RECENT heavy rainfall across the region has been a “perfect” assistant for a local scientist’s research into the relationship between bacteria and plants.
Berri-based Nutrien Ag Solutions scientist Shane Phillips (pictured) says his recent project – dubbed ‘Beneficial bacteria in enhancing cereal production in the northern Mallee’ – began with a “great start”.
“If I had to write a script on what would be the perfect scenario for the project, this would be it,” he said.
“Lots of boxes have been ticked and the rainfall has been perfect for this trial.
“The rain was gentle and the low-evaporation rates allowed the soil’s natural water repellents to adapt by nature.”
Mr Phillips said his project, which began in 2018, looks “promising” for farming communities.
“A number of local growers and myself are looking at the relationship between bacteria and plants in dryland cropping to see if we can find species that will enhance root growth and development in crops under drought conditions,” he said.
“Projects always rely on circumstances and if we’re going to get anything out of this project, it’s going to be this year.
“This year the season’s broken early, the grounds are nice and wet and the weather hasn’t been hot and dry early on, so everything is lining up for us from our research aspect.”
Mr Phillips said he has six local growers working on the project with him.
“I like to try and keep each research groups to five or six local growers so we can keep in touch and I can monitor them regularly, as that’s the most effective model of being able to look after them,” he said.
“I work with a great group of men and it’s interesting that lots of growers like this concept.
“Each of the growers grow different things and that’s great because we need to understand different sites, soils and variants to what people do.”
Mr Phillips described the bacterial response to so far as “encouraging”.
“We started doing bacterial swabs in soils to find the bacteria that’s growing in the soils and we found quite big differences between good soils and bad soils within one step of each other,” he said.
“When we did the soil bacteria analysis we found significant differences in colonies.
“The relationship between bacteria and plants is real, most of the research done is focusing on this.
“If you look at research directions all over the place globally, it’s trying to get systems in to play and seeing how valuable relationships are in crop production, so that’s a reflection of where global trends are going in research.”
Mr Phillips said researching locally keeps the project cost low.
“We do research, formulate and make everything here,” he said.
“We don’t outsource it so that way it keeps the cost low and research to adoption is a lot quicker.
“I have my own lab at PIRSA in Loxton and it has been fantastic to rent out the space so I can try stuff out there.
“It facilitates a lot of conceptual stuff and whenever I have an idea, I can take it to the lab, mock it all up in a micro level and then take it to the next level.
“It’s the starting point of where to go.”
Mr Phillips said he aims to complete and publish the research project in three to five years.
“I hope to be able to publish the research project once it is completed,” he said.
Mr Phillips described each year as “a new chapter”.
“This year has so far been amazing,” he said.
“We’ve got a great system going as rain has come at a perfect time, crops are coming in, there’s great colonisation and soils are warm enough.
“Each year is a new chapter and we can only interpret the story this year.
“Next year, the story will be interpreted differently because the season will be different.
“The circumstances allow the project to be whatever it is and whatever comes out of it, comes out of it.”