Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668294
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$110,000.00
Summary
Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Facility for Nitrogen and Water Analysis in Plants. Continual improvement to agricultural plant production is key to maintaining future sustainable growth in Australian agriculture. Our respective research teams are focussed on improving how plants utilise both nitrogen and water. Many questions remain with respect to where, how and when plants use and or access these important nutrients. The proposed facility will enable plant scientists to begin in-depth anal ....Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Facility for Nitrogen and Water Analysis in Plants. Continual improvement to agricultural plant production is key to maintaining future sustainable growth in Australian agriculture. Our respective research teams are focussed on improving how plants utilise both nitrogen and water. Many questions remain with respect to where, how and when plants use and or access these important nutrients. The proposed facility will enable plant scientists to begin in-depth analysis of both nitrogen transport mechanisms and the ability to model root development and water allocation in crop species. This research will ultimately lead to improved knowledge on how plants respond to their environment and where modifications can be made to generate sustainable crops suited to Australian agriculture.Read moreRead less
Symbiotic transport proteins in legumes. Some plants form a symbiosis with soil bacteria (rhizobia) that convert atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia which is then supplied to the plant. This enables legumes to grow without application of nitrogen-based fertilizer, avoiding environmental problems such as run-off and land degradation, thereby contributing to sustainable agriculture practise. We will investigate the interactions between plant and rhizobia, focusing on identifying genes and proteins wh ....Symbiotic transport proteins in legumes. Some plants form a symbiosis with soil bacteria (rhizobia) that convert atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia which is then supplied to the plant. This enables legumes to grow without application of nitrogen-based fertilizer, avoiding environmental problems such as run-off and land degradation, thereby contributing to sustainable agriculture practise. We will investigate the interactions between plant and rhizobia, focusing on identifying genes and proteins which govern nutrient exchange between the partners and development of the special structures in the roots that house the bacteria. Subsequent manipulation of these genes and proteins may allow us to identify control points and enhance nitrogen fixation.
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Controlling accumulation of elements in the shoots of higher plants by manipulating processes in specific cell types in the roots. This project will provide novel, fundamental understanding of the processes controlling accumulation of elements in the shoots of plants. As such, it will impact on our understanding of processes relevant to stress tolerance, plant nutrition, human nutrition and the removal of toxic metals from soils by plants. These are all areas of great importance to Australian ag ....Controlling accumulation of elements in the shoots of higher plants by manipulating processes in specific cell types in the roots. This project will provide novel, fundamental understanding of the processes controlling accumulation of elements in the shoots of plants. As such, it will impact on our understanding of processes relevant to stress tolerance, plant nutrition, human nutrition and the removal of toxic metals from soils by plants. These are all areas of great importance to Australian agriculture, environmental sustainability and human health. The increased understanding arising from this project will underpin future work to increase agricultural productivity and the quality of life for all in the Australian and international communities.Read moreRead less
Explaining the interactions between drought and fertiliser use efficiency using tracing and imaging techniques. With climate change, Australian agriculture is faced with periods of increasing drought and changing rainfall patterns. At the same time, Australian farmers are faced with increasing costs of fertiliser inputs (their largest variable input cost), yet have little information on how they should change their nutrient management programs to suit the changing climatic conditions. This proje ....Explaining the interactions between drought and fertiliser use efficiency using tracing and imaging techniques. With climate change, Australian agriculture is faced with periods of increasing drought and changing rainfall patterns. At the same time, Australian farmers are faced with increasing costs of fertiliser inputs (their largest variable input cost), yet have little information on how they should change their nutrient management programs to suit the changing climatic conditions. This project aims to determine the effect of drought and rainfall patterns on the efficiency of fertiliser use by crops, through examination of the effects of soil moisture conditions on the interaction between soil and added fertilisers. Read moreRead less
The role of biological and chemical interactions in the rhizosphere in sustainable intercropping systems. Intercropping can result in large yield increases compared to mono-cropped systems. It is used extensively in China and could be an option for sustainable land-use in Australia. Belowground interactions between intercropped crop species may be important for the yield increase, but they are poorly understood, especially with regard to nutrient availability and soil biology. We will combine th ....The role of biological and chemical interactions in the rhizosphere in sustainable intercropping systems. Intercropping can result in large yield increases compared to mono-cropped systems. It is used extensively in China and could be an option for sustainable land-use in Australia. Belowground interactions between intercropped crop species may be important for the yield increase, but they are poorly understood, especially with regard to nutrient availability and soil biology. We will combine the field experience in intercropping systems of the Chinese scientists with the expertise of the Australian scientists in plant nutrition and rhizosphere ecology to characterise chemical and biological interactions in the rhizosphere governing nutrient availability and the competitive ability of intercropped species.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of arsenic tolerance in plants: how do symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi reduce uptake? Arsenic contamination of soil is a major problem caused by irrigation with contaminated ground-water, mining and application of pesticides. Plant uptake leads to entry into food chains, with severe consequences for crop growth and human health. This project will aid the search for mechanisms to reduce plant arsenic accumulation by exploring roles of beneficial plant-fungus symbioses in r ....Mechanisms of arsenic tolerance in plants: how do symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi reduce uptake? Arsenic contamination of soil is a major problem caused by irrigation with contaminated ground-water, mining and application of pesticides. Plant uptake leads to entry into food chains, with severe consequences for crop growth and human health. This project will aid the search for mechanisms to reduce plant arsenic accumulation by exploring roles of beneficial plant-fungus symbioses in reducing uptake. Results will be relevant to most crop plants, because of the widespread occurrence of the symbioses. The project will enhance collaboration with China where arsenic toxicity is prevalent, provide education and training in an internationally recognised laboratory and enhance Australia's reputation for tackling soil contamination.Read moreRead less
Molecular analysis of the symbiotic interface of nitrogen-fixing legumes. Some legumes form a symbiosis with soil bacteria (rhizobia) that convert atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia which is then supplied to the plant. This enables legumes to grow without application of nitrogen-based fertilizer, avoiding environmental problems such as run-off and land degradation, thereby contributing to sustainable agriculture practise. We will investigate the interactions between plant and rhizobia, focusing on ....Molecular analysis of the symbiotic interface of nitrogen-fixing legumes. Some legumes form a symbiosis with soil bacteria (rhizobia) that convert atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia which is then supplied to the plant. This enables legumes to grow without application of nitrogen-based fertilizer, avoiding environmental problems such as run-off and land degradation, thereby contributing to sustainable agriculture practise. We will investigate the interactions between plant and rhizobia, focusing on identifying genes and proteins which govern nutrient exchange between the partners and development of the special structures in the roots that house the bacteria. Subsequent manipulation of these genes and proteins may allow us to identify control points and enhance nitrogen fixation.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0561161
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$110,000.00
Summary
Joint Facility for Genome Analysis of Nutrient Transport Proteins. The joint facility for genome analysis of nutrient transport proteins is a new initiative between the University of Adelaide, the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, and the University of Western Australia to use a high throughput Xenopus oocyte expression system to screen plant cDNA/cRNA collections for genes encoding nutrient transport proteins. The facility will also provide a platform to rapidly accelerate our p ....Joint Facility for Genome Analysis of Nutrient Transport Proteins. The joint facility for genome analysis of nutrient transport proteins is a new initiative between the University of Adelaide, the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, and the University of Western Australia to use a high throughput Xenopus oocyte expression system to screen plant cDNA/cRNA collections for genes encoding nutrient transport proteins. The facility will also provide a platform to rapidly accelerate our present capacity for Xenopus oocyte expression analysis of nutrient transport proteins. This facility will greatly aid our current research quantum in this field and allow for new discoveries related to nutrient transport in plants.Read moreRead less
Targeted approaches to improve nitrogen use efficiency in maize. Nitrogen is an essential input required for growing high yielding quality cereal crops such as maize and wheat. Unfortunately, excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers can lead to serious environmental costs including nitrogen pollution through leaching and the significant cost in non-renewable fossil fuels used in their production. Improving nitrogen use efficiency in crops such as maize will reduce fertilizer use while ensuring lo ....Targeted approaches to improve nitrogen use efficiency in maize. Nitrogen is an essential input required for growing high yielding quality cereal crops such as maize and wheat. Unfortunately, excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers can lead to serious environmental costs including nitrogen pollution through leaching and the significant cost in non-renewable fossil fuels used in their production. Improving nitrogen use efficiency in crops such as maize will reduce fertilizer use while ensuring long-term sustainable production and harvestable yields. This collaboration with DuPont-Pioneer will focus on identifying nitrogen-linked traits in Maize that will be incorporated into new lines targeted at reducing grower dependence on nitrogen fertilizers.Read moreRead less
Salinity tolerance and long-distance transport in cereals. The aim of this program is to alter shoot accumulation of solutes in cereals by exploiting novel transgenic technology to manipulate processes in specific cell types in the roots. The primary objective is the generation of cereals which have increased tolerance of saline soils. This is clearly of much agricultural significance in Australia. More general outcomes include the generation of plants with altered concentrations of a range of n ....Salinity tolerance and long-distance transport in cereals. The aim of this program is to alter shoot accumulation of solutes in cereals by exploiting novel transgenic technology to manipulate processes in specific cell types in the roots. The primary objective is the generation of cereals which have increased tolerance of saline soils. This is clearly of much agricultural significance in Australia. More general outcomes include the generation of plants with altered concentrations of a range of nutrients in both leaves and grain. This will be of wide agricultural and nutritional benefit, as well as providing an understanding of principles underlying the long-distance co-ordination of processes in plants.Read moreRead less