The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Redlands Research Centre has a long history of successes with the Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner saying it was currently working across almost 50 projects and trials.
According to Mr Furner many of the breakthroughs and cutting-edge practices in Queensland agriculture were a result of the ground-breaking partnerships conducted at Redlands.
“With laboratories, glasshouses, shade houses, extensive fields of rich red soil and reliable rainfall, Redlands attracts not just Queensland Government scientists, but also tertiary and private sector partners including the grains, legumes, horticulture and sports turf industries,” Mr Furner said.
“There’s a huge amount of work going on at the centre, which is currently at full capacity with projects focused on combating fruit fly, plant disease resistance, sports turf development, converting food waste into protein products and renewable energy systems.”
He said trials led by the Department were focused on reducing disease impacts and improving yields of staple crops such as capsicum, tomato, zucchini, barley, wheat and mung bean.
“This includes trials that are part of the $19 million national, multi-Agency project Area Wide Management of Vegetable Diseases: Viruses and Bacteria,” the Minister said.
“This Queensland-led project is continuing its diagnoses of what causes disease outbreaks in multiple districts across Australia and is providing valuable knowledge fundamental for the development of disease-management strategies.”
He said the Department was also leading a national collaboration to better understand the seasonal cycles affecting fruit fly activity and to better target outbreaks of this pest.
