There is growing optimism about the rice industry's ambitious water efficiency goal, but some growers are questioning if it can be achieved in the time frame given.
Last year, Rice Breeding Australia (RBA) was created to research rice varieties that do not need as much water to grow.
It came after the industry set a target to improve water efficiency by 75 per cent by 2026.
The latest five-year average for rice production is about 0.8 tonnes of rice per megalitre of water.
RBA has since started trials across the Riverina, in southern New South Wales, where about 98 per cent of the country's rice is produced.
Chief executive Georgina Pengilley says researchers are using genetics to breed varieties that can grow with less water.
"We look to take those best ones forward for the growers to have and start to meet those water productivity targets," she said.
"Some trials are late-stage trials so we're looking at having them with growers in the next three to four years."
Growers say target is 'aspirational'
Rice grower Garry Knagge, who has rice trials on his farm at Leeton, has welcomed the industry's new direction.
But he says the variables in rice growing, such as water allocations, weather and varieties having different yields, will make the water efficiency target difficult to reach.
"It's very aspirational," Mr Knagge said.
"Whilst it's nice to have a number, whether we achieve that as an industry because different varieties will yield differently.
"To have the whole lot lift to that level will be a major challenge."
Rice crops are susceptible to cold temperatures, so a blanket of water is needed to keep it insulated, for almost the entire growing season.
Brooke and Neville Hollins grow rice at Burraboi, about 200 kilometres south of Mr Knagge's farm.
Mr Hollins also thinks the target will be challenging to reach.
"If they can keep researching new varieties to shorten the growing season, I think that's where the majority of it will come from," he said.
"The research we need down here is predominantly more for cold tolerant varieties because we get colder nights than the MIA [Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area]."
"If we can get a super cold-tolerant variety that the marketers want that would be really good."
Rice research set to expand
Ms Pengilley agreed that the target was ambitious but said it was an "exciting time" for the industry, with all stakeholders on board.
"Genetics is a long game, so for RBA the main key is that we can demonstrate we're making inroads," she said.
Ms Pengilley said there were plans to expand the breeding program from this year.
"The more numbers we have in the program, the more opportunity we've got to look at germ plasm and therefore end up with a variety that's going to work for the growers," she said.
"Over the next five years we'll be looking to take the program to 10 times the size that it was in 2022."
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