Research on native species with grain potential wins top prize

During her honours last year Ms Riddy-Baker conducted a research project testing the germination requirements for seven native Australian species with grain potential.

The species were curly Mitchell grass (Astrebla lappace), old man salt bush (Atriplex nummularia), summer arm grass (Urochloa distachya), spiny-headed mat-rush (Lomandra longifolia), button grass (Dactyloctenium radulans), weeping grass (Microlaena stipoides) and tall oat grass (Themeda avenacea).

Ms Riddy-Baker said she tested the species using different temperature and light regimes before selecting the two conditions which the species grew best under and tested them against three bushfire cues.

"The results were quite varied," she said.

"In general most species responded well to temperatures at about 25 degrees and in light conditions - either 12 hour light and 12 hour darkness or 24 hour light.

"There wasn't really any evidence that any of the fire cues I used [smoke, ash and heat shock] had any effect on germination."

Ms Riddy-Baker said the species which showed the best germination were curly Mitchell grass, button grass and old man saltbush, which ranged from 72 per cent to 100pc across all treatments used.

"Tall oat grass had moderate germination and it ranged from 16pc to 67pc so still quite broad," she said.

"Some species which didn't have great results were summer arm grass and weeping grass."

Ms Riddy-Baker said one of the most interesting results was the timeline for species germination, with most within three or five days after inhibition.

"The seeds which didn't germinate quickly often failed to as they became contaminated," she said.

"One exception to this was spiny-headed mat-rush which took 47 days to germinate and in trial two it took 32, so from these results it's quite possible it has some after-ripening requirements."

Ms Riddy-Baker said the research was important to be able to utilise these native species.

"The germination was unknown for these species and I thought it was very surprising," she said.

"There wasn't a lot of information about and the thing about germination is that it's the most crucial part of a seeds life cycle and if we don't know the germination then we can't utilise these species to their full potential.

"Whether used as a grain cob, or on the market there's a strong potential in a lot of these species and germination really is the first step."

Ms Riddy-Baker said the results, such as the discovery spiny-headed mat-rush likely having after opening requirements meant it was now known the seed would need to be stored.

"Little things like that make a big difference in being able to utilise these species more," she said.

For her project Ms Riddy-Baker was recently awarded the Chris Russell medal of excellence by Ag Institute Australia.

The award is an inter-university competition designed to showcase and promote the achievements of young researchers in the fields of agriculture, animal science, and natural resource management.

Having completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in environmental science and minoring in plant science, and her honours year, she is now applying to graduate programs.

"I would love to get into some of the government science programs like the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, or Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water," she said.

"I don't know where it will lead, but I want to get my foot in the door and see what's out there."