Research to address global food security

A Charles Sturt University research project into rice alternatives has produced quinoa and cowpea suitable for growing in harsh conditions globally. Using research facilities on our Wagga Wagga campus, researchers simulated a climate with high salinity and temperatures. The simulation replicated conditions of the rice fields in the Mekong River Delta in Vietnam. The results initiated the development of processes to grow increasingly popular and highly nutritious rice alternatives, which will lead to an increase in global food security.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow from our School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, and researcher on the ACIAR Climate Change Program at Charles Sturt University, Dr Brooke Kaveney, said the project represents multiple benefits for farmers and communities around the world. “Rice is one of the world’s staple foods, but it is highly water dependent,” Dr Kaveney said. “The ongoing drought in Australia reiterated the need to find alternative crops for food security globally, and quinoa and cowpea are highly water efficient.” The research team alongside researchers at Can Tho University plan to implement the process in Vietnam, after which they will implement management techniques such as mulching.