Expansion of a facility that studies the impact of extreme weather on different crops will help develop heat tolerant varieties
Victoria’s Free Air Temperature Extreme (FATE) facility, which researches the impact of extreme hot and cold weather on crops, has completed its $1.18 million expansion.
Based at the Horsham SmartFarm in the state’s west, the facility has doubled in size, now covering about 2.5 hectares.
Extreme weather testing conditions at the FATE facility include the impact of heat waves, drought and frost on cereal, pulse and oilseed crops, to understand the impact on grain quality.
The Victorian government says the expansion will enable more crop rotations and experiments, accelerating the development of new heat tolerant crop varieties for farmers.
The equipment can also be used for future research on other crops, including different grazing pasture species, the state government adds.
“The research at this world class facility will help our farmers to learn and prepare for future heat waves and drought impacts on crops, using new technologies to adapt to climate change,” Western Victorian MP Jacinta Ermacora says.
Jointly funded by the state government and Grains Research and Development Corporation, the facility has researched eight different wheat and lentil varieties with various growth rates under the heaters this year, against a control group under normal weather conditions to test the resilience of crops.
Evidence from this research will inform plant breeders which crop varieties can stay productive during extreme weather conditions, as the frequency and severity of these events increase in a changing climate.