Advertisement

Updated January 21st, 2020 at 15:56 IST

Golf ball sized hailstones destroy years of research after smashing greenhouses

As parts of Australia was hit by golf-ball-sized hailstones, valuable Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation research got destroyed.

Reported by: Ruchit Rastogi
Golf Ball
| Image:self
Advertisement

As parts of Australia was hit by golf-ball-sized hailstones, valuable Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) research on creating environment-friendly crops got destroyed. According to reports, research on crops such as barley, wheat etc. was destroyed as hailstones directly went through glass panes, making it impossible to control temperatures and destroying plant leaves. The hailstorm also damaged a lot of cars, homes etc.

 

 

 

Read: Australia: Massive Dust Storm Blankets Western New South Wales

Read: Australia: Trained Dogs Rescue Seven Koalas Alive From Bushfires

It almost felt like an explosion

According to reports, Chief research scientist of CSIRO, Evans Lagudah said that as the golf-ball hailstones smashed through the glass panes, it almost felt like an explosion. Ladugah further added that CSIRO has reserve plant seeds but the hailstorm resulted in the full growth cycle of many plants being lost, prompting people working on the research to start from scratch on a few projects that have been going on for a couple of years. He further added that a few research projects could be saved if the plants were mature enough while the one that isn't can lose time up to a period of one year.

According to reports, CSIRO CEO, Judi Zielke said that it was fortunate that no one suffered any kind of injury in the hailstorm, adding that many of the projects that were lost mainly focused on how to reduce the use of water, fertiliser and chemical. According to reports, a few of the projects focused on ways to improve the sustainability of crops with researchers attempting to grow cotton, barley, wheat in potentially different ways.

Zeilke reportedly recalled a similar hailstorm that had happened in the year 2006 and said that it took a total of 2,500 panes of glass to repair the damage. The CEO further said that caused by the current hailstorm will require double the amount to fix the greenhouses. Dr Melanie Figueroa said that CSIRO was working in collaboration with organisations in Africa and North America, adding that the damage will have some effect on sending material to these organisations.

Read: Teenager, Man Struck By Lightning In NSW As Thunderstorms Batter Australia

Read: Australia Boosts Emergency Grants, Loans For Small Businesses Hit By Bushfires

Advertisement

Published January 21st, 2020 at 15:56 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo