Soil-based abiotic stresses are recognized as a major constraint to the productivity of Australian cereal crops and pastures because they limit the ability of roots to capture water and nutrients. This project will investigate ways to improve the growth and phosphorus nutrition of plants such as wheat and barley through altered root morphology.
Cereal germplasm with enhanced rhizosphere volume and improved potential to explore soil has been identified through an International collaboration. It is ideal material to establish relationships between root volume, nutrient acquisition and plant performance and to quantify the importance of these traits for improving yields and the efficiency of fertiliser use in Australian agriculture.
Potential for introducing enhanced root volume into elite cereal germplasm using advanced molecular-based breeding technologies will also be investigated.
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