South Perth, Western Australia
May 29, 2013
Lupin breeder Jon Clements has ‘come home’ to the Department of Agriculture and Food, joining the team he started his career with nearly 27 years ago.
Dr Clements’ appointment reflects the department’s commitment to lupin breeding, with several new varieties on the horizon.
He started his career with the department in 1986 documenting and establishing the lupin genetic resource collection with renowned lupin breeders Dr John Gladstones and Dr Wallace Cowling.
His work with the department and, more recently, the University of Western Australia’s (UWA) Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture is well known in the rural and scientific communities.
Dr Clements said he was looking forward to working with the department’s lupin breeding team on raising yields and, if possible, protein levels in new varieties.
“We have a tremendous resource available to us now that the lupin genome has been mapped,” he said.
“The team will be using conventional breeding technology and molecular markers to boost these and other desirable traits.”
Dr Clement’s experience also includes research on quinoa, through Rural Industries Research Development Corporation funding, as well as research on pearl lupin and phaseolus beans.
Picture caption: Dr Jon Clements has joined the Department of Agriculture and Food’s lupin breeding team as a senior research officer.