Role of nitrogen and sulphur nutrition in determining quantity and quality of oil in canola seed. Canola is the second most important crop in Australia, with exports worth $1 billion a year. However, competitiveness of Australian canola on the world markets is hampered by low and inconsistent oil content. Nitrogen fertilisation increases seed yield and seed protein content, but decreases oil content. This project will elucidate regulation by nitrogen and sulphur (the other important nutrient in ....Role of nitrogen and sulphur nutrition in determining quantity and quality of oil in canola seed. Canola is the second most important crop in Australia, with exports worth $1 billion a year. However, competitiveness of Australian canola on the world markets is hampered by low and inconsistent oil content. Nitrogen fertilisation increases seed yield and seed protein content, but decreases oil content. This project will elucidate regulation by nitrogen and sulphur (the other important nutrient in canola growth) of protein and oil biosynthesis in developing canola grain. The knowledge generated in this project will allow optimisation of canola agronomy and more effective breeding for increased nitrogen- and sulphur-use efficiency, seed yields and oil content in canola, thus enhancing the competitiveness of Australian canola on the world markets.Read moreRead less
A novel reversible male sterility system for hybrid seed production in canola, cotton and oilseed mustard. Demand for grains, fibre and other agricultural products has recently increased significantly. Hence, the security of food production is emerging as a critical global issue. We have identified a central component (AtMYB103) controlling tapetum and thus pollen development and designed a novel reversible male sterility system using AtMYB103. The efficient hybrid seed production systems develo ....A novel reversible male sterility system for hybrid seed production in canola, cotton and oilseed mustard. Demand for grains, fibre and other agricultural products has recently increased significantly. Hence, the security of food production is emerging as a critical global issue. We have identified a central component (AtMYB103) controlling tapetum and thus pollen development and designed a novel reversible male sterility system using AtMYB103. The efficient hybrid seed production systems developed in this project for canola, cotton and mustard will increase the productivity of the Australian oilseed and fibre industries. AtMYB103 gene is conserved among many crop plants. Hence, the new technologies and knowledge gained will be applicable to a wide range of crop plants and have important implications for the agricultural and food industries.Read moreRead less
Role of stubble management in improving soil fertility. In highly-weathered nutrient-poor soils of the south-western Australia, the amount of nutrients in stubble is critical in nutrient cycling as well as in determining optimal amounts of fertilisers to be applied. Stubble management is therefore an integral part of crop fertilisation and nutrient management. We will characterise nutrient cycling in the stubble-soil-crop continuum in a range of cropping situations. Computer modelling will be us ....Role of stubble management in improving soil fertility. In highly-weathered nutrient-poor soils of the south-western Australia, the amount of nutrients in stubble is critical in nutrient cycling as well as in determining optimal amounts of fertilisers to be applied. Stubble management is therefore an integral part of crop fertilisation and nutrient management. We will characterise nutrient cycling in the stubble-soil-crop continuum in a range of cropping situations. Computer modelling will be used to extend applicability of results over space and time. This project will provide the knowledge required for improving fertiliser recommendations to take into account changes in the cropping systems that have occurred in the last 10-20 years.Read moreRead less
Improved Indian Mustard for sustainable biodiesel production. There is an urgent need to reduce Australia's dependency on fossil fuels and to improve the sustainability of the Australian farming sector. The on-farm production of biodiesel will reduce farm input costs, reduce farmer dependency on fluctuations in fossil fuel costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Indian mustard is drought tolerant and produces inedible oil suitable for biodiesel production. The genetic improvement of Indian mu ....Improved Indian Mustard for sustainable biodiesel production. There is an urgent need to reduce Australia's dependency on fossil fuels and to improve the sustainability of the Australian farming sector. The on-farm production of biodiesel will reduce farm input costs, reduce farmer dependency on fluctuations in fossil fuel costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Indian mustard is drought tolerant and produces inedible oil suitable for biodiesel production. The genetic improvement of Indian mustard will provide farmers with a viable crop for biodiesel production and its bio-fumigation properties make it an effective addition to the crop rotation. Useful by-products include a natural insecticide and, once the glucosinolates are removed, meal suitable for animal feed. Read moreRead less
Combining molecular plant physiology and breeding to improve canola (Brassica napus) performance in dry environments. Canola is Australia's most important oilseed crop with 1,400,000 hectares sown annually worth $560m. The major abiotic factor limiting canola production in Australia is water availability. Transpiration efficiency (TE) is a trait with potential to contribute to improved drought tolerance of grain crops. This project seeks to select canola germplasm with improved TE by indirect s ....Combining molecular plant physiology and breeding to improve canola (Brassica napus) performance in dry environments. Canola is Australia's most important oilseed crop with 1,400,000 hectares sown annually worth $560m. The major abiotic factor limiting canola production in Australia is water availability. Transpiration efficiency (TE) is a trait with potential to contribute to improved drought tolerance of grain crops. This project seeks to select canola germplasm with improved TE by indirect selection for carbon-isotope-discrimination. In addition we will use the extensive Brassica-Arabidopsis genome synteny to locate and alter the expression of genes involved in TE using Arabidopsis as a model. The longterm aim is to improve the reliability and overall grain production of canola in Australia. Read moreRead less
Role of alanine aminotransferase in improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in cereals. The use of nitrogen-based fertilisers by crop plants is poor where efficiencies (nitrogen taken up to that applied) is often less than 40%. Nitrogen not used is often lost to the environment through leaching and or volatilisation. Improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in agriculture will decrease overall nitrogen fertiliser use and minimise its environmental footprint. This project will characterise a nov ....Role of alanine aminotransferase in improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in cereals. The use of nitrogen-based fertilisers by crop plants is poor where efficiencies (nitrogen taken up to that applied) is often less than 40%. Nitrogen not used is often lost to the environment through leaching and or volatilisation. Improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in agriculture will decrease overall nitrogen fertiliser use and minimise its environmental footprint. This project will characterise a novel NUE technology that when transferred to plants significantly improves NUE. We will define the phenotype at the molecular, biochemical and physiological levels to maximise its adoption to other agricultural crops such as wheat, barley and maize.Read moreRead less