Summary

This project will assess the cost and benefits of a proposed new practice for producing aerobic rice using degradable film that offers the potential of sowing at an earlier stage (during cooler conditions) and reaching maturity during the ideal environment occurring in the first months of Autumn. The project will be hosted and managed by RRAPL and will involve small-scale trials in the first year followed by larger scale trials conducted over the following two years. They will determine the best time to apply the film, the optimal time it should remain intact, the best rice variety. The anticipated benefits also include water savings and a reduction in crop impacts by pests, particularly locusts, and weeds.

Program

Rice

Research Organisation

Polymers CRC Ltd

Objective Summary

The use of degradable polymer film in the early planting of aerobic rice varieties will be trialled to:
1.Evaluate the selected film formulations for their potential to aid early growth during cooler conditions.
2.To determine the best time to apply the film, and the optimal time it should remain intact prior to it degrading, so that its use achieves the best crop outcome.
3.To determine the best rice variety to use in conjunction with the film technology.
4.To assess the cost and benefits of using this technology, including assessing the water saving that can be achieved.
The expected outcome is an assessment of the cost and benefits of a new practice for producing aerobic rice using degradable film that enables sowing at an earlier stage (during cooler conditions) and reaching maturity during the ideal environment occurring in the first months of Autumn.