The International Wheat Yield Partnership launched with $100 million to double wheat yields in 20 years. Current gains are 1% annually; they need 1.7%. Australian researchers lead 3 of 8 funded projects, including Stuart Roy's work on three wheat genes.
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A $100 million international partnership to double the yield potential of wheat in 20 years has named Australian researchers in more than half of its first round of projects.
Currently, the rate of yield gain around the world is around about 1%, and that's not enough. It needs to be something in the order of 1.7%. At a time when more and more wheat is required, it means that the planet's on something of a catastrophe course.
The International Wheat Yield partnership is investing $100 million over its first five years to tackle the problem. And it put out the call to researchers around the world.
We started out with applications, nearly 100 applications from around about 40 countries in the world. That was narrowed down through a a rigorous peer review process. Only the best of the best projects were funded, and through that process, eight projects were identified globally, of which five of those eight projects have got Australian involvement, Australian scientists, research scientists involved. And of those five, three are actually being led by Australian researchers.
Each project is itself a global effort. One of the eight projects looks at three specific wheat genes and is headed up by Stuart Roy from from the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics.
It's giving us access to brains that we wouldn't have access to around the world. Resources such as wheat germplasm we can get, and also bits of equipment and things, all looking to try and answer, can these genes improve yield? How are the genes affecting the growth of the plant and can we use that to benefit growers?
There's a lot of potential for Australia to improve its research capacity by cooperating with people who for a long time have been working in completely different areas.
Australian grain growers, through GRDC, are founding partners with an investment of $10 million over the life of these projects.
If we can link internationally and have a global effort in this, we've got a really good chance of one plus one equalling three in our research efforts in wheat.
It's positive that countries that are participating see a national benefit as well as a contribution to the global good. This is a world issue. If you're trying to do something that nobody is yet cracked in wheat, why should the UK or Australia or the US believe that they can do it alone?
