Race status, sources of resistance and mechanisms of resistance to Peronospora parasitica, a major threat to oilseed Brassica production in Australia. Through successful identification of mechanisms and molecular characterisation of resistance to Peronospora parasitica races and the identification of sources of host resistance against these races, breeders, for the first time, will be able to develop cultivars with resistance against the full spectrum of P. parasitica races occurring across sout ....Race status, sources of resistance and mechanisms of resistance to Peronospora parasitica, a major threat to oilseed Brassica production in Australia. Through successful identification of mechanisms and molecular characterisation of resistance to Peronospora parasitica races and the identification of sources of host resistance against these races, breeders, for the first time, will be able to develop cultivars with resistance against the full spectrum of P. parasitica races occurring across southern Australia. Benefits include prevention of severe losses in canola from downy mildew, and more viable and sustainable production with less reliance upon fungicides. This research addresses the National Research Priority 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia' and the Priority Goal of 'Transforming existing industries', and will particularly benefit southern Australian rural communities.Read moreRead less
Race status, resistance mechanisms, and new sources of resistance to Phytophthora clandestina, a major threat to subterranean clover production. Devastating outbreaks of disease caused by Phytophthora clandestina (Phytophthora root rot) since the late 1970s demonstrated the capacity of this disease to impact severely on clover pasture production across southern Australia, particularly as new races of Phytophthora have rapidly emerged to overcome the resistance of all commercial cultivars. The p ....Race status, resistance mechanisms, and new sources of resistance to Phytophthora clandestina, a major threat to subterranean clover production. Devastating outbreaks of disease caused by Phytophthora clandestina (Phytophthora root rot) since the late 1970s demonstrated the capacity of this disease to impact severely on clover pasture production across southern Australia, particularly as new races of Phytophthora have rapidly emerged to overcome the resistance of all commercial cultivars. The proposed research seeks to delineate new races of the pathogen, to identify the histological and biochemical mechanisms by which resistance to Phytophthora root rot is expressed, and to identify new sources of host resistance. This proposed research will enable breeders, for the first time, to incorporate multiple types of resistance and against different races into new host varieties.Read moreRead less
Metabolomic and genetic approaches to the discovery of genes that direct carbon partitioning in plants. Plants make starch, sucrose, cell walls (fibre), oil, organic acids, vitamins and other products of great economic and social importance. The partitioning of carbon resources into such products determines crop productivity and quality. This partitioning is strongly influenced by nutrients, water and salinity. The powerful genomics resources of Arabidopsis including the new discipline of metabo ....Metabolomic and genetic approaches to the discovery of genes that direct carbon partitioning in plants. Plants make starch, sucrose, cell walls (fibre), oil, organic acids, vitamins and other products of great economic and social importance. The partitioning of carbon resources into such products determines crop productivity and quality. This partitioning is strongly influenced by nutrients, water and salinity. The powerful genomics resources of Arabidopsis including the new discipline of metabolomics, will be deployed to understand the regulation of carbon partitioning in leaves and to discover genes that direct partitioning. National research capability will be enhanced and new resources will be generated to breed crops with improved yield potential and product quality under varied environmental conditions.Read moreRead less
Discovery of the molecular mode of action of karrikins in plants. Karrikins are a newly-discovered family of naturally-occurring plant growth regulators that stimulate seed germination and seedling vigour. They were discovered in smoke and while they are centrally important in fire ecology they have far wider significance since species from non-fire-prone regions also respond to karrikins. Our research will discover how karrikins work at the molecular level in plant cells. Our discoveries will b ....Discovery of the molecular mode of action of karrikins in plants. Karrikins are a newly-discovered family of naturally-occurring plant growth regulators that stimulate seed germination and seedling vigour. They were discovered in smoke and while they are centrally important in fire ecology they have far wider significance since species from non-fire-prone regions also respond to karrikins. Our research will discover how karrikins work at the molecular level in plant cells. Our discoveries will be applied to improve growth of crop plants, to stimulate germination of weeds so that they can be eradicated, and in restoration ecology to revegetate degraded land such as minesites. Australia's world-leading position in this new important research area will be enhanced.Read moreRead less
Fungal pathogens threatening the sub-tropical eucalypt plantation industry in Australia. Eucalypt plantations in Australia are at risk from both native pathogens and those that have emerged on exotic eucalypt plantations and been introduced to Australia. Most of the serious pathogens of exotic plantations have emerged in the sub-tropics in climates very similar to those in Queensland. It is not known if these pathogens have already been introduced to Australia; however, increased movement of ger ....Fungal pathogens threatening the sub-tropical eucalypt plantation industry in Australia. Eucalypt plantations in Australia are at risk from both native pathogens and those that have emerged on exotic eucalypt plantations and been introduced to Australia. Most of the serious pathogens of exotic plantations have emerged in the sub-tropics in climates very similar to those in Queensland. It is not known if these pathogens have already been introduced to Australia; however, increased movement of germplasm and forest products increases the risk of introducing new eucalypt pathogens. This project will involve a detailed examination of pathogens present on eucalypts in Queensland. Studies of the diversity of pathogens and determination of their reproductive mode and their pathogenicity will enable for detailed risk assessments. Assessment of genetic trials for disease incidence will provide valuable information for future selections and breeding.Read moreRead less
Discovery of the physiological and molecular modes of action of butenolides in promoting seed germination and vigour in plants. The Australian discovery of butenolides opens up a new scientific frontier and new opportunities for land management, plant conservation and agriculture. Butenolides will be used to promote seed germination and plant growth in land reclamation, in conservation of species, to break dormancy in weeds so that they can be eradicated, and to promote germination and vigour in ....Discovery of the physiological and molecular modes of action of butenolides in promoting seed germination and vigour in plants. The Australian discovery of butenolides opens up a new scientific frontier and new opportunities for land management, plant conservation and agriculture. Butenolides will be used to promote seed germination and plant growth in land reclamation, in conservation of species, to break dormancy in weeds so that they can be eradicated, and to promote germination and vigour in crops. Realising the full potential of butenolides demands that we understand how they work so that creative approaches can be developed that may not even require use of the chemical. Crucially by achieving these aims ahead of international competitors we can ensure that Australia gains maximum benefit.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100081
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
Spectral climate chamber facilities for phenomic studies of plant light response adaptation. Climates are changing, altering planting regimes in agriculture, and disrupting local adaptation in foundation species. The genetic basis of climate adaptation will be dissected in new plant growth facilities, equipped with real-time imaging and environmental controls that can mimic dynamic seasonal growing conditions and weather stress events.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100086
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$850,000.00
Summary
A Single-Molecule Super-Resolution Microscopy Facility in Western Australia. A single-molecule super-resolution microscopy facility in Western Australia:
The project aims to establish a facility combining single-molecule imaging with super-resolution microscopy to enable biologists in Western Australia to resolve and directly observe interacting macromolecules in plants, animals and organisms, Interacting macromolecules form the basis of cell biology. Imaging and characterising such interaction ....A Single-Molecule Super-Resolution Microscopy Facility in Western Australia. A single-molecule super-resolution microscopy facility in Western Australia:
The project aims to establish a facility combining single-molecule imaging with super-resolution microscopy to enable biologists in Western Australia to resolve and directly observe interacting macromolecules in plants, animals and organisms, Interacting macromolecules form the basis of cell biology. Imaging and characterising such interactions in living cells and tissues has become possible with the latest molecular imaging techniques and super-resolution optical microscopy (with spatial resolutions of 20 nanometres or better). The facility seeks to advance science across diverse regional priorities in agriculture, environment, marine ecology, medicine and health.Read moreRead less
Building better Brassicas: Understanding disease resistance mechanisms across the Brassicaceae. Brassica species are important crops producing cooking oil, vegetables and biofuel, grown in diverse environments with a high economic and export value. Blackleg disease, caused by the fungus Leptospheria maculans, is the most important disease of brassica crops world-wide. The newly available brassica genome sequence provides the resources to study the co-evolution of this plant and pathogen. This pr ....Building better Brassicas: Understanding disease resistance mechanisms across the Brassicaceae. Brassica species are important crops producing cooking oil, vegetables and biofuel, grown in diverse environments with a high economic and export value. Blackleg disease, caused by the fungus Leptospheria maculans, is the most important disease of brassica crops world-wide. The newly available brassica genome sequence provides the resources to study the co-evolution of this plant and pathogen. This project will characterise the evolution and conservation of resistance genes in wild and cultivated brassicas, using next-generation sequencing technology, to assess their potential for crop improvement. An understanding of the evolution of genes responsible for resistance will lead to improved plant protection strategies for brassica crops.Read moreRead less