Work Package 1 Targeted Sustainability-Trait Discovery
With increasing production costs and a need to decrease the carbon footprint of farming, we must make improvements in resource use efficiencies. This includes addressing changes in farming practices, such as reduced till or regenerative agriculture while maintaining or increasing yield, a key commercial target and essential for global food security.
A focus of Work Package 1 is to study root, canopy, inflorescence and grain development to reveal haplotypes associated with these key sustainability traits. We aim to:
- enhance root and canopy carbon sequestration
- improve nutrient, mineral, light and water use efficiency
- identify or develop germplasm that can exploit reduced inputs and no-till farming
- address aspects of yield components, trait trade-offs and challenges arising from climate change
- deliver increased yield, yield stability, and efficiency gains
- develop a mechanistic understanding of the genetic factors underlying inflorescence and grain development
