The Agricultural Biotechnology Council of Australia (ABCA) is an industry initiative established to increase public awareness of, and encourage informed debate and decision-making about, gene technology.
New research published in the journal Diversity and Distributions shows that the wild cousins of sorghum, the fifth-most important cereal crop globally, are most concentrated in Australia. With 12 of the total 23 wild relative species possibly endangered, four vulnerable and four near-threatened, these economically important wild plants need urgent protection, the researchers warn.
The research found that most wild sorghum species are found in northern and western Australia and Queensland. Five species are found in Africa and Asia and one is found in the Americas.
All crops have wild relatives, which breeders can use as a source of new traits to develop varieties better adapted to local conditions. In the case of sorghum, varieties containing less cyanide have been developed. Cyanide is a toxic compound found in the crop’s leaves and stem, which currently limits its use as animal feed.
Sorghum is a critically important crop for food and nutrition security. It is grown on every inhabited continent, is more drought and heat-tolerant than maize and it can grow without fertiliser.
Harry Myrans, who conducted the research at Monash University, says: “First, we needed to know as specifically as possible where the wild relatives live, which was not an easy task. The most-widespread species extends 34,403,804 square kilometres from Japan to Pakistan; the least-widespread extends 400 square kilometres across the remote Katherine region in Australia.
“We were shocked to find that many wild species are currently not sufficiently safeguarded, in protected areas or natural habitats, or in genebanks. Habitat destruction, invasive species and climate change itself all threaten their existence. The emphasis now needs to be on creating conservation policies to protect the wild plants, as well as urgent seed collection activities to protect them in genebanks for the long run.”
Sorghum’s wild relatives in hot environments could help breeders develop heat-tolerant crop varieties, boosting sorghum’s resilience in Africa and Asia, says Professor Roslyn Gleadow, the study’s senior author and president of the Global Plant Council. Cold-tolerant traits, meanwhile, could be used to develop sorghum varieties able to beat cold spells in Australia or in colder countries such as Germany.
Global wheat and barley research yields massive developments
An international team of scientists, including researchers from Australia, have sequenced and analysed the genomes of wheat and barley varieties that represent breeding programs from around the world through the 10+ Wheat Genomes Project and the International Barley Pan Genome Sequencing Consortium.
The research provides the most comprehensive atlas of genome sequences for the crops reported to date and brings scientists closer to unlocking the entire gene set – or pan genomes – of wheat and barley. Through understanding the full extent of genetic variation in these cereals, researchers and plant breeders will have the necessary tools to realise the required increased global production.
“The information generated through these collaborative projects has revealed the dynamics of the genome structure and previously hidden genetic variation of these important crops and shown how breeders have achieved major improvements in productivity. This work will support the delivery of the next generations of modern varieties,” says Associate Professor Ken Chalmers from the University of Adelaide.
Two University of Western Australia (UWA) researchers, Professor Ian Small and Dr Joanna Melonek, from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology and the UWA School of Molecular Sciences, contributed to the study through their globally recognised expertise in a family of genes known as ‘restorer-of-fertility-like’ (RFL). These genes have valuable applications in wheat hybrid breeding programs.
The Adelaide component of this research was supported by GRDC. The Western Crop Genetics Alliance, a partnership between the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Murdoch University, also had additional co-investment from GRDC.
The alliance’s director, Professor Chengdao Li, says mapping the barley pan genome provided a deeper understanding of the DNA composition of individual varieties. “Every barley variety is different and so is its genome,” Professor Li says.
One of Australia’s most widely sown barley varieties, RGT Planet , and two Australian varieties of wheat, Mace and LRPB Lancer , were included in the research.
The studies, published in Nature, will aid global crop breeding considerably, helping to improve yields, quality and pest resistance in wheat, barley and other important crop plants.
Global report outlines GM crop benefits and uptake
The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) has released its annual GM crop overview, which says that the number of countries cultivating GM crops grew in 2019, with 17 million growers adapting GM varieties.
In total, 190 million hectares of GM crops were grown in 29 countries in 2019, up from 26 countries in 2018. The five countries with the widest area of GM crops sown were the US, Brazil, Argentina, Canada and India.
According to the report, Australia grew 614,446 hectares of GM cotton, canola and safflower varieties. Australia’s extended drought during the 2019 growing season affected canola and cotton production, resulting in Australia’s cotton area being the smallest on record. The adoption rate of GM canola increased due to better weed control and higher profit.
“When growers are given access to choose GM crops, they can grow more on less land, increase crop yields, contribute to international competitiveness and reduce agriculture’s environmental impact,” says Matthew Cossey, the chief executive officer of CropLife Australia.
The African continent recorded changes in both the adoption and research and development of GM crops. Malawi, Nigeria and Ethiopia joined South Africa, Sudan and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) in adopting GM crops. GM crop research, regulation and acceptance developed significantly in Mozambique, Niger, Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia. Double-digit growth rates were also recorded in Vietnam, the Philippines and Colombia.
GM crop offerings for consumers now extend well beyond the traditional corn, soybean, cotton and canola varieties to include lucerne (1.3 million ha), sugar beets (473,000ha), sugarcane (20,000ha), papaya (12,000ha), safflower (3500ha), potatoes (2265ha) and eggplant (1931ha).
GM crop research underway by public sector institutions around the world encompasses rice, bananas, potatoes, wheat, chickpeas, pigeon peas and mustard, featuring various traits beneficial to food producers and consumers in developing countries.
GM crops can contribute to a ‘sustainable intensification’ strategy favoured by many science academies worldwide. By supporting increased productivity and production on the current 1.5 billion ha of global cropping land, GM crop adoption can contribute to saving forests and biodiversity from clearing, according to ISAAA.
GM wheat delivers 11 per cent yield boost in trials
Researchers at the UK’s University of York have developed a GM wheat variety that yielded 11.3 per cent higher than conventional varieties in trials undertaken at the Universidad Austral de Chile.
One approach to boosting grain yield involves modifying wheat plants, so that each head produces a greater number of grains. Another approach involves causing the grains to grow larger and heavier. However, plants that have been altered to produce bigger grains usually also grow fewer of them. As a result, overall yield from each plant remains the same.
Led by Professor Simon McQueen-Mason, York scientists set out to address the latter problem. In their new GM wheat, levels of a growth-rate-determining protein known as expansion are increased in the young plants.
More information: Agricultural Biotechnology Council of Australia (ABCA) website.