Crawley, Western Australia
April 25, 2007
Improving genetics can shift grain
from bulk commodity to value added opportunity, enhance profit
margins and help differentiate grain products in a competitive
global market place.
Profitable and sustainable grain production results from
developing new varieties, using molecular markers to track
traits, capitalising on new market opportunities and
collaborating internationally.
Presenting at an Institute of Agriculture,
University of Western Australia
(UWA) seminar, Canadian Associate Professor Istvan Rajcan from
the University of Guelph,
Ontario, discussed the benefits of genetically optimising seed
composition to create value added opportunities.
He was at UWA to develop collaboration between his group and the
Institute of Agriculture.
Professor Rajcan said molecular markers are useful tools for
mapping important seed traits to improve conventional grain
varieties and could also help develop disease resistance and
improve crop adaptation to specific growing environments.
“Plant breeders should increasingly employ molecular markers to
study disease trait genetics, especially resistance genes for
white mould, which affect such broadleaf crops as lupins and
canola,” he said.
“Developing new plants with novel traits takes advantage of new
markets, especially in an industry with low and stagnating
commodity prices, such as lupins in WA.
“There is great potential for growers to increase yields and
profits by being open minded about new crop uses and closely
monitoring market trends,” he said.
Professor Rajcan breeds high yielding and superior quality
soybean varieties for specific markets and in the past decade he
has developed 25 varieties.
“Novel seed quality helps growers enter new designer food and
biofuel industries,” he said.
“Producing designer foods or functional foods, using varieties
containing phytochemicals, can benefit human health.
“Reducing trans fatty acids to achieve higher quality oil also
benefits human health because trans fats, a byproduct of
hydrogenating oils high in linolenic acid, such as soybean and
canola, are associated with coronary heart disease, which is on
the rise in many countries.
“Decreasing linolenic acid in soybean seeds from nine to two per
cent means we’ve produced healthier commercial varieties free of
trans fats, which are worse than saturated fats,” he said.
The rapid growth of biodiesel plants and consumption in the US
and Europe has increased the demand to produce biofuels from
plant based oils.
Professor Rajcan’s breeding program is studying the potential to
push soybean seed oil content from 19 per cent to 25 per cent,
which would, ultimately, mean a cheaper per hectare oil price.
UWA has a proud 70 year history of teaching and research in
agriculture and natural resource management. The Faculty of
Agriculture was established at UWA in 1936 and the Institute of
Agriculture in 1938 to provide critical research facilities and
staff for effective training of professional agricultural
graduates and scientists at post-graduate level. UWA recently
re-established the Institute of Agriculture, with Kadambot
Siddique as Professor of Agriculture and Director, to strengthen
the cohesion of agriculture teaching and research within and
between UWA Faculties. The Institute will co-ordinate existing
strengths of the Faculty in teaching and research in
agricultural science, while advancing UWA’s reputation in
agriculture by enhancing links with industry, farmer groups, the
community and national and international organizations. |
|
