition of long coleoptile wheat in practices.

The four-year project will be led by the CSIRO along with research parties including the University of Melbourne, NSW Department of Primary Industries, QLD Depart­ment of Agriculture and Forestry (QLD DAF), SLR Agriculture, the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Develop­ment, the University of South Australia and EPAG Research.

The coleoptile is the protective sheath which encloses the emerging shoot and first leaves. 

The longer the coleoptile is, the greater the emergence potential when deep sowing. 

Long coleoptile wheats can be sown at depths of more than 10 centimetres, making better use of stored soil moisture.

GRDC chairperson John Woods said long coleoptile wheat could be a game changer for growers in low-to-mid rainfall zones, extending options for early sowing.

“This project builds on decades of research by CSIRO and previous GRDC investment of approximately $11.5 million to introduce new climate-adaptive traits into commercial wheat varieties,” Mr Woods said.

“The significant work to date by Dr Greg Rebetzke and his team at CSIRO has focused on identifying and sourcing new genes from across the world, and then assessing them in Australia under both laboratory and field conditions. 

“This project addresses identified knowledge gaps around how these genetics perform across contrasting production environments, soils and farming systems, equipping growers with the tools to better respond to changing climates and seasonal variability in their farming systems.”

National trials will explore a range of genetic, environmental and management factors relating to long coleoptile wheat implementation. 

The project will also include the development of a common industry standard for measuring and defining the categories for wheat coleoptile length.

The project is set to be completed by mid-2026.