Early warning systems for Australian farmers
Becoming more proactive rather than reactive can pay off. Being ahead of the curve with predictive technology, we save lives in the event of major climate events or infection outbreaks, for example. In terms of crop security, scientifically it is possible to predict problems using indicator plants.
Plants that provide a farmer with signals such as colour change, particularly when water is about to reach critical levels, disease is developing in the soil or minerals are running low in the soil, could only be a few steps away from being a reality.
How do indicator plants work?
A plant will indicate that its fruit is ripe and ready to harvest by changing colour. This ‘communication’ of ripeness benefits the plant because its seeds are ready for distribution. Apples will be picked, grapes will be harvested and with each discarded piece of fruit or seed carrying piece of food comes the chance to begin anew. Agriculturalists can also see a crop change colour if it is stressed due to lack of water, or has a deficiency in minerals, but the indication may be delivered too late to mitigate the impact of the imbalance.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researchers begin work this year, to produce indicator plants that turn red, at that critical point when the plants will soon need, for example, additional water, a specific mineral or pathogen treatment, in specific areas of the farm.
Planted in a grid pattern amongst the crops, indicator plants will also locate the first instances of water stress or the presence of pathogens in specific locations on farms. This means that, warned early, farmers can water or treat that one area, instead of having to water or spray the whole crop for the pathogens. This reduces damage to crops as well as excessive consumption of water and agricultural chemicals, and maintains the productivity.
Professor of Agricultural Biotechnology, Roger Hellens, is establishing projects at QUT to investigate the optimal opportunities for using indicator plants. With his Plant Nutrients and Nutrition team, Professor Hellens is designing plants to indicate for these key changes. The major outcome of the projects is to improve farm health and productivity by minimising excessive use of fertilisers and water, as well as monitoring and mitigating the spread of diseases.
“Using plants as sensors is a pretty disruptive idea and with time, we will be able to provide growers with the information they need to help make the difficult decisions they have to make, every day.
“The potential benefits of more resilient, sustainable farms justifies the investment and we welcome partners in this exciting project,” said Professor Hellens.
Improving soil health and farm profitability
Professor Hellens points to several pressing issues that Australian farmers face. Water security and disease are ever present concerns. In addition, there is a point where nutrients may reach critically low levels when fertilisers are required, or critically high levels.
Keeping tight control of the quantity of water and fertiliser used on farms benefits the industry as a whole by reducing the cost and extending the availability of water resources and of some source minerals such as phosphorus that are quickly becoming scarce. Too much fertiliser can impact farm profitability through increased costs, contamination of groundwater, excessive vegetative growth in the crop, and related insect, disease and harvest problems.
Example industry: cotton
Over a five year average between 2009 and 2014, the Australian cotton crop was worth AUD $2 billion annually, underpinning the viability of 152 rural communities. Growers are continually improving systems and technology to sustain the health of the farms and their profitability. The potential of indicator plants to respond early to farm stress situations and health threats is a significant step forward.
In the field of precision agriculture, indicator plants can contribute greater precision for farmers who also use digital monitors to track the water needs of crops, for example. Indicator plants may offer an alternative to farms that have limited network access, where digital monitors are not an option.
For more information about this project, contact Professor Roger Hellens at Queensland University of Technology.
Find out more about research at QUT.
