Held Tuesday, March 4 on-farm at Gogeldrie, it attracted 60 growers and industry participants.
Rice Breeding Australia announced the development of the new dedicated rice breeding facility in December last year.
The $5 million price tag will be covered by AgriFutures.
It will be built at Leeton, and is slated for completion in early 2026.
At the field days, Rice Breeding Australia CEO Dr Georgina Pengilley said the complex will include a 480m² glasshouse, a three hectare bird-proof nursery, a four hectare field trial area, as well as offices, seed processing and storage facilities.
“This is a significant investment, by industry, that will make Australian rice breeding a world leader,” Dr Pengilley explained.
“The facility and our capability will be on par with the best crop breeding facilities globally.
“We are always trying to work better, faster and smarter so that growers benefit as soon as possible, and this new facility will further boost our ability to do that.
“It is incredibly exciting and shows strong confidence from the industry in its future.”
Formed in 2022, RBA is Australia’s only dedicated rice breeding organisation.
It is primarily levy funded, with involvement from AgriFutures, SunRice and Ricegrowers’ Association.
It works closely with research collaborators and industry to integrate the latest research outcomes into its programs.
On the field days, Dr Pengilley said turnout and interest was strong, considering harvest has started early.
“It’s an important opportunity to share details about RBA’s breeding program and showcase our largest trial site with growers, industry and research partners,” she said.
“We are acutely aware of the responsibility we have to deliver high performing new varieties into growers’ hands as quickly as possible, which is why days like these are so important.”
“We’ve made significant progress over the past 36 months, and days like this are a great way for growers to see and understand what we’re doing and why, and how that may be implemented on their farm.
“It takes eight to 10 years for a variety to be developed for growers to use, and there’s a huge amount of work involved.”
The field day specifically covered genetic research projects targeting cold tolerance and lodging resistance, as well as techniques including hill plots, automation and drones designed to help speed up the development of new varieties.
On hand were RBA’s research collaboration partners from the University of Queensland, Deakin University and Rice Extension providing key updates on their work at the site.
“Ultimately, it’s all about getting varieties to growers that will give them what they need – that’s our sole focus,” Dr Pengilley said.
“And while we certainly concentrate on developing genetic solutions to address challenges such as lodging and cold tolerance, we also need to investigate and trial farm management techniques such as the use of raised beds and aerobic systems.
“We have combined agronomy, management and breeding together at this site, to trial and develop varieties that will be grown in the way farmers will in the future.”
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