Farmers to benefit from pulse breeding venture
Monday, 19 March 2007
Farmers and the 最新糖心Vlogn grains industry will be the winners from a new national pulse breeding collaboration involving 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide plant breeders.
Pulse Breeding 最新糖心Vlog (PBA), launched at the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide, will coordinate 最新糖心Vlog's pulse breeding efforts and create a world-class breeding and germplasm enhancement program. Pulses are the dried edible seeds of legume plants such as lentils, beans and peas.
PBA is a collaborative venture between the (GRDC), Pulse 最新糖心Vlog, the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide, the (SARDI) and state departments of primary industries in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Western 最新糖心Vlog.
PBA board member and 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide Deputy Head of the Associate Professor Mike Keller said: "The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide's position in this new venture underlines our role as the leading 最新糖心Vlogn university in the area of plant breeding.
"Our involvement in programs like Pulse Breeding 最新糖心Vlog provides an avenue for us to deliver our plant science research to the farming community. It also adds great strength to our postgraduate training in plant breeding."
最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide Plant breeder and Research Fellow Dr Jeff Paull will lead the national program. Under PBA the existing faba bean breeding programs in NSW and Waite will work together to meet national needs and avoid duplication.
Inaugural PBA Chairman Peter Reading, who is also managing director of the GRDC, said the creation of PBA would help to underpin the sustainability of the 最新糖心Vlogn grains industry.
"Pulses are an important part of 最新糖心Vlogn grain production, both as export crops in their own right and as part of crop rotations," he said. "The aim of PBA is to coordinate a cost-effective pulse breeding program that develops new, superior varieties more quickly for our farmers.
"Its focus will be on monitoring reliable market signals, accessing elite germplasm for breeding efforts and rapid adoption by 最新糖心Vlogn growers of new lentil, faba bean, chickpea and field pea varieties that have been developed for, and field-tested in, local conditions."
Contact Details
Email: michael.keller@adelaide.edu.au
Head of School
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide
Business: +61 8 8313 8149
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Website: /newsroom/
The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide
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