CRC Program 2.3 Review Report

Abstract

This report contains papers presented at a forum which was arranged to review progress made to date and set priorities for the 5th to 7th years of the Rice CRC Program 2.3. Professor Ross Welch, Chief Scientist with the USDA-ARS was a guest speaker and external reviewer for this assessment. The presentations included reports on completed projects, on work in progress in projects 2.3.1, 2.3.2 and 2.3.3, and on relevant work now in progress by CRC scientists in other programs and by Industry scientists. The papers in this report have been reproduced largely as presented on the day and readers who need more information should contact the authors directly (email addresses are included in the list of delegates). The review has highlighted the non-sustainability of rice production. Under current management practices, rice is mining soil N, P, K, and trace element reserves and is partly responsible for the accumulation of sodium in the profile. Burning of rice crop stubble is exacerbating the impact of rice production on soil nutrient reserves. The nutrient pools in the soil now clearly reflect the impact of rice production, especially on farms which have grown 20 to 30 rice crops since rice was first cultivated in the MIA 75 years ago. Field experiments have demonstrated that yields of some crops are being constrained by P and Zn deficiencies, irrespective of high rates of nitrogen application. Plant nutrient management has implications for grain quality. Nutrient concentrations are now available for Australian brown and white rice. These provide a valuable basis on which to compare data from overseas, local field and controlled environment studies. Program 2.3 has supported several studies on the micronutrient content of rice in the field and controlled environments. There has been an increased interest in trace elements in grain from consumers and human nutritionists. It was emphasized by Professor Welch that CRC Program 2.3 studies which address the links between nutrition and quality are very relevant. The macro and micro nutrient data also provided a basis for the discussion on the likely cause of the rice plant disorder known as straighthead. In addition to the yield loss caused by this problem, there are further implications for grain quality. Following the formal presentations, the topics of the review were summarized by Dr Lindsay Campbell who also highlighted some of the gaps in current knowledge of the rice system. This was followed by an evaluation of the program by Professor Ross Welch who also presented a general seminar titled “Harnessing the Power of Agriculture to Improve Human Health in Sustainable Ways”. The day concluded with a general discussion of key issues that led to the conclusions and recommendations for future research within the Rice CRC.