Grains Research and Development

Meeting market requirements

This theme describes the framework for the GRDC’s investments in grain quality and functionality

to help growers maintain and expand access to markets.

 

Australia’s domestic and international customers seek a consistent supply of grain that is both:

-- a quality product that is compliant with statutory and customer-specific requirements

-- a functional product that performs reliably for the desired end use.

 

To deliver highest value to growers, the GRDC must understand the requirements and the dynamics

of current domestic and export markets for feed and food grains, and those of likely future markets.

 

Through the ‘Meeting market requirements’ theme, the GRDC will interact closely with participants

in the Australian grains value chain to better understand market requirements, particularly for quality

and functionality, to enable growers to maintain or increase access to current markets, and secure

access to new higher valued markets.

 

View the presentation on Meeting market requirements below:

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Planned outcomes for Theme 1—Meeting Market Requirements

Aspirational outcome (10+ years)

Australian grain growers maintain and increase access to current and future grain markets by aligning on-farm production practices with quality and functionality requirements.

 

Intermediate outcomes (5 years)

Outcome Practice changes and key metrics

- The GRDC establishes relationships with the value chain and regulatory authorities to access information about market

requirements, trends and opportunities.

> Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre joint venture is established and operating appropriately.

 

- The GRDC makes greater use of information on current and potential future markets to guide investment decisions.

 

- A greater proportion of growers and advisers use market information to inform crop and variety selection.

 

- Increased interaction between grains industry participants (growers, pre-breeders, breeders and value chain participants) and regulatory authorities creates awareness of the quality and functionality market access requirements.

 

- Breeders and pre-breeders use market information to deliver varieties that meet the requirements of current and future markets.

> Independent wheat variety classification is maintained.

- A greater proportion of growers use harvesting strategies that maximise the opportunity to meet the requirements of

their target market.

 

- A greater proportion of growers are aware of the quality and functionality of the grain delivered to their customer or entering contract storage.

> 90% or more of growers are aware of and interested in the benefits of measuring grain quality.

 

- A greater proportion of growers use storage practices to meet market requirements and provide for the continued effectiveness of pest control measures.

> At least 60% of growers storing grain on farm used sealed silos.

 

- The GRDC use market access information to provide growers with the harvest and storage management packages and

tools to comply with market requirements.

 

- A greater proportion of growers and advisers use relevant market information to inform decisions about in-crop management practices.

 

- A greater proportion of grain growers adjust pest, weed and disease management practices to meet market requirements.

 

Understanding market opportunities for Australian grain

Acquisition and interpretation of information about market requirements, trends and opportunities, in order for the GRDC to make informed RD&E investment decisions and to assist grower decisions.

 

Crop and variety selection aligned with market requirements

Growers use market information to select crop, variety and cropping sequence that addresses their profit and risk.

 

Crop production aligned with market requirements

Growers use information on appropriate in-crop management to maximise the potential of delivering grain that meets the quality and

functionality requirements of the intended customer.

 

Grain harvest and storage practices aligned with market requirements

Growers adopt harvest and storage practices to maximise their potential to deliver grain that meets the quality and functionality requirements of the target market.

  • Better Break Crops - Advancing Broad Leaf Cropping

    Research & Development

    Grains

    Date
    01.06.2011
    GRDC Project Code
    PAL00017
    Region
    National
    R&D Area
    Crop Establishment

  • Improving food quality and end use market acceptance of Australian pulses - cooking and sensory

    Research & Development

    Grains

    Date
    01.07.2010
    GRDC Project Code
    DAN00139
    Region
    National
    Institution
    State Government
    R&D Area
    Quality/Standards

    The project "Improving food quality and end use market acceptance of Australian pulses" will run for 3 years, finishing on 30 June 2013. The project is lead by Industry & Investment NSW with major involvement from Charles Sturt University. Other collaborating partners in the project include Pulse Breeding Australia (PBA), the Wine & Food Industry Training Centre (WFITC, Wagga Wagga), the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI, Mysore, India), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT, Mysore, India), Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR, Kanpur) and the Canadian Grains Institute (CGR, Winnipeg, Canada). The project also has a research component on cooking quality that links directly with a related GRDC project lead by VIC-Horsham. The project remains open to the possibility of collaboration with the Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI, Winnipeg, Canada) and the University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, Canada) if suitable opportunities arise and common objectives found.

    The project was initiated by PBA breeding program leaders to understand whether sensory properties (including appearance, taste, texture and aroma) of cooked pulses were important attributes for buyers in our major overseas markets. Feedback from these buyers in India suggest this is an issue with comments like "Australian desi chickpeas are not as sweet as Indian varieties" and "differences in 'nutty' flavour between dun pea varieties".

    This project will clarify what sensory attributes are important to consumers in our major international market, India. Important sensory attributes where genetic variation is available could then be incorporated into improved future varieties. In order to do this efficiently (in less time, using less seed and with less cost) new methods of identifying breeding genotypes with preferred sensory attibutes will be developed to quantitate the chemical/physiochemical contents and compositions that are responsible for these preferences.

    The objectives of this project will be:
    1. to determine sensory attributes (appearance, taste, texture, aroma and product-integrity) of cooked desi chickpea and field pea products that are important to Indian consumers (faba bean may also be included)
    2. to benchmark and compare the sensory preferences/differences of Australian and Indian varieties
    3. to identify the chemical and physiochemical markers responsible for these differences. For example, we expect that sweetness will be one important trait, so we would look at the sugar content and composition, and some other compounds known to convey sweetness. What we look at will be driven by the findings of the sensory tests and flavour profiling.
    4. to examine the factors affecting cooking quality of chickpea and faba bean seeds
    5. to develop screening methods (accurate, rapid, cost effective) to identify genotypes within PBA breeding programs that have preferred cooking and sensory attributes.

    This project will ultimately seek to provide cost-effective screening methods that enable pulse chemists to identify genotypes that have preferred cooking and sensory attributes for PBA. The payoff will be continued market access and increased demand for Australian varieties resulting from better quality - this will lead to increased prices for growers.

  • Improving food quality and end-use acceptance of Australian Pulses

    Research & Development

    Grains

    Date
    01.07.2010
    GRDC Project Code
    DAV00114
    Region
    National
    Institution
    State Government
    R&D Area
    Quality/Standards

  • Increasing the value and marketability of feed grains for the grains industry

    Research & Development

    Grains

    Date
    01.07.2010
    GRDC Project Code
    PNP00001
    Region
    South
    R&D Area
    Quality/Standards

  • Provision of test reagents for antibody-based LMA detection to researchers and breeders

    Research & Development

    Grains

    Date
    01.07.2010
    GRDC Project Code
    DAS00114
    Region
    National
    Institution
    State Government

  • OGTR Accreditation for Test Milling Laboratory

    Research & Development

    Grains

    Date
    05.01.2010
    GRDC Project Code
    BRI00047
    Region
    South, National, National
    Institution
    Agribusiness
    R&D Area
    Crop Products

  • Investigations into Off Flavour Contamination in Peanuts

    Research & Development

    Grains

    Date
    01.01.2010
    GRDC Project Code
    PCA00002
    Region
    North, National, National
    Institution
    Private Sector, University
    R&D Area
    Breeding/New Varieties

    There is virtually no information available on the analysis, incidence and management of off flavour contaminants (such as 2-MIB and Geosmin) in peanut or peanut products.

    It is critical that some strategic R&D is initiated to learn more about the causes, analysis and possible management options to minimise this problem in Australian peanuts.

    The main aims of the project include:-
    1) Establishing an accurate, rapid and low cost analytical and sampling procedure for 2-MIB and Geosmin in peanut products, including farmer stock, raw and roasted kernels and peanut paste.
    2) Improving our understanding of the ecology and biology of causal organisms producing 2-MIB and geosmin, with particular reference to actinomycetes species which are known to produce these compounds in other commodities.

    A successful outcome to the project will ensure peanuts are saleable in the market place and ensure Australia maintains its clean, green and excellent tasting peanut image. The project also proposes to involve and train 2 post graduate students in 2-MIB and Geosmin related analysis, biology and management which will also benefit the Australian Grains Industry .

  • E0017116: Microbial T-RFLP Screening as a Solution for Premature Yeast Flocculation (PYF) Assurance for Malt and Malting Barley Exports

    Research & Development

    Grains

    Date
    01.07.2009
    GRDC Project Code
    UT00018
    Region
    South
    Institution
    University
    R&D Area
    Crop Products

  • Go Grains Health & Nutrition

    Research & Development

    Grains

    Date
    01.07.2009
    GRDC Project Code
    GOG00006
    Region
    National, National, National
    Institution
    Agribusiness
    R&D Area
    Crop Products

  • Grain Storage Extension

    Research & Development

    Grains

    Date
    01.07.2009
    GRDC Project Code
    DAQ00158
    Region
    National, West, South
    Institution
    State Government
    R&D Area
    Harvesting and Storage, Extension and Communication

    Grain growers are first in the value chain and thus have a pivotal role when it comes to determining the quality of grain offered to Australia's export and domestic markets. Making well informed on-farm decisions in areas such as early harvest, selection of storage type, insect pest control, hygiene, grain moisture management, cooling aeration and fumigation practices, will have a significant impact on the market value of a parcel of grain. The consistency of grain quality offered to buyers each year by an individual grower has direct consequences for short and long term profitability.

    Sound agronomic crop production decisions prior to planting and during crop growth adds value (yield and quality potential) to the crop in the paddock. This is also true for post harvest grain management. A well designed and managed grain storage facility provides grain growers with the ability to 'add further value' to harvested grain.

    It is common for wheat and other grains to be 'out of specification' for either delivery or acceptance into higher value grades. On farm storage offers the flexibility to hold grain for blending, drying or grading post harvest. Grain that may have been sold at feed grain prices during harvest due to extra screenings (small grains) or other faults can now be blended. Higher value grades are commonly $20 - $40 / tonne above feed grades.
    Storage also provides the option for growers to harvest their crop early at higher grain moisture. This reduces the risks of storm weather damage which can reduce both yields and grain quality.
    Further reasons for considering an investment in on-farm storage facilities may be, to exploit new marketing opportunities. time grain sales for price improvements, spread income over financial years, or simply the ability to offer a grain buyer / end-user a monthly grain supply program direct off farm.
    Although many grain growers still elect to warehouse a proportion of their harvest at bulk handling facilities (e.g. Graincorp), many throughout all GRDC regions are now expanding their on-farm storage capacity. Along with the above reasons mentioned, growers are also aiming to take account of bulk handler's logistical changes with reduced depot delivery locations and minimising bottlenecks to grain movement away from high capacity headers during the critical harvest period.

    In the same way that growers require reliable agronomic information to give their crop the potential to produce a good return, it is just as important to access sound information covering on-farm grain storage to produce reliable results and returns.

    This project will provide up-to-date technical, scientific, biosecurity and economic information to assist producers with their decisions concerning grain storage. A new series of Advice notes and grain storage research summaries will be available to growers, advisors / consultants and industry in both web based and hard copy formats. The project will draw on the skills of the Kondinin group and a number of experienced grains research & extension officers to produce these resources.
    Significant emphasis will also be directed at ensuring vital two-way information exchange, with face to face delivery and interaction at grower field days, on-farm demonstration, GRDC Updates, and industry workshops.