Pollination attribution in grain crops particularly canola

⁠⁠⁠Varroa mite, a parasite of the European honeybee (EHB), is classified as an exotic emergency plant pest in Australia but was recently detected in NSW. An eradication program is currently underway, to which the grains industry will contribute as signatories of the emergency plant pest response deed.

The success of the eradication program is still to be determined; however even if successful, there is a high risk of future varroa mite incursions. Unmanaged spread of this pest could decimate feral EHB populations which likely contribute to pollination in some crops; notably canola, faba beans, lupins, soybeans and sunflower. Canola is by far the most economically significant of these crops accounting for 77% of their total production.

The impact to the grains industry of varroa mite becoming endemic to Australia needs to be better understood in order to inform preparedness strategies. Current data and expert opinions on the pollination dependence of canola on EHB are varied and conflicting.

GRDC is seeking to address this uncertainty through this investment. The proportion of canola crop yield attributed to the different modes of pollination, including self, wind, and insect pollination, will be determined using field trials across canola growing regions. Pollination dependency will be determined while considering variables such as bee visitation rates, pollen deposition, plant size and spatial variation. This data will be extrapolated to other crop types and used to model impacts across Australia. This will determine the cost to the grains industry were feral EHB populations lost due to varroa mite.

Other Instructions:

For full details including the evaluation criteria, please refer to the GRDC website.

https://grdc.com.au/research/partnering-in-rde-investment/tenders/open-tenders

Apply through the GRDC Grains Investment Portal https://access.grdc.com.au

Conditions for Participation:

The following are mandatory conditions with which a Tenderer must comply to participate in this procurement process:

1 The Tenderer must be a single legal entity or recognised firm of partners except where the Tender is submitted by a consortium and the Tender specifies that each member of the proposed consortium will be party to the contract.

2 The Tenderer and any proposed subcontractor must be compliant with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, the Modern Slavery Act 2018 and any other applicable labour laws and standards in the jurisdiction in which they operate.

3 The Tenderer and any subcontractor must not have a judicial decision against it (not including decisions under appeal) relating to employee entitlements and who have not paid the claim.

4 The Tenderer and any subcontractor must not be named on the Consolidated List, being the list of persons and entities who are subject to targeted financial sanctions or travel bans under Australian sanction laws, as maintained by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

5 In accordance with the Black Economy Procurement Connected Policy, a Tenderer must include a satisfactory and valid Statement of Tax Records (STR). If the total value of all work under any proposed subcontract is expected to be equal to or above $4 million (inclusive of GST), also include a separate satisfactory and valid STR of that proposed subcontractor.

Timeframe for Delivery:

32 months Commencing November 2023 and concluding June 2026.

Address for Lodgement:

Submit your Tender response electronically directly with GRDC through the Grains Investment Portal only at:  https://access.grdc.com.au