Scientists are giving Aussie horticulture growers in cooler climates the opportunity to participate in a $6.4M research trial program to help industry adapt to climate change.

Delivered through Hort Innovation and led and co-funded by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA), with support from national and international industry partners, the five-year project aims to grow cool climate horticulture production by 20 per cent.

Trial sites are being set up in Tasmania, and the research team will design experiments to be relevant across cool climate regions such as south west Western Australia, the Adelaide Hills, south east Victoria and high-altitude areas of NSW and South East Queensland.

Hort Innovation chief executive officer Brett Fifield said the aim is to investigate what operational adjustments need to be made to farms in various regions to achieve maximum productivity in the face of unpredictable weather patterns.

“This project is all about getting growers the best possible production outcomes,” he said. “Researchers will look at fragile soil management, nutrient and water use. High-yield plants that can be picked early to maximise returns, and establishing protected cropping environments that offer stable, pest and disease-controlled growing environments are further priorities.”

The program will span various sectors, including peas, potato, pyrethrum, vegetable seed, cherry and berry production. Co-investing industry partners are Bejo, Reid Fruits, Hansen Orchards, Costa Group Potatoes NZ, Simplot, Premium Fresh, Scottish Society for Crop Research, Botanical Resources Australia, Driscoll’s Australia, South Pacific Seeds and Fruit Growers Tasmania, with contributions from the Australian Government.

TIA Horticulture Centre leader, Dr Nigel Swarts, said primary producers across the horticultural sector are partnering to address the critical issues and risks associated with climatic variability and extremes in temperature and rainfall.

“With climate change, for fruit crops like cherries, there is the threat of premature ripening and projected increases in pest populations. Nutritional quality in terms of sugars, acids, or antioxidant capacity will also shift, impacting fruit quality outcomes,” he said.

“It is vital that we undertake this research now to give growers the knowledge, tools, and confidence to invest and sustainably expand into the future.

“Our industry partners are integral members of the team who will help us to define the research questions and develop the on-the-ground program design to ensure it is highly relevant for industry.”

Fruit Growers Tasmania CEO Peter Cornish said industry is increasingly exploring and investing in protective cropping systems to manage climate risks, and there has never been a larger appetite for collaboration to solve issues being faced by growers.

“Tasmanian’s have always been early adopters of this technology, particularly in the berry sector where we have seen this technology allow them to manage climate variability, reduce risk, increase crop reliability, and drive business growth and employment outcomes.

“Through this project, we can see the potential for industry to get some important tools that will help them inform production decisions. This project could not have come at a more valuable time.”

Through industry field demonstration days and workshops, trial sites will be accessible to growers. All project findings will be made available to the industry through resources such as fact sheets, webinars and case studies.

Growers in cool climate regions are encouraged to get involved by contacting Dr Nigel Swarts at TIA.

This project is being delivered through Hort Innovation’s Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative. Hort Frontiers facilitates collaborative, transformation research and development to support horticulture to 2030, and beyond. TIA is a joint venture of the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Government.