GRDC and University of Adelaide Partner to Develop High-Yielding, Climate-Resilient Soybean Varieties
The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has announced a substantial investment of $3 million into a new five-year soybean breeding program, in partnership with the University of Adelaide. This initiative, with a total value of $6 million, aims to accelerate the development of elite soybean varieties tailored to Australian growing conditions, leveraging cutting-edge “speed breeding” technology to enhance germplasm evaluation and other breeding processes.
Since 2012, the GRDC has invested over $5 million in soybean breeding, resulting in the creation of new varieties and the advancement of breeding material. The new program is designed to build on these successes and further expand the reach of soybean cultivation in Australia, targeting both existing regions in Queensland and New South Wales, and potential new areas such as Central Queensland and Southern Australia.
Juan Juttner, GRDC’s General Manager for Genetic Technologies, Biosecurity, and Regulation, highlighted the strategic importance of this initiative. “This new national soybean breeding program will capitalize on previous GRDC investments that have already delivered significant benefits to Australian soybean growers,” he said. The focus will be on developing varieties that offer higher yields and are better adapted to a wider range of growing environments.
The breeding program will be spearheaded by Dr. Anh Pham and a team of scientific experts at the University of Adelaide’s Waite campus, which is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. According to University of Adelaide Professor Jason Able, the program will deploy a combination of advanced techniques, including germplasm evaluation, candidate gene sequencing, association mapping for marker-assisted selection, and speed breeding. These methods are expected to shorten the breeding cycle and help identify superior phenotypes that meet the needs of growers and industry stakeholders.
Soy Australia, the industry body representing soybean growers, has welcomed this renewed focus on breeding. The organization has set an ambitious goal of increasing Australia’s annual soybean production from its current level of around 40,000 tonnes to 150,000 tonnes within the next decade. This expansion is seen as vital for meeting both domestic and international demand, particularly given the high quality and non-genetically modified status of Australian soybeans, which are prized for their protein content.
Paul Fleming, Chair of Soy Australia, emphasized the importance of the new breeding program. “This investment is crucial for ensuring that Australian growers have access to high-yielding, high-protein varieties that are well-suited to our challenging climate,” he said. Soy Australia plans to work closely with the breeding team to ensure the program’s outcomes align with the industry’s goals for growth and sustainability.
With this strategic investment, the GRDC and University of Adelaide are poised to make significant strides in the development of soybean varieties that not only enhance productivity but also ensure resilience against the environmental challenges faced by Australian farmers.
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