A team of innovative researchers from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment and School of Science have secured $704,970 in Australian Research Council grant funding (and an additional $797,284 in partner contributions) through the ARC’s highly competitive Linkage program.
The project – Silicon: a novel solution to reduce water use and pest damage in wheat – aims to improve Australian wheat production by increasing drought resilience and reducing reliance on pesticides. This is achieved by incorporating amorphous silicon (Si), an abundant national resource.
By leveraging this resource, (Australia has 86% of global supply), and through targeted collaboration between researchers, industry and farmers, this project will deliver an innovative solution to improve drought and pest resilience in Australian wheat production. This, in turn, will produce significant economic, environmental, and societal benefits to Australia.
The research team comprises of:
- Associate Professor Scott Johnson (Lead CI), Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
- Professor Zhong-Hua Chen (CI), Associate Dean, International and Engagement, School of Science
- Dr Yolima Carrillo (CI), Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
- Professor David Tissue (CI), Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Enterprise & International) Professor Deborah Sweeney congratulated the team on their success, noting the projects alignment with the University’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 2 with its focus on food security and sustainable agriculture.
“This funding success reflects Western’s commitment to innovation, delivering impactful and measurable outcomes, and being a partner of choice for industry and community. Congratulations to the team and those who supported their submission,” said Professor Sweeney.
This round of funding was especially competitive, with 57 of the 208 applications submitted nationally, receiving funded. The Linkage program supports Australian researchers to collaborate with industry partners and community organisations to work towards practical solutions in industry settings.
