Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100908
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$461,815.00
Summary
Maximising the beneficial impacts of mycorrhizal fungi on grain nutrition. This project aims to determine the effects of beneficial soil fungi on wheat and rice grain quality for human nutrition using an innovative combination of physiological, molecular and agronomic techniques. The project expects to generate fundamental knowledge in sustainable agriculture, to improve grain quality and value. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying improve ....Maximising the beneficial impacts of mycorrhizal fungi on grain nutrition. This project aims to determine the effects of beneficial soil fungi on wheat and rice grain quality for human nutrition using an innovative combination of physiological, molecular and agronomic techniques. The project expects to generate fundamental knowledge in sustainable agriculture, to improve grain quality and value. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying improved grain quality, and the capacity to use soil fungi to increase grain micronutrient concentrations and bioavailability. This should provide significant environmental and societal benefits, such as promotion of the sustainable use of agricultural soils and more nutritious grain products for human consumption.Read moreRead less
Breeder-ready genetic tools for sustaining wheat yields under heat stress. Yield losses in wheat due to heat stress are increasing with climate change, driving an urgent need for new heat-tolerant varieties; however, few resources for heat tolerance are available for use in breeding. This research aims to use comprehensive genetic and agronomic approaches to provide breeders with the tools and evidence to select WtmsDW, a newly discovered genetic region that protects pollen fertility and sustain ....Breeder-ready genetic tools for sustaining wheat yields under heat stress. Yield losses in wheat due to heat stress are increasing with climate change, driving an urgent need for new heat-tolerant varieties; however, few resources for heat tolerance are available for use in breeding. This research aims to use comprehensive genetic and agronomic approaches to provide breeders with the tools and evidence to select WtmsDW, a newly discovered genetic region that protects pollen fertility and sustains grain yield under heat stress. These tools are expected to significantly boost productivity for the $9.8B Australian wheat industry, benefitting rural communities and industry partners and supporting food security, both directly and through longer-term extension of novel heat tolerance mechanisms to other crop species.Read moreRead less
Developing strong restorer-of-fertility genes for hybrid wheat breeding. Hybrid wheat varieties yield 10-15% more than conventional lines but a cost-effective system to produce hybrid seeds on a commercial scale is missing. This project aims to deliver such a system for use in hybrid wheat breeding programmes. The outcome will be ultimately higher wheat yield gains in Australia and worldwide. Higher and more stable yields will contribute to higher food security for the growing human population.