The adaption of pulses (chickpea and lentil) across the northern grains region.

The investment will generate data to understand how to better fit chickpea and lentil into existing and potential growing environments of the northern region. It is envisaged that the investment will use a large network of sites and sowing times to understand:

• drivers of crop growth and development across a range of environments

• critical growth periods to minimise abiotic stress

The sites should be chosen and managed to best mimic the environment experienced by growers in the region; and characterised and well instrumented to support appropriate environmental characterisation.

This investment will be conducted initially over one growing season. Applicants should consult extensively with advisers when designing the project plan. Consideration will be given to extending the work subject to an evaluation of the methodology and data quality.

This investment should work with (but not duplicate) existing investments in the northern region such as the new pre-breeding investment “Improving the adaptation and profitability of high value pulses (chickpea and lentil) across Australian agroecological zones”; the Pulse Check groups and the NSW DPI Bilateral projects:

• Does improving chilling tolerance of chickpea increase and stabilize yield and improve farming system ‘fit’ – BLG111

• The adaptation of profitable pulses in the central and southern zones of the northern grains region – BLG112

• Quantifying the effects of abiotic stresses on pulse growth and development: Temperature – effect of stubble type, load and form on the thermal response of winter pulses – BLG106