Australia
March 27, 2007
CSIRO’s reputation for excellence
in developing improved cotton varieties is set to continue
following the appointment of a new cotton breeder in Narrabri to
the award-winning team of CSIRO
Plant Industry scientists.
 Dr
Shiming Liu has an impressive record of plant breeding
experience and a lively enthusiasm for the cotton industry.
“Cotton is one of the most innovative agricultural industries in
Australia so, as a plant breeder, I couldn’t ask for a more
exciting industry to work in,” Dr Liu says.
Dr Liu is already familiar with Narrabri having completed his
PhD on field peas at the local Plant Breeding Institute though
Sydney University. His wife (also a plant breeder) and son have
lived in the town since 1995.
After completing his PhD, Dr Liu spent some time in CSIRO
working on grape breeding and in the last few years has been
based in Victoria breeding pears.
“It is one of the best opportunities in my career to join the
CSIRO cotton breeding team,” he says.
Dr Liu will work at the Australian Cotton Research Institute
(ACRI) in Narrabri with other members of the award winning
cotton breeding team led by Dr Greg Constable – the team
responsible for all CSIRO’s cotton varieties that now account
for about 90 per cent of the Australian cotton crop.
“We are pleased to add another breeder to our team to cover the
expanded breeding portfolio as we focus on improving
combinations of yield, fibre quality and disease resistance in
conventional and genetically modified varieties,” Dr Constable
says.
“It is one of the best opportunities in my career to join the
CSIRO cotton breeding team,”
he says.“Cotton breeding is a long-term process and a seamless
succession plan will ensure our discovery path will proceed
uninterrupted.
“After Dr Liu familiarises himself with cotton and the breeding
program he will statistically analyse a large data set of recent
advanced cotton genotypes under multi-site testing,” Dr
Constable says.
“In the medium-term he will have responsibility for a number of
aspects of the breeding program.”
CSIRO cotton varieties are marketed by
Cotton Seed Distributors. |
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