Using cutting edge genomic tools to dissect the molecular control of hybrid vigour in cereals. Hybrid cereals grow in a wide range of environments, require less water and produce more grain from less land. This project will generate an enhanced capacity to rapidly develop new hybrid cereal varieties. The Australian community will benefit by having enhanced food security using less water and less land. The Australian community will also benefit because land and water will be released to the envir ....Using cutting edge genomic tools to dissect the molecular control of hybrid vigour in cereals. Hybrid cereals grow in a wide range of environments, require less water and produce more grain from less land. This project will generate an enhanced capacity to rapidly develop new hybrid cereal varieties. The Australian community will benefit by having enhanced food security using less water and less land. The Australian community will also benefit because land and water will be released to the environment, or to support other industries and their communities, or to grow other crops. The wide environmental adaptation of these hybrid cereals will allow the Australian community to respond flexibly to adverse climatic changes. Read moreRead less
Wood quality improvement for spotted gum. Eucalypts are one of the world's top sources of hardwood saw and pulp logs. This project will provide a model for accelerated tree improvement for wood quality. The aim is to link genes for wood formation with wood quality phenotypes in spotted gum, a priority hardwood eucalypt for Northern Australia. The significance of the approach is time and costs saved in the deployment of plantations of higher wood quality through the circumvention of delays to gen ....Wood quality improvement for spotted gum. Eucalypts are one of the world's top sources of hardwood saw and pulp logs. This project will provide a model for accelerated tree improvement for wood quality. The aim is to link genes for wood formation with wood quality phenotypes in spotted gum, a priority hardwood eucalypt for Northern Australia. The significance of the approach is time and costs saved in the deployment of plantations of higher wood quality through the circumvention of delays to generate populations required for alternative approaches and early selection available with molecular breeding.Read moreRead less
Regulation of Plant Development by Small RNAs. Understanding the roles of small RNAs and their pathways is a new field of research that is giving, and will continue to give profound insights into how multicellular organisms regulate gene expression at a genomic level. Research in this area has already led to RNA interference technology, by which almost any gene can be switched off, and there is considerable potential for other gene silencing and trait modification technologies to emerge. The pro ....Regulation of Plant Development by Small RNAs. Understanding the roles of small RNAs and their pathways is a new field of research that is giving, and will continue to give profound insights into how multicellular organisms regulate gene expression at a genomic level. Research in this area has already led to RNA interference technology, by which almost any gene can be switched off, and there is considerable potential for other gene silencing and trait modification technologies to emerge. The project will yield insights into fundamental biological processes which are expected to engender applications in agriculture and biotechnology. It will maintain and enhance Australia's position in this area.Read moreRead less
Small RNAs: what makes a plant, a plant. Understanding the roles of small RNAs and their pathways is a young field of research that is giving, and will continue to give, profound insights into how multicellular organisms regulate gene expression at a genomic level. Research in this area has already led to RNA interference technology, by which almost any gene can be switched off, and there is considerable potential for other gene silencing and trait modification technologies to emerge. The projec ....Small RNAs: what makes a plant, a plant. Understanding the roles of small RNAs and their pathways is a young field of research that is giving, and will continue to give, profound insights into how multicellular organisms regulate gene expression at a genomic level. Research in this area has already led to RNA interference technology, by which almost any gene can be switched off, and there is considerable potential for other gene silencing and trait modification technologies to emerge. The project will yield insights into fundamental biological processes which are expected to engender applications in agriculture and biotechnology. It will maintain and enhance Australia's position in this area.Read moreRead less
Accelerated Domestication of Australian Grass Species Using Molecular Tools. The development of new food crops from the Australian flora will provide opportunities for new sustainable agricultural and food industries in Australia. The project targets the accelerated domestication of native species with lower tillage and fertiliser requirements, better water use efficiencies and increased salt, shade, frost and/or drought tolerances than the current introduced cereal and fodder crops. This will ....Accelerated Domestication of Australian Grass Species Using Molecular Tools. The development of new food crops from the Australian flora will provide opportunities for new sustainable agricultural and food industries in Australia. The project targets the accelerated domestication of native species with lower tillage and fertiliser requirements, better water use efficiencies and increased salt, shade, frost and/or drought tolerances than the current introduced cereal and fodder crops. This will directly benefit regional Australia. The technologies developed in the project will have wide application to accelerated domestication of other Australian plants (for agriculture and food production in Australia and internationally) and to plants found in other parts of the world.Read moreRead less