Transport systems that underpin nitrogen efficient maize. This project aims to define the nitrogen transport network involved in the uptake, storage and redistribution of inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium) over the developmental life cycle of maize. This information will provide novel insight into the genetic control of nitrogen use in maize and other cereal crops.
Functional network analysis of plant metabolism in response to salinity and temperature through targeted proteomics. This project will measure changes in plant metabolism and provide methods and a pipeline for quantification and modelling. It will assess nitrogen linked metabolism under environmental stress experienced in Australian wheat cropping systems and build fundamental knowledge of changes in networks of nitrogen metabolism in model plants.
Physiological and genetic mechanisms underlying tolerance of bread wheat to ion toxicities. Ion toxicities associated with acidic or alkaline soils and waterlogging cost about $190 million per year in lost yield in Western Australia alone. Soil ameliorants and agricultural measures to deal with these constraints are non-existent (B toxicity in alkaline sodic subsoils), non-effective (liming of acidic subsoils), expensive (drainage for waterlogged soils) or a combination of the above. This projec ....Physiological and genetic mechanisms underlying tolerance of bread wheat to ion toxicities. Ion toxicities associated with acidic or alkaline soils and waterlogging cost about $190 million per year in lost yield in Western Australia alone. Soil ameliorants and agricultural measures to deal with these constraints are non-existent (B toxicity in alkaline sodic subsoils), non-effective (liming of acidic subsoils), expensive (drainage for waterlogged soils) or a combination of the above. This project will characterise wheat genotypes for tolerance to ion toxicities and will lay the groundwork for deliberate breeding effort toward pyramiding tolerance to ion toxicities in elite germplasm.Read moreRead less
Wheat biomarkers - the effect of nitrogen withdrawal on the proteome and peptidome. Nitrogen is a crucial macroelement for plants. Its importance is highlighted by the wide use of agricultural nitrogen fertilizers in Australia and world wide. This comes at substantial costs for the environment and the economy, due to low nitrogen use efficiency of cereals and environmental impacts. By understanding plant responses to nitrogen we can improve nitrogen efficiency. This project will identify protein ....Wheat biomarkers - the effect of nitrogen withdrawal on the proteome and peptidome. Nitrogen is a crucial macroelement for plants. Its importance is highlighted by the wide use of agricultural nitrogen fertilizers in Australia and world wide. This comes at substantial costs for the environment and the economy, due to low nitrogen use efficiency of cereals and environmental impacts. By understanding plant responses to nitrogen we can improve nitrogen efficiency. This project will identify proteins and peptides as biomarkers of plant responses to nitrogen withdrawal. Such biomarkers can be used in plant breeding and in agricultural prediction of plant nitrogen requirements with the potential to reduce agricultural costs and environmental impacts.Read moreRead less
Identifying the diversity and evolution of loci associated with adaptation to aridity/heat and salinity in ancient cereal crops. This project will use ancient grains of wheat, barley and rye to find 'lost' genetic diversity at key genes associated with resistance to aridity, salt and disease. This project will make the proteins of key genes, and study their interaction with the environment over time by measuring ions in the grains to reveal the ancient environmental conditions.
Mining the rice genome for alleles of value in rice improvement. Food production and quality are determined by the varieties of food plants that are used in agriculture. A high quality rice genome sequence became available in 2005. This project will mine the data in the sequence to identify genes associated with key production and quality traits. New technologies and strategies will be developed and applied. The discoveries will be of value for the model crop, rice and for other cereal and foo ....Mining the rice genome for alleles of value in rice improvement. Food production and quality are determined by the varieties of food plants that are used in agriculture. A high quality rice genome sequence became available in 2005. This project will mine the data in the sequence to identify genes associated with key production and quality traits. New technologies and strategies will be developed and applied. The discoveries will be of value for the model crop, rice and for other cereal and food crops. Human health benefits from the availability of technologies to combine desirable nutritional traits and attractiveness to humans. This ensures healthy foods will be produced and consumed.Read moreRead less
Developing Zn-dense, high-yielding wheat by molecular marker technology. The objective of this project is to identify pathways leading to the accumulation of zinc — an important element for human nutrition — in wheat. The project aims to provide biochemical and molecular markers for breeding programs that will facilitate the selection of superior breeding lines for improved human nutrition and seed health. This project builds on studies using a wheat diversity panel with 90 000 gene-based single ....Developing Zn-dense, high-yielding wheat by molecular marker technology. The objective of this project is to identify pathways leading to the accumulation of zinc — an important element for human nutrition — in wheat. The project aims to provide biochemical and molecular markers for breeding programs that will facilitate the selection of superior breeding lines for improved human nutrition and seed health. This project builds on studies using a wheat diversity panel with 90 000 gene-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, where zinc–SNP associations were identified. The project also builds on recent studies that show particular metabolites and macronutrients around anthesis are linked to improved grain zinc concentration at maturity.Read moreRead less
Control points in nitrogen uptake: enhancing the response of cereals to nitrogen supply and demand. Vast amounts of nitrogen fertiliser are applied to cereal crops to maintain yields. By uncovering what limits nitrogen uptake in cereals, this project will provide the scientific basis for improving nitrogen use efficiency and decreasing fertiliser use, with significant economic and environmental benefits.
Small molecules with large effect: The dual role of nitrogen-containing metabolites in stress tolerance and nutrient recycling. The main objective of this project is to identify drought and nutrient-deficiency responsive pathways in tolerant wheat and to provide markers to breeding programs that facilitate selection of superior breeding lines. This project builds on a pilot study conducted in rice in which tolerant-specific metabolites were identified which are representative of pathways relevan ....Small molecules with large effect: The dual role of nitrogen-containing metabolites in stress tolerance and nutrient recycling. The main objective of this project is to identify drought and nutrient-deficiency responsive pathways in tolerant wheat and to provide markers to breeding programs that facilitate selection of superior breeding lines. This project builds on a pilot study conducted in rice in which tolerant-specific metabolites were identified which are representative of pathways relevant for the protection of cells from damage through reactive oxygen species (ROS) and for nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, sugars) recycling under stress. Available data suggest that these pathways are also relevant in wheat. Quantitative metabolomics, genetics, and molecular tools will be used to deliver either DNA-based or metabolomics markers to breeders.Read moreRead less
Exploring genetic diversity to identify new heat tolerance genes in wheat. This project aims to improve the selection and development of heat-tolerant wheat varieties. Heatwaves seriously reduce wheat yields worldwide, and the situation will worsen with climate variation. This project aims to apply a broad genetic scan to identify the main chromosome regions controlling heat tolerance at the sensitive flowering stage in Australian and European wheat varieties. It is expected that this knowledge ....Exploring genetic diversity to identify new heat tolerance genes in wheat. This project aims to improve the selection and development of heat-tolerant wheat varieties. Heatwaves seriously reduce wheat yields worldwide, and the situation will worsen with climate variation. This project aims to apply a broad genetic scan to identify the main chromosome regions controlling heat tolerance at the sensitive flowering stage in Australian and European wheat varieties. It is expected that this knowledge will deliver crucial breeders’ tools to select heat-tolerant varieties. The project also aims to identify genes most likely to control tolerance at these chromosome locations using gene expression profiling data, trait associations and knowledge of heat-tolerance genes from other species. It is expected that these genes will reveal molecular mechanisms of heat tolerance and create new opportunities to engineer superior levels of tolerance in cereals.Read moreRead less