A new technology project aims to fast-track crop improvement and give farmers an edge in the battle against drought.
Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., is supporting the collaborative research project through The University of Queensland (UQ) School of Land and Food Sciences.
Pioneer is based in Iowa in the United States and is one of the world`s leading plant breeding companies, developing and supplying advanced plant genetic material to farmers.
The computer-based research initiative at UQ, which also involves the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and the CSIRO, was officially launched last month by UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay.
Project coordinator Professor Graeme Hammer said the research aims to use developments in systems biology and computer power to take some of the “hit and miss” out of plant breeding.
“It is really about making traditional plant breeding approaches to crop improvement work better and happen faster,” he said.
“To develop drought-resistant crops, for example, it is important to understand the novel traits that reduce water stress.
“By using computer power and creating a virtual environment we can fairly quickly test a whole series of ideas on how to improve plant breeding that might previously have taken 20 to 30 years to test in the field.
“With the developments in computer modeling we can now predict the properties of crops using knowledge from organism level physiology and from molecular biology and genetics. We can now play evolutionary games that were not possible even five years ago.”
Professor Hammer said investment in the project by Pioneer would be vital in developing this new age of plant breeding.
“This investment shows an understanding of the new paradigm in plant breeding and the potential implications for future crop improvement and climate adaptability,” he said.
“These are exciting and timely developments that could prove vital to plant-based industries all over the world.”
For more information contact Professor Graeme Hammer on (0412) 189 757 or Brad Turner at UQ Communications on (07 3365 2659).
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