Australia, France lab founded to boost wheat yields

In Australia, Grain Central reported that a new collaborative laboratory will allow researchers to share expertise between Australia and France to boost wheat yields.

The report noted that the International Associated Laboratory “Wheat Adaptation to changing environments” (WheatACE) involves researchers from The University of Queensland, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), and University Clermont Auvergne in France.

A five-year agreement was signed this month, which will see PhD candidates trained in both Australia and France, according to the report.

UQ Principal Investigator Karine Chenu said the aim was to leverage the individual organizations’ expertise to increase high-quality grain production.

“Our French colleagues have been working for a long time on tillering, a pre-flowering trait where a wheat plant produces side shoots that can grow additional heads producing grains,” Chenu said.

“This trait allows an increase in the number of stems, which is one of the key drivers for the grain number, which in turn is the main driver for yield – but mainly in good environments.

Chenu said the WheatACE would leverage results from both sides to better understand the link between these traits in different environments, improve yield prediction in genetic models, guide crop improvement and ultimately develop varieties that will thrive in future environments.

“We also want to develop a high-throughput method for phenotyping stem reserves,” she said.

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