Paula Demarco1,2, Dr Erik van Oosterom1,2, Dr Graeme Hammer1,2
1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia, 2ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Biography:
I am originally from Argentina where I obtained my BS in Agricultural Engineering at the Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE). Interested in crop science and developing new solutions towards the efficient use of resources and inputs in agriculture, I completed my master's degree at Kansas State University, USA in 2021. During these years, I had the opportunity to lead a multi-location research project in sorghum which resulted in three high-impact publications in Crop Science. Currently, I am a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland working at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI).
Abstract:
Like other grasses, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) can adapt its canopy development to the availability of resources through tillering. By affecting the leaf area development of the canopy, tillering influences the dynamics of light interception, water use, and growth. The fate of tillers, and whether they continue to grow and produce a panicle or not, depends on Genotype × Management × Environment (G×M×E) interactions during the vegetative phase. Crop growth models are a valuable tool to study and interpret crop responses across environments, by predicting consequences on crop performance. Predicting tillering is fundamental to predicting crop adaptation and the consequences of manipulating tillering by management and genetics (G×M). This research aims to better understand the physiological traits underlying fertile tillering in sorghum and use that understanding to quantify and predict tillering dynamics. Two glasshouse experiments were conducted in 2023 to characterise tillering in sorghum. Three sorghum inbred lines, selected based on differences in propensity to tiller, were included. Detailed phenological records and consecutive harvests were performed throughout the vegetative period of the crop to capture the cessation of tiller growth. Our analysis focuses on the importance of biomass allocation among main shoot organs during the vegetative phase in unravelling the fate of tillers in sorghum. This study will have a direct impact on identifying the advantages and risks in production environments associated with G×M combinations affecting tillering. In addition to direct relevance to growers, this will open new avenues for research, breeding programs and industry to explore future scenarios for crop improvement in Australia.