Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan has presented three young scientists with postgraduate scholarships to pursue research that will give the Western Australian grains industry a competitive edge, she said.
The four-year scholarships, valued at $190,000 each, have been provided by the government as an investment in the scientific capacity and future innovation in the WA grains industry.
Scholarships include:
Xin Du (Murdoch University) - supporting grains market access by demonstrating how synthetic amorphous silica works to kill grains insects resistant to phosphine;
Leon Hodgson (Curtin University’s Centre for Crop and Disease Management) - reducing yield losses in barley caused by fungicide resistance in the disease net blotch; and
Brenton Leske (The University of Western Australia) - improving frost tolerance in wheat by generating a better understanding of the plant’s physiological response to frost.
The Department of Agriculture and Food will provide work-based mentors, scientific guidance and access to extensive field and laboratory resources to the recipients.
Ms MacTiernan said the scholarships are an investment in the next generation of WA scientists “who will help our grains industry create jobs and remain internationally competitive”.
“These young scientists are pursuing exciting research that directly addresses important production issues facing local growers and the Western Australian grains industry,” she said.
“Collaboration between the Department of Agriculture and Food and our universities on initiatives like this is centre-stage of our Government’s agenda of developing the skills and smarts we need in WA to stay at the forefront of national and international grains research.”
