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Research coordination meeting of FAO and IAEA to meet in Perth, Western Australia

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South Perth, Asutralia
October 5, 2007

Fourteen nations will be represented at a research coordination meeting of the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Perth later this month.

The meeting, from the 15th to the 19th of October, will be hosted by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA).

The Scientific Secretary for joint FAO/IAEA Programme, Dr Qingyao Shu said member States were assisted in applying nuclear techniques to establish better and safer food and agricultural production systems through research, development and training.

“Crop quality improvement is gaining unprecedented importance as climate changes place increasing stress on the sustainability of crop production,” Dr Shu said.

“In response for a growing demand for technical assistance from our Member States, the joint FAO/IAEA Programme has initiated a coordinated research project (CRP) employing the latest technologies to produce elite breeding lines and new suitable crop varieties,” Dr Shu said.

DAFWA represents Australia in the project, providing interaction for Australian scientists with the international community.

Dr Shu said research was focusing on mutated genes to contribute to crop quality and resistance to stress affecting quality.

“Mutation techniques are one of the most important applications of nuclear techniques in food and agriculture. Induced mutations have become an significant source of genetic diversity for developing superior crop varieties during the last fifty years,” Dr Shu said.

“Worldwide, about 3,000 improved mutant varieties have been released for commercial production, improving the quality, standard and sustainability of food crops.”

Dr Shu said significant progress had been made in the participating countries since 2003.

“New lines have been produced in barley, wheat, rice, cotton and other crops. The quality of these lines provide significant economic value and health benefits.”

Dr Chengdao Li from DAFWA said the research had even been taken into space.

“DAFWA’s wheat and barley varieties have been onboard Chinese satellites for important experiments in space through the FAO/IAEA linkage,” Dr Li said.

“The meeting in Perth will review the progress made in the last two years, and outline research plans for the coming year,” he said.

Delegate countries attending the Perth meeting include Bulgaria, China, Australia, France, India, Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Macedonia, Pakistan, Poland, Thailand,and the United Kingdom. The International Centre of Tropic Agriculture in Colombia will also be represented.

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