COGGO is looking to fund new innovative ideas for start-up research and development projects starting in 2020 that will help the Western Australian grains industry.

In calling for Expressions of Interest, Rhys Turton the Chairman of COGGO said "COGGO is pleased to once again offer funding of local research and development projects aimed at improving the profitable growing of grain crops in Western Australia".

Projects funding ranges between $20,000-$75,000 per annum for a one or two-year project and is allocated on a competitive basis to projects which offer clear benefits to WA grain growers as a result of that research.

"For 2020 projects we have increased the maximum funding for the year from $50,000 to $75,000 offering more value to successful projects. COGGO receives a wide range of applications for projects from grower groups, universities, CSIRO, the State Government's agriculture department and agricultural consultants and has funded over 50 projects in the last seven years," Turton said.

Topics funded for projects in the past year included:
• Ground-truthing field expression and value of new flowering time genes in Lupins for
Western Australia.
• A novel approach to improving Stagonospora notorum blotch (SNB) tolerance in wheat.
• The role of ice nucleating bacteria in frost sensitivity of cereals in Western Australia.
• Increasing barley yield under future temperature increases.
• Using long season wheats for increases in profits and grazing opportunities.

COGGO established is Research Fund to invest in innovative research and development projects across the whole supply chain.

It is focused on funding catalytic or start up "proof of concept" research that can lead to further development using government, grower or commercial funding.

The COGGO Research Fund is financed through a voluntary levy collected from WA grain growers who are members of COGGO with the cooperation of grain acquisition and marketing companies.

All WA grain growers are eligible to become members of COGGO and the Grain Industry Association of Western Australia (GIWA) Inc administers the Fund on behalf of COGGO.

Further information and an "Expression of Interest" application form is available from GIWA at www.giwa.org.au/coggoresearchfund or by phoning (08) 6262 2128.

The closing date for Expressions of Interest is Friday 5th July, 2019. Applicants who have their Expression of Interest accepted will then be invited to submit a project proposal.