APSRU PROJECT SUMMARY

Project Title

Developing an Australian pearl millet industry

Project Leader

Peter Lawrence

Organisation

DPI / CSIRO

APSRU Representative

Peter Carberry

Funding Body

GRDC

Administration Contact

Vicki Battaglia

Department of Primary Industries

Ph: 07 4639 8886   Fax: 07 4639 8881

Commencement Date

1 July 1999

Completion Date

30 June 2004

Research Proposal Summary

The project will operate at several levels concurrently.

Variety evaluation

Suitable grain pearl millet populations and hybrid parental lines (A, B, R) from ICRISAT and three USA breeding programs are currently being imported through post-entry plant quarantine by the Australian Tropical Crops Genetic Resource Centre under project DAQ414.

The first year of the project, 1999/2000, will be a seed multiplication phase (possibly 3 generations) to produce seed of experimental hybrids plus open-pollinated varieties (synthetics) for agronomic evaluation. In 1999/2000 & 2000/2001, new experimental hybrids will be developed by selecting lines from germplasm populations and making hybrids using both A1 and A4 cytoplasmic male sterile backgrounds. The hybrids will be evaluated in single location trials in 2000/2001 & 2001/2002, and in multi-location trials in 2001/2002 & 2002/2003.

Both open-pollinated varieties and hybrids will be evaluated. Open-pollinated varieties have the advantage of lower seed costs, whereas hybrids have the advantage of increased yields (20%). The susceptibility of open-pollinated varieties and hybrids to ergot (Claviceps fusiformis) is an unknown factor which could alter the breeding objectives and procedures during the course of the project. Seed companies will be contacted to ascertain their interest in production and marketing of planting seed of both hybrids and open-pollinated varieties.

Crop modelling

There are four potential districts for growing pearl millet: Callide Valley, Central Highlands, North Burnett, and Warrego. An simulation modelling study will be undertaken to examine combinations of environments, planting dates, genotypes and management strategies, to determine the best suite of production factors. Time of planting trials (spring, summer, and autumn plantings) will be conducted in all four districts in year 2000 using open-pollinated varieties to collect key phenology, growthand environmental parameters to be used in the modelling studies.

The APSIM-Millet modelling studies will be undertaken in 2000/2001 & 2001/2002. Results will be used to select key environments for multi-location testing of experimental hybrids and varieties, and to identify suitable times of planting for the agronomic extension phase of the project.

Agronomic extension

Existing grain grower groups in the four districts will be the main avenue to transfer results of this project to the farmers. On-farm trials will be used to evaluate and demonstrate the agronomic management practices for growing pearl millet. As pearl millet is coarse grain of similar seed size and agronomic requirements to grain sorghum, it is expected that very little change in planting, harvesting, transport and storage equipment will be required of existing sorghum producers.

Workshops and meetings will be organised with grain grower groups to help farmers acquire the requisite skills in the production and marketing of pearl millet. Among the topics to be discussed, there will be an emphasis on promoting multi-sector communication between producers, feed-millers and grain traders. One of the sessions will be a marketing workshop for new crops based on the format developed by Dr Rob Fletcher, University of Queensland. Lessons from unsuccessful past attempts to commercialise new crops all highlight the lack of producer awareness to marketing and post-farmgate issues as a major factor.

Animal feed nutritional value: 

Mr Danny Singh of the QDPI Intensive Livestock Unit currently has an RIRDC funded project in 1998/99 to investigate the nutritional value of pearl millet as a poultry feed. Results of these experiments will be available in April 1999; though preliminary results suggest pearl millet is definitely a promising ingredient in poultry feed. Further studies are planned to investigate the value of pearl millet as a feed ingredient for pigs. Information packages will be developed in cooperation with Danny Singh to extend the research findings of pearl millet to pig and poultry producers.

Studies will be conducted in cooperation with feed-millers to determine procedures for milling pearl millet grain.

Aims

§    To develop a commercial pearl millet industry in Australia by:

§    importing, selecting and evaluating pearl millet grain-types from ICRISAT and USA breeding programs,

§    using existing crop modelling techniques to evaluate yield performance over several production regions,

§    determining best crop management practices using existing farmer group networks (eg. TOPCROP and CQ farming systems project groups)

Potential Outcomes

§    pearl millet grain varieties and/or hybrids selected for commercial release

§    the APSIM-millet model used to select suitable environments (locations * time of planting * management) for commercial pearl millet production

§    Publish CropLink pamphlet about production and marketing of grain pearl millet

§    Farmer groups in four districts in Qld acquire knowledge and skills about production and marketing of grain pearl millet

§    Feed-millers, grain traders, pig & poultry producers acquire knowledge and skills about pearl millet

Milestones

Milestone 1: Research Scientist appointed.

Milestone 2: Whilst some germplasm has recently been imported from USA, more populations and hybrid parents of pearl millet grain types need to be imported from ICRISAT and USA.

Milestone 3: Preliminary yield evaluation trials will be conducted at Biloela Research Station.

Milestone 4: Multi-location yield evaluation trials will be conducted at four districts in Qld.

Milestone 5: The APSIM-Millet model will be tested using phenology and yield data collected from initial multi-location trials. The model will be used to select best environments for further multi-location trials and to identify best times of planting for commercial production.

Milestone 6: Farmer groups will be used to promote pearl millet as a new grain crop.

Milestone 7: Production and marketing information will be published as a CropLink pamphlet.

Milestone 8: Pearl millet grain varieties and hybrids will be selected for commercial release.

Milestone 9: Completion of final report.

Budget