Australia
July 24, 2009
Biofuel and crop research grows by
$1.6 million
CSIRO and
U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) researchers, have been awarded a A$1.6 million grant to
increase the understanding of genes responsible for growth and
yield in grasses for use as bio-energy and food crops.
The research team will identify the genes associated with key
plant properties responsible for growth, flowering and
grain-filling in grasses.
They will use the advanced robotic and imaging plant research
tools of the Australian Plant Phenomics Facility (APPF) to
conduct the research.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has recognised the unique,
world-class capability that the APPF affords by providing the
funds through its Plant Feedstock Genomics program.
The DOE will apply the results to biofuel grasses development
and the CSIRO will increase the productivity of cereal food
crops such as wheat.
 Scientific Director of the APPF’s High Resolution Plant
Phenomics Centre (photo) in Canberra, CSIRO’s Dr Bob Furbank, said the
combined technology of CSIRO, the Phenomics Centre and USDA will
advance the development of biofuels and higher-yielding cereal
crops, previously hampered by the genetic complexity and long
lifecycle of cereal crops.
“For this reason, a tiny, rapidly growing plant very similar to
wheat, called Brachypodium, has been adopted by the USDA as a
‘lab rat’ for biofuels research,” Dr Furbank said.
“Unlike wheat, all the genes in Brachypodium have been sequenced
by the DOE and are available publically.
“Using world leading technologies developed at the Phenomics
Centre genes which enable biofuel crops to grow in marginal
agricultural land will be identified.
“This knowledge will also rapidly advance yield and stress
tolerance research in crops such as wheat.”
Biofuel crops must have traits for efficient and environmentally
sustainable crop production and a chemical composition
appropriate for conversion to liquid fuels.
They must also be bred to require fewer inputs, for example
pesticide and herbicide applications, fertilizer, water, and the
use of energy-consuming farm equipment.
The DOE and the USDA have awarded in excess of US$10 million
over three years through their Plant Feedstock Genomics program
in an effort to develop biofuels from the fibrous, woody and
inedible portions of plant matter.
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