Dr Greg Rebetzke1, Dr Enli Wang, Mr Jordan Bathgate, Dr John Kirkegaard, Mr Callum Wesley, Dr Scott Sydernham, Dr Andrew Fletcher
1CSIRO
Biography:
Greg implements physiological and quantitative genetic understanding to fast-track delivery of elite wheat germplasm containing traits for improved adaptation to droughted and changing climates.
Abstract:
The long-term climate trend is for increasing summer rain and later autumn sowing breaks throughout the Australian wheatbelt. Long coleoptiles will permit deeper sowing of cereal crops into summer-stored subsoil moisture allowing timely, earlier germination, and crop growth to occur under conditions optimal for maximising water productivity. The value for improved emergence with deep sowing has been demonstrated and genetics well understood. Breeding programs are taking up these genetics in the delivery and release on new wheat varieties with improved emergence from deep sowing. However, it is well recognised that these new varieties will require better understanding of the system-fit, and how improved knowledge of the wider opportunity for exploiting genotype × systems synergies will improve productivity and reduce risk in increasingly variable and potentially challenging future climates. This paper reports on factors associated with improved systems understanding in better tailoring genotypic adaptation for improving emergence and early growth in current and future wheat crops.