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.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560987
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$156,697.00
Summary
Robust High Resolution Gene and Protein Expression Analysis Facilities in WA. Biological research is playing an increasingly important role in keeping agriculture internationally competitive and helping to unravel the basic mechanisms underpinning plant and animal health. This collaborative research equipment will greatly enhance and extend our existing functional genomic facilities in WA, allowing robust pre-fractionation of samples for directed proteomic analysis within complex systems and al ....Robust High Resolution Gene and Protein Expression Analysis Facilities in WA. Biological research is playing an increasingly important role in keeping agriculture internationally competitive and helping to unravel the basic mechanisms underpinning plant and animal health. This collaborative research equipment will greatly enhance and extend our existing functional genomic facilities in WA, allowing robust pre-fractionation of samples for directed proteomic analysis within complex systems and allowing accurate and sensitive measurement of gene expression. Both of these are critical for analysis of low abundance components involved in signalling and regulatory functions in biological samples.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989071
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$600,000.00
Summary
Phytosphere: new facilities for controlled manipulation of effects of climate change & airborne pollutants on disease epidemiology & plant performance. Western Australia is home to a range of world-leading plant science research groups. Establishing a world-class multi-purpose phytosphere facility in WA will enable these groups to remain at the forefront of their research fields and continue to attract high-profile international scientists and students. Such a facility will result in significant ....Phytosphere: new facilities for controlled manipulation of effects of climate change & airborne pollutants on disease epidemiology & plant performance. Western Australia is home to a range of world-leading plant science research groups. Establishing a world-class multi-purpose phytosphere facility in WA will enable these groups to remain at the forefront of their research fields and continue to attract high-profile international scientists and students. Such a facility will result in significant advancement of our understanding of the impact of climate change on plants through biotic stresses (e.g., disease epidemiology, plant-pathogen interactions) and in interaction with abiotic variables (e.g., CO2 concentrations, temperature, light intensity, humidity, moisture stress, airborne pollutants such as SO2), and allow crop yield optimisation in future environments.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453722
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$385,240.00
Summary
Collaborative Genomics, Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility for Western Australia. Plant and animal agriculture in Western Australia contributes $6billion per annum to the nation. Biotechnology is playing an increasingly important role in keeping agriculture internationally competitive, and requires investment in platform technologies to underpin basic and applied research. This collaborative project will provide state-of-the-art equipment and extend existing joint facilities that will enable ....Collaborative Genomics, Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility for Western Australia. Plant and animal agriculture in Western Australia contributes $6billion per annum to the nation. Biotechnology is playing an increasingly important role in keeping agriculture internationally competitive, and requires investment in platform technologies to underpin basic and applied research. This collaborative project will provide state-of-the-art equipment and extend existing joint facilities that will enable WA researchers to carry out high quality research on genomics, proteomics and the metabolic functioning of plants and animals. This will generate new knowledge, provide advanced training and help ensure that Australian R&D in agricultural biotechnology stays at the forefront and benefits the nation.Read moreRead less
A novel role for phytochrome in dormancy release inhibition. Seed dormancy contributes to the persistence of weeds in agriculture by enabling seeds to remain viable in the soil for many years, and is a major reason why annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) has become the most economically damaging weed in Australian agriculture. Recently we discovered a new way to control dormancy release and germination in these seeds. This project to identify the changes occurring within the seeds during dormancy r ....A novel role for phytochrome in dormancy release inhibition. Seed dormancy contributes to the persistence of weeds in agriculture by enabling seeds to remain viable in the soil for many years, and is a major reason why annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) has become the most economically damaging weed in Australian agriculture. Recently we discovered a new way to control dormancy release and germination in these seeds. This project to identify the changes occurring within the seeds during dormancy release will underpin our efforts to manipulate emergence timing in order to improve the efficacy of current weed control practices and contribute to sustainable farming systems.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100188
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,000.00
Summary
Terabase sequencing for mutant, developmental, environmental and population genomics. This facility will make it possible to completely sequence the genome (and epi-genome and transcriptome) of a large number of samples in a cost effective manner. This will provide researchers with unprecedented ability to compare individuals in a population and to discover and define novel traits which govern disease resistance, yield and population dynamics in natural systems.
Does plasma membrane perception of 2,4-D influence auxin resistance? This project aims to investigate the role of the cell membrane in synthetic auxin herbicide resistance by analysing the functions and interaction partners of candidate resistance proteins. It is expected that this project will generate new knowledge about the very early response of plants to auxin and the difference between susceptible and resistant weeds in perceiving auxin herbicides. Expected outcomes of this project include ....Does plasma membrane perception of 2,4-D influence auxin resistance? This project aims to investigate the role of the cell membrane in synthetic auxin herbicide resistance by analysing the functions and interaction partners of candidate resistance proteins. It is expected that this project will generate new knowledge about the very early response of plants to auxin and the difference between susceptible and resistant weeds in perceiving auxin herbicides. Expected outcomes of this project include the identification of potential herbicide synergists and a greater understanding of how weeds develop resistance to auxin herbicides. This should benefit Australian grain growers by providing more effective weed control options and lessening the amount of unnecessarily-applied herbicide in the environment.Read moreRead less
Optimising crop root systems to enhance capture of soil water and nutrients. The project’s goal is to improve crop breeding for increased efficiency of acquiring soil resources. Increasing a crop’s efficiency in capturing soil resources (water and nutrients) is an imperative task in ensuring food security. This project plans to use barley as the model cereal crop and characterise root traits in a panel of cultivars assembled to represent maximum diversity as well as in biparental mapping populat ....Optimising crop root systems to enhance capture of soil water and nutrients. The project’s goal is to improve crop breeding for increased efficiency of acquiring soil resources. Increasing a crop’s efficiency in capturing soil resources (water and nutrients) is an imperative task in ensuring food security. This project plans to use barley as the model cereal crop and characterise root traits in a panel of cultivars assembled to represent maximum diversity as well as in biparental mapping population followed by association and linkage mapping to identify genetic markers linked with specific root traits. These markers will be incorporated into a computer model of 3-D root structure and function. The enhanced computer model would be able to simulate optimal root systems for specific environments and generate a list of selectable root-trait markers.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH140100013
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,972,614.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture. ARC Research Hub for Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture. This research hub aims to provide Australian growers and industrial stakeholders with improved plant materials to maximise production, environmental sustainability and profitability. In particular, the research aims to improve the nitrogen delivery capacity of legumes and their resilience to abiotic stress, which will be an important consideration as our climate changes. Grain legu ....ARC Research Hub for Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture. ARC Research Hub for Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture. This research hub aims to provide Australian growers and industrial stakeholders with improved plant materials to maximise production, environmental sustainability and profitability. In particular, the research aims to improve the nitrogen delivery capacity of legumes and their resilience to abiotic stress, which will be an important consideration as our climate changes. Grain legumes are often grown in rotation with cereal crops for their high nutritional seed value and their unique ability to develop a self-sufficient nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with soil bacteria. Maintaining legume productivity against the challenges of climate change and the need for increased food production is important to the future of Australian agriculture.Read moreRead less
Unravelling the secrets of the rhizosphere of crops. Phosphate is one of the most important limiting nutrients for crop growth and production. Plant acquisition of soil phosphate largely depends on root proliferation to accelerate soil exploration, and on phosphate bioavailability mediated by root exudates and rhizosphere microorganisms. Central to this is the need for a better understanding of the complex biogeochemical interfaces in the rhizosphere. This project explores recently developed non ....Unravelling the secrets of the rhizosphere of crops. Phosphate is one of the most important limiting nutrients for crop growth and production. Plant acquisition of soil phosphate largely depends on root proliferation to accelerate soil exploration, and on phosphate bioavailability mediated by root exudates and rhizosphere microorganisms. Central to this is the need for a better understanding of the complex biogeochemical interfaces in the rhizosphere. This project explores recently developed non-destructive imaging, isotope, and metabolism techniques to generate a systematic research tool in tracking rhizosphere interactions and imaging phosphate dynamics from macroscale to nanoscale levels. This study will provide new opportunities to improve crop nutrient use efficiency and crop production.Read moreRead less