Reducing environmental footprint by improving phosphorous use efficiency. While modern agriculture relies heavily on the use of phosphorous fertilizers, most of them are not used by plants and lost in runoff, resulting in a massive environmental damage through contamination of waterways (termed eutrophication). This project takes advantage of an untapped resource - a unique collection of Tibetan wild barley genotypes, to reveal key traits that confer superior phosphorus use efficiency in wild ba ....Reducing environmental footprint by improving phosphorous use efficiency. While modern agriculture relies heavily on the use of phosphorous fertilizers, most of them are not used by plants and lost in runoff, resulting in a massive environmental damage through contamination of waterways (termed eutrophication). This project takes advantage of an untapped resource - a unique collection of Tibetan wild barley genotypes, to reveal key traits that confer superior phosphorus use efficiency in wild barley and identify appropriate candidate genes and their position on chromosomes for further incorporating these traits into commercial barley cultivars. This will reduce the environmental footprint of modern agricultural practices on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems without compromising food security.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC230100016
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre in Predictive Breeding for Agricultural Futures. This Centre aims to develop the advanced capacity needed to secure Australia’s food and fibre production and export value into the future. Leveraging immense industry support, the Centre expects to develop and integrate cutting-edge plant and animal breeding technologies and deliver world-class training that addresses critical demand for highly skilled industry leaders. Expected outcomes include a future-ready predictive breedi ....ARC Training Centre in Predictive Breeding for Agricultural Futures. This Centre aims to develop the advanced capacity needed to secure Australia’s food and fibre production and export value into the future. Leveraging immense industry support, the Centre expects to develop and integrate cutting-edge plant and animal breeding technologies and deliver world-class training that addresses critical demand for highly skilled industry leaders. Expected outcomes include a future-ready predictive breeding industry able to transform data into optimised decisions, and the human capacity to drive it. This should provide significant benefits to enhance the sustainability and profitability of all major Australian agriculture sectors, including livestock, grains, horticulture, cotton, wine, dairy, forestry and fisheries.Read moreRead less
Molecular switches and genetic consequences of grain retention in cereals. Grain retention at maturity was key for crop domestication and laid the basis for farming. Wheat and barley have evolved a novel mechanism for ensuring grain retention and, although the genes are known, the mechanisms for action are not. Grain dispersal in the wild relatives involves highly targeted changes in the walls of a small number of cells. This project will explore how the two identified genes control this proces ....Molecular switches and genetic consequences of grain retention in cereals. Grain retention at maturity was key for crop domestication and laid the basis for farming. Wheat and barley have evolved a novel mechanism for ensuring grain retention and, although the genes are known, the mechanisms for action are not. Grain dispersal in the wild relatives involves highly targeted changes in the walls of a small number of cells. This project will explore how the two identified genes control this process and clarify their mode of action. The genes ensuring grain retention have been so critical for domestication that the region surrounding them has become genetically fixed. The project will assess the implication of fixation on genetic diversity and develop options to bring novel variation into breeding programs.Read moreRead less
Australia's native sorghums: a model for testing plant adaptation theories. This proposal tests an emerging theory that allocation of resources by plants to growth or defence are interrelated, not alternatives as currently assumed. Like many crops, sorghum produces toxic cyanide, especially during droughts but its wild relatives make much less. This project aims to discover why cyanide is so common in domesticated plants and why levels increase with stress. This has important implications for de ....Australia's native sorghums: a model for testing plant adaptation theories. This proposal tests an emerging theory that allocation of resources by plants to growth or defence are interrelated, not alternatives as currently assumed. Like many crops, sorghum produces toxic cyanide, especially during droughts but its wild relatives make much less. This project aims to discover why cyanide is so common in domesticated plants and why levels increase with stress. This has important implications for developing crops that are high yielding and also climate resilient. Expected outcomes include full genome sequences for all of Australia’s unique native sorghums, confirmation of new theories on the interrelationships between defence and growth and identification of new traits vital for developing the crops of the future. Read moreRead less
Engineering safer pastures for livestock. This project aims to develop subterranean clover with elevated condensed tannins in leaves. This important pasture legume is currently a bloat risk for cattle and sheep due to low condensed tannins and high soluble proteins. Bloat is a health issue that costs the Australian and New Zealand livestock industries over $200 million per annum. Condensed tannins can reduce bloat, decrease methane production and improve efficiency of production. A novel approac ....Engineering safer pastures for livestock. This project aims to develop subterranean clover with elevated condensed tannins in leaves. This important pasture legume is currently a bloat risk for cattle and sheep due to low condensed tannins and high soluble proteins. Bloat is a health issue that costs the Australian and New Zealand livestock industries over $200 million per annum. Condensed tannins can reduce bloat, decrease methane production and improve efficiency of production. A novel approach using CRISPR and other innovative molecular techniques will generate breeding lines high in condensed tannins and deliver knowledge applicable to other pasture legumes. Expected outcomes for livestock producers include improved animal welfare, reduced carbon emissions and enhanced profits.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100959
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Unlocking The Agricultural Potential Of The Dark Genome. Sustaining competitive agricultural production in the face of climate change demands more resilient, diverse, and adaptable crop varieties. Studies on the genes of crop plants have had huge benefits for agriculture, but genes themselves make up only a tiny fraction of the genome. It has until recently been impossible to assemble the 'dark' space between genes. Using ultra-modern barley genomes, this project aims to harness information from ....Unlocking The Agricultural Potential Of The Dark Genome. Sustaining competitive agricultural production in the face of climate change demands more resilient, diverse, and adaptable crop varieties. Studies on the genes of crop plants have had huge benefits for agriculture, but genes themselves make up only a tiny fraction of the genome. It has until recently been impossible to assemble the 'dark' space between genes. Using ultra-modern barley genomes, this project aims to harness information from the dark genome to (i) discover new genes with agricultural importance, (ii) illuminate invisible genomic features that can slow down plant breeding programs, and (iii) identify opportunities to transfer useful new genes into the cultivated gene pool.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH230100006
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,933,330.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Engineering Plants to Replace Fossil Carbon . This Hub aims to develop new plant varieties that enable sustainable production of sugars from crop ‘waste’ (plant biomass) as a base for renewable carbon products. Only now possible through emerging technologies, the Hub expects to translate extensive foundational research and world-leading expertise into cost-effective sustainable aviation fuel. Anticipated outcomes include diversified cropping opportunities for agricultural pr ....ARC Research Hub for Engineering Plants to Replace Fossil Carbon . This Hub aims to develop new plant varieties that enable sustainable production of sugars from crop ‘waste’ (plant biomass) as a base for renewable carbon products. Only now possible through emerging technologies, the Hub expects to translate extensive foundational research and world-leading expertise into cost-effective sustainable aviation fuel. Anticipated outcomes include diversified cropping opportunities for agricultural producers and new industries to convert the biomass to high-volume renewable products. The expected benefits include a decarbonised pathway for Australia’s critical flight, freight and defence connections to world and the substantial economic returns and job creation from new manufacturing capacity in Australia.Read moreRead less