University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia is one of just two universities in the world to operate its own large-scale multipurpose research facility less than 7km from its doorstep.
The UWA Shenton Park Field Station has served the science and agriculture industries of Western Australia for more than 60 years and is home to dozens of active research projects.
Six of these innovative projects were showcased at the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment (SAgE) 2021 Staff Open Day on 12 October.
Image: Staff photo taken at the Shenton Park Field Station Open Day.
Head of SAgE Associate Professor James Fogarty said more than 75 UWA staff and students attended the half-day event.
“The fundamental industry-focused research that takes place at the UWA Shenton Park Field Station represents a central part of the School’s activities,” Professor Fogarty said.
“The site is utilised by industry groups and government departments to provide world-class research to support WA crop, pasture, horticulture and viticulture industries.
“The facility is accessible to all staff and students and works cooperatively with other institutions within the state and nationally. Its proximity to the Crawley campus makes it an excellent resource for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research.”
At the Open Day, agricultural engineer Dr Andrew Guzzomi gave visitors a tour of the new Centre for Engineering Innovation: Agriculture and Ecological Restoration.
Image: Dr Andrew Guzzomi and research colleagues at the CEIAER.
Dr Guzzomi expanded on the Centre’s research achievements, prototyping equipment, agricultural machinery and patented inventions – including a 3D printer, Seed Flamer lab, seed harvest equipment and machinery developed for mine site restoration and site-specific weed removal.
More than 5ha of irrigated plot land at UWA Shenton Park Field Station gives researchers the unique ‘real world’ opportunity to grow multiple large-scale trials at one time.
Associate Professor Phillip Nichols and Senior Research Officer Brad Wintle presented on the Annual Legume Breeding project research activities with partner PGG Wrightson Seeds, including conducting field trials of subterranean clover to be selectively bred for different rainfall zones.
Image: Associate Professor Phillip Nichols and Senior Research Officer Brad Wintle.
In a nearby field, Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative Research Fellow Dr Roberto Busi demonstrated the first-year findings from his Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)-funded national project to provide effective weed management strategies to mitigate new herbicide resistance issues in annual ryegrass.
Image: AHRI Research Fellow Dr Roberto Busi.
Future Green Solutions helped Open Day visitors get up close and personal with black soldier fly larvae while describing the collaborative UWA project that uses the technology to transform agricultural wastes into valuable commodities.
Image: FGS researcher Sofia Katz showing off black soldier fly larvae.
At a prototype facility for large-scale heat tolerance screening, The UWA Institute of Agriculture’s Dr Sheng Chen shared the latest findings from his five-year GRDC-funded national canola heat tolerance project.
Image: Dr Sheng Chen presenting next to canola.
Australia's largest recirculating aquaculture facility is based at the UWA Shenton Park Field Station.
During a visit to the Aquaculture Laboratory, UWA PhD candidate Isobel Sewell described her project with Future Green Solutions to investigate the suitability of black soldier fly larvae in marron and barramundi aquaculture diets.
Planning is currently under way to hold a UWA Shenton Park Field Station Open Day for the public in 2022.
Image: The Aquaculture Laboratory was established through a collaboration between UWA and DPIRD.