Book of oral abstracts
Showcasing agri-technology and investment in agriculture
Incorporating
tropagconference.org
2TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
Contents
100 Closingthetropicallandfrontier:Therolesofglobalizationandintensification 11
101 Biodiversityandfoodandnutritionsecurity:Driversoffoodchoicesfordietarydiversificationforimprovedhealthandnutritionforvulnerablepopulations 12
102 Photonstofood;ImprovingphotosynthesisandyieldpotentialinC3andC4crops 13
104 Fieldphenotypingforphotosynthetictraitsinsorghum 14
105 Modellinglikelyfieldimpactsofmodifyingphotosynthesis 15
106 BuildingclimateresilienceinagriculturalcropsbymanipulatingCO2fixation 16
107 Horticulture-Thevitalindustry 17
108 Impactofgenomicsandgeneticsonplantprotectioninbananas 18
109 DevelopingaprofessionalvegetablesupplychaininSouthEastAsia 19
110 ImpactsofplantbreedingontheAustralianmandarinindustry 20
111 Reducingtheimpactofdiseasesonproductivityandqualityofavocado 21
112 Prospectsforgeneticimprovementofmacadamia 22
113 Sustainablelivestock–Integratedapproachesformultiplebenefits 23
114 Keypathwaysforthelivestocksector,sustainableintensificationandmitigatingvulnerability 24
115 Deliveringlivestocksciencesolutionsfordevelopmentoutcomesthrough twodistinctapproaches:philanthropyandsharedvalue 25
116 Newlivestockgeneticsandgenomicssolutionsandapplicationsinthetropics 26
117 Animalandhumanhealth:Adangerousintersectionorhealthyfuture? 27
118 Optimizingtheenvironmentalfootprintoflivestockproduction 28
119 Improvingfoodandnutritionsecuritythroughdietarydiversification: PromotingtherichKenyancuisine 29
120 SelectionofsuitableKei-applelinesbasedonphytochemicalcontentfor functionalproductdevelopment 30
121 ValueaddednutritionallyrichproductsfromAustralianwattleseeds (Acacia species) 31
122 QueenslandgrownQueenGarnetplum:Nutritiousandhealthy-Acasestudy 32
123 Buchanania obovata:AnAustralianIndigenousfoodfordietdiversification 33
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124 Enhancingyoutheconomicparticipationandentrepreneurshipinagriculture 34
125 Usingsustainableintensificationprinciplestoincreaseproductivityofmaize andwheatsystems 35
126 Enhancingsmallholderagriculturalproductivity,resilienceandsustainability: InitialevidencesfromeasternandsouthernAfrica 36
127 OverviewofACIARprogramsfocusedonsystemsapproachesforsustainableintensification 37
128 LegumeintensificationforfoodsecurityandsustainabilityinAfrica 38
129 OverviewofsystemsapproachesforsustainableintensificationinChina 39
130 UAV-basedphenotypingofcropplantsinfieldtrials 40
131 Characterizingthesorghumpangenome 41
132 Exploringandexploitingnaturalvariationinsorghum 42
133 Exploringthecropadaptationlandscapeinsilico 43
134 Buildingnewsorghumvarietiesinthe21stcentury 44
135 TropicaltomatobreedingforAustralianmarkets–Satisfyingthediverse needsofproducers,retailersandconsumers 45
136 Demand-ledapproachesinthetomatoindustryinGhana:Challengesandopportunitiesforbreedingandcropimprovement 46
137 Maximizingtheimpactofcommonbean(Phaseolus vulgaris)breeding forfarmersandothervaluechain 47
138 Connectingpublicandprivatebreedersandnewvegetablevarietiesto developingmarketsinSEAsiaandSub-SaharaAfrica 48
139 Custardapples–breedingforAustraliandomesticandexportmarkets 49
140 Tropicalhorticulture–Exploringnewapproachesforsustainablefunding ofplantbreedingindevelopingcountries 50
141 Developmentofpoint-of-careandmultiplexdiagnosticmethodsforthe detectionofplantandpoultrypathogens 51
142 Point-of-sitediagnosticnanotechnologiesforhealthandagriculturalapplications 52
143 Fromresearchtofrontlinelaboratory 53
144 Diagnostictoolsusedtogenotypeanddetecttickfeverpathogensincattle 54
145 Amassspectrometrictargetedapproachforthedetectionofexosomalproteinbiomarkersfrombovinebodyfluids 55
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146 Useofmobiletechnologiesforresearchandengagementofsmallholder cattlefarmersinVanuatu 56
147 Identifyingandmanagingnewhazardsinthefoodsupply 57
148 Foodauthenticityandtraceabilityusingstableisotopes 58
149 Mycotoxinsinthefoodsupplychainandpromisinginterventions 59
150 Rapiddetectionmethodsforfoodadulterationandauthentication 60
151 Oritain-Provingorigin,protectingreputations 61
152 MoleculardetectionofToxoplasmaGondiiinfectioninsmallruminantsin NorthwestTunisia 62
153 Policydriversofwaterresourcedevelopmentforagricultureinnorthern Australia 63
154 Maximisingthecost-effectivenessofwatersupplyinnorthernAustralia 64
155 ExpandingagricultureinNorthernAustralia:Theneedforimproved transportlogistics 65
156 Managingtheimpactsofagriculturetominimizeoffsiteenvironmental impacts:AcasestudyfornitrogenintheGBRlagoon 66
157 OpportunitiesandconstraintsforirrigatedagricultureintheNorthernTerritory 67
158 EconomicdriversofagriculturaldevelopmentinnorthernAustralia 68
159 Transitionsandtransformations-drought,hotspots,andadaptation 69
160 Benefitsofactionandcostsofinaction:Droughtmitigationandpreparedness 70
161 Modesofclimatevariabilityanddroughtforecasting 71
162 BuildingaNationalDroughtCenter:Scienceandpolicyapproachesand experiencesfromtheNationalDroughtMitigationCenter’sperspective 72
163 Improvingdroughtmonitoringandpredictionscienceandservices 73
164 Remotesensingapplicationsforagriculturalandhorticulturalcrops:Fromtheindividualtreetowholeofindustry 74
165 MappinghorticulturetreecropsinAustralia 75
166 Intelligentsensingandinformationsystemsfortreecrops 76
167 UAVimageryanditsroleintacticalagronomytrials 77
168 Analysisofhyperspectralcharacteristicparametersofdifferentpotatovarieties 78
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169 Estimatingregionalscalecropproduction:Anintegratedclimate, biophysicalandremotesensingapproach 79
170 Thegeneticarchitectureoftickresistance 80
171 Cuttingandpasting:Thefutureofgeneticimprovementforfood animalgenomes 81
172 TheevolutionoftheBrahmangenome-acrucialtropicallyadaptedbreed 82
173 Combininghistoricalweatherstationrecords,climatechangepredictions andgenomicstobreeddairycattleforfutureclimates 83
174 Useofgenomictechnologiesandcompositecattlebreedingwithinal argeNorthernAustralianbeefbreedingenterprise 84
175 MediterraneanDietintheTropics? 85
176 FattyLiver:Itisnotjustaboutfat-Nutritionalimpactonnon-alcoholic fattyliverdisease(NAFLD) 86
177 Tropicalfruitsasfunctionalfoodsformetabolicsyndrome 87
178 Gutmicrobiome-Ourlifepartner,forbetterorworse? 88
179 Berries for your renal health 89
180 Thecreationofemployment,economicandsocialbenefitstoremote Australiancommunitiesthroughnovelandaddedvalueproductsfrom nativeplants 90
181 Informingthedesignofclimateresilientfarmingsystems 91
182 Managingrisksandtradeoffsintheintensificationofagriculture: Anecologistperspective 92
183 Whatdowewantandwhatarewelikelytoget? 93
184 Behavioraleconomicsinsightintodriversandconstraintsintheadoption oftechnologies 94
185 Designinglessriskysystemsthroughinvestingintheadaptivecapacity offarmers 95
200 TargetedplantbreedingapplicationsofCRISPR-Castechnology 96
201 Thecontributionsofanimal-sourcefoodtosustainable,safe,ethicaland optimalhumandiets 97
202 Beyonddigitalrevolution–Today’sresearchfortomorrow’slivestocktools 98
203 Usingdatatochangetomorrow’sfarmactivitieswithpowerofprediction 99
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204 Howdowegetourheadsoutofthesandwhentheyareupintheclouds? 100
205 Thedigitalagronomist–Thechangingfaceoffarmadvisory 101
206 Beyondtheacceptedmethods–Newtargetsforautomateddata gatheringonfarm 102
207 GPScows:Bringingagdataandnewtechnologiesintohighschools 103
208 PredictionbasedcropimprovementbycombiningWholeGenome PredictionwithCropGrowthModels 104
209 WhywasgenomicselectionsorapidlyadoptedintheUSbeefand dairyindustries? 105
210 Speedbreedingwithgenomicselectiontoacceleratewheatvariety development 106
211 Largescalegenomicselectionintropicallyadaptedcattletoimprove fertilityandmeatquality 107
212 Genomicselectioninhorticulture 108
213 Thefutureofgenomicselection–Incorporatingbiologicalinformation ingenomicpredictions 109
214 Lessonsfromtemperatecropsfortropicalcropbiofortification 110
215 Highfolatestrawberries–Finallysomethingtasty? 111
216 Sweetcornbiofortification–Isa1000%increasepossible? 112
217 Highpro-vitaminAbananas–AfirstforAfrica 113
218 Potentialhealthbenefitsofbreedinghighflavonoidapples 114
219 Notanothertypicalcornytrial:Geneticandagronomiczincbiofortification ofsweetcorn 115
220 Aglobalperspectiveontheresponsibleuseofantimicrobialsinveterinary medicine 116
221 AntimicrobialresistancesurveillanceinlivestockinAustralia 117
222 AntimicrobialuseandstewardshipinanimalhealthinAustralia 118
223 Caeci Caecos Ducentes 119
224 Moleculardetectionoftetracyclineresistancegenesinsalmonellaisolated fromporkandpoultryegg 120
225 Assessingtheroleofpublicinstitutionsinfacilitatinganinclusiveglobal valuechain:AcomparativeanalysisofthenaturalrubberindustryinSouth andSoutheastAsia 121
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226 SmallholderparticipationinthepalmoilvaluechaininMalaysia,Indonesia, andThailand 122
227 Developingvalue-chainlinkagestoimprovesmallholdercassavaproduction inSoutheastAsia 123
228 Theeconomicsofsmall-holdercattleproductionandmarketinginEastern Indonesia 124
229 Howdoesparticipatinginaninclusiveglobalvaluechainimpactsmallholder coffeeproducersinIndonesia? 125
230 Integratingsmall-scalevegetablefarmerstobetteraccesshighendmarketin Dili:ThecaseofJosephinaFarmswithcontractfarming 126
232 Thedevelopingofgenotypinganditsfuture 127
233 Automatedphenotypingandanalytics 128
234 StatisticalperspectivesintheeraofBigData:Candeadfishreadhumanminds? 129
235 Phenotypicpredictionaugmentedthroughcropmodel-wholegenome prediction:ApplicationtoARGOS8 130
236 Biotechnologiesandthefutureofplantimprovement 131
237 Biofutures–Opportunitiesforagricultureinbiobasedfuelsandbioproducts 132
238 Discovery,evaluationandmanufactureofnewlivestockfeedsupplements 133
239 Biogasproductionfromenergycropsandagriculturalresidues 134
240 Convertingagriculturalwastesintovaluableproducts 135
241 Cellulosenanofibresfromspinifexaridgrasses:“Uniquepropertiesand applicationsunderdevelopment” 136
242 Brassica carinata:Theskyisthelimit 137
243 Expectedmarketopportunitiesanddemandprofilesfortropicalpulsesto2022 138
244 Sustainabilityandprofitdriversfortropicalpulsesinsustainablecropping systems 139
245 Breedingstrategiestounlockgeneticpotentialofpulses 140
246 Newgenetictoolsandsolutionstomakepulsecropsmoreresilientto variableclimates 141
247 Physiological,agronomicandmodellingapproachestooptimiseproductivity oftropicalpulses 142
248 Thepastishistory:AcasestudyofQueensland’ssuccessfulchickpeaindustry 143
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249 Aresearchefforttoimprovesubtropicalandtropicaltreecropproductivity throughintensification 144
250 Diurnalvariationinthesensitivityof‘HoneyGold’mangofruittodeveloping under-skinbrowning 145
251 Pollinationofmacadamia 146
252 Breedingforadaptationduringclimatechange:Hittingamovingtarget 147
253 InsightsintotheAvocado-Phytophthorainteraction 148
254 AnewapproachinoilpalmharvestingImprovement 149
255 Thetropicalaquaculturepowerhouse–Globalimpactsandopportunitiesfor Australia 150
256 Meetingthegrowingdemandforaquaculture–Balancingbiological requirement,sustainabilityandenvironment 151
257 Makingaquaculturesustainableinthetropics–Growingalgaetoreduce nutrificationandproducehigh-valueproducts 152
258 BreedingfordiseaseresistanceinAustralianshrimp:Howdowegetthere? 153
259 Theblacklipoyster–AnalternativefortropicalaquacultureinAustralia? 154
260 In-vitrooocytematurationbyradialnerveextractandfertilizationofthe blackseacucumberholothuria leucospilota 155
261 Techniquesandplatformsforhigh-throughputphenotypingofcanopies and plants 156
262 HowwouldGooglefarm? 157
263 Autonomousadaptiveprecisionirrigationforbroad-acreagriculture 158
264 Seekingenergyindependence 159
265 Animalsensingwilltaketheindustryback100years 160
266 Fieldroboticsinagriculture 161
267 Systemsgeneticstudiesofphotosynthesisandwateruseefficiencyinrice 162
268 Developmentofricevarietiesformultipleabiotic–stresstoleranceinthe MekongregionandAustralia 163
269 Mapping,miningandtrackingtoolstolocateandharnessclimateresilience inrice 164
270 Climate-smartriceproductionforAustraliaandAsia 165
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271 Generatingusefulgeneticvariationincropsbyinducedmutation 166
272 Irontoleranceinrice 167
273 Microbialmanipulationofrumenefficiency 168
274 Estimatingtheefficiencyofrumenmicrobialproteinsynthesisincattle grazingtropicalpastures,andimplicationsforanimalperformance 169
275 Therelationshipofefficiencyofmicrobialcrudeproteinproductionwith rumenmicrobialcommunitystructureinsteersfedtropicalpastures 170
276 Changingtheinterplaybetweengutandhosttoimproveproduction efficiencyofruminants 171
277 Whatistheactualroleofrumenforsupplementedgrazingcattle? 172
278 Liveyeastsupplementationimprovesrumenfibredegradationincattle grazingtropicalpasturesthroughouttheyear 173
279 RegulationandadvancingGMtechnologies 174
280 RegulatoryoversightofnewbreedinginnovationsintheUS 175
281 Regulationofnewbreedinginnovations–Implicationsforthegraintrade 176
300 TheMediterraneanDiet:Ahealthyandtraditionaldietarypattern embeddedinasustainablefoodsystem 177
301 Thechangingfaceofhorticulture:Hellotomorrow! 178
302 Combiningnanotechnologyandmolecularrecognitionforfertilizerapplications 179
303 Regulatoryscienceandagriculturalinnovation:Wheredowestand? 180
304 Ananobiotechnologyapproachtoprotectplantsfromabioticstress 181
305 Nano-enabledpesticides:Anemergingtechnologyinplantprotection 182
306 Nanoparticlesforanimalhealthcare 183
307 BioClayforcropprotectionagainstviruses 184
308 ConstraintsonphotosyntheticefficiencyinC4crops,withspecialreferences to sugarcane 185
309 Licencetofarm:Whynitrogenuseefficiencymattersandhowwecan achieve it in sugarcane 186
310 Controlofsugarandfibre:Insightsfromthesugarcanetranscriptomeanalyses 187
311 Applicationofhigh-throughputphenomicsforsugarcanetraitdevelopment andvarietyimprovement 188
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312 Sensitivityandplasticityofsugarcaneleafmetabolismduringstress 189
313 Usinggenomicsequencingtounderstandthesugarcanegenomestructure 190
314 TheImportanceofAssessingAnimalWelfare 191
315 AnimalwelfareissuesinthegrazingbeefindustryofnorthernAustralia 192
316 Proteomicstodetectbiomarkersofpainandinflammationincattle 193
317 Cagerowarrangementaffectstheperformanceoflayinghensinthehot humidtropics 194
318 Applicationsofendocrinephysiologyconceptstoevaluatestressandwelfare ofproductionlivestock 195
319 Feather-eatingisrelatedtostresslevelandsucrosepreferenceinlayinghens 196
320 Tropicalrice:Challengesforquality 197
321 Starchesinriceendosperm:Diversityandimprovement 198
322 Opportunitiesandchallengesofestablishinganorthernriceindustry 199
323 Designingtropicalriceforimprovednutritionandpalatability 200
324 Australianwildrice:Diverseandtasty 201
325 Wheretherubbermeetstheroad:Implementingmolecularmarker technologiesintheAustralianricebreedingprogram 202
326 TheroleofAustralia’sgenebanksandcropwildrelativesinallourfutures 203
327 Droughtproofingsorghum:Multiscalephenotypingandgenotypingfor nodalrootangle 204
328 Interoperableinfrastructure–AvisionforDivSeek 205
329 Speedbreedingtoaccelerategenebankdepositsintofarmerfields 206
330 Thegenomicsofricegeneticresources 207
331 Unlockinggenomicdiversitywithoutassemblyoralignment 208
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100 Closingthetropicallandfrontier:Therolesofglobalizationandintensification
Dr Derek Byerlee1
1Georgetown University, United States
In2015,theglobalcommunitysetasustainabledevelopmentgoalofendinghungerby2030atthesametimethatitalsosetagoalofhaltingdeforestationby2020.Arethesegoalscompatibleandwhatwill ittaketodoit?Untilthe20thcenturymostincreasesinagriculturalproductionwereprovidedbyexpandinglandarea.Thefirstperiodofglobalizationinthe19thcenturysawtheploughingupofvastswathesoftemperategrasslandsintheAmericasandAustraliatosupplyindustrializingEuropewithwheat.Onlymodestclearingoftropicalforestsandsavannasoccurredmainlyduetoencroachmentbysmallscalefarmersdrivenbypopulationgrowthandsubsistencefoodneeds.Evenso,afterWWIItropicalforestswereseenaslowvalueassetswithgreatpotentialtoconvertintoproductivefarmlandtofeedtheworld.
Thecurrentperiodofglobalizationfromaround1990haswitnessedunparalleledagriculturalexpansioninthelowlandtropicsdrivenmostlybyglobalmarkets.Thishasoccurredatthesametimethatthecriticalglobalvaluesoftropicalforestsandsavannasin conserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change have been recognized. I review the experience of the three mostimportantcommodities,beefandsoybeansfromLatinAmerica,andoilpalmfromSoutheastAsia.Althoughlargeareasofforestsandsavannashavealreadybeenconvertedtothesecommodities,muchprogresshasbeenachievedinhaltingexpansioninthepastdecade,especiallyinBrazil.Tropicalagriculturehasintensified,raisingtheproductivityofexistingfarmlandandsavingnaturalareas fromfurtherconversion.However, intensificationhasonly succeededwhenaccompaniedby improvements in landandforestgovernancetoprovideincentivestointensifyratherthanexpandarea.Globaloversightthroughmajorinternationaltreatiesonbiodiversity,climatechange,andindigenousrights,andtheFAOvoluntaryguidelinesonlandandnaturalresourcetenureandprivatestandardshavealsoplayedakeyroleinprotectingremainingnaturalareas.
Inconclusion,Iamcautiouslyoptimisticthattropicallandexpansioncanbehaltedwithoutcompromisingglobalfoodsecurity.Bothgovernmentsandtheprivatesectorhavemademajorcommitmentstoreducingtropicaldeforestation.Inaddition,IprojectthatthebigmarketdriversofcommodityexpansiontoprovisionemergingeconomiessuchasChinawillslowmarkedlyinthecomingyears,furtherreducingpressureontropicallands.Themajorchallengesaheadareimplementexistingcommitmentsonzerodeforestation,slowconversionofremainingsavannas,andmoresustainablymanagetheemergingcommodityexpansioninSub-SaharanAfrica.
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101 Biodiversity and food and nutrition security: Drivers of food choices fordietary diversification for improved health and nutrition for vulnerablepopulations
Assoc Prof Judith Kimiywe1
1Department of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
Adequatequantityandqualityoffoodarerequiredforoptimalhealth,growthanddevelopmentofhumanlife.Malnutrition,inallitsforms,asaresultofsub-optimaldietarypractices,imposesunacceptablyhighcostsonindividuals,familiesandnations.Thisisconsideredamajorimpedimenttoachievingthe2030SustainableDevelopmentGoals.Despitesignificantglobalprogresshavingbeenmadeoverthelasttwodecades,thenumberofhungrypeopleremainsunacceptablyhigh.Morethan239millionpeopleinAfricancontinentare,atpresent,affectedbyhunger,malnutritionandpoverty.ThisisnotwithstandingthefactthatAfricahasabundantarablefertilelandandhumanresourcesthatcouldpotentiallybetranslatedintoincreasedproduction,incomesandfoodsecurity.Importantlytonote,over60%ofavailableunusedfarmlandintheworldisinAfrica.InKenya,over10millionpeopleinKenyasufferfromchronicfoodinsecurityandpoornutrition.Notably,2-4millionpeoplerequireemergencyfoodassistanceatanygiventime.Nearly30%ofKenya’schildrenareundernourishedwith26%beingstunted.Further,micronutrientdeficienciesarealsowidespread.Sustainedhighrateofstuntingadverselyaffectshumancapitalandeconomicprogress.Literaturerevealsthat0.8%ofGDPislostduetovitaminandmineraldeficiencies.Thereareincreasedcasesofnon-communicablediseases(NCDs)duetoariseinoverweightandobesity.Themajorcauseistheprevalentshifttoincreasedconsumptionofhighlyrefinedfoodswithaddedsugars,salts&fatsandshifttoreducedphysicalactivityandsedentarylifestyle.Thishasnegativelyimpactedthesocietyleadingto;earlyandprematuredeaths,increasedhealthcarecostsatnationalandhouseholdlevel,nosavingsforinvestmentandpovertycirclecontinuesprogressively.Majorissuesaffectingfoodandnutritionsecurityinclude:extremepoverty,populationexplosionsanditsimpactontheGDP,inadequatefooddistribution,foodspoilageandwastages-inadequatestorageandprocessingtechnologies,supplydisruptions,governmentpoliciesthataffectsfarmersnegatively,environmentalimpacts-climatechangesandunpredictablerainfall,lowuseoftechnology,pricevolatility-soaringfoodprices,politicalinstabilityamongothers.Thechangesin foodconsumptionataglobalandregional levelhavecausedconsiderablehealthconsequences.Thediversenatureof thistransitionmaybetheresultofdifferencesinsocio-demographicfactorsandotherconsumercharacteristics.Someofthefactorssignificantlyinfluencingdietarychoicesinclude;urbanizationandfoodindustrymarketing;convenience-consumersarewillingtopaymoreforconvenienceastheirworkhabitsandlifestyleschange,advertisements,consumerattitudesandbehavior-consumerhealthawareness continues togrowwith the increasingavailabilityofhealth information, income- increasedconsumptionofprocessedfoods,moreanimalfoodsandoilsandfatsandlessoftraditionalfoodsacrossallincomegroups.Toensureoptimaldietaryintake,anintegratedapproachandcollaborationsamongallrelevantstakeholders,public/privatesectors,anddevelopmentpartnersto fosternutritionsensitiveprograms isutmost importance.Despiteconsiderabledocumentedknowledgeonfactorsinfluencingfoodconsumption,foodinsecurity,povertyandmalnutritionremainprevalent;contrarytomanycountriesreportedrapideconomicgrowth.
Keywords:DeterminantsofDietaryChoices,NutritionandHealth.
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102 Photonstofood;ImprovingphotosynthesisandyieldpotentialinC3andC4crops
Prof Robert Furbank1
1ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Acton, Australia
Agriculturalproductionmustincreasebymorethan70%overthenext30yearstomeetglobaldemandforfood.Annualyieldprogressinbreedingofourmajorcerealcropsgloballyhasdroppedtobelow1%perannum,makingitunlikelythatwewillmeetthistargetforcrops,inthelightofpressuresfromurbanisationandclimatechange.Theplateauinyieldimprovementincerealsisnowwidelyregardedtohaveresultedfromtheexhaustionofgainsfromimprovinggeneticpotentialforharvestindexandgrainnumber.Anewbreedingfrontierhasemergedaimedatimprovingefficiencyofphotosynthesisandeffectiveuseofsolarradiationforyield(Parryetal.2011JXB62:453–467;Furbanketal.2015FieldCropsResearch,182:19-29).
Globally,majorinitiativeshavebeenestablishedtoimprovephotosynthesisincropsbothbytransgenicmeansandbyharnessingadvancesingenomicsandPhenomicstoidentifysuperiorcerealgermplasmandtheallelicvariationresponsible.TargetsrangefromenhancingthecatalyticpropertiesofRubiscoandscreeninggermplasmforsuperiorRubiscoperformance,installingaCO2concentratingmechanisminC3crops,improvingaccessofCO2toenzymesofCO2fixationintheleafandenhancingutilisationofthesolarspectrumandresponsestovariationsincanopylightlevels.Thispresentationreviewsrecentprogressinthisfieldanddiscussesthechallengesintranslatingthisresearchtohighercropyieldsandfoodproduction.
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104 Fieldphenotypingforphotosynthetictraitsinsorghum
Dr Barbara George-Jaeggli1,2,DrAndriesPotgieter3,DrScottChapman4,5,DrJamesWatson3,MrMarkEldridge1,MrKennethLaws2,MrPeterGeorge2,A/ProfAndrewBorrell1,ProfGraemeHammer5,ProfDavidR.Jordan1
1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Warwick, Australia, 2Agri-Science Queensland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Warwick, Australia, 3Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia, 4Agriculture & Food, CSIRO, St Lucia, Australia, 5Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Inmanycereals,yieldimprovementsareslowingdownandthelowerhangingfruit,suchasmaximisingtheamountofbiomassinvestedingrain,havegenerallybeenpicked.Therehaspreviouslybeenlittleactiveselectionforprocessestodowithprimaryplantproductivity,orphotosynthesis,incropimprovementprograms,makingthisaworthwhiletargetforfurtheryieldincreases.
Sorghumisanidealmodeltoidentifytraitsandgenomicregionsassociatedwithphotosyntheticcapacity.ItisadiverseC4cropthathasbeenadaptedtoawiderangeofenvironments.Itisespeciallywelladaptedtohotanddryenvironments,whichmakeitanimportantfeedcropinthenortherngrainbeltofAustralia,andastaplefoodandfeedcropinmanysub-tropicalareasaroundtheworld. Ithasasimpleandwell-characterisedgenome,whichmake itan idealobject forgeneticstudies.Furthermore,wehaveaccesstolargediversitypanelsandmappingpopulationswithhighgenotyping-by-sequencingmarkerdensitythatenablegenome-wideassociationstudies.
Duetocomplexinteractionsandtrade-offsbetweenleaf-levelphotosynthetictraitsandcanopyarchitecture,thephenotypingofthesepopulationsrequiresanassessmentofdynamicgrowthparametersofeachgenotypeatthefield-plotlevel.Wedescribehowweusehigh-throughputremoteandproximal-sensingplatforms(UAVandtractorbased)andanintegratedimage-analysispipelinetoidentifydifferencesintraitsrelatedtocrop-levelphotosyntheticcapacitysuchasradiationuseefficiency.Theuseoftheacquiredphenotypicinformationinassociationmappingstudiestoidentifycandidategenesforphotosyntheticcapacityarealsodiscussed.
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105 Modellinglikelyfieldimpactsofmodifyingphotosynthesis
Dr Alex Wu1,2,MrAlDoherty1,2,ProfGrahamFarquhar2,3,ProfGraemeHammer1,2
1Centre for Plant Science, QAAFI, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 2ARC Centre of Excellence for Transnational Photosynthesis, , Australia, 3Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Enhancing plant photosynthetic efficiency has been identified as the next major avenue for improving plant resource useefficienciesandfieldcropperformance,whichisvital inmeetingrisingdemandoncropproduction.Bioengineeringtargetstoenhancephotosynthesis at the leaf level have been identified, however, it is oftendifficult to foresee their likely impacts onfieldcropsdue to thescalegapbetweenthe two levelsofbiologicalorganizationplus influencesofproductionenvironment.Inthiswork,adescriptionofacross-scalemodellingapproachconnectingbiochemical/leaflevelphotosynthesisandcroplevelperformance ispresented.Thisapproachutilizesexistingadvancedmodelsatthedifferent levelsandemphasizesontwo-wayconnections (interactions) between them, which involves photosynthesismodels informing growth in cropmodels and cropmodels informing crop’s attributes and capacity to capture resources (e.g. radiationandnitrogen) fordrivingphotosynthesis.Analysis at the leaf and crop canopy levels of modelling showed sensible responses to key environmental factors and cropattributes;cropgrowth,developmentandyieldsimulationsagreedadequatelywithobservedfieldcropperformanceacrossadiverserangeofgenotypesandenvironments,indicatingarobustpredictivecapabilityofthemodel.Furthermore,likelyimpactsofphotosyntheticmanipulationtargets,associatedwithphotosyntheticcapacitiesandCO₂diffusion,aresimulatedforsorghumcropindiverseproductionenvironments.Thismodellingworkisaimedatextendingpredictioncapabilitiesatthecroplevelandassistingidentificationofphotosyntheticmanipulationtargetsthatcoulddeliverthemostcrop-levelimprovementsinproductionenvironments.
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106 BuildingclimateresilienceinagriculturalcropsbymanipulatingCO2fixation
Dr Robert Sharwood1
1ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Withsignificantincreasesintheglobalpopulationandtheacceleratingchangesinclimate,maintainingfutureincreasesinyieldpotentialoffoodandfibrecropsiscomingunderseriousthreat.Theimpactofclimatechangewillintensifywiththecontinuedreductionsinarablelandandtheavailabilityofwaterthatisoftenlimitingforcropproduction.Futureclimatesarepredictedtoincreasetheintensityandfrequencyofextremeevents,suchasheatwavesandvaryingrainfallpatternsassociatedwithdroughts.To copewith futureuncertain climates, agricultural cropswill nowneed tobeequippedwithflexible strategies to copewithvariableenvironmentstomitigatedeclinesinproductiveyields.MytalkwillfocusoncurrenteffortstoimprovephotosynthesisunderfutureclimatesthroughengineeringchangestoCO2fixationguidedbyscreensofnaturaldiversityofplantsoriginatingfromdifferentclimatesoforiginandevolutionarylineages.
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107 Horticulture-Thevitalindustry
David Moore1
1Hort Innovation, Sydney, Australia
TheAustralianhorticultureindustryisanextremelydiversesectorthatmakesasubstantialcontributiontotheeconomy,accountingfor18%ofthetotalvalueofAustralianagriculture.Thefruit,vegetables,nuts,flowers,turfandnurseryproductsaggregateuptoagrossvalueofhorticulturalproduction(GVP)of$9.3billionin2015-16toaprojected$10billionin2021-22,makingitthethirdmostvaluableagriculturalcommodity.Basedonlandusevaluein2015-16,horticulturecontributedthegreatestGVPperhectareforallofagriculture,employing67,000peopleasthesecondlargestemployerwithinagriculture.
TheAustralianhorticultureindustryenjoysawell-regardedinternationalreputationasasustainableproducerofclean,safe,andpremiumquality food,attributed toamature supply chain, from farm to fork. Total freshhorticultureexports reached$2.32billioninJune2016.Significantgrowthinexportsofcitrus,tablegrapes,almondsmacadamiasandcarrots,alongwiththesurgeinavocadoandberryplantingshasseenthesectorbecomeatargetforcorporateinvestment.
Intermsofhorticulture’scontributiontonutrition,healthandwell-being,medicalandnutritionalresearchhasfordecadesmadetheassociationbetweenthebenefitsfromfruit,nutandvegetablesconsumptionandthereduction inobesity,cardiovascularconditions,TypeIIdiabetes,certaincancersandgeneralwellbeing.While50%ofAustralianadultsmettheirdailyintakeguidelineof2servesoffruitin2014-15,only7%consumedtheirrecommended5servesofvegetablesdaily.DeloitteAccessEconomicsrecentlyhighlightedthatifvegetableconsumptioninAustraliawere10%higher,commonwealthgovernmenthealthexpenditurewouldbereducedby$100million,highlightingtheimportanceofeducation,awarenessandpromotionprogramsforincreasingconsumption.
ResearchandinnovationplaysanimportantroleinadvancingtheproductivityandprofitabilityofAustralianhorticulture.Thesectormakesannualinvestmentsofapproximately$120millioninthisareathroughitsuniqueresearchanddevelopmentcorporationmodel.An independentassessmentofAustralianhorticulturesectorstrategic investmentplans(2017-21)hashighlightedthatresearch,developmentandextension investmentswillgenerateanet industry impactof$1.7billionover30years,creatingabenefit-costratioof5:1.Thesectorhasmademanynovelinvestmentsinresearchandinnovationrecentlyinhorticulturalrobotics;developmentofnutrientdensefunctionalfoods,3Dprintingoffoods,alternatepollinationtechnologies,sterileinsecttechnology,leadershipupskilling,andthefuturestateoftheartglasshouseandorchardarchitecture.
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108 Impactofgenomicsandgeneticsonplantprotectioninbananas
Prof Gerrit HJ Kema1
1Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
Bananaisbothatopstapleandfruitcropinmanydomesticmarketsandoneofprimetropicalcommodities.Atthesametime,bananaisatypicalorphancrop.Globalinputsinresearchanddevelopmentareminimalcomparedtoothercrops.Despitetheimmensegeneticdiversity,withitsbasisinSouthEastAsia,itremainslargelyuntapped.Indeed,breedingbetterbananasappearstobedifficult,butthefailuretodevelopandmarketreplacementsfortheglobalCavendishclonesisalsoamatterofawareness,attentionandsimplyinputandcriticalmass.Thenumberofbananaimprovementprogramsisnegligiblewhencomparedwithothercrops.Asaresult,thesectoratlargesuffersfromimmensediseasethreatsthatareembeddedincomplexmultidisciplinarysettings thatcanonlybeaddressed throughsuchavenues.BothblackSigatokaandPanamadiseaseorFusariumwiltarekeyproblemsthatrequirebasicbiologicalgrounding,yetthesectorisusedtoshort-termactionsandsolutionsthathistoricallyhaveworkedwell.Hence,thereisathresholdtodevelopandacceptlong-termstrategiesforsustainableandfairglobalproduction.Ourworkhaslargelyfocusedondeliveringbasicfactsdealingwithgeneticimprovementofbananaandunderstandingkeyfactorsfordiseasecontrol.Theserevolvearoundgenomeanalyses,geneticdiversityandplasticity.Thelatestresultswillbepresented,includingaglobalanalysisofreducedsensitivityinPseudocercosporafijiensistoazolefungicidesforblackSigatokamanagementandadiversityanddisseminationanalysisofFusariumoxysporumf.sp.cubense,thecauseofPanamadisease.
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109 DevelopingaprofessionalvegetablesupplychaininSouthEastAsia
Mr Arie Baelde1
1Rijk Zwaan Australia Pty Ltd, Australia
VegetablesinSouthEastAsiaaretraditionallyproducedonsubsistencelandholdings.Professionalisationofvegetableproductionisdrivenbyincreasedurbanisation,theincreaseinrurallabourcostsandreducedlabouravailabilityaswellastheentranceofprofessionalretailersinthegrocerymarket.
Increasingly, urban and educated South East Asian consumers are concerned about food safetywith regard to chemical andbiologicalcontamination. ImportedAustralianandAmericanproductsaretrustedbyconsumerswhereas localproduce isnot.Retailersareaddressing this through localqualityassuranceprogramswith inherentlymore scrutinyon theuseofpesticidesthus reducing chemical treatmentoptions for farmers.Vegetableproducers are seeingan increase in cost for fertiliser, seed,pestcontrolproductsandmoreinsecurityonthedemandside.Farmerswhoareabletodealwiththisincreasedcomplexitybycooperatingingrowergroupsorbyformingstrongerconnectionsinthesupplychainwithtradersorsupermarketsdirectlyarewinningincreasedbusiness.
Aprerequisiteforstrongrelationshipsbetweengrowersandthesupplychainisnotonlytheabilitytodeliver“clean”producebutalsotodosoconsistently.Thisisresultinginincreasedadoptionofprotectedcroppingsystemsandhydroponics.
Supplierstothesegrowerscanstrengthenrelationshipsthroughprovidingproductsaswellastechnicalsupport.ThreecasestudieswillfocusonhowseedsupplierRijkZwaanhascontributedtoincreasedfarmerincomeandcleanervegetablesforconsumers.
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110 ImpactsofplantbreedingontheAustralianmandarinindustry
Mr Malcolm Smith1,MrsDebraGultzow1,MrsToniNewman1,DrAndrewMiles2
1Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland, Bundaberg, Australia, 2Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Brisbane, Australia
Australianmandarins aremostly grown in the summer-rainfall subtropics, about 100-300km inland from the coast. Orchardproductioncostsareamongstthehighestofanycitrusexportingcountrywhich,whencombinedwithalimiteddomesticmarket,makesafocusonhigh-qualityfruitforexportessentialtocommerciallyviability.
Asmallcitrusbreedingprogramhasbeenoperatingfor25yearsandhasalreadyhelpedsupplygrowerswithnewandimprovedscionandrootstockcultivars. OurMurcottselections‘IrM1’and‘IrM2’havequicklybecomemajornewcommercialvarieties,offeringlowerseednumbers,improvedcolourandearliermaturitytime.Thebreedingaimisnewmandarinandorangehybridsthat combine excellent eating quality with outstanding external appearance and high productivity. We are also developingrootstocksthatfurtherimprovethesecriticalqualityandproductivitytraits.Geneticresistancetodiseasesisakeycomponentoftheprogram,employingefficientinoculationandscreeningmethodsforBrownSpot(Alternaria),Scab(Elsinoe),CitrusTristezaVirus(CTV)andPhytophthora,anddevelopmentofnewtechniquesforBlackSpot(Phyllosticta)andpre-emptivebreedingforHuanglongbing(HLB).ClosecollaborationbetweenBreedersandPlantPathologistsisahallmarkoftheprogram.
Breedingprogramsareoftencriticised for taking too long. However,noother technology candeliver thequantum leapandgeneticgainthatnewvarietiesprovide.Mandarinsareafantastic‘product’:theyaretasty,healthy,convenient,visuallyattractive,andculturallysignificant.Targetedbreedingprogramswilltakethis‘product’toawholenewlevel,anddeliverbenefitstogrowers,consumers,regionaleconomiesandtheenvironment.
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111 Reducingtheimpactofdiseasesonproductivityandqualityofavocado
Dr Elizabeth Dann1
1Centre for Plant Science, QAAFI, Brisbane, Australia
Phytophthora root rot (PRR) caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi, is undoubtedly the single most important constraint toavocadoorchardproductivity inAustralia,conservativelyestimatedtocost the industry$17millionperyear.Postharvest fruitquality is compromisedby anthracnose and stemend rot diseases, causedby fungal infectionswithColletotrichum spp. andBotryosphaeriaceaeduringfruitdevelopment.Blackrootrotandbrownrootrotalsoimpactestablishmentandtreehealthinsomeorchards.Adherencetocurrentmanagementstrategiesreducestheimpactofthesediseases,however,newstrategiesarebeingevaluatedwhichmaybeeasilyimplementedintodiseasemanagementprograms.Forexample,anewoomycete-specificchemical,appliedtoseedlingsinfectedwithP.cinnamomi,waseffectiveatreducingrootnecrosiscomparedwithuntreatedcontrols,andthisnewtreatmentiscurrentlyunderinvestigationinthefield.OrchardapplicationsofcommercialproductswithhighsolublesiliconcontentimprovedhealthoftreesdecliningfromPRR,andimprovedfruitqualitybyreducingdisease.Commercialpackingshedassessmentoffruitfromonetrialshoweda20%increase inreturntothegrowerafter6soildrenchapplicationswithasolublesiliconproductovera2yearperiod.Theseexamplesandotherswillbediscussedinrelationtotheimmediateindustryrequirementforsustainableproductionofhighqualityexport-readyfruit.
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112 Prospectsforgeneticimprovementofmacadamia
Assoc Prof Bruce Topp1,DrMobashwerAlam1,DrCraigHardner2,DrOlufemiAkinsanmi2,MsKatieO’Connor1,MsThuyMaiThiPhuong1,MrDougalRussell3
1QAAFI, Nambour, Australia, 2QAAFI, Brisbane, Australia, 3DAF, Nambour, Australia
Macadamia(MacadamiaintegrifoliaMaiden&BetcheandM.tetraphyllaL.A.S.Johnson)isanevergreennuttreenativetosouthernQueenslandandnorthernNewSouthWalesinAustralia.ItskernelishighlyvaluedandAustraliaistheworldleaderinproductionwithabout6milliontreesplantedon17,000ha.Largetreesize,extendedjuvenileperiodandcultivarlongevityareobstaclestocultivardevelopmentbutthereisscopeforsignificantgeneticgainthroughdirectedbreeding.IndustryfundingforanAustralianbreedingprogramcommencedin1996andthishasresultedinfournewcultivarsreleasedbytheDepartmentofAgricultureandForestryin2017.Asecondgenerationofbreedingisunderway,continuingtheuseofquantitativeselectionmethodsforyieldandexploringtheopportunitytoselectfordiseaseresistance,kernelquality,reducedtreesizeandalteredreproductivebiology.Wearestudyingmethodstoimprovebreedingefficiencythroughtheuseofquantitativegenetics,genome-wideselection,cooperativefieldtrialswithcommercialproducersandalternativebreedingpopulationstructures.
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113 Sustainablelivestock–Integratedapproachesformultiplebenefits
Mr Henning Steinfeld1
1Fao, Rome, Italy
This paper summarizes the bio-physical foundations and processes of livestock systems at global level, covering energy andbiomass,land,water,nutrients,environmentalhealthandclimatechange,andcontraststhemwithhumanbenefitsderivedfromlivestocksystems,includingfoodandhumanhealth,economicgrowth,employmentandothersocialbenefits,andculturalandaestheticvalues.
Livestocksystemsarecharacterizedbyusingtheclassicalproductionfactorsofland,labourandcapital,distinguishingbetweenextensive,labour-intensiveandcapital-intensivelivestocksystems,usingacombinationofbio-physicalandsocio-economiccriteria.Applyingtheconceptofinducedinnovation,suchadifferentiationbasedonrelativeabundanceofproductionfactorsallowsustooutlinedevelopmentpathwaysoflivestocksystems.
Spatialand temporal linkagesoccur in the formofexternalities, synergiesand trade-offswhichareanalysed inanexemplaryfashion,usingan integratedapproach thatcombines life-cycleanalysis,valuechainanalysisandOneHealthassessments inaspatiallyexplicitform.Thisleadstodefiningthekeyfeaturesof“sustainableintensification”inawaythatiscontextspecificaswellasinformingtargetedpolicymaking.
Thepapershowsthat,giventhemultipleprivateandsocialbenefitsthatcanbederivedfromlivestock,andintegratedapproachto livestockdevelopment is required that combines tools fromvarious technical domains, reducing trade-offs andoptimizingbenefits.
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114 Key pathways for the livestock sector, sustainable intensification andmitigatingvulnerability
Dr Thomas Randolph1
1Ilri, Nairobi, Kenya
ScienceoffersawiderangeofopportunitiestostrengthentheroleofthelivestocksectorinachievingtheSDGs.However,whenfocusingontheSDGsofimmediaterelevancetoLMICs,amorenarrowsetofprioritiescanbedefinedthatcontributeinparticularto poverty reduction (SDG1) and food security (SDG2) while ensuring environmental sustainability (SDG13 and SDG15). ThelivestocksectorsinLMICsarefollowingdiversetrajectoriesastheyrespondtorapidlyincreaseddemandforanimalsourcefoodsdrivenbypopulationand incomegrowth.Within thiscontext, livestock research fordevelopment is targeting innovation thatwillprovidethewidestbenefitstolow-incomeruralhouseholdsthatkeeplivestock(SDG1)andlow-incomeconsumerswhorelyonnutritionallyvaluableanimal-sourcefoods(SDG2).Therearetwocomplementarypathwaystothesebenefits:a)supportingappropriatesustainableintensificationandprofessionalizationforthosefarmerswell-placedtorespondtomarketdemands;b)strengtheningresilienceofpoorcommunitiesbyprotectingandstrengtheningotherrolesthatlivestockplayintheirlivelihoods.CGIARlivestockresearchaddressesboth.UsingaTheoryofChangeframework,wedescribethelogicfortheprioritiesidentifiedbytheCGIARResearchProgramonLivestockandhowthis isexpectedto leadto impactatsignificantscaleandcontributetoachievingtheSDGs.
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115 Delivering livestocksciencesolutions fordevelopmentoutcomes throughtwodistinctapproaches:philanthropyandsharedvalue
Ms Jessica Ramsden1
1Elanco Animal Health, West Ryde, Australia
Livestockdiseasesremainathreattoachievingfoodandnutritionsecurity(SDG2),areasourceofeconomiclossesforpeoplewhodependonlivestockfortheirlivelihood(SFG1)andincreasepressureonhumanhealth(SDG3).Livestockdiseasesalsoexacerbatetheenvironmentalfootprintoflivestockproductionbyincreasingtheamountofresourcesrequiredtoproducemeat,milk,eggs(SDG2andSDG12).
Since2014,theEliLillyandCompanyFoundationhassupportedHeiferInternational’sworkontheEastAfricaDairyDevelopmentProject(EADD)inTanzania,UgandaandKenya,includingthroughtheprovisionofdirectsupportandtechnicalexpertise.
ElancoAnimalHealth(adivisionifEliLillyandCompany)isalsoinitiatingasharedvaluemodel(SDG17)thatinvolvestheregistrationandsaleofaffordablehigh-qualityveterinaryproductsandthedeliveryoftraininginitiativesforsmallholderdairyandpoultryfarmers.Thiswillassistwithimprovedanimalhealthpracticesasameanstorelieveconditionsofpovertyandimproveeconomicoutcomesforfarmers(socialgood)andtocreatevalueforthecompany(businessgood).AUEFSNON00032.
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116 New livestock genetics and genomics solutions and applications in thetropics
ProfAppolinaireDjikeng1,2,Steve Kemp3
1Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health , Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom, 2The Roslin Institute /Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, Easter Bush, United Kingdom, 3International Livestock Research Institute, , Kenya
Livestockdevelopmentisatthecentreofmost(andprobablyall)sustainabledevelopmentgoalsthroughimpactonpeople,theplanetandtheprocessesrequiredtoachieveglobalsustainability.UnderSDG2thefollowingtargetsunderscoretheimportanceoflivestockinglobaldevelopment:i)by2030doubletheagriculturalproductivityii)by2020maintaingeneticdiversityoffarmedanddomesticatedanimalsandtheirrelatedwildspecies.
Unfortunately,livestockdevelopmentinAfricaandothertropicalpartsoftheworldstillfacesseveralimportantchallengesincludingbutnotlimitedto:a)lowproductivity,b)regularlossesduetoabioticandbioticstresses,c)unsuitableanimalsforresilienceinvariousagro-ecologies,d)unavailabilityofgenomicsresourcesandtoolsforrapididentificationandutilizationofadaptablebreeds,e)unexploitedanimalgeneticsresources.Irrespectiveoflivestockspecies,thereisevidencethatkeytraits(diseaseresistance,variationinresponsetovaccination,adaptabilitytoecologies,…)areclearlyidentifiableandcanbeharnessedtoselectforhighlyadaptableandproductiveanimals.Currentadvancesingenomesequencingandexperimentalmanipulation,bigdataanalysisandassociationofgeneticprofilestotraitscanbeleveragedtoidentifymarkersforbreedidentificationandselection.
Itisthereforefeasiblethatprofilesfortropicallyadaptedlivestockcanbedevelopedthroughourincreasingabilitytounderstandthegeneticbasisofkeytraits,torecordphenotypesandtomanipulategenes.Anewinitiative,theCentreforTropicalLivestockGeneticsandHealth(CTLGH)focusedonusingsuchapproachestoimprovetropicallivestockresilienceandproductivitywillbediscussed.
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117 Animalandhumanhealth:Adangerousintersectionorhealthyfuture?
Dr Delia Grace1
1ILRI, Nairobi, Kenya
In theseconddecadeof the21stcentury,ourworldhasneverbeenwealthier,healthier,ormoreworried.When itcomestoworries,threatsassociatedwithanimaldiseaseareespeciallyprominent.TheavianinfluenzaandEbolapandemicsshowedtheextentofdeath,disruption,andeconomicdamagethatcanbecausedbyzoonoticpandemics.Better,cheaper,biotechnologypotentiatestheriskofbioterrorismandzoonosesfeatureprominentlyamongdiseasesthatcanbeweaponized.Concernovertheroleofthelivestockandfishsectoringeneratingantimicrobialresistanceinhumanpathogensratchetsupwards.Animalsourcefoodisassociatedwithover-nutritionandnon-communicabledisease.
Atthesametime,livestocksystemscontributeimmenselytohumanhealththrougharangeofpathwaysfromdirectprovisionofsafeandnutritiousfoodstoenhancementofpsychosocialwellbeingtogeneratingincomeoftenusedforfood,educationandhealthcare.Benefitsfromlivestockareespeciallyimportantandvariedinlowandmiddleincomecountries(LMICs),wherearoundonebillionpeopledependonlivestockfortheirlivelihoods.
UsingtheframeworkoftheSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs),wereviewthecomplexhealthrisksandbenefitsassociatedwithlivestockkeeping,anddiscusshowthelivestocksectorcancontributetoattainingSDGs,focusingonLMICs.WediscusshowthesectoralandstaticnatureofSDGscreateschallenges,thatareespeciallypronouncedattheinterfacebetweenlivestockandhealth,andwesuggestsciencesolutionsforovercomingthese,basedonOneHealthprinciplesandpractice.
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118 Optimizingtheenvironmentalfootprintoflivestockproduction
Dr Polly Ericksen1
1Ilri, Nairobi, Kenya
Inadditiontothenutritionalandincomebenefitsforwhichtheyareknown,livestockcanprovidesomeimportantenvironmental“goods”,suchasbiodiversityandenhancementofsoilnutrients,andtheyareacriticallivelihoodassettohelpbufferagainstclimaticandeconomicshocks.Thesedimensionsareoftenoverlookedintheattentiongiventothepotentiallynegativeconsequencesoflivestockontheenvironment,especiallyinthecontextofrapidlygrowingdemandformeatandmilk.Theseenvironmental“bads”includeGHGemissions,nutrientleaching,landusechangeanddegradation.Researchtooptimizetheenvironmentalfootprintoflivestockproduction,suchthatthe“goods”areenhancedandthe“bads”minimizedwillcontributetoSDG13(Takeactiontocombatclimatechangeanditsimpacts)and15(Protect,restoreandpromotesustainableuseofterrestrialecosystems)andisattheheartofachievingsustainableintensificationandresilience.Thisnewresearchportfoliocoversthreedimensions:1)improvedimpactassessmentsof livestockproductionusingsitespecificdata forkeysystemsacrossthetropics,2)pilotingsolutionsforoptimizing environmental goods and reducing the “bads” across key landscapes, 3) embedding incentives for environmentalmanagementingovernancearrangementsandpolicies.ThisresearchspeakstobothnationalprioritiesofmanyLowandMiddleIncomecountries,aswellasglobalagendasonclimatechangeandsustainablefoodproduction.
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119 Improving food and nutrition security through dietary diversification:PromotingtherichKenyancuisine
Assoc Prof Judith Kimiywe1
1Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
Traditional foodshavea symbolic and religious valueandareassociatedwith cultural identityand socialwell-being. InAfricathey aremainly used as food either in form of staples, snacks, appetizer, roughage, soups, drinks, and a sauce/relish or formedicinalpurposes.InKenyatraditionalfoodsareusedtofillingapsandinsodoingcontributetothefoodsecurityofthepeople.Epidemiologicalstudiesunderliethebenefitsofavarieddietparticularlyoneincludingvegetablesandfruitsinincreasinglongevityoflifeandreducingratesofchronicdegenerativediseases.Manyhouseholdsusetraditionalfoodswheneverotherrelishesarein short supplyorwhen faminestrikes therebyprovidinganalternative intimesofneed.Traditional foodsystemsview food,medicineandhealthasinterrelated.Theyhavethepotentialtoeliminatenutritionaldeficienciesamongvulnerablegroupssuchaschildren,expectantmothersandlowincomegroups.Therearemisconceptionsthattraditionalfoodsarelessnutritiousthanexoticones.Mostoftheurbandwellersespeciallytheyoungdon’tappreciatethemascrediblesourcesofnutrients.Knowledgeofthepreparationofthefoodsisoneofthemainimpedimentstotheirutilization.Someofthetraditionalrecipesaresocrudethattheycannotbeappliedinamodernkitchen.Thepresentationdemonstratesnutritionallyacceptedmethodsofcookingthatcanfitintobothmodernandtraditionalkitchen.ThegoalistopromoteKenyancuisinebyenhancingtheconsumptionandutilizationoftraditionalfoodsespeciallyintheurbanareashencethepreservationofbiodiversity.
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120 Selection of suitable Kei-apple lines based on phytochemical content forfunctionalproductdevelopment
Prof Dharini Sivakumar1,A/ProfYasminaSultanbawa,MsSmargaleneMpai
1Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
InadequacyofadiversifieddietisevidentintheruralaswellasurbanareasduetorapidurbanisationinSouthAfrica.Inadequatedietshavebeenfoundtoexertdiverseeffectsonthepopulation,includingmalnutrition,non-communicablediseasesandobesity.Foodsecurityisassociatedwithpovertythatlimitstheaccessandtheavailabilityofbalanceddiet.ThetraditionalAfricanfruitsandleafyvegetablesarerichsourcesofmicronutrients;therefore,thereisaneedtodevisestrategiestoincludethesefoodcropsinnutritioninterventionprogrammestocombathiddenhungeramongtheAfricanpopulationandtosustainnutritionandfoodsecurity.Recently researchhasbeen initiated tostudy thenutritionalandphytochemicalcomponents inKeiappleselections.SelectionFH29showedhighestlevel(492.45mg/100gFW)oftotalphenoliccontenthigherthanthereferralfruitblueberry.SelectionsFH14(4.78mg/100g),FH232(4.50mg/100g),FH239(4.17mg/100g),FH236(4.11mg/100g),andFH231(3.94mg /100g)demonstratedhigher levelsofβ-carotene than referral fruit apples (cv. Top red),peaches (cv.Excellence). FH29(49.75µmolTEACpergFW)showedthehighestantioxidantactivitythanthereferralfruitblueberry.Thetotalsugar(glucoseandfructose)concentrationwerehigherinselectionsFH240(50mg/gFW).FH239andFH232showedthehighestconcentrationofasparagine(3122.18mg/L)andgamma-aminobutyric(654.65mg/L)respectively.OverallFH236selectioncanberegardedasagoodsourceofessentialaminoacids.
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121 ValueaddednutritionallyrichproductsfromAustralianwattleseeds(Acacia species)
Assoc Prof Yasmina Sultanbawa1,DrKinnariShelat1,MrDavidCross1,DrSandraOlarteMantilla1,DrHeatherSmyth1
1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
TheseedsofAcacia speciesareknowntohavebeenanimportantseasonalcomponentoftraditionalAustralianAboriginaldiets.Duetotheireasycultivationandhighyieldsofseedthatcanbestored,theAustralianacaciashavethepotentialtobeamajorcomponentofdiets. Thenutritionalandchemicalcompositionof fourAcacia species: A. coriacea, A. cowleana, A. retinodes and A. sophoraewereassessed.Basedonsensory,nutritionalandfunctionalpropertiesA. coriaceawasselectedasafunctionalingredienttobeaddedtoacompositeflourbreadroll.Theprotein,totalfat,dietaryfibreofA. coriacea(%w/w)were22.5,9.8,41.4respectively, indicatingahighproteinanddietaryfibrecontent. Themonounsaturatedfattyacidswerehighestat51.3%incomparisontothesaturated31.1%andpolyunsaturated17.6%.Physico-chemicalandsensoryprofilingmethodswereusedtodevelopthebreadtechnology.Theresultingcompositeflourbreadrollwasassessedforbothphysicalandsensoryattributestodetermineconsumeracceptability.Aconsumersensorytrialwith101panellistswasconductedwithresultsshowingoverallacceptabilityofamoderateinclusionofA. coriaceaflour.Thephysicalanalysisshowedthatchangesinhardness,cohesiveness,andspringinesswereallsignificantatp<0.05levelandwereconsistentwiththesensoryanalysis.Thenutritionalprofileoftheresultingbreadwasalsoenhancedwithincreasedproteinanddietaryfibre,anenrichedfattyacidprofile,andnotableamountsofironandpotassium.A. coriaceacanbeusedsuccessfullyasafunctionalingredientincompositeflourbread.
32TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
122 Queensland grownQueenGarnet plum:Nutritious and healthy - A casestudy
Dr Michael Netzel1
1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Coopers Plains, Australia
Thereissustainedincreaseinconsumerinterestinthepotentialhealthbenefitsofdietaryderivedplantpolyphenolswithaspecialfocusonhighlycolouredcompoundssuchasanthocyanins.AnewvarietyofJapaneseplumPrunussalicinaLindl.,namedQueenGarnet,wasdevelopedasahighanthocyaninpluminaQueenslandGovernmentbreedingprogram.QueenGarnetplum(QGP)fruit canhaveanoutstandinganthocyanincontentofup to280mg/100g freshweightdependingonmaturity,environmentand storage conditions. Apart from fresh fruit consumption,Queensland grownQGP is also processed into a rangeof retail-readyproductsbasedon juiceand freeze-driedpowder.ThemetabolismofQGPanthocyanins,potentialanti-thromboticandanti-hypertensiveactivities,andtheeffectonbiomarker(s)foroxidativestresswasstudiedinseveralhumantrialsusingQGPjuiceasthetest-product.Thekey-resultsobtainedinthesetrialswillbepresentedattheConference.
33TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
123 Buchanania obovata:AnAustralianIndigenousfoodfordietdiversification
Mrs Selina Fyfe1,DrMichaelNetzel2,DrUjangTinggi3,MissEvaBiehl4,A/ProfYasminaSultanbawa2
1School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia, 2QAAFI, The University of Queensland, Coopers Plains, Australia, 3Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia, 4Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
Buchanania obovataEngl.,theGreenPlum,isasmallgreenfruiteatenbyAustralianIndigenouspeoplesoftheNorthernTerritoryandWesternAustraliathatispreviouslyunstudiedandhaspotentialasasourceoffoodfordietdiversification.Fleshandseedofthefruitareeatenandtheplantisusedasbushmedicine.Proximateanalysisrevealedthefleshishighinprotein(128gkg-1DryWeight(DW))andbothfleshandseedarehighindietaryfibre(551and877gkg-1DWrespectively).Mineral/traceelementandheavymetalprofilesshowthefleshishighinpotassium(22,747mgkg-1DW),andisagoodsourceofmagnesium(5705mgkg-1DW),calcium(4260mgkg-1DW)andphosphorous(2168mgkg-1DW),whereastheseedishighiniron(81.5mgkg-1DW).Thefleshcontainsfolateat7174μgkg-1DWandtheseedat1069gkg-1DWasFolicAcidEquivalent.ThefleshandseedhavegoodnutritionalpropertiesandcanbeusedfordietdiversificationandnutritioninIndigenousandnon-IndigenouspopulationsinAustralia.
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124 Enhancingyoutheconomicparticipationandentrepreneurshipinagriculture
Mr Fahad Awadh1
1YYTZ Agro-Processing, Amaan, Tanzania, United Republic Of
FahadisayoungentrepreneurfromTanzania.HeisthefounderofYYTZAgro-Processing,acashewprocessingcompany.YYTZAgrohasbeenworkingwithcashewfarmergroupsintheMtwararegiontohelpthemaddvaluetotheirowncropandearnmoreincome.
YYTZ’sflagshipfacilityislocatedinZanzibar.YYTZrecentlywon$500,000fromAGRA’sAfricaEnterpriseChallengeFundcompetition.TheyarebuildingaCashewFarmerProcessingCentre.Thefacilitywillhavemodernequipmentandadequatestoragefacilitiesforfarmerstouse.Farmersareassuredofamarket;YYTZarethesoleoff-takers.Thesemi-processedcashewsarepurchasedfromfarmersatahigherprice;theyaresenttoZanzibarforfinishingbeforeexporttoEuropeanmarkets.YYTZprovidesGAP,foodsafetytraininginadditiontofinancialliteracyandbusinessskillstrainingfortheirfarmergroups.Byintegratingfarmersinthecashewvaluechain,thefarmerswillbeabletoearnmorefromtheircrop.ByempoweringfarmersYYTZcanhelpalleviatepovertyinruralTanzania.
Asayoungentrepreneur,Fahadwillsharehisinsightsonthechallengeshefaced,constraints,theroleofeducationandtheneedofrolemodelsforyoungpeople.HewillprovideactionableitemsthatcanbeusedtoenhanceyoutheconomicparticipationandentrepreneurshipinAgriculture.
FahadhasbeenlistedbyForbesasoneofthe30MostPromisingEntrepreneursinAfricain2017.
Learnmorewww.yytzagro.com
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125 Usingsustainableintensificationprinciplestoincreaseproductivityofmaizeandwheatsystems
Dr Hans-Joachim Braun1,DrMartinKropff1
1International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico
Since the2008 foodprizecrisis,agri-foodsystemshavebecomeevenmorecentral toglobalchallenges–populationgrowth,climatechangeandenvironmentalprotection.Nowwearefacedwithagri-foodsystemsthatarefragileandconstantlyvulnerabletoshockandwithasituationinwhichwehavetoproducemorewithless,andevenmoreefficiently.
Continuedglobalchallengeshavemadecropmodellingandsimulationoffutureagri-foodsystemsincreasinglyimportant.However,thefullpotentialofmodellingwillnotbefulfilledunlesswellintegratedintobreedingprograms.Mydreamhasalwaysbeentointegratemodelsfromthegenomeleveltocroplevel–andthentoregionallevel(briningineconomicmodels).
Cropmodelsaremulti-functionalandcanbeusedasa)researchtools (analyzingdata,hypothesisgenerationandsustainableintensification,b)practicalapplications,e.g.climatechangeregionalscenariostudies,andc)capacitybuilding.Regardlessoftheirfunction,cropmodelsmustbeproactiveandultimatelyleadtoimpact.
A scenario analysis conducted by the InternationalMaize andWheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Bangladesh on thepotentialofmoving fromconventional toconservationagriculture isaprimeexampleof this impact.Usingmodels,andthenon-farmandon-stationtrialstoverify,CIMMYTtogetherwiththeCommonwealthScientificandIndustrialResearchOrganization(CSIRO),optimizedcroppingsystems.
Despitetheseachievementstherehasn’tbeenamajoradvancementincropmodellingindecades.Nowweneedtoenteranewera,fullytakingadvantageofadvancesindata,andinformationandcommunicationtechnologies(ICT).
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126 Enhancingsmallholderagriculturalproductivity,resilienceandsustainability:InitialevidencesfromeasternandsouthernAfrica
Dr Mulugetta Mekuria1,AssocProfDanielRodriguez2,DrJohnDixon3
1CIMMYT Southern Africa Regional Office, Harare, Zimbabwe, 2QAAFI, Brisbane, Australia, 3ACIAR, Australia
Thepredominantlymaize–basedfarmingsystemofeasternandsouthernAfricaischaracterizedbychroniclowyieldlevelsofthemajorstaplecropscompoundedbychronicdegradationofthenaturalresourcebaseandsoilfertility.Limitedaccesstoimprovedinputsandmarketsalsocontributetolowerproductivityandpoorincentivestoinvestandadopttechnologies.Throughbroad,long-term partnerships, science, and support for Innovation Platforms, CIMMYT,QAAFI andNARS partners in Ethiopia KenyaTanzania,MalawiandMozambiquearehelpingtofostertheadoptionofsustainableintensificationpractices.
Thepapershareslessonsandinsightsofamulti-disciplinary(agronomists/soilscientists,modelers;seedsystemsspecialist,socioeconomistandgenderspecialistfromCIMMYT,QAAFIandNARS)andmulti-stakeholdersresearchforimpactproject-SIMLESA.Itisdevelopingarangeofconservationagriculturebasedofsustainableintensificationoptionsthoughon-stationandon-farmtrails.
Analysisofbiophysicalandsocioeconomicdataforthe2010-2016demonstrateyieldbenefitsofintercropping/rotations.Maizeyieldsincreasedfrom2.5to4tons/haandfrom1.5to3tons/halegumesand20-40%increasesinfinancialbenefits.FarmersinTanzaniaandMalawiadoptingzerotillagereportedsavedlabour(30-50%),reducingproductioncoststouseforothereconomicactivities.SIMLESA-QAFFIstudiessuggestedareductionofdownsizeyieldriskby45%.Adoption-Monitoring2016surveyprojecteda37%adoptionrate.PerceivedbenefitsareLong-termsoilfertilityimprovements,erosioncontrolandmoistureconservation.
Thechallengeaheadisscalingout-plottofarmandcommunitylevelsanddevelopsustainableandresilientclimatefarmingsystemintheregion.
1.Innovationplatforms-/networks-actorsinthevaluechaininvolve,researcher,extensionagents,NGOfarmers,localcommunityleaders,agrodealers,seedcompaniesandpolicymakers
2.SustainableIntensificationofMaize-LegumeBasedCroppingSystemsforFoodSecurityinEasternandSouthernAfrica(SIMLESA)issupportedbyafinancialgrantfromACIARandmanagedbyCIMMYTanditsregionalandnationalpartnersincludingQAAFI
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127 OverviewofACIARprogramsfocusedonsystemsapproachesforsustainableintensification
Andrew Campbell1
1Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Australia
Theworld faces amajor challengeof feeding some9billionormorepeopleby2050, aswell asprovidingother agriculturalproductsandecosystemservices.Manydevelopingcountrieslackthetechnologiesand/ortheenablinginstitutionalandpolicyenvironmentstoattainfoodsecurityinasustainablefashion.Therefore,globalleadershaveidentifiedSustainableintensificationasonewaytoboostproductivitywhileconservingorenhancingsoilhealthandwaterresources,thatis,toproducemorewithlessresources.Sustainable intensification,whileessentialtoassurefoodandnutritionsecurity infuturedecades,needstobesupplementedbyastrongfocusonon-farmdiversification.SustainableintensificationanddiversificationisembeddedintotheapproachofmanyACIARprojects,inordertodeliverimprovedfoodandnutritionsecurity,betterhealth,strongnaturalresourcemanagementandtoboostwomen’sempowermentandopportunitiesforprivatesectorengagement.
Foodcannotbeproducedwithoutenergyandwater,andtheseresourcesareunderhugepressureformultipleusesbyagriculture,citiesandindustry.HenceACIARisstrengtheningthefocusontheFood-Energy-Water(FEW)Framework,whichnowinformsthedesignandimplementationofmanyACIARresearchprojects.
Withtheseapproaches,ACIARintendstocombineintensificationwithsustainablenaturalresourcemanagement.
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128 LegumeintensificationforfoodsecurityandsustainabilityinAfrica
Prof Sieglinde Snapp1,DrRegisChikowo1,DrVimbayiChimonyo1,DrWeziMhango2,ProfMateeteBekunda3
1Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States, 2Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe, Malawi, 3IITA, Arusha, Tanzania
Legumes have a long history of cultivation in Africa and provide multiple benefits, but they suffer from under-investment.IntensificationoffoodproductioninAfricacannotbeachievedwithoutgreateradoptionofimprovedpulses,nutrientmanagementandagronomy.Modernhigh-yieldingcropvarietiesareavailable,butthereisurgentneedpromotethosethatalsoproducehighqualitybiomass,toaddressmultipledemands.Intensifiedlegumesystemsareneededtosupportkeyagriculturalsystemfunctions,withmultipurposepulsesbeinguniquelyplacedtosupport improved fertilizerefficiency,nutritionaldiversity, fodder, fuelandecosystemservicessuchassoilorganicmatterandpollination.Thereisatrade-offbetweentheharvestindexoflegumecropsandotherfunctions,whichhastoooftenbeenoverlookedbyresearchersanddecisionmakerswhotendtofocusonincreasinggrainyieldssolely.TheAfricaRISINGproject,providesanexampleofmakingadifferenceforsmallholderfarmsinAfricabybroadeningtherangeoflegumeoptionsandsupportinginnovation.Thedoubled-uplegumerotation(DLR)technologywasdevelopedbasedonintercroppingtwograinlegumes,exploitingtheopportunitypresentedbycomplementarygrowthhabitsandplantarchitecture.Thisisexemplifiedbythegroundnut-pigeonpeaDLRwithmaizeandintegratedfertility.AfricaRISINGisnowscalingDLRforsoilrehabilitationandtoprovidemultipleproductson-farm,foramoresecurefuture.Yearsofpartnershipshaveledtothesefarmer-approvedvarieties,integratednutrientuse,andbiologically-smartcombinationssuchas‘doubleduplegumeinnovations’beingreleasedbygovernmentsandtakenupbycommunitiesinMalawi,andneighboringcountries.
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129 OverviewofsystemsapproachesforsustainableintensificationinChina
Prof Lingling Li1,ProfRenzhiZhang1,ProfJunhongXie1,ProfZhuzhuLuo1,ProfLiqunCai1
1Gansu Agricultural University/Gansu Provincial Key Lab of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, China
Chinaisanancientcountrywiththousandsofyearsofintensiveagriculture.However,China’shaspaidaheavypricefortraditionalintensivefarming,suchassoilerosion.ThegovernmentrespondedseveresoilerosionontheLoessPlateauwithapolicycalled‘grainforgreen’.However,implementationhasmetwithsomeresistance.Therefore,thedevelopmentofsustainableintensificationpracticesisneeded.
Acasestudywasconductedtoassesstheinfluenceoftillagepracticesonsoilquality,cropyieldandGHGemissioninaspringwheat−fieldpearotationinrainfedsemiaridLoessPlateau.Theexperimentwasestablishedin2001,treatmentsincludeconventionaltillagewithstrawremoved(T),notillwithstrawremoved(NT),notillwithstrawretention(NTS)andconventionaltillagewithstrawincorporated(TS).NTSandTStreatmentssignificantlyincreasedsoilorganicCby20.81%and10.60%,respectivelyatadepthof0–10cmcomparedwithT.NTSimprovedsoilproperties.NTSdecreasedcumulativeN2Oemission(by30.63%and20.49%)andCO2emission(by22.03%and12.06%)comparedwithTandTStreatments,respectively.Therewasapproximately27.41%increaseinCH4uptakeinNTSsoilscomparedwithTfield.ImprovedsoilqualityinNTStranslatedintohigherbiomassproductionandthereforehighergrainyield.Overall,no-tillwithstubbleretentiondemonstratedsustainedincreasesinsoilqualityandcropproductivity,andreducedgreenhousegasemissionsinrainfedLoessPlateau.However,adoptionrateofconservationagriculturehasbeenlowduetolotsofreasons.
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130 UAV-basedphenotypingofcropplantsinfieldtrials
Dr Mitchell Tuinstra1,DrChrisBoomsma1,JavierRibera1,YuhaoChen1,FangningHe1,WeifengXiong1,ZhouZhang1,AddieThompson1,JieqiongZhao1,PatrickSweet1,AliMasjedi1,BehrokhNazeri1,Kai-WeiYang1,KarthikeyanNatesanRamamurthy2,AurelieLozano2,PederOlsen2,NaokiAbe2,ScottChapman2,GraemeHammer2,AymanHabib1,EdwardDelp1,LarryBiehl1,DavidEbert1,MichaelLeasure1,KeithCherkauer1,CliffordWeil1,MelbaCrawford1
1Purdue University, West Lafayette, United States, 2IBM, Yorktown Heights, United States
Bottlenecksinourabilitytocollectaccurate,high-resolution,phenotypedataoncropslikesorghumlimithowefficientlywecancombineplantcharacteristicswithgenomicinformationindevelopingsuperiorcultivars.Mostfieldcropphenotypingstudiesforabove-groundtraitsoccursattheplantandcanopyscaleofbiologicalorganization.Phenotypesarethereforetypicallymeasured,analyzed, and/or expressed at the row, plot, strip,management zone, and/or field level.We are developing remote sensingplatformsthatcanbeusedforhigh-throughputfieldphenotypingtoenhancetheefficiencyofcropimprovement.Newsensorsandsensorplatforms,novelgeoreferencingtechniques,andsophisticatedimageanddataanalysismethods(e.g.,featureextraction,imagesegmentation)arebeing implementedtoquantifyvariation inplant-andplot-level traits.Thesemeasurementsprovideinsightsintoresearchplotandfieldquality,fieldequipmentperformance,genotypestresstolerance,physiologicalplasticity,andspatialvariability.Such informationcontributes tofieldcropbreedingandmanagement,precisionagriculture,andequipmentmanufacturingcommunities.Challengesfromphenotypingattheindividualplantlevelusingtraditionalandemergingtechniqueswillbediscussed.Agronomicperformanceandremotesensingdatamatchedwithgenotypicdataenablestraitdissectionandoptimizationofsorghumforbiomassandenergyyieldfortransportationfuel.
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131 Characterizingthesorghumpangenome
ScottJLee1,AdamHealey2,NadiaShakoor1,SujanMamidi2,ZhenbinHu3,JaneGrimwood2,JeremySchmutz2,GeoffMorris3,Dr Todd Mockler1
1Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, United States, 2HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, United States, 3Kansas State University, Manhattan, United States
Sorghumbicolorisanemergingcellulosicbiofuelfeedstock,acerealcrop,andservesasamodelsystemforotherbioenergyandfoodcrops.Currently,sorghumisthefocusoftheARPA-ETERRAprogram,whichiscurrentlydevelopingandoperatingcutting-edgeremotesensingplatforms,complexdataanalyticstools,andconductinghigh-throughputplantphenotypinginbothcontrolledgreenhousesandfieldsites.Genomicre-sequencingofadiversepanelof384sorghumlines,knownasthesorghumbioenergyassociationpanel(BAP),wasperformedinordertoacceleratetraitdiscoveryandbreeding.ThesorghumBAPencompassesallfivemajorraces,all16 intermediateraces,aswellasvastgeographicrangesandclimates.ThroughthesorghumBAP,weareexploringthescopeofnaturalvariationinthesorghumpan-genomeforcopynumbervariation(CNV),structuralvariation(SV),andpresence/absencevariation(PAV).Intotal,denovoassemblyofthesorghumpan-genomeexpandsthesorghumgenespaceby>15%andwillbeleveragedtoinformassociationstudiesusingrobustphenomicdatacollectedintheARPA-ETERRAprogram.Population substructure analysis reveals 5-6unique subpopulationswithin sorghumcontainingpotentially adaptivegene setsthatmaybeusefulforalleleminingapproaches.Thecombinationofprecisionfieldandgreenhousephenotypingonthisdiversecollectionwillallowforacceleratedidentificationofgeneticelementscontrollingagronomicallyimportantphenotypesincludingyield, growth rate, biomass accumulation, water-use efficiency, and drought resistance. Using pan-genomic information willmaximizetheavailablegeneticresourcestomapkeytraitsandacceleratebreedingapproachestoenhancethisimportantcrop.
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132 Exploringandexploitingnaturalvariationinsorghum
Emma Mace1,2,AHathorn,DrYongfuTao1,MsColleenHunt2,ACruickshank,STai,DavidJordan1
1Department of Agriculture & Fisheries, Brisbane, Australia, 2The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Amongstthecereals,sorghumisoneofthebestadaptedtodroughtandhightemperatures. It is likelythatsorghumwillplayanincreasinglyimportantroleinmeetingthechallengesarisingfromfeedingagrowingpopulationinthefaceoflikelynegativeimpactsofclimatechangecombinedwithdwindlingsoilandwaterresourcesforagriculturalproduction.Todatesorghumplantbreedingprogramshavemade relatively limiteduseof thewealthof diversity available to them in germplasmcollections toaddressthechallengesofovercomingabioticstressesandimprovingyieldandinsteadhavefocusedonthecoreadaptedgenepool.Sorghumisinauniquepositiontoexploreandexploitthegeneticdiversityavailableinlandracesandwildrelativesthroughtherecentdevelopmentandapplicationofarangeofgeneticresourcesforcomplextraitdissectionincludinga largediversitypanel,nestedassociationmappingpanels focusedonboth cultivatedandwild speciesgene-pools and thedevelopmentof asorghumpan-genometofacilitatetheidentificationofthefullcomplementofgeneswithintheprimarysorghumgenepool.InthispaperwewillpresentourexperienceinusingtherangeofuniquegeneticresourcesforquantitativetraitmappingusingoptimisedGWASalgorithmsinordertobetterharnessthisuntappedgeneticdiversityfortheenhancementofelitesorghumgermplasm.
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133 Exploringthecropadaptationlandscapeinsilico
Prof Graeme Hammer1,GregMcLean2,AlDoherty3,DrCarlosMessina4,DrMarkCooper4,DrErik vanOosterom1, ProfDavidJordan5,DrBangyouZheng6,ProfScottChapman1,6
1The University of Queensland, QAAFI, St Lucia, Australia, 2Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Toowoomba, Australia, 3The University of Queensland, QAAFI, Toowoomba, Australia, 4DuPont Pioneer, Johnston, USA, 5The University of Queensland, QAAFI, Warwick, Australia, 6CSIRO Agriculture, St Lucia, Australia
Climaticvariabilityindrylandproductionenvironments(E)generatesvariableyieldandcropproductionrisksinmanypartsoftheworld.Optimalcombinationsofgenotype(G)andmanagement(M)dependstronglyonEandthusvaryamongsitesandseasons.Traditionalcropimprovementseeksbroadlyadaptedgenotypestogivebestaverageperformanceunderastandardmanagementregimeacross theentireproduction region.Thisprocessdoesnot search the full spectrumofpotentialGxMxEcombinationsforming the adaptation landscape.Herewe examine the potential value of using in-silico analysis to inform crop design andimprovement.AcomprehensivecropmodellingandsimulationapproachthatconsidersinteractingeffectsofGandMfactorsonyieldlikelihoodandriskinthetargetpopulationofEisinvoked.Casestudiesforsorghumandmaizeproductionareusedtohighlighttheconcepts.
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134 Buildingnewsorghumvarietiesinthe21stcentury
Prof David Jordan1,DrEmmaMace1,2,MrAlanCruickshank2
1University Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Warwick, Australia, 2Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hermitage Research Facility, Warwick, Australia
Sorghum breeders in Australia face a complex challenge to improve the productivity of rain-fed sorghum in a region that ischaracterisedbyhighlyvariablerainfallpatternsandsoiltypes.Arangeofnewtechnologiessuchashighthroughputgenotypingandphenotyping,simulationmodelling,remotesensingandCRISPR–Cas9havebecomeavailableoverthelastdecadeandmanynewones areon theway. The challenge for breeders in cropswith relatively limited resources such as sorghum, is tomakedecisionsaboutwhichtechnologiestodeployandhowtodeploythem.Inthispresentationtheapproachesandstrategiesbeingusedinpre-breedingprogramrunbyUQ/DAFaredescribed.
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135 Tropical tomato breeding for Australianmarkets – Satisfying the diverseneedsofproducers,retailersandconsumers
Mr Des McGrath1,DrTimO’Hare2
1Department of Agriculture & Fisheries, Gatton, Australia, 2Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
A balanced tomato improvement program should address priorities for producers, retailers and consumers so that benefitsforallmembersofthevaluechainareoptimised.Arequirementfor improvedfruitfirmnessandshelf lifebymajorAustraliansupermarkets20yearsagointroducednewtomatocultivarswithsuperiorfruitqualitytoconsumers.Retailersandconsumersbenefited immediatelybutproducerssuffered increases inproductioncostsandcropdiseasebecausethenewcultivarswereseriously unadapted. A breeding program was subsequently undertaken to improve agronomic performance and diseaseresistanceacrossQueensland.Increasedfruitsize,improvedinternalfruitstructureandseveralFusariumresistancegeneswereinitiallytargeted.Additionaldiseaseresistancesbecamenecessaryastheprogramdevelopedandwithin5years5majorgeneswereintroducedtoalargerangeofimprovedparentlinesandF1hybridsbyDNAmarkerassistedselection.Consumerinterestinfunctionalfoodshasbeenincreasinginthelastdecade.High-lycopenetomatoesexpressinganintenseredcolourhaveapotentialhealthbenefitofloweringtheincidenceofprostatecancer.Theredpigment‘lycopene’,thephytonutrientlinkedwiththisbenefit,canbeincreasedinconcentrationuptothreefoldusingacombinationoftworecessivegenes,ogc(oldgoldcrimson)andhp1(highpigment1).Thebase-pairalterationsunderlyingthesegenesareknown,andwehaveappliedSNP(SingleNuclearPolymorphism)technologytoincorporatehighlycopeneintoasuperiorphenotypicbackground.Acombinationofimprovedfieldperformanceandfruitqualitywillprovidebroadbenefitsinanenvironmentofchangingmarketpriorities.
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136 Demand-ledapproachesinthetomatoindustryinGhana:Challengesandopportunitiesforbreedingandcropimprovement
Dr Agyemang Danquah1,2,ProfEricDanquah1,2,ProfPangirayiTongoona1
1West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana, 2Department of Crop Science, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
TomatoremainsoneofthemostcultivatedandconsumedvegetablesinGhana.ItiskeytothehealthandnutritionofGhanaians,beinganimportantsourceofvitamins,minerals,antioxidantsandfibre.Itscultivationisalsomoreprofitablethanmanyotherstaplefoodcropsgrownacrossthecountry.Despitefavorablegrowingconditionsforitsproduction,itsimportanceforfoodandnutritionsecurityandjobcreation,currentproductiondoesnotmeetlocaldemands.Thus,Ghanareliesheavilyontheimportofbothfreshandprocessedtomatoes.Manyconstraintssuchaspestsanddiseases,environmentalstresses,useofinappropriateagriculturaltechniquesandpost-harvestlosseshinderproductivityandcompetitiveness.Inaddition,verylittletomatobreedinghasbeendoneduetolackofinvestment.Mostofthewidelymarketedtomatovarietieswerebredoutsidethecountryandarenotadaptedtoourlocalgrowingconditions.
AnyattempttosalvagethetomatoindustryinGhanamustbeholistic,involvingcontributionsfromallactorsinthevaluechainincluding government policy makers and officials. We have engaged all the key players and catalyzed funding for four PhDpostgraduatetomatobreedingprograms.Researchisfocussingonvirus-resistance,heat-tolerance,shelf-lifeandtomatoprocessingcharacteristics.Bestpracticesindemand-ledbreedingarebeingusedtoensurethatmodernvarietiesfromtheseprogramswillmatchtheneedsandstimulateourtomatoindustry.Here,wereportonsomeofthesuccessesandchallengesencountered,andhighlightopportunitiesfordevelopingimprovedvarietiesoftomatotoincreaseproductivityandincomesinGhana.
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137 Maximizingtheimpactofcommonbean(Phaseolus vulgaris)breedingforfarmersandothervaluechain
Mr Jean Claude Rubyogo1,EliudBirachi2,EnidKatungi3,DrClareMugisha3
1CIAT/PABRA, Arusha, Tanzania, United Republic Of, 2CIAT/PABRA, Rwanda, 3CIAT/PABRA, Uganda
Beanisnutritiousfoodformillionsofpeopleinsub-SaharanAfrica.Percapitaconsumptionisashighas40to50kg/yearinEastAfrica.Itisthemosttradedgrainlegumebypoorfarminghouseholds;mostlybywomenwhosellupto50-60%oftheirharvests.Beanscontributetoimprovedlivelihoods.
ThroughthePanAfricanBeanResearchAlliance(PABRA),CIATandnationalbeanresearchershavepartneredwiththeprivatesectoranddevelopedvarietiesthatrespondtotheneedsoffarmersandothervaluechainsactors.Publicandprivateseedorganizationsandover90individualentrepreneurshavecapitalizedonbusinessopportunitiesinEastandSouthernAfricaandnowprovideseedandservicesforsmallholderfarmersandtraders.Accesstohighlymarketablevarietiesandtradingopportunitieshasincentivizedsmallholderfarmerstoimprovetheircropmanagementandyieldsaredramaticallyrising.ForinstanceinUganda,beanyieldhasbeengrowingatanannualrateof4.2%duringtheperiod2011-2015.InEthiopiabetween2002and2016,beanyieldsincreasedfrom0.53to1.75tons/ha.Exportvolumesincreased15-fold,fromUS$8milliontoUS$120million,employing1.5millionsmallholdersandthousandsofsupportserviceproviders;whilethepriceofwhitepeabeansincreasedfromUS$200toUS$600perton.
Lookingforward,PABRAisfocusingonmarket-ledbreedingtocreatevarietieswithconsumertraitsthatareadaptedtoperformin ever changing agro-ecological conditions, and to encourage private sector engagement in the development of innovativetechnologies,scale-upanddistributionofvarietiestosmallholders.
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138 Connecting public and private breeders and new vegetable varieties todevelopingmarketsinSEAsiaandSub-SaharaAfrica
Mr Clive Murray1,DrIanBarker1,MrCamilleRenou1
1Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Kingaroy, Australia
Improving and promotingwidespread access to quality seed of new varieties are critical factors inmodernizing small-holderagricultureinS.EAsiaandSub-SaharaAfrica.
ThemajorityofcropgeneticimprovementinthesegeographiesisconductedbybreederswithintheCGIARandNationalAgriculturalResearchSystems.Outreachof thesepublic sectorprograms tobulkanddeliver seeds to farmers inmanycases is limitedorinefficient,resultinginslowandpooruptake.
TheSyngentaFoundationforSustainableAgriculture(SFSA)hasdevelopedascalableideaoroffercalledSeeds2Bthataddressesthischallenge.Itsaimistoencourageandde-risktheentryofprivatesectorseedorganisationsintonewandcurrentlymarginalseedmarkets.SFSAfocusesinareasofmarketfailure,wheretheprivatesectorisnotaddressingtheneedsofthemarketorwherepublicsectorisfailingtodevelopandintroduceimprovedmaterial.Thismarket-drivenapproachidentifiessuitablevarietiesfrompublicandprivatecropbreedingprogrammes,establishesevidenceforworkableandprofitableseedvaluechainsanddevelopsappropriatepartnerships.
The Seeds2B “core” offer identifies smallholder farmers without reliable access to quality seed, conducts market value andsegmentationanalyses,develops“productprofiles”thatdefinethecropcharacteristicsneededbyeachfarmersegmentandtheircustomers,seeksvarietiesthatmeettheseneedsandconnectsprivatesectorpartnersseekingbusinessexpansion.
Thepresentationwillshowcasetwocasestudies,namelythedevelopmentofthepotatoseedindustryinIndonesiaandsecondlythedevelopmentoftheimprovedokravarietiesinSenegal.
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139 Custardapples–breedingforAustraliandomesticandexportmarkets
AssocProfPhillipBanks1,2,MrPaulThorne2,Mr Grant Bignell3
1QAAFI, Brisbane, Australia, 2Custard Apples Australia Inc, Brisbane, Australia, 3Dept Agriculture and Fisheries QLD Government, Nambour, Australia
AustralianCustardApples,adeliciouslysweetsubtropicalfruit,areatypeofAtemoya.AtemoyasarehybridsbetweenAnnonacherimoya and Annona squamosa. The Australian industry is currently based on the cultivars African Pride, PinksMammothandbudsportsfromPinksMammoth.ThemajorityofrecentplantingsareofabudsportnamedKJPinks.KJPinkshavebeendemonstratedtobeamenabletohighdensityproductionbothintrellisedandhedgerowsystems.Inexperimentalplots,yieldshavebeenashighas80tonnesperhaperannum.
Large,topqualityAustralianCustardApplesaresoughtinpremiumAsianandMiddleEastmarkets.Preferenceintheseexportmarketsisforverylargeandverysweetfruit.ThelargestdomesticmarketsareinSydneyandMelbournewhereconsumers,withAsianheritagesinparticular,seekthefruit.AustraliansofEuropeanheritage,ingeneral,preferlesssweet,mediumsizedfruit.
Abreedingprogram inQLDhasproducedanumberofnewCustardApple types.A green skin selection,453, appears tobefavouredbyAustralianswithEuropeanheritage.Othergreenskinselectionsofferlargefruitsizeandreducedseednumber.Aredskinnedtypehasalsobeendevelopedandiscurrentlybeingassessedinregionaltrials.Thisredskinned,whitefleshedatemoyaisexpectedtoattractpremiumreturnsinAsianmarkets.
ThefuturemarketpotentialofAustralianCustardApplesisenormous.ThedomesticmarketisstillfarfromsaturatedandmarketsinAsiaandtheMiddleEaststillintheinfancystageofdevelopment.
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140 Tropicalhorticulture–Exploringnewapproachesforsustainablefundingofplantbreedingindevelopingcountries
Dr Vivienne Anthony1,DrIanBarker1
1Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Basel, Switzerland
Fruitsandvegetablesarekeysourcesofessentialvitamins,micronutrientsandfibreforahealthydiet.Horticulturecropsalsotypicallyofferhighersourcesof incomeforsmallholder farmers indevelopingcountries, thanstablecerealor rootcrops.Butinvestmentinplantbreedingprogrammestoimprovethequality,productivityandappealforconsumersislackingbybothnationalgovernmentsandinternationaldonors.Incountrieswithdevelopeddomesticorexportmarkets,creationofnewvarietiesismainlyfinancedbyprivate sectororganisations,orusingmonies from farmer leviescombinedwith somegovernmentcontributions.Historyshowsthatasmarketsdevelopfundingshiftsfromgovernmentprogrammestogreaterengagementanddirectionfromprivatesectorbeneficiariesandfarmercontributions.
More innovationisneededtoencourage investment inthefutureofhorticulturecropsandhealthierdiversediets,acceleratetheengagementofseedorganisationsandprivateenterprise,andcatalysenewmarketopportunitiesforsmallholderfarmersindevelopingcountries.Greateruseandremunerationofgeneticallydiversegermplasmisrequiredtoprovideresiliencetocurrentandfuturebioticandabioticrisks.Thispaperhighlightsexistingmechanismstosupportplantbreedingtoaddresstheongoingchallengesfacingfarmersandtheirvaluechains.Italsoexplorescurrentissuesandnewideasonhowtomaintainandencouragegreater and sustainable investment inmarket-driven crop breeding programmes. A special focus is given to these particularchallengesandtheinvestmentandremunerationsystemsneededtocreateimprovedvarietiesthatwillreachsmallholderfarmersgrowingfruitsandvegetablesinAfricaandSouthEastAsia.
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141 Development of point-of-care and multiplex diagnostic methods for thedetectionofplantandpoultrypathogens
DrMichaelMason1,MsYipingZou1,DrHan-YihLau1,2,ProfessorMatTrau1,Prof Jimmy Botella1
1University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 2Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Nucleicacidpoint-of-carebioassaysthatcanbeperformedon-siteareinhighdemand,howeveranumberofchallengesneedtobeovercomebeforethenewtechnologiescanbewidelyimplemented.Oneofthemainrequisitesistocreatemethodologiesthatdonotrequirea laboratoryenvironment,whilebeingreliable. Otherconsiderationssuchas the increasedprobabilityofcontamination,multistepsamplepreparationandavailabilityoftrainedpersonnelfurthercomplicatetheproblem.Wehavecreatedasuitofsimplifiedapproachesandcustom-madeportableequipmentthatcanbereliablyusedinruralandremoteenvironmentswithouttheneedtocarrybiologicalsamplesbacktothelaboratoryforanalysis.Ourmethodscanperformdiagnosticassaysinlessthananhourfromsamplingtoretrievingtheresultsandcanbeperformedon-site.
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142 Point-of-site diagnostic nanotechnologies for health and agriculturalapplications
Prof Matt Trau1
1The University of Queensland, Centre for Personalised Nanomedicine, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Brisbane, Australia
Theconceptofpersonaliseddiagnosticsistodirectaccurateclinicaldecisionsbasedonanindividual’suniquediseasemolecularprofile.Lab-on-a-chip(LOC)systemsareexamplesofpersonaliseddiagnosticswhichseektoperformanentiresample-to-outcomedetectionofdiseasebiomarkersonasingleminiaturisedplatformwithminimaluserhandling.DespitethegreatpotentialofLOCdevices inproviding rapid,portable,and inexpensivepersonaliseddiagnosisat thepoint-of-care (POC), the translationof thistechnologyintowidespreadusehasstillbeenhamperedbytheneedforsophisticatedandcomplexengineering.Asanalternative,ourlabhasrecentlydevelopedavarietyofminiaturiseddiagnosticsplatformfreeofprecisionfabrication1-10.Thesearetermed“lab-in-a-drop”(LID)systemsinwhichanentirelaboratory-baseddiagnosticsworkflowcanbedownscaledandlargelyintegratedwithinasinglefluiddropletforPOCdetectionofnucleicacid,protein,exosome&/orcell-basedbiomarkers.Inthispaper,wewillfocusonminiaturisedbiosensing strategies suited for integrated LIDdiagnosticdevelopment.Althoughdeveloped forhumanhealthapplicationsinmind,theplatformnatureoftheLIDapproachlendsitselfalsotoagriculturalapplications.
1) K. Koo, E. Wee, Y. Wang, M.Trau, Enabling miniaturised personalised diagnostics: from lab-on-a-chip to lab-in-a-drop, Lab on a Chip, 17, 3200, 2017.
2) K. Koo, E. Wee, M. Trau, High-speed biosensing strategy for non-invasive profiling of multiple cancer fusion genes in urine, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 89, 715, 2017.,
3) B. Ng, E. Wee, K. Woods, W. Anderson, F. Antaw, H. Tsang, N. West, M. Trau, Isothermal Point Mutation Detection: Toward a First-Pass Screening Strategy for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Analytical Chemistry, 89 (17), 9017, 2017.
4) J Wang, KM Koo, EJH Wee, Y Wang, M Trau, A nanoplasmonic label-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering strategy for non-invasive cancer genetic subtyping in patient samples, Nanoscale, 9, 3496, 2017.
5) M. Ahmed, L. Carrascosa, A. Sina, E. Zarate, D. Korbie, K. Ru, M. Shiddiky, P. Mainwaring, M. Trau, Detection of aberrant protein phosphorylation in cancer using direct gold-protein affinity interactions, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 91, 8, 2017.
6) K. Reza, J. Wang, R. Vaidyanathan, S. Dey, Y. Wang, M. Trau, Electrohydrodynamic-Induced SERS Immunoassay for Extensive Multiplexed Biomarker Sensing, Small, 13, 9, 2017.
7) A. Sina, M. Foster, D. Korbie, L. Carrascosa, M. Shiddiky, J. Gao, S. Dey, M. Trau, A multiplex microplatform for the detection of multiple DNA methylation events using gold–DNA affinity, Analyst, 19, 3573, 2017.
8) J. Li, J. Wang, Y. Wang, M. Trau, Simple and rapid colorimetric detection of melanoma circulating tumor cells using bifunctional magnetic nanoparticles, Analyst, 2017.
K. Koo, EJH Wee, PN Mainwaring, Y Wang, M Trau, Toward Precision Medicine: A Cancer Molecular Subtyping Nano-Strategy for RNA Biomarkers in Tumor and Urine, Small, 45, 6233, 2016
9) A. Connolly, R. Hirani, A. Ellis, M. Trau, A DNA Circuit for IsomiR Detection, ChemBioChem, 17, 22, 2016.
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143 Fromresearchtofrontlinelaboratory
Ms Aileen Vanderfeen1
1Ace Laboratory Services, East Bendigo, Australia
Fromthebeginningsoflaboratoryscience,researchhasbeenadaptedsothatthediscoveriesandtechniquesdevelopedduringresearchprojectscanbetransformedintotoolstoadvanceandstreamlinethecapabilitiesofdiagnosticlaboratories.
FromAntonievanLeeuwenhoekwhoinventedtheMicroscopewhichallowedthemicrobestobeseen,toPasteurandKochwhoareregardedasthefirstbacteriologiststhroughtothepresentdayresearchersscientistshavecontinuedexplorenewanddifferentwaysofachievingknowledgeandadaptingthatknowledgeintopracticalmethodsandtechniques
Overthelast50yearswiththeadventofcomputersystemsandmorerecentlygenesequencingequipment,theidentificationandreclassificationofbacteriahasproceededrapidly.Thesetoolswereoncetheprovinceofresearchersastheywerebothslowandexpensivehoweverwiththerapidlyadvancingtechnologythecosthasdiminishedandthespeedoftheresultbeingavailablehasbecomefaster.Frontlinelaboratoriesusuallyhaveaneedforteststobecosteffective,timelyandalsoaccurateinnaturesonowthistechnologyisbecomingmorecommoninthenormaldiagnosticlaboratory.
Intheverynearfutureroboticsandcomputersystemsaregoingtobethewayforwardsomyquestioniswillweneedtoemployscientists in frontline laboratories in the future asmachines can process samples and all the knowledge required tomake ajudgementontheresultswillbeuploadedtocomputersystems.
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144 Diagnostictoolsusedtogenotypeanddetecttickfeverpathogensincattle
Mr Peter Rolls1,MrPhillipCarter1,DrJacquiKing1
1DAF Tick Fever Centre, Wacol, Australia
Bovinetickfever,causedbyanyofBabesiabovis,BabesiabigeminaorAnaplasmamarginale,isendemicinmanycountriesinthetropicalandsubtropical regionsof theworld. InAustralia, thevectorcattletick isRhipicephalusaustralis (formerlyBoophilusmicroplus).BovineanaemiacausedbytheTheileriaorientalisgrouphasbeenofconcerninrecentyearsinAustralia.
TheTickFeverCentrewasestablished inQueensland in1966, toproduce livingtick fevervaccinesandundertakeresearch intick fevercontrol.Thevaccine isa live,wholeorganism,blood-basedvaccinecontainingattenuatedstrainsofB.bovisandB.bigeminaaswellasAnaplasmacentrale,arelatedlessvirulentorganismprovidingreasonablecrossprotectionagainstAnaplasmamarginale.TickFeverCentrealsoundertakesmosttickfeverdiagnosticworkforsubmissionstoQueensland’sstateveterinarylaboratory.Lightmicroscopyandserologyarethemostfrequentlyuseddiagnostictools.
Animportantcharacteristicofinfectionofcattlewithtickfeverorganismsisthelong-term,carrierstatusoftheinfectedanimal.Thegoldstandardfordetectingpersistentinfectionwastraditionallysub-inoculationofsplenectomisedcalveswithbloodfromthedonoranimal.Real-timepolymerasechainreactiontechniquesnowplaysomeroleinthis.ElectrophoresistechniquesalsoallowdifferentiationofvaccineandfieldstrainsofBabesiabovis,andmonitoringoftheattenuationprocess.StrainidentificationisanimportantconsiderationintheileriosisinAustralia.Theplaceofsuchmoleculartechniquesinroutinediagnosticworkwillbediscussed.
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145 A mass spectrometric targeted approach for the detection of exosomalproteinbiomarkersfrombovinebodyfluids
Mr Yong Qin Koh1,DrHassendriniPeiris1,MsKanchanVaswani1,MsFatema.BAlmughlliq1,MrBuddhika.JArachchige1,DrSarahReed1,ProfessorMurray.DMitchell1
1University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Herston Qld 4029, Australia
Exosomesaremembraneboundvesiclesofendocyticorigin.Theyencapsulatebioactivemoleculesandarereleasedbymultiplecell types intobodyfluids,whichcanthenbesampled.Allexosomessharecertaincommoncharacteristics(e.g. thepresenceof exosomal proteinmarkers). The exosomal protein content has been shown to vary in dairy cowsof divergent fertility andmetabolicstatesandthusmaybeusefulasadiagnostictool.Inthecurrentstudy,weextractedexosomesfrommilkandplasmafromdairycowsandthencharacterizedbynanoparticletrackinganalyses(NTA),exosomalmarkersCD63,Flotillin-1andTSG-101(immunoblotting)andtransmissionelectronmicroscopy(TEM)forexosomalmorphology.Wedevelopedatargetedproteomicapproach using the quadrupole-ion trap (Q-TRAP) mass spectrometer. TSG-101 peptide precursors, (1) LDQEVAVDKNIELLRwithtransitions(1000.579Da,885.552Daand643.414Da)and(2)DEELSSALEKwithtransitions(747.425Da,661.268Daand574.235Da)weredetectedinboththemilkandplasmaexosomes.Thismethodcanprovideanalternativeapproachforscreeningandvalidatingexosomalproteinmarkersthatarecommontoallexosomespresentinthedifferentbodyfluids.Thisproteomicapproachisrobust,abletoidentifyspecificpeptidesequencesandcanidentifylowerconcentrationsofprotein(1.6µgproteinloadedontocolumn)overcomingamountsrequiredforimmunoblotting(10µgprotein).Furthermore,thismethodalsonegatesthedependenceonantibodyspecificityrequiredfor immunoblotting.Theability toefficientlydetectexosomes fromdifferentbodyfluidsthroughtargetedproteomicapplicationswillaidourefforttodevelopnoveldiagnosticsandprognosticsforspecificpathologies.
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146 Useofmobile technologies for researchandengagementof smallholdercattlefarmersinVanuatu
DrSimonQuigley1,MrKeithAntfalo2,Mr Stephenson Boe3,MrMangauNavian3,MrJosephSul3,MsAntoinetteNasse2,MsJerineNatapu4,MsNorahRihai5,MrNoelKalo2,MrJimmyRantes2,MrNamboMoses3,MrLonnyBong3,DrScottWaldron1,Prof.DennisPoppi1,DrKendrickCox6,MsAmberGregory7,MrStuartHiggins7,DrCheriseAddinsall8
1The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia, 2Department of Industry, Luganville, Vanuatu, 3Department of Livestock, Luganville, Vanuatu, 4Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Technical Centre, Luganville, Vanuatu, 5Vanuatu Agricultural College, Luganville, Vanuatu, 6Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Walkamin, Australia, 7AgImpact, Sydney, Australia, 8Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia
SmallholderfarmershavethepotentialtoincreasetheproductivityofthehouseholdandnationalcattleherdinVanuatu.However,engagementwith this group of farmers in the industry has declined in recent years. The Australian Centre for InternationalAgriculturalResearchfunded‘BisnisBlongBuluk’projectisconductingintegratedlivelihoods-business-productionresearchandtrainingwithsmallholdercattlefarmersonSantoisland,Vanuatu.Theprojectisusingmobiletechnologiestorecordandsharedatawithfarmers.SurveysusedintheprojectaredesignedusingCommCaresoftware(DimagiInc.)anddeployedontabletstocollectquantitativedataonlivelihoods(household,householdmember)andcattleproduction(individual,herd)withco-operatinghouseholds.Householdmembersprovideverbalconsentrecordedontabletstoparticipateinprojectactivities.Surveyscapturegender-disaggregateddataonlivingstandards,accesstoinformation,rolesofhouseholdmembersandroleofcattleinlivelihoods.GPSunitsrecordwaypoints,mapfarmboundaries,calculatefarmarea’sandmeasuredistancesbetweenkeyhouseholdresources.Cattle areweighedon amobile cattle crush (LeichtsCIA)with liveweight andother data recordedon tablets. A summaryofliveweight, liveweight change sincepreviousmeasurementandanestimateof thevalueof individualanimals is generated inCommCareusingavailablemarketprices.Thesummary isprintedon-siteandprovidedto farmersthedaymeasurementsareconducted.Thisreal-timeinformationcanassistfarmerswithmanagementandmarketingdecisionsregardingtheircattleandfarmplanning.Quantitativeandqualitativedatawillbelinkedtobuildcasestudiesfordifferenttypesofcattlefarminghouseholds.
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147 Identifyingandmanagingnewhazardsinthefoodsupply
Dr Glenn Stanley1
1Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Canberra, Australia
Foodsafetyriskscanemergewhennewhazardsareidentifiedorifnewinformationcomestolightaboutanexistinghazarde.g.increasedexposure.
IdentifyingandmonitoringemergingissuesallowsFoodStandardsAustraliaNewZealand(FSANZ)tobetterpredictpossiblefoodsafetyrisks,andwhennecessaryandworkingwithourregulatory(includinginternationalandjurisdictional)partners,developappropriate measures to reduce the effect of those risks. This presentation will provide some general background on howwe approach these issues, and some case examples of newhazards anddetail riskmanagement strategies to keep levels ofcontaminantsinthefoodsupplytoAsLowAsReasonablyAchievable(ALARA).
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148 Foodauthenticityandtraceabilityusingstableisotopes
Dr James Carter1
1Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, Cooper Plains, Australia
Thecounterfeiting,substitutionandadulterationoffoodstuffshavebeenpracticedsinceancienttimestothedetrimentofbothsuppliersandconsumersthroughpoorbrand-experienceofinferiorandpotentiallyhazardousgoods.Thesepracticescontinuetoday,withincreasedsophistication,andofficialestimatesstatethatsomewhereintheregionof10%ofalltradedgoodsareinsomewayfraudulent.Sometypesoffraudcanberelativelyeasytodetectsuchasthedilutionofmilkortheadditionofsugartofruitjuices.Otherformsoffraudcanbemoredifficulttodetect,suchasthemislabellingofinferiorproductsaspremiumbrandsorfalseclaimsofgeographicalorigin.
Thispresentationwilloutlinethenatureandscopeoffoodfraudandillustratehowthestableisotopiccompositionoffoodstuffscanbeusedtodistinguishgenuineandcounterfeitgoodsandtoauthenticateclaimsofgeographicalorigin.Plants(andanimalsfeedingon thoseplants)accumulateelements fromtheir immediateenvironment.Variations in thecompositionsofnaturallyoccurring stable isotopes (and trace elements) are driven by factors such as climate, precipitation and underlying geology –parameterswhichgiverisetoaninvisible“isotopicsignature”or“isotopicfingerprint”whichisalmostimpossibletoreproduceinacounterfeitproduct.Thestrengthoftheevidencethatcanbederivedfromacombinationofstableisotopicandtraceelementcompositionprovidesapowerfultoolinthefightagainstfoodfraud.
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149 Mycotoxinsinthefoodsupplychainandpromisinginterventions
Assoc Prof Mary Fletcher1
1QAAFI, The University of Queensland, Coopers Plains, Australia
Mycotoxincontaminationisaglobalproblemthatisestimatedtoeffect25%ofallfoodsworldwide.Mycotoxinsaretoxicsecondarymetabolites produced by fungal species (primarily Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Alternaria) and pose a significantrisk to the food chain. These toxins are considered themosthazardousof all food contaminants in termsof chronic toxicity,andlegislativelimitsontheirlevelsinfoodandfeedcontinuetobedevelopedworldwide.Methodsformycotoxinsuppressionanddecontamination includepreventative strategiesboth in thefield and in storage, togetherwithbothbiological andnon-biologicalmethodstofacilitatedegradationofsuchtoxinsinfoodandfeedcommodities,orreductionoftheirabsorptionand/orbioavailabilitywhen ingested.Manypotential controlmethodsarehowevernotwithout theirownsafetyconcerns for theconsumers. Photodynamic inactivation is a novel light-based approach which offers a promising alternative to conventionalmethodsforthecontrolofmycotoxigenicfungi.WhencoupledwithnaturalphotosensitiserssuchascurcuminthisstrategyhasdemonstratedefficacyintheinactivationofsporesofAspergillusflavus,fungalproducersofthemostpotentmycotoxinaflatoxin.
60TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
150 Rapiddetectionmethodsforfoodadulterationandauthentication
Assoc Prof Daniel Cozzolino1
1Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia
Foodauthenticity,traceabilityandoriginareimportantissuesforboththeconsumersandproducers,aswellasfoodretailers,andagribusiness.Issuesrelatedwithfoodfraudandadulterationarebecomingincreasinglyrelevantforthemodernfoodproductionsystems.Inrecentyear,foodqualityhasbecomemoresophisticatedduetotheuseofunconventionalorsyntheticadulterants,whichhasresultedingrowingconcernaboutpotentialassociatedhealthrisks.Severalresearchandgovernmentalorganisationshaveattemptedtodemonstratetheabilityofdifferentsensorstomeasureandmonitorfoodquality.Asaresult,itappearsthatthereisanimperativeneedtofindobjectivemethodsandsystemsthatsupportthecertificationofauthenticityandprovenanceoffoods.Theaimofthispresentationwillbetodiscussthepossibilitiesofusingstateoftheartinstrumentationtoobjectivelytraceorassuretheoriginofagriculturalproductsaswellasmonitorthewholefoodchainprocess.Usingthesetechnologieswillallowproducersandfoodmanufacturerstobettermarkettheirproductsaswellastoguaranteesustainableuseofthenaturalresourcesrequiredforfoodproduction.
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151 Oritain-Provingorigin,protectingreputations
Mr Sandon Adams1
1Oritain Australia Pty Ltd, Australia
Oritainisagloballeaderinscientificallyprovingtheoriginoffoodproductstoprotectandenhancebrands.Weoffertraceabilitywithoutpackaging-bytestingwhatnaturallyoccursinsideproductsOritaincandeterminewheretheyweregrownormanufacturedtohelpbusinessessupporttheirprovenanceclaimsandidentifycounterfeitgoods.
Foundedin2008,Oritainpartnerswithsomeoftheworld’sleadingproducers,foodservicecompaniesandretailersacrosstheMeat,Dairy,Horticulture,Aquaculture,Eggs,Honey,Fibre/Textile,andPharmaceuticalsectors.
WithofficesinAustralia,NewZealandandtheUnitedKingdom,asbusinesseslookbeyondstandardQAprocessestomitigatewell-knownrisksintheirsupplychains,ourroleistoprotectthereputationsofourcustomersfromthegrowingglobalissueoffoodfraudinmarketsallaroundtheworld.
PriortoOritainSandonmanagedallsalesandbusinessdevelopmentforanAustralianhorticultureagribusiness,andhasworkedinseniorFMCGrolesfortheworld’slargestfood&beveragecompany(Nestlé),responsibleformanagingsomeofAustralasia’slargest brands includingNescafé andMilo. As amember of a fourth generation farming family, Sandonhas a background inagriculturehavinggrownupwithamixedfarmingoperation(cattlegrazingandbroadacrecropping)inthefamily.
62TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
152 MoleculardetectionofToxoplasmaGondii infectioninsmallruminants inNorthwestTunisia
Miss Yosra AMDOUNI1,MrMohamedRidhaRjeibi1,MmeMariemRouatbi1,MmeSafaAmairia1,MissSofiaAwadi2,MrMohamedGharbi1
1National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, Sidi Thabet, Ariana, Tunisia, 2Regional Slaughterhouse of Béja, 9000, Tunisia, Béja, Tunisia
BetweenMarch andOctober 2015, a total number of 270meat samples (neckmuscles)were collected from150 ewes and120goatsslaughteredintheregionalslaughterhouseofBéja(NorthTunisia).ThesampleswerescreenedforToxoplasmagondiiinfection.DNAwasextractedusingWizard®GenomicDNApurificationkit(Promega,Madison,USA)accordingtothemanufacturer’sinstructions.EachsamplewasamplifiedbyaPCRreactiondetectingspecificT.gondiiDNA.
TheoverallmolecularprevalenceofT.gondiiinsheepandgoatswere33.3(50/150)and32.5(39/120),respectively.ThemolecularprevalenceofT.gondiiinsmallruminantswassignificantlyhigherinadultscomparedtoyounganimals(p<0.001).Theinfectiondistributiondifferedwithin localitiesandbreed inbothsheep(p<0.001)andgoats (p<0.001).Theseresultsprovide importantinformationabouthumanexposuretoT.gondiithroughtheconsumptionofraworundercookedmeat.
Anextensionprogrammeshouldbeimplementedtodecreasetheriskofinfectionrelatedtosheepandgoats’meatmanipulationandraworundercookedmeatconsumption.
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153 Policy drivers ofwater resource development for agriculture in northernAustralia
Mr Richard McLoughlin1
1Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Canberra, Australia
TheAustralianGovernment“OurNorth,OurFuture:WhitePaperonDevelopingNorthernAustralia”isthekeypolicydriverforwaterresourcedevelopment,toexpandouragriculturalproductionbaseandimproveproductivity.
TostimulateandacceleratetheconstructionofmajorwaterinfrastructureinnorthernAustralia,theAustralianGovernmentismakingthemostsignificantinvestmentinwaterinfrastructureinAustralianhistory.
The$500millionNationalWater InfrastructureDevelopment Fund (the fund), announced in theWhite Paper onDevelopingNorthernAustralia, is takinga staged, strategic,financiallyprudentandevidencebasedapproach toaccelerate theeconomicdevelopmentofNorthernAustralia.Atleast$170millionofthecapitalcomponentofthefundtoco-fundwaterinfrastructureconstructionisdedicatedtonorthernAustralia.Thefundiscomplementedbythe$2billionNationalWaterInfrastructureLoanFacility.
The$15millionCSIRONorthernAustralianWaterResourceAssessments,inconjunctionwitha$25.4millioninvestmentinafurther15waterinfrastructurefeasibilitystudiesinNorthernAustralia,willhelpensurethatinvestmentsinwaterresourcedevelopmentisbasedonsoundevidenceandthattheprojectsareeconomicallyviableandinthelong-termnationalinterest.Theseinvestmentswillallowgovernmentsandtheirprojectpartnerstomakefullyinformeddecisionsaboutthebestdevelopmentopportunitiesandcontributetomitigatingwaterinfrastructureinvestmentrisks.
AustralianGovernmentinvestmentsininfrastructurewillbespecificallydesignedtoenhanceinvestmentconfidenceandsecurityforstateandterritorygovernmentsandtheirprojectpartnersbyprovidinggreatercertaintyaroundtherights,responsibilitiesandlikelycostsforwaterusersconsistentwiththeprinciplesoftheNationalWaterInitiative(NWI).
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154 Maximisingthecost-effectivenessofwatersupplyinnorthernAustralia
Dr Cuan Petheram1
1CSIRO, Canberra, Australia
ThereisrenewedattentiontowardsexploringthepotentialusesofnorthernAustralia’swaterresources,arisingfromconcernsaboutthreatstowateravailabilityinsouthernAustralia,speculationregardingfuturecommodityprices,andgovernmentdesiretodevelopregionaleconomies.ThispaperpresentsinformationonthehydrologyandwaterstorageopportunitiesacrossnorthernAustralia,soastobroadlyinformlandandwatermanagementdecisions.Thescaleanddistributionofalternativesourcesofwaterareoutlined,includinglargein-streamandoff-streamdams,ringtanks,groundwater,wetlandsandothernaturalwaterbodies,and‘subsurface’dams.Akeyfindingofthestudyisthateachofthesealternativesourceshasaroletoplayinmaximisingthecost-effectivenessofwatersupplyinnorthernAustralia,andthereisnoone‘water’solutionacrossthenorth.Forcontrast,theresultsarecomparedtothesituationinsouthernAustraliaandotherpartsoftheworld.
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155 ExpandingagricultureinNorthernAustralia:Theneedforimprovedtransportlogistics
Dr Andrew Higgins1,MrStephenMcFalan1,MrAdamMcKeown1,MsCarolineBruce1,DrChrisChilcott1,DrOswaldMarinoni1
1Csiro Land and Water, Brisbane, Australia
NeworexpansionofagriculturalindustriesintropicalNorthernAustraliarequiresefficientandreliablesupplychainstodomesticandinternationalmarkets.Amajorchallengeislongtransportdistancesofover1000kmbetweenproductioninthenorthandmarketsinthesouth,alongasparseruralroad/railnetworkthatisdisruptedbyseasonalflooding.
Arangeofpossiblefutureindustryscenariosisbeingdevelopedbyindustry,local,stateandfederalgovernmentstoreducecostsof existing supply chains and toplan for newproductionandmarkets. Infrastructure investment and regulatory changes cansubstantiallyreducelogisticscostsacrossagriculturalenterprises.Toinformtheseinvestments,CSIROdevelopedtheTransportNetwork Strategic Investment Tool (TraNSIT) which provides an independent and holistic view of transport cost savings toinfrastructureinvestmentsandlogisticimprovements.
TraNSITwas applied to 98%of agricultural production acrossAustralian through an initiativeof theAustralianGovernment -AgriculturalCompetitivenessWhitePaper.ThecomprehensivelogisticstoolhasthelargestdataseteverassembledforAustralianagricultural transport.Anoverviewofthe latestapplicationsofTraNSITspecificallyastheyrelatetonorthernAustraliawillbepresented,alongwithplanned futuredevelopments that identifyoptions for reducingeconomic impact fromrainevents.AnoverviewwillalsobegivenofhowTraNSITaddressesinefficienciesinbeefandhorticulturesupplychainsinSouthEastAsia-manyofwhichoriginateinNorthernAustralia.
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156 Managing the impacts of agriculture to minimize offsite environmentalimpacts:AcasestudyfornitrogenintheGBRlagoon
Prof Michael Bell1,DrPhilipMoody2,DrMarkSilburn3
1University of Queensland, Gatton Campus, Gatton, 4343, Australia, 2Landscape Sciences, Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Dutton Park, 4102, Australia, 3Department of Natural Resources and Mines (DNRM), Toowoomba 4350 , Australia
ThewaterdischargedintotheGreatBarrierReef(GBR)lagooncarriesland-derivedsuspendedsediments,nutrientsandpesticides.Totalnitrogen(N)loadshavemorethandoubledduetoanthropogenicactivity,withextensivegrazingandintensivesugarcaneindustriesthelargestcontributors.Runoffandsoilerosionarethemainsourcesofriverineparticulatenitrogen(PN)whilefertilizerapplicationhascontributedtotheincreaseindissolvedinorganicnitrogen(DIN).DissolvedorganicN(DON)loadshaveincreasedtoalesserextentanditisunclearifDONhaschangedwithdevelopment.ThetransportandfateoftheconstituentNformsdiffers.
River discharge is the largest external source of “new” nitrogen to the GBR system, with sections of the inner GBR lagoonepisodicallyeutrophicduringandafterfloodevents.TheouterGBRcanalsobeaffectedbyelevatedNloads,throughincreasedcoralvulnerabilitytotemperaturestressandgreaterpressurefromcoralcompetitorsandpredators.
AcombinationofchangestolanduseandnutrientmanagementpracticeswillberequiredtoreduceNloadsandimprovewaterquality.PrioritizationofactionswillrequiregreatercertaintyaroundunderlyingprocessescontributingtoNloadsandanimprovedunderstandingoftherelativeimpactofdifferentmanagementinterventionsatdifferentspatialscales.UncertaintiesincludetheimportanceofminimizingdischargeofDINcomparedto totalbioavailableN, thecontributionof runoffcomparedtootherNinputpathwaysandtherelativeimportanceofhillslopeandgully/streambankerosionandtherelativecontributionfromdifferentgeomorphicgullyunitstotheoutflowofbioavailableN.
67TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
157 Opportunities and constraints for irrigated agriculture in the NorthernTerritory
Dr Mila Bristow1,DrIanBiggs1,MrCallenThompson1
1Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Resources, Darwin, Australia
IrrigatedagricultureintheNorthernTerritory(NT)ofAustraliacontributes$350MtotheNTeconomy,andcurrentpolicyisaimedatexpansion,diversificationandintensificationtomeetgrowingmarketdemandintheregion.Whilethereisexcitementabouttheopportunitiesoflandandwateravailability,thisoptimismiscounteredwithsizablechallenges.WaterisbothastrengthandhindrancetothedevelopmentofagricultureintheNT.ThechallengingseasonalsupplyofrainfallintheTopEnddemandsthatagriculturemusteithercompletecropgrowthduringtheshortwetseasonorstoretherainfalltoirrigateduringthedryseason.Thisstorageiscurrentlyonlyinnaturalaquifers.Landisplentiful,butsoilsareoftencharacterisedashavinglowwaterholdingcapacityandpoornaturalfertility.Arangeofcropsaresuitedtotheclimate,soilsandwater,butthecostrequiredtoirrigateinthecurrentgroundwater-fedagriculturalsystemslimitsthechoicetohighvaluecropsorcroppingsystems.Producerscitewatersecurityandcostsofsupplyasakeyimpedimenttoirrigatedagricultureanditisrecognisedthatprospectiveinvestorshavelittletoknowknowledgeofpolicy,environment,agronomicsorlogisticsintheNT.Whileitisknownthatfutureagriculturedependsonsustainableuseofwaterresources,waterpolicydevelopmentisinitsinfancyandfewalternativesexisttogroundwaterextraction.TheseareafewoftheconstraintsrequiringinvestmentinordertorealisetheopportunitiesofirrigatedagricultureintheNT.
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158 EconomicdriversofagriculturaldevelopmentinnorthernAustralia
Mr Ian Baker1
1North Australian Agribusiness Management, Darwin, Australia
Developingopportunitiesfornorthernagriculturehasbeenelusive.Failurehauntsnorthernagriculturaldevelopment.
Despitechallenges,theQld,NT&Ordhorticulturalindustriesdemonstratesuccessispossibleinthenorth.GVPforNTandOrdhorticultureis$300million,fromzero35yearsago.Successispossiblewithastrongeconomicandmarketfocus,andappropriatebusinessmodels.
Broadacrecroppingremainssmall,despitemanyresourcesdirectedtoitsdevelopment.EconomicmodelingiscriticalforR&Dandresourceassessmentstoplanviabledevelopment.
Thenorthshouldproducemoreagriculture.CSIROestimates60percentofAustralia’ssurfacewaterrunoffoccursinthenorth,potentiallysupporting1.4millionhectaresofirrigation.Resourcesarenottheconstraint,ratherviablebusinessmodels.
Thedevelopmentquestionshouldbehowto,ratherthancan’tdo,throughagoodunderstandingofmarketsandeconomicsfirst.
Lowcapitalcostiscriticalforbroadacrecropping.Onfarmdamsandfurrowirrigationcanbealowcostdevelopment.Capexforthisdevelopmentisaround$7,000-10,000/ha,necessitatingcrops,orcropsystemswithagrossmarginofover$1,200/ha/yr.foraviability.Cotton,aromaticrice,mungbeans,foddercropscangeneratethisrevenue.
Pivotirrigationusinggroundwatercosts$12,000-15,000/ha,necessitatingcropsystemswithagrossmarginover$2,000/ha/yr.forviability.Onlya2cropperyearsystemcangeneratethisrevenue.Thegroundwaterresourceismuchsmallerthansurfacewater.
R&Dandresourceassessmentsmustbedrivenbyunderstandingprofitablecroppingdevelopment.
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159 Transitionsandtransformations-drought,hotspots,andadaptation
Dr Roger Pulwarty1
1NOAA, Boulder, United States
Allaspectsoffoodproductionandsecurityareaffectedbyclimate.Projectedimpactsvaryacrosscrops,regions,andadaptationscenarios.Formajorcrops(wheat,rice,andmaize),changeswithoutadaptationwillhavenegativeimpacts,althoughindividuallocationsmaybenefit.Arangeofadaptationoptionsexists.Whileanalysesacknowledgenonstationarity,manystillassumeafixedor “changed” futureclimate. Systems,andequilibriumassumptions,maychange faster thanmodels canbe recalibrated,andprojections,especiallyonthresholds,maybemostunreliable,atcriticaltimes.Keyfactorsareintra-seasonaltodecadalvariabilityeffects on quantity, quality, and access, including crop migration, storage and utilization. There remain limited assessmentsof impactsandadaptationoptions fornon-productionelements.Wewilladdress factorsdrivingclimateextremes, sourcesofknowledge and uncertainty in characterizing hotspots that have developed over time in theU.S. and elsewhere, impacts onproductivity,andlinksbetweenearlywarningandadaptationpriorities.Wearguethatimmediateneedsareto:
•Acknowledgethecross-scalenatureofclimate,ofearlywarninginformationandofclimate-resilientstrategiesaffectingfoodproductionandsecurity,includingcriticalinterdependenciesderivedfromwaterandlandresources.
•Produceempiricalevidenceontheeffectivenessoftechnologicalinterventionsandsocialadaptationsatalllevelsofthefoodsystem
•Craftanacceptable,fundable,collaborativeframeworkamongresearch,informationservicesandmanagement
Mostcriticalisthedevelopmentofsustainednetworks,suchasthroughtheUSNationalIntegratedDroughtInformationSystem,acrossinstitutionstoensurethatlessonsarebeinglearned,asrisksandopportunitiesemerge.
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160 Benefitsofactionandcostsofinaction:Droughtmitigationandpreparedness
Mr Frederik Pischke1,MrRobertStefanski2
1Global Water Partnership, Geneva, Switzerland, 2World Meteorological Organization, Switzerland
Significantprogresshasbeenmadeoverthepastdecadeinimprovingunderstandingofdroughtsandtheirimpacts.However,significant gaps in research,policy andpractice remain,particularly regarding themeritsof riskmanagement comparedwithtraditionalcrisismanagementapproaches.
Presently,manyavailableestimatesofdroughtcostsarepartialanddifficulttocompare.Theproblemiscompoundedbythelackofdataondroughtsandtheirimpacts.Moreover,relativelylittleknowledgeisavailableonthecostsofindirectandlonger-termdroughtimpacts.Thereisthusaneedformutuallycompatiblemethodologiesasameansofcomprehensivelyassessingdroughtcostsandimpactsaswellasthebenefitsofpreparingforandmitigatingdrought.
Thecostsofactionagainstdroughtscanbeclassifiedintothreecategories:preparednesscosts,droughtriskmitigationcostsanddroughtreliefcosts.Benefitscanbeclassifiedasreduceddroughtcosts,savingsinreliefcostsandeconomicandsocialco-benefits.AworkstreamofpartnersoftheIntegratedDroughtManagementProgramme(IDMP)isaimingtochartawayforwardtosupporta proactive approach to droughtmanagement. Building on a literature review released by the IDMP (WMOandGWP2017)andtwoexpertgroupmeetings,thispresentationreviewsthemainobstaclesandopportunitiesfacingthetransitionfromcrisismanagementtoriskmanagementanddriversofexanteandexpostactionagainstdroughtaswellastheco-benefitsofdroughtmitigationandpreparedness.
Reference:WorldMeteorologicalOrganization(WMO)andGlobalWaterPartnership(GWP)(2017).Benefitsofactionandcostsofinaction:Droughtmitigationandpreparedness-aliteraturereview(N.GerberandA.Mirzabaev).IntegratedDroughtManagementProgramme(IDMP)WorkingPaper1.WMO:Geneva,SwitzerlandandGWP:Stockholm,Sweden.
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161 Modesofclimatevariabilityanddroughtforecasting
Dr James Risbey1
1Csiro Oceans & Atmosphere, Hobart, Australia
Drought isapersistentclimateeventspanningseasons,multipleyears,and longer. Thepredictablecomponentofdrought isrelatedtoslowerprocessesinthetropicalPacificOceansuchasENSO.
TeleconnectionprocessesintheatmospherecarrytheclimatesignalfromthetropicalPacifictoextratropicalcontinentalregions.Weexaminethepathwaysthatneedtobeunderstoodintransferringtheclimatesignalfromthetropicsandtheirinteractionwithmodesofvariabilityunderlyingdroughtinmidlatidudes.
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162 Building a National Drought Center: Science and policy approaches andexperiencesfromtheNationalDroughtMitigationCenter’sperspective
Assoc Prof Mark Svoboda1
1National Drought Mitigation Center, Lincoln, United States
Unlikemosthazards,thefactthatdroughtstypicallyevolveslowly,lastformonthsoryearsandcancoverthousandsofsquaremilesacrossmultiplegeopoliticalboundariesandeconomicsectorscanmakeitadauntingtasktomonitor,mitigateandplanfor.IntheUnitedStates,manypartnersareworkingtogetherviatheNationalIntegratedDroughtInformationSystem(NIDIS),theNationalDroughtMitigationCenter(NDMC),tribes,stateandfederalagencies,regionalandstateclimateoffices,riverbasinauthoritiesandvariouscommunitiestowardamorecoordinatedandcomprehensivenationaldroughtearlywarningandinformationsystemcenteredaroundadroughtriskmanagementapproach.
TheNDMCworkstoreducesocietalvulnerabilitytodroughtbyhelpingdecisionmakersatalllevelsto:implementdroughtearlywarning systems, understand and prevent drought impacts and increase long-term resilience to drought through proactiveplanning.TheNDMCisanationalcenterfoundedin1995attheUniversityofNebraska-Lincoln.TheNDMCconductsbasicandappliedresearchalongwiththemaintainingofanumberofoperationaldrought-relatedactivities.
This presentationwill describe inmore detail the various drought resources, tools, services and collaborations already beingprovidedbytheNDMCanditspartnersalongwithalookatwhatisinstoreforthefutureinhelpingotherstowarddevelopingdroughtearlywarningandriskmanagementsystemsbothintheU.S.andaroundtheworld.
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163 Improvingdroughtmonitoringandpredictionscienceandservices
Mr Neil Plummer1
1Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, Australia
TheBureauofMeteorologyhasworkedwithgovernmentsandindustrypartnersinpredictingrainfalloverAustraliaformorethantwodecadesandmonitoringdroughtsforlonger.
Officialrainfallobservationsextendwellback intothenineteenthcenturyand,thankstoobservationstandardsanddedicatedvolunteers,wecantrackAustralianrainfallvariabilityandchangeforwellover100years.Automateddataanalysissystemsfromthe1990sallowedforbetterdroughtmonitoringandanalysis,includingforrainfalltrends.TheBureau’sdataandinformationhavealsoplayedakeyroleininformingdecisionsaboutassistancetosupportfarmfamilies,farmbusinessesandruralcommunities.Supportfromstategovernmentsarefurtherimprovingautomatedanalyses,includingthroughaclimatemodelreanalysisapproach.
TheBureauanalyses,modelsandpredictsarangeofoceanandatmospherecirculationindicatorstogetintelligenceonthelikelyonset,durationanddecayofdroughts.Predictionscurrently focuson likelyshifts inrainfall, temperature,streamflow,tropicalcyclones,northernrainfallseasononsetand,throughtheBushfireandNaturalHazardsCRC,bushfireoutlooks.
Support through severalRuralResearchandDevelopmentCorporationsand ledby theManagingClimateVariabilityprogram(MCV)hasbeenessentialtothedevelopmentof‘seasonal’forecastinginAustralia.TheMCVisnowleadingaprojectonclimateextremesthatbuildsonacurrentproject,supportedthroughtheAgriculturalCompetitivenessWhitePaper,toimproveseasonalforecastingservices.Theextremesprojectincludesforecastingdryperiodsaswellasfacilitatingadirectlinkbetweenresearchgroups,regionalandindustry-specificreferencegroupsandagribusinesssupplychains.
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164 Remotesensingapplicationsforagriculturalandhorticulturalcrops:Fromtheindividualtreetowholeofindustry
Assoc Prof Andrew Robson1,DrMoshiurRahman1,MsJasmineMuir1,MrsLuzAngelicaSuarez1,MrBrianDunn2,DrMilaBristow3,DrIanLayden4,DrJulieO’Halloran5
1University of New England, Armidale, Australia, 2NSW Department of Primary Industries, Yanco, Australia, 3Department of Primary industries and Resources , Darwin, Australia, 4Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Qld) , Nambour, Australia, 5Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Qld) , Gatton, Australia
Thispaperreviewsremotesensingapplicationscurrentlybeingdevelopedacrossarangeofcrops,includingmango,avocado,rice,sugarcaneandcarrots.Technologiesbeingevaluatedincludeveryhighresolutionmultispectral(Worldview-3)satelliteimagery,Landsat,SentinelandSPOTsatelliteimagery,UAVandgroundbasedsensing.Forhorticulturalcrops,anevaluationof18structuraland pigment based vegetation indices (VIs)measured byWorldview-3 imagery identified a positive relationship to total fruityield(kg/tree)(uptoR2=0.89foran individualorchard)andindividualfruitweight(uptoR2=0.76foran individualorchard)over a 4 year period (avocado) and to fruit yieldmeasured across two locations in one season (mango) (up to R2= 0.82 foran individualorchard).A similarprocessalso identified strongcoefficientsofdeterminationbetweencarrot yieldandcanopyreflectance informationatthe individualblock level(uptoR2=0.89).Forsugarcane,yieldforecastingandyieldmappingfromsatelliteimageryisfarmoreevolved.Landsatderived‘timeseries’yieldmodelshavebeendevelopedforanumberofAustraliangrowing regionswith thederivationanddistributionofcrop (~100,000)and regionalyieldandvigourmapsbeingautomatedthroughpythonscripting.Aswellasyielddetermination,researchinbothsugarcaneandricehasidentifiedoptimalspectralbandratiosformeasuringfoliarNitrogencontent.Withanimprovedunderstandingofthespatialandtemporalvariationofnitrogenconcentrationacrossindividualcrops,growerscanimplementimprovedNitrogenapplicationstrategiesatpanicleinitiation(rice)andbeforetheoutofhandstage(sugarcane).
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165 MappinghorticulturetreecropsinAustralia
Mr Joel McKechnie1,MrCraigShephard1
1Queensland Government Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Brisbane, Australia
TheQueenslandLandUseMappingProgram(QLUMP)hasmappedthelocationandextentofallcommercialavocado,macadamiaandmangoorchardsinAustralia.Theseeffortsarepartofanationalproject,‘Multi-scalemonitoringtoolsformanagingAustraliantreecrops—industrymeetsinnovation’.ThisprojectismanagedbyHorticultureInnovationAustralia,coordinatedbytheUniversityofNewEnglandandfundedbytheAustralianGovernmentDepartmentofAgricultureandWaterResources—RuralResearchandDevelopmentforProfitprogramme.
The broader project scope showcases the value of science and innovation within horticulture industries. This is a result ofcollaborationbetweengovernment,universities,privateorganisationsandindustryincludingtheAustralianMacadamiaSociety,theAustralianMangoIndustryAssociationandAvocadosAustralia.
QLUMPdeveloped themappingprogramthat combines industryandgovernmentdata interpretedwith imagery tomapandclassifythelocationandextentoftreecropsatthedesktop.Wedevelopedacitizenscience‘LandUseSurvey’appforthisproject,souserscanmaketheirownobservationstobetterinformthemapping.QLUMPalsobuiltthe‘IndustryEngagementWebMap’toassistinthepeerreview.Industryexpertscouldreviewthedraftmappingtoprovidetheirfeedbackbeforefinalmappingproductswerecompiled.
Themappingwe produce is the fundamental spatial data required to support agricultural productivity, decision-making andinnovation.ThedataenhancesbiosecurityandnaturaldisasterresponseandrecoveryfortheAustralianavocado,macadamiaandmangoindustries.
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166 Intelligentsensingandinformationsystemsfortreecrops
Dr James Underwood1
1The University of Sydney, The University Of Sydney, Australia
Theuseof robotic systems toautomate theprocessof collecting informationabouta cropatfine-scale resolutionshas seenincreasinginterestduetoitspotentialapplicationsinprecisionagriculture.Overthelastfiveyears,theAustralianCentreforFieldRoboticsatTheUniversityofSydneyhasengagedinaseriesofprojectstodeveloproboticdatacollectiontechniquesandperceptionsystemsfortreecrops.Theseprojectshaveexaminedapplicationssuchasflowerandfruitmappingandyieldprediction,canopystructureestimationand light interceptionmodelling, forarangeofcrops, includingapples,almonds,macadamias,avocados,lychees,bananasandmangoes.
Inthistalkwepresentourlatestresults,includinganewmulti-sensorsystemthatcanefficientlydetect,locateandmapeverypiece of fruit in a commercialmango orchard. Photos are automatically taken frommultiple perspectives of every tree andprocessedwithmachinevisiontechniquestodetectfruitthatwouldotherwisebehiddenfromview.Thepositionofeveryfruitistriangulated,providinga3Dfruitmapforwholeorchardblocks.
Mangocountswerecomparedagainstpost-harvesthand-countsforindividualtreesatacommercialCalypsoorchardinBundaberg,showingaccurateresultstwoyearsinarow(r^2=0.90,uncalibratedbias<1.5%).Whole-blockyieldestimatesweretalliedforthreedifferentorchardblocksandfoundtobewithin6%to12%ofthepack-outreports.Furthertestingisunderwayforathirdyear,andforothermangovarietiessuchasKensingtonPride.
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167 UAVimageryanditsroleintacticalagronomytrials
Mr James McLean1,DrJosephEyre1,DrAndriesPotgieter1,A/ProfDanielRodriguez1
1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia
Monitoringoflargeon-farmagronomicexperimentationisusuallyconstrainedbytimeandlabourforintensivedatacollectionactivities. Currently the determination of crop growth and development characteristics involves manual collection, logistics,processing and analyses of large quantities of vegetalmaterial. This limits the sample areaswithin each plot andpotentiallyintroducessourcesoferror.Samplingtimeandlabouralsolimitsthenumberoffactorsineachtrialsiteandnumberofsitesthatcanbeperformedinanyoneseason.
Twoyearsofresearchstationfieldtrialswereconductedwheretwomaizehybrids(DuPontPioneerP1467,AdvantaPacificSeedsPAC727IT) were grown using contrasting spatial arrangement i.e. single rows and rows split into twin row triangular sowingarrangements.Cropbiomass, leaf area and yield componentswereempirically collectedandground coverwasestimatedbyceptometer.
VegetationindiceswerederivedfromUAVmultispectralimagery(MicaSenseRedEdge)intheredandnearinfraredwavelengthsof the light spectra to predict ground cover, biomass and establishment. Relationshipswere developed between sensed andempiricaldata.
WefoundgroundcoverderivedfromceptometerandUAVimagerywerehighlycorrelated(R2=0.87).TheSimpleRatiovegetationindexprovidedastrongrelationshipwithempiricalmeasurementsforbothbiomass(R2=0.95)andleafarea(R2=0.95).Cropestablishmentpredictionswithobjectbasedimageanalysiswerehighlycorrelatedalthoughtheobservedpopulationrangewasverynarrow.
HerewediscussmethodsforroutineimplementationofUAVimageryinagronomytrials.
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168 Analysis of hyperspectral characteristic parameters of different potatovarieties
Dr Yingbin He
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
Itisofgreattheoreticalsignificancetocorrectthereflectancespectrumcurveofpotatoandanalyzethehyperspectralcharacteristicparametersofitskeygrowthperiod,whichcanbeusedforremotesensinginversionofpotatoindicesandmonitoringthegrowthstatus.Inthispaper,threepotatovarietieswereusedastheresearchmaterial,andSavitzky-Golayfilteringsmoothingandfirstorderdifferentialprocessingareappliedtothemeasuredreflectionspectrumcurve,hyperspectralpositionparameters,amplitudeparameters, area parameters, width parameters and reflectance parameters were used as evaluation indices, the variationcharacteristics of 21 hyperspectral characteristic parameters in tuber formation period, tuber expansion period and starchaccumulationperiodwereanalyzed.Theresultsshowthatthecharacteristicsofthe14hyperspectralcharacteristicparametersreflectthecommonnessofpotatovarieties:
1)Withthepromotiongrowthperiod,theyellowedgemovetothelongwavelength,andtherededgewidth,yellowedgewidthandgreenpeakwidthcontinuetoincrease
2) Fromthetuberformationperiodtotuberexpansionperiodandstarchaccumulationperiod,thepositionofrededgefirst“redshift”afterthe“blueshift”,redvalley(Ro)reflectancedecreasesfirstandthenincreases,therededgeamplitudeandrededgearea,yellowedgearea,blueedgeareaandgreenpeakarea,thegreenpeakreflectanceof(Rg),Rg/Ro,(Rg-Ro)/(Rg+Ro)showedfirstincreasedandthendecreased.Thevariationcharacteristicsof5hyperspectralcharacteristicparametersreflectthedifferencesamongvarieties:
3)Withthepromotiongrowthperiod,theredvalleypositionandthegreenpeakpositionoftheearlymaturingvarietyfirstmovetothelongwavedirection,andthenmovetotheshortwavedirection,whilethetwopositionparametersofmediummaturingvarietyremainunchanged.Theyellowedgeamplitude,blueedgeamplitudeandblueedgewidthofearlymaturingvarietyfirstincreasedandthendecreased,whilethetwoamplitudeparametersofmediummaturingvarietiesdecreased,whileblueedgewidthremainedunchanged.Thesefiveparameterscanbeusedtodistinguishdifferentpotatovarieties.
4)The2parametersoftheblueedgepositionandtheminimumamplitudedonotshowobviousregularity.
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169 Estimatingregionalscalecropproduction:Anintegratedclimate,biophysicalandremotesensingapproach
Dr Andries Potgieter1,JasonBrider3,ProfGraemeHammer1
1University of Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia, 2University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 3QDAF, Toowoomba, Australia
ThehighlyvariableclimateofAustralia,combinedwithastronginfluenceofmarketsongrainprice,andthuscropchoice,impedeaccurate predictionof regional scale crop production. To date, regional crop-modelling approaches have delivered relativelygoodestimatesthroughouttheseasonofthefinalcropyieldforthatseason.However,accurate,timelyandobjectiveinformationonspecificcroparea,andthustotalproduction,wellbeforeharvest forashireorregionhasbeenmostlyunavailable.This isfurther exacerbatedby a projected increase inmarket and climate volatilitywithinAustralia and globally.Herewepresent aholisticapproachtoestimatingregionalscalecropproduction.Theapproachintegratesclimateforecastingwithbiophysicalcropmodellingforyield,andremotesensingtechnologiestoquantifycropareaacrossregionsforthemaincropsofAustralia.
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170 Thegeneticarchitectureoftickresistance
Dr Mahlako Linah Makgahlela1,2,DrNtanganedzeniOliviaMapholi4,ProfHeatherMBurrow3,ProfAzwihangwisiMaiwashe1,2
1Agricultural Research Council, Centurion, South Africa, 2University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 3University of New England , Armidale, Australia, 4University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
About80%oftheworld’sbeefanddairycattleareatriskofticksandtick-bornediseases,withestimatedeconomic lossesof~US$20-30billion/year.Lossesarisefromcattlemortalitiesandmarkedreductionsinreproduction,meatandmilkproduction.Chemicaltreatmentstocontrolticksisnotalong-termsolutionaschemicalsloseefficacythroughrapidevolutionofresistanceofthetickstochemicals.Contaminationofanimalproductsandtheenvironmentbychemicalsalsocausesconcern.Resistanceofbeefanddairycattletoticksismoderatelytohighlyheritable,eveninBritishbreeds,thoughBosindicusandtropicallyadaptedBostaurusbreedshavegreaterresistancetoticksthanBritishandEuropeanbreeds.Availabilityofchip-basedgenotypingplatformsforassayingthousandsgeneticvariants(SNP)associatedwithmajorgenes(QTL)forcomplextraitsenabledgenome-widestudies,todetect statisticalassociationsofeachSNP independently toeconomic traits, including resistance toticks.PublishedresultsgenerallyidentifiedmanySNP,eachexplainingasmallproportionofthegeneticvariance,withnotableoverlapamongregionsassociatedwithtickresistanceincattle.Thesereportssupportthepolygenicinheritancepattern.Inmodernbreedingprogrammes,associationsbetween thousandsof SNP that jointly explain ample variance for a trait are used in thepredictionof breedingvaluesforgeneticimprovement(genomicselection).Accuraciesforyounganimalswithoutphenotypesarehigherthantraditionalevaluations,withmoderateaccuraciesreportedfortickcounts.Improvedresistancetotickswillconceivablybeachievedthroughgenomicselection,whichstillrequiresphenotypes,andincorporatingQTLbasedonwhole-genomesequences.
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171 Cutting and pasting: The future of genetic improvement for food animalgenomes
Dr Tad Sonstegard1
1Acceligen/Recombinetics, St. Paul, United States
Geneticimprovementprogramsforfoodanimalsraisedintropicalproductionsystemsoftenlagbehindthosefoundintemperateproductionsystemsforamultitudeofreasonsrangingfrompoorinfrastructuretoendemicdiseasechallenges.AlthoughgenomeselectionprogramshavenowbeeninitiatedforpopularbreedsinAustraliaandBrazil,othertechnologiesareneededtointroduceeconomicallyimportanttraitsthataccelerategeneticimprovementforlivestocksystemsincountrieswithemergingeconomies.Geneeditingbasedonsite-directednucleasesisrecognizedasoneofthosemethodsbestsuitedtointroducehigheffectproductionallelesintonaïve,indigenouspopulations.Herein,wereviewhowsite-directednucleasesarebestdeployedtoproduceprecisionbredallelesintoanimalgenomes.Wealsodiscussthebreadthoftraitsbeingdeployed,anddifferencesbetweenintroducingallelesalreadyfoundinnatureversusmutagenesistobreakcodingregionsorotherrationaledesignapproachesforgeneticimprovementofdiseaseresistance.Finally,perspectivesforregulatoryapprovalandcommercializationaresummarizedtohighlightsomeoftheobstacles,whichmayhinderthewidespreadadoptionofgeneeditingtechnologyasoneoftheprimarytoolsofanimalbreeding.
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172 TheevolutionoftheBrahmangenome-acrucialtropicallyadaptedbreed
Prof Steve Moore1,DrRossKoufariotis1,ProfBenHayes1,DrBrianBurns2,DrRussellLyons3,DrMatthewKelly4
1Centre For Animal Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia, 2Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Qld, Rockhampton, Australia, 3Animal Genotyping Laboratory, University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia, 4Australian Agricultural Company, Teneriffe, Australia
Bosindicuscattleareadaptedtoharshtropicalenvironments.TheBosindicusbreedwidelyusedinbeefproductioninNorthernAustraliaareBrahman.TheAustralianBrahmanbreedwasdevelopedinthesouthernUSAthroughcross-breeding4typesofZebu(Bosindicus)cattlebreeds,Ongole,Guzerat,GirandKrishnacattle.Australiancattlewere“gradedup”twicetoincreasenumbersonceinUSAandtheninAustraliausingBrahmanbullsandBostauruscowswiththeresultingcalvesthenbackcrossedtoBrahmanbulls.Thegradingupprocesshasledtoanintrogressionof7-10%BostaurusgenomeintomodernBrahmancattle.IdentifyingvariationinBrahmangenomesassociatedwithadaptation,fertility,meatqualityandgrowthrateswouldfacilitategenomeselectionandthereforeaccelerategeneticgainforthesetraits,inbothBrahmancattleandcompositecattlewithBrahmanancestry.Withthisultimateaim,46sequencedBrahmancattlethatwerekeyancestorsofthebreedwerewholegenomesequenced.RegionsofBosTaurusintrogressionandregionsfavouringBosindicusalleleswereidentified.
83TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
173 Combininghistoricalweather station records, climate changepredictionsandgenomicstobreeddairycattleforfutureclimates
Dr Thuy Nguyen1,MsJosieGarner2,DrJenniePryce1,3,ProfBenHayes1,4
1Agriculture Research Victoria, Bundoora, Australia, 2Agriculture Research Victoria, Ellinbank, Australia, 3School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, BUNDOORA, Australia, 4Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Given the projected increase in temperature inmanyAustralian dairying regions, there is a need to identify andbreedheattolerantdairycattle.Wehaveachievedthisthroughthedevelopmentofgenomicbreedingvaluesforheattolerance.Wefirstmergedclimatedatawithmilkproductionrecordsbetween2003and2016.Wedeterminedtherateofdeclineofmilk,fatandproteinyield(namelycowslope)for424,540Holsteinand84,702Jerseycowswhentemperatureandhumidityexceedthecomfortlevel.Slopeofasireisthedaughteraverage.Areferencepopulationconsistingof11,853cowsand2,236siresforHolsteinsand4,268cowsand506siresforJerseys(bothhavingestimatedslopeandhighdensitygenotype),wereusedtoderiveagenomicpredictionequation.Genomicestimatedbreedingvalue(GEBV)forheattolerance(HT)canthenbedeterminedforotheranimalswithgenotypes.TovalidatetheseGEBV,wepredictedHTGEBVfor390Holsteinheifers,thenselected24extremepredictedheattolerantand24extremepredictedheatsusceptibleheifersfora4-dayheatchallenge.Thepredictedheattolerantgroupshowedsignificantlylessdeclineinmilkproduction,lowerrectalandintra-vaginaltemperaturesthanthepredictedheatsusceptiblegroup.ThisindicatesthattheHTGEBVwillenableselectionforcattlewithbettertolerancetoheatstress.Wealsodevelopedanonlinefuture-scenarios selection tool toassist farmers inmaking selectiondecisions tobalanceHTandotherpriorities. In this tool,thecombinedinformationofHTGEBVandtheprojectedfuturetemperatureandhumiditycanbevisualisedandusedtomakeselectiondecisions.
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174 UseofgenomictechnologiesandcompositecattlebreedingwithinalargeNorthernAustralianbeefbreedingenterprise
Mr Sam Harburg1
1The North Australian Pastoral Company, Brisbane, Australia
TheNorthAustralianPastoralCompany(NAPCO)isoneofAustralia’slargestbeefproducerswithaherdof180,000headofcattleacrosspropertiesintheNorthernTerritoryandQueensland.Inthe1980’s,NAPCOrecognisedthatdevelopmentof‘Composite’cattlebreeds representedameansof integrating important traits fromdiversebreedsof cattle,andgeneratingand retaininghybridvigour.NAPCOhasnowproducedandstabilisedtwoCompositebreedsthataredeployedacrossitsportfolioofproperties.
NAPCOoperatesaclosedherd,breedingallreplacementbullsandheifersinternally.Itsbullbreedingprogramsutilisegenomically-enhancedEBVstoidentifyeliteanimalswithineachComposite.NAPCOhasbeenSNPgenotypingeverycalf(50Kand18KSNPchips)withinitsNucleusherdssince2010,aswellasmostbullcalveswithinitsMultiplierherds.Genomicbreedingvalueswerederivedfromaninternalreferencepopulationmaintainedfrom2002to2010.
GenomicsareplayinganincreasinglyimportantroleinNAPCO’sgeneticsprogramsandwillcontinuetoincreaseinprominence.From migration onto single step genetic evaluations, implementation of genomic-based inbreeding estimation and matingoptimisation,andgenomicanalysisoffoundationbreedcompositiontrends,NAPCOcontinuestoinnovateintheintegrationofgenomicinformationintoitsbreedingprogram.FutureprioritieswillfocusonselectiveharvestingofphenotypicandgenotypicdatafromitslargecommercialcattleherdtoimprovetraitaccuraciesanddevelopnewtraitsforselectionwithinitsNucleusherd.
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175 MediterraneanDietintheTropics?
Prof Lluis Serra-Majem1,2
1Preventive Medicine & Public Health, Director of the Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. 2President of the International Foundation of Mediterranean Diet.
Foodglobalization,andaboveallwhatiscalledfastfoodorWesternDiet,conciselyrepresentstheerosionoftheMediterraneanDiet’sculturalvalues,notonlybecauseofwhattheglobalizedWesternfoodmodelrepresents-basedmainlyonmeat,refinedflour,sugars,softdrinks,dairyandfoodtransportedfromanywhereintheworldwithinternationalfreetradelaws-butalsobecauseofhowallthesefoodshaveanimpactonthewaysinwhichtheyareconsumed:inthetraditionalrecipesthemselves,inlandscapes,cropsandeveninthemarkets.Nowadays,forexample,wehavebuiltafoodmodelaroundtheglobalizedmarketoftourismthatresemblesmoretheWesternFastFoodmodelthanthetraditionalMediterraneanDiet.WearemissingoutonanopportunitytodisseminateourMediterraneanDietasaculturalmodelandasanexcellentfoodmodelforpublichealth.Thefoodwaysofproximity,respectingtraditionsandseasons(whichusuallygotogether)alsorepresentsanopportunityfortheeconomicsector,fortourism,fortheenvironment,etc.
Probably, themost importantanddeterminant food ingredientof theMediterraneanDiet isoliveoil,andolivetreesareonlygrowingunderselectedcircumstances.SeveralMediterraneanregionswithsimilargeography,climateandplantbiodiversityaredefinedaroundtheplanet:inCaliforniaandtheNorthwestpartofMexico,ChileandArgentina,SouthAfricaandAustralia.FromtheMediterraneanregionandthoseothermoreremoteregionsfoodslikeoliveoil(orwine)maybeproducedanddistributedtoothercontiguousregionstocompletethesekeyingredientsoftheMediterraneanDietnotproducedatlocallevel.
GlobalizationoftheMediterraneanDietmaybeundertakenunderenvironmentandculturalrespectfulinitiatives.
86TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
176 FattyLiver:Itisnotjustaboutfat-Nutritionalimpactonnon-alcoholicfattyliverdisease(NAFLD)
Prof Karmin O1,2,MissVictoriaSid1,2,MissYueShang1,2,DrYawLoongSiow1,2
1University Of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, 2CCARM, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, Canada
Non-alcoholicfattyliverdisease(NAFLD)hasbecomeaworldwideepidemic,whichisassociatedwithobesity,diabetesmellitusandcardiovasculardisease.NAFLDcoversabroadspectrumofdisordersthatrangefromsimplelipidaccumulationintheliver(steatosis)tooxidativestressandinflammation(steatohepatitis).Thereiscurrentlynoapprovedtreatmentforthisdisease.Chronicconsumptionofhighenergydiets(i.e.dietrichinfatcontent)promotesthedevelopmentofNAFLD.DietarysupplementationofvitaminsorphenoliccompoundshasbeensuggestedtobeabeneficialstrategyforNAFLDmanagement.Folicacid isawatersolubleBvitaminthathasbeendemonstratedtohavelipid-loweringandanti-oxidanteffects.Tyrosolisoneofthemajorphenoliccompoundsinoliveoilandwinewhicharetwouniquedietarystaplesindiet.WeinvestigatedtheimpactofdietaryinterventiononhepaticmetabolismandoxidativestressinarodentmodelwithNAFLD.MaleC57BL/6micewerefedalow-fatdiet(10%kcalof fat)orahighfatdiet (60%kcalof fat) for5-12weeks.Feedingmicewithahigh-fatdietstimulatedrapidbodyweightgainandinducedNAFLDphenotypewithhepaticlipidaccumulation,hyperglycaemia,increasedoxidativestressandproinflammatorycytokineexpression.Supplementationoffolicacidandnaturalcompounds(i.e.tyrosol)couldalleviatehigh-fatdietinducedhepaticlipotoxicity. Thebeneficialeffectsofdietary interventionweremediated through regulationofendogenous lipidbiosynthesis,homocysteine-hydrogensulphidemetabolismaswellasrestorationofredoxbalance.DietaryinterventionsmayhaveimportantclinicalimplicationsinNAFLDmanagement.
87TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
177 Tropicalfruitsasfunctionalfoodsformetabolicsyndrome
Prof Lindsay Brown1
1University Of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia
Functional foodsprovidehealthbenefits in chronicdiseases suchasobesity, hypertension,diabetes and inflammatoryboweldisease, inadditiontonutrition.Themetabolicsyndrome includescentralobesity, insulinresistance,elevatedbloodpressure,impaired glucose tolerance, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and dyslipidaemia; these signs are due to chronic low-gradeinflammationcombinedwithoxidativestress.Wehaveshownthatadiethighinfructoseandsaturated/transfatsinducesthesecardiovascular, liverandmetabolicsigns inrats.Wehaveshownthatcomponentsof foodscanreverseall thesesymptoms indiet-inducedobese,hypertensiveand insulin-resistantrats. Inparticular, tocotrienols frompalmoil,dietaryfibrefromtropicalseaweedsanthocyaninsfromtropicAustraliannativefruitssuchasDavidson’splums,andpolyphenolsfromGarciniafruitssuchasachachaloweredbloodpressure,preventedinflammatorycellinfiltrationintotheheart,liverandfatpads,improvedplasmalipidprofilesanddecreasedplasmainflammatorybiomarkers.Alltheseinterventions,especiallytropicalfruitsandseaweeds,couldbeproducedcommercially,sustainablyandcost-effectivelyinmanytropicalcountries,withtheaimofreducingtheincidenceofmetabolicsyndrome,anddecreasingtheriskofcostlycardiovascularandmetabolicdisorders.
88TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
178 Gutmicrobiome-Ourlifepartner,forbetterorworse?
Dr Connie W Woo1,Mr.JensenHCYiu1,MrWaiLunFung1
1Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Trillionsofbacteriaarelivinginourbodiesandimplementingmutualisticfunctionstous.Thegastrointestinaltractalonehousesmorethan1014bacteria.Oneoftheirknownfunctions istopromoteenergyextractionfromourdiets,therebyallowingustobetterutilizeourfoodsource,particularlyinnutrient-scarceenvironments.Thisfunctionplaysanimportantroleduringpregnancywhenextranutrientsareneededforthedevelopmentofthefoetus.[Beforebirth]Substantialchangesinthebacterialpatternintheguthavebeenfoundinpregnantwomenfromthe1stto3rdtrimesters.Thiskindofcommensalismremainsdespitetheagriculturaladvancesinthathaveledtoastablenutritionalsupply,whichimpliessomeadditionalfunctionsofthegutbacteriain pregnancy. Due to the advance ofmedicine, nowwe have choices in themodes of delivery.However, caesarean section-deliveredbabieshaveahigherrisktodevelopcertainmetabolicandautoimmunediseasesinearlychildhood.[Atbirth]Suchriskisrelatedtothedifferencesinbacteriacolonizationupondifferentmodesofdelivery.[Afterbirth]Duringadulthood,ourdietandexternalenvironmentcansubstantiallychangethegutmicrobiota.Manyanimalmodelshaveproventheeffectivenessoffaecaltransplantationtoreverseseveraldiseases,implyingthetherapeuticpotentialofalteringgutmicrobiota.However,bed-translationremains limiteddue to thecomplicatedbacterialecologyandcross-species interactionwithhost. Investigation from theverybeginningoflifewillhelpusgainafullpictureofhowweinteractwiththesecommensalmicroorganisms,thusaffectingourhealth.
89TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
179 Berries for your renal health
Dr Yaw (Chris) Siow1,2,3,CaraIsaak1,2,3,SuviraPrashar1,2,SusaraMaddumaHewage1,2,3,Jo-AnnStebbing1,2,DrSamirDebnath4,ProfKarminO2,3,5
1Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Winnipeg, Canada, 2Canadian Centre for Agri-food Research in Health and Medicine, St Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, Canada, 3Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, 4Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada, St John’s, Canada, 5Animal Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
Kidneyisoneofthemajororgansforourbodytoremovemetabolicwasteproducts.Itisbecomingthefocusofmanyscientificinvestigationsduetotheincreasingincidenceofmetabolicsyndrome.Injuriestothekidneycanalsoariseduetocomplicationsfrommajorsurgeries(suchascoronaryarterybypassandkidneytransplants)orinresponsetoinjuryofdistalorgans.Additionally,primarykidneydiseasesmaybeduetosomeinflammation-inducedconditions.Signalingpathwaysintheinjuredorgancaninduceinflammation, resulting in pathophysiological conditions that lead to organ dysfunction and potentially organ failure. Recentresearchdata incells,animalmodelsandhumantrialshavedemonstratedthebioactivitiesofberrypolyphenols. Inadditiontotheantioxidantproperties, thesepolyphenolshaveanti-inflammatorypropertiesandwerefoundtohaveprotectiveeffectsagainstacutekidneyinjuryandchronickidneydiseases.Berriesgrownbothinthenorthernhemisphere(suchasblueberriesandlingonberries)andthetropics(suchasacai,blackmulberryandmadroño)shareasimilararsenalofbioactivecompounds,albeitatvaryingamounts.Addingandconsumingberriesinyourdailydietmayhavebeneficialeffectsforyourkidneyandhelpalleviateincidencesofkidneydiseases.
90TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
180 The creation of employment, economic and social benefits to remoteAustralian communities through novel and added value products fromnativeplants
Assoc Prof Yasmina Sultanbawa1
1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
KakaduPlum(Terminaliaferdinandiana)isatreeendemictonorthernAustraliaandthefruithasbeenconsumedforitsnutritionalandtherapeuticvaluebyindigenousAustraliansforthousandsofyears.Presenceofhighlevelsofellagicacidandascorbicacidinthefruitmakesitarichsourceofantioxidants.ThesepropertiesmakeKakaduplumveryattractiveforuseasaningredientinmainstreamfoodandotherindustries.
TheaquacultureindustryinAustraliahasbeenusingKakaduplumproductstoimprovequalityandextendshelf lifeofprawnsforthepastfouryears.Acateringestablishmenthasuseditshighantioxidantpropertiestoextendtheshelflifeoffrozenreadymeals.TheuseofKakaduplumasanaturalfoodadditivehashadfarreachingeconomicbenefitstonorthernAustralianindigenouscommunities.
ThisemergingbusinessmodelforKakaduplumindicatestheeffectiveengagementwithindigenouscommunitiesandsuccessfulcommercialapplicationofanindigenousfoodinthefoodindustry.
Thispaperwill providea synopsisof theuniquechemical andbioactivepropertiesofKakaduplum, innovative cross-industryapplications,theproposedbusinessmodelanditspotentialtoincorporateindigenouscommunitiesfromacrossnorthernAustraliaaswellasprivateindustryinputsthatarerequiredtodrivethisindustry.Thevaluechainsandbusinessacumenthatarecreatedthrough the commercialisation of Kakadu plumwill create the pathways for other native specieswithin a frameworkwhereIndigenousecologicalknowledgeisvaluedandprotected.
91TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
181 Informingthedesignofclimateresilientfarmingsystems
Assoc Prof Daniel Rodriguez1
1Qaafi, Toowoomba, Australia
Westartedmodellingdrylandagriculturalsystemsintheearly1990s.Sincethen,valueofthetechnologyhasbeenshownacrossmultipleapplicationsanddisciplines,thoughparticularlyin(i)thesynthesisandintegrationofknowledgeaboutthefunctioninganddynamicsofrainfedagriculturalsystems,wherebioticprocessesinteractwithclimatic,soilandbiologicaldriversatarangeof temporalandspatialscales;and (2) informing (andovercoming) thecomplexities in themanagementand improvementofdrylandagriculturalsystems,bothatthelevelofcrop(GxM),croppingsystems,farmingsystems,andfarmbusinessdesign.Hereweprovideasummaryofourachievementsintheuseofmodellingtoolsindrylandagriculturalsystems,andprovideexamplesoftheimportantopportunitiesforthedevelopmentandapplicationofintegrativeapproachesinfarmingsystemsdesigntosupportthemedium to long-term transformational changes required inourdrylandagricultural systems. Particular emphasis is givento the roleofmodelling tools toquantifybenefitsand trade-offs in themanagementof cropsand farmbusinesses inhighly-variableclimates;andthemediumandlongertermbenefitsfromchangesinstrategies,farmingsystemsdesignsandallocationoflimitedresource.Wealsoproposethatfieldcropsresearchwillincreasinglyrequirecross-linksbetweendisciplinesintegrationandparticipatoryapproachestoallowforthesustainableintensificationofagriculturalproduction,andthatthemodellingagriculturalsystemswillcontinuetobeacrucialtoolinmakingbetterinformeddecisionsacrossarangerelevantscales,thecrop,thefarm,thelandscapeandregion.
92TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
182 Managingrisksandtradeoffsintheintensificationofagriculture:Anecologistperspective
Prof Kerrie Wilson1,DrElizabethLaw1
1The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
Land-use planning typically involvesmultiple objectives sought bymultiple stakeholders. These are often specified as ‘targetconstraints’,orwithoneortwodimensionsexaminedusingtrade-offcurves.Onesuchtrade-offcurvethathasbeenofparticularinterestinenvironmentanddevelopmentdiscussionsisthatbetweenbiodiversityandproduction,andwhetherthecontrastingstrategies of land-sharing or land-sparing ought to be applied to jointly improve landscape-level production and biodiversityconservation. Using contrasting case studies from Borneo, we create three-dimensional trade-off curves that describe theParetofrontierforbiodiversityconservation,production(timber,oil-palm,andgeneralagriculturalsuitability),andcarbon.Wedemonstrate the impact of changing land-use composition and allocation, as well as land-use intensities, in these differentlandscapecontexts.Thereby,wedemonstratetheusefulnessofParetofrontiermodelinginland-useandenvironmentalplanning,inparticulartoclarifythetrade-offsofmultipleobjectivesintermsofopportunity/potentialbenefit,inanextendedland-sharingversusland-sparingframework.
93TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
183 Whatdowewantandwhatarewelikelytoget?
Dr Peter Hayman1,DrHarryHendon2
1South Australian Research and Development Institute, Adelaide, Australia, 2Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, Australia
Informationrich farmingsystemsare foundational toagricultural intensification.Timely,andreliable informationfromclimatescienceonthecomingseasoncanbeusedtoreducerisksinpoorseasonsandtakeadvantagesofgoodseasons.
Farmershavealwayssoughtinformationonthecomingseasonandclimateforecastshavebeenavailableinmanypartsoftheworldsincethemid-1990s.Followingthesuccessfulpredictionofthe1997/98ElNino,aUSNationalResearchCouncilReportdescribedseasonalclimateforecastsasoneofthepremieradvancesofatmosphericsciences.Thesamereportalsonotedthatprobabilisticseasonalforecastswereillsuitedtodecisionmakinganddecisionmakingwasillsuitedtoprobabilisticforecasts.Whathaschangedinthelast20years?
Thispresentationwillprovideabriefoverviewof the improvementsandchallenges inseasonal forecastingbeforeaddressingthechallengesofincorporatingthisinformationintodecisionmaking.Someofthetechnicalchallengesarenewasweshiftfromstatisticalanaloguestoensemblesgeneratedbydynamicforecasts.Otherchallengesareongoingandrelatetocommunicatingandusingprobabilisticinformationinplanninganddecisionmaking.
94TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
184 Behavioraleconomicsinsightintodriversandconstraintsintheadoptionoftechnologies
Prof Lionel Page1
1Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
The adoption of new technologies is a key factor of growth and development. Behavioural economics can shed a light onsomefactorsdrivingandconstrainingadoption.Bynatureadoptingnewtechnologies isanuncertainchoice.Attitudestowarduncertaintyandthepropensitytotakeriskarekeytounderstandthisbehaviour.Manybehaviouraltheoriespointtosourcesofrisk/uncertaintyaversionwhichwilllimitthepropensitytoadoptnewtechnology.Suchreticencetoadoptanewtechnologycanbeduebothtopeople’spreferencesoverthepossibleoutcomesfollowingtheadoptionandtopreferencesovertheprobabilisticrisktaken.Atthesametime,successfuladoptionisassociatedwithpotentialforhighrewardsintermsoffinancialgains.Insuchsituations,economistshavefoundthatpeoplemayformsystematicallybiasedbeliefswhichcanbeoverlyoptimistic,leadingtoanover-adoption.
95TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
185 Designing lessriskysystemsthrough investing intheadaptivecapacityoffarmers
Dr Nadine Marshall1
1Csiro Land and Water, Townsville, Australia
DesigninglessriskyagriculturalsystemsinAustraliamustinvolvestrategiesthatdirectlyconsiderthecurrentlevelsofadaptivecapacityofAustralianFarmers.Recentresearchwiththenorthernbeefindustrysuggeststhatonly16%ofcattleproducershavesufficientskillstodealwiththeclimatechallengesofthefuture.Effortsareneededtoassistfarmersto;(i)understandandmanageclimaterisksandimplementingnewsolutions,(ii)developstrategicskillsthatencouragelearning,experimentingandrefining,(iii)developfinancialandpsychologicalbuffers,and(iv)takeapro-activeapproachtomanagingchangescenarios.Onlyoncefarmershavecommittedtodevelopingtheirowncapacity toadapt to the increasinglychangingworldaroundthem,willclimaterisksbecomemanageablewithintheindustry.Onlythenwillnewtechnologiesbewelcomed.Thetrade-offsbetweenwhatisneededandwhatispossibleinAgriculturebecomemuchmorepositivewhenoneconsiderstheoptionsavailabletofarmerswithhighadaptivecapacity.
96TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
200 TargetedplantbreedingapplicationsofCRISPR-Castechnology
Kevin Diehl1
1Director, Regulatory Product Strategy, Scientific Affairs and Industry Relations, DuPont Pioneer, Unites States
CRISPR-Casasanadvancedplantbreedingtool isamoreefficientwayto improveplantsandhelpfarmersproducemoreandbetterfood,withfewerresources.ThesuperiorpropertiesofCRISPR-Casallowscientiststodevelopinnovativeandsustainableseedproductsforgrowerssimilartothoserealizedthroughconventionalplantbreeding,butwithevengreaterefficiency,accuracyandquality.DuPontPioneerisleadingtheapplicationofthistooltodevelopcustomizedagriculturesolutions.
In this talk, Pioneer’s next generation of waxy maize hybrids as the first agricultural product of CRISPR-Cas scheduled forcommercializationwillbediscussedalongwithadditionalproducttargetsofthispromisingtechnology.ApproachestofosteringsociallicenseandimplementinganopeninnovationmodelforCRISPR-Caswillalsobereviewed.
97TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
201 The contributionsof animal-source food to sustainable, safe, ethical andoptimalhumandiets
Assoc Prof Robyn Alders1
1School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Nourishing a growing human population in a warming world of increasingly scarce natural resources is one of the greatestchallenges facinghumanity. Yet,evenundercurrentconditions,over10percentofpeoplegloballyareundernourishedandapproximately30percentaredeficientinkeymicronutrients.Theseburdenstendtobehigherinresource-poorhouseholds,andespeciallyamongstthemorevulnerablemembersofhouseholds.Thisisreflectedinthefactthathouseholdsinlow-tomiddle-incomecountriesaccountforalmostallundernourishedchildren.Anaemiaisprevalentinapproximately50percentofpregnantwomeninthesesamecountries.
Efficientandappropriateconsumptionofanimal-sourcefood(ASF)canprovideproteinwithanoptimalmixofaminoacidsandbioavailablemicronutrientssuchashaemironthatcansignificantlyenrichcereal-baseddiets. Inmixedfarmingcommunities,householdsthatraiseanimalsmayhaveaccesstoASFitemsthroughouttheyear,whereasstoredcropsoftendwindleintheweekstomonthspriortoharvest,resultinginahungerperiod.Unfortunately,despitetheavailabilityofASF,datasuggeststhatactualconsumptionofASFbyhouseholdsisextremelylowinresource-poorsettings.
ThispaperdiscusseskeychallengesandpotentialsolutionstolimitedASFintakeinlow-tomiddle-incomecountriesinrelationtoi)improvinganimalhealthmanagementtoreducetheriskofunplannedreductionsinherdandflocksizes;ii)effective,gender-sensitivecommunicationwithanimal-owninghouseholdsrelatingtoanimalhealthandhumanandanimalnutrition;iii)identifyingclimate-smartanimalproductioninitiativesthatarelocallyfeasible;iv)investigatingoptionsforthesustainableinclusionofsafe,ethicalandoptimalnutritionviatheregularincorporationofASFfromdomesticatedand/ornon-domesticatedanimalsintohumandiets.
APlanetaryHealthapproach(recognisingthatthehealthofhumancivilisationdependsonthehealthofnaturalsystems)wasusedintheframingofthispaper.Theproductionofsustainable,nutritiousandsafeASFdeliveredwithminimalwastehasthepotentialtopromotehuman,animalandenvironmentalhealth.Asgovernmentsworldwidegrapplewithunsustainablehealthbudgets,nutrition-sensitiveASFvaluechains,bolsteredbymoreeffectivepolicyframeworks,canhelptopreventmalnutritionandensurethattheASFproduceddeliversmaximumbenefits.ResourcefulandstrategicproductionandutilisationofASFhasacrucialroletoplayinachievingthesecondSustainableDevelopmentGoalrelatingtoendinghunger,deliveringfoodsecurityandimprovednutrition,whileatthesametimepromotingsustainableagriculture.
98TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
202 Beyonddigitalrevolution–Today’sresearchfortomorrow’slivestocktools
Doug McNicholl1
1Meat & Livestock Australia, Brisbane, Australia
AustralianredmeatproducersarebeginningtoadoptvariousaspectsofaprecisionsupplychainandMLAincollaborationwithindustry is support and driving this change. Programs such asMLA’s ‘ObjectiveMeasurement Program’ are developing andadaptingtechnologiesthatallowtheobjectivemeasurementof informationcapturedatvariouspointsalongthesupplychainwiththeaimofimprovingsupplychainperformanceandultimatelysupplyingconsumerswithaproducttheywillcontinuetobuyandpayapremiumfor.Thesuccessofthisthisprogramhasattractedinterestfromarangeoftechnologyandsolutionproviders,includinganEquineComputedTomography(CT)supplierandanAviationSecurityCTScannersupplier,whowillbothdevelopsolutionsforCTscanningliveanimals. AnothercompanywhodevelopsHyperspectralCamerasareestablishingthemselves inAustralia.AsecondMLAprogramknownas‘Unmanned’,isdemonstrating,evaluatinganddevelopingautonomoussystems.Theprogramwhichcoversbothaerial,land,tetheredandsatellitesolutionsaimstoprovideadditionaldigitalinformationonpastures,weatherandlivestock.Dougwillprovideanoverviewoftheseprogramsandwhattheymeanfortropicalproductionsystems.
99TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
203 Usingdatatochangetomorrow’sfarmactivitieswithpowerofprediction
Prof James Rowe1,ProfLewisKahn1,MrsLuHogan1,MrJohanBoshoff2,MrMichaelThomson3
1Sheep CRC, Armidale, Australia, 2University of New England, Armidale, Australia, 3CQUniversity Australia, Rockhampton, Australia
Manyfarmmanagementdecisionsarebasedonintuitivejudgementthatdrawon:inter-generationalexperience;keenobservation;farmdata;andvarioussourcesoftrustedinformationandadvice.
Activitiesareoftenplannedaroundlongtermaverageseasonalconditions,buteverchangingweatherandmarketconditionsraisetheneedforreschedulingorreassessmentwhenthefuturebringsnewchallengesoropportunities.Inpractice,mostreschedulingoccursonceconditionshavechangedratherthaninanticipationofthosechanges.
Thetransitionfrombeingreactivetoproactiverequiresassistancetolookintothefutureandinterpretthecomplexinteractionbetweensoil,plants,livestockandtheprobabilitiesofrain,heatandcold.ASKBILLisaweb-basedprogramthatdoesjustthat!Atthelevelofanindividualfarm,ASKBILLprovidesdailyupdatesoflongtermfeedbudgets,diseaserisksandproductiontargetsandsendsanalertifanyactionorachangeofplanisneeded.
PredictiveanalyticsinASKBILLuseallthedatathattheBureauofMeteorologycanprovidecombinedwithbiophysicalmodelsforsoilmoisture,pastures,wormsandflystriketoprovidealertswithrespecttoopportunitiesandrisks.ASKBILLisnotprescriptiveintellingwhattodobutprovidestimelypromptsandvaluablewhat-ifscenarioanalysistosupportintuitivedecisionmaking.JustASKBILLforacalculatedviewofthefuture.
100TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
204 Howdowegetourheadsoutofthesandwhentheyareupintheclouds?
Mr David McLean
Withtherapidadvancesintechnology,makinggooddecisionsshouldbeeasiernowadaysshouldn’tit?InthisseminarRCSGeneralManager,DavidMcLeanwilltalkaboutwhatisneededtomakeaprofessionaldecisionwithcleveruseofthemanytoolsavailabletoday.Producersarejugglingalotofballsonadailybasisanditisexpensivetodropone.TomakeagooddecisionDavidtalksabouthowproducersneedtolearnhowtocombinethegroundleveldetail(e.g.numberofheadinamobandhowheavytheyarenowcomparedto3,6,12monthsagoetc)upwiththehighlevelaggregateddata(e.g.whatwasourcostofproductionlastfinancialyear).“Weneedmeaningfulinformationatourfingertips.Ifittakestoomuchtimetoconverttheplethoraofdataintomeaningfulinformation,theproducersarelesslikelytodoitastheyprioritisesomethingelse.”Hesaysthisleadstoproducersrelyingongutinstinctandignoringtheusefulinformationthatcouldbereallyhelpingthem,andtheirbankbalance.
101TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
205 Thedigitalagronomist–Thechangingfaceoffarmadvisory
Mr Tim Neale1
1DataFarmer, Highfields, Australia
Agronomyisalmostasoldaprofessionasgrowingcropsthemselves,butthepaceofchangeinourdigitalworldisshiftingthewayweadvise.Everythingfromsoiltesting,cropchecking,onfarmtrials,andyieldrecordinghasnowhitthedigitalage.
AgronomistsareusingGPStotargetandre-visitsoiltestinglocations,givingusnewinsightsintosoilnutritionandamelioration(especiallypH)trends.
Cropcheckingnowcanbehighlytargetedbasedonhighresolutionsatellite,aerial,ordroneimagery.NDVI(normaliseddifferencevegetationindex)isthemostpopularsurrogateforcrophealth,andcanquicklysteeranagronomisttopartsofthefieldthatneedattention.Therearenowseveralgoodmobileplatformsavailableforagronomiststomakerecommendationsandsendthesetothegrowerinreal-time;whilstthechemicalisdispatchedfromthewarehousesimultaneously.
On-farmtrialsaregettingeasier,withtheadventofvariableratetechnologyandyieldmapping.Anadvisorcannowrunafertilitytrialwithoutthegrowerliftingafinger.Makingeachfarmand‘researchstation’isnowarealitygivinglocallyrelevant,nearreal-time,informationbacktothegrower.
Whenthingsgowrong,suchashailorspraydrift,unbiasedassessmentsusingyielddatacanbeconducted;takingsomeoftheguessworkoutofwhatcanoftenbeconsiderableclaims.
Possiblythemostexcitingpartofthefuturewithallthisdata,aredeepinsightswecouldgainwithdataanalytics.
102TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
206 Beyondtheacceptedmethods–Newtargetsforautomateddatagatheringonfarm
Assoc Prof Daniel Cozzolino1
1Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia
Farmersaredemandingrapid,cost-effectiveandeasy-to-usetoolsformonitoringchangesinphysicalandchemicalcharacteristicsorproperties inadiverserangeofagriculturalproductsandmaterialssuchascropsandplantpartsfromearlystagesofcropdevelopmentuntilharvest,animaltissues,fluidsandhair,soil,water,etc.Remotesensortoolsareextensivelyusedinmodernagriculturetomonitordifferentaspectsofcerealproduction(e.g.fertilization,cropdiseases),amongotherapplications.However,theneedtoincreaseofourunderstandingandmonitoringcapabilitiestheuseofproximalsensorstocomplementtheexistingtoolsisneeded.Thispresentationwilldiscuss,withexamples,recentandpotentialapplicationsontheuseofproximalsensorsbasedonnearinfrared(NIR)spectroscopytomonitordrymatter(DM)andwatercontentincrops,carboncontentinsoilsandhairanalysisinbeefcattle.
103TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
207 GPScows:Bringingagdataandnewtechnologiesintohighschools
Dr Amy Cosby1,AssociateProfessorMarkTrotter1
1Institute for Future Farming Systems, School of Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, North Rockhampton, Australia
Theagriculturalworkforceofthefutureneedtopossessadifferentsetofskillsandknowledgetoensuretheindustrycontinuestoinnovateandadoptnewtechnologies.The“GPSCows”programaimstoencourageandinspirestudentstopursueacareerintheagriculturalindustry.Itwillprovidethenextgenerationwithknowledgeofthelatestadvancesinlivestocktrackingandtheskillstocollectandanalysedatawhichcanbeusedtoincreaseon-farmproductivity,profitabilityandsustainability.
Theprojectisbasedaroundthecollaborativedevelopmentofalearningresourcebyseveralkeystakeholdersincludingleadingeducators, researchersand industryprofessionals.Nine schools fromQueenslandandNewSouthWalesand theQueenslandAgricultureTrainingCollegeswillcontributetothedevelopmentofthelearningmodulebeforedeliveringtheresourcetotheirstudents.EachschoolwilldeployGPStrackingcollarsontheirschoolfarmtoansweraresearchquestiontheyareinterestedin.
The“GPSCows”resourcewillbeevaluatedtodetermineitseffectivenessinengagingstudentsindigitalliteracyandimprovingknowledgeoftherelevanceoftechnologyinagriculture.Theactionresearchprotocolbeingfollowedensuresthatfeedbackisgainedfromallparticipantstoimprovethelearningmoduleandimprovedunderstandingofthechallengesforallparticipants.Itisexpectedthatthestudentsandeducatorsinvolvedintheprojectwillwalkawaywithanincreasedappreciationandknowledgeoftheroleoftechnologyinagricultureandthesocial,economicandenvironmentalbenefitsthatcanbeobtained.
104TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
208 PredictionbasedcropimprovementbycombiningWholeGenomePredictionwithCropGrowthModels
Dr Mark Cooper1,DrCarlosMessina2,DrFrankTechnow3
1Zenrun42 Inc., Johnston, United States, 2DuPont Pioneer, Johnston, USA, 3DuPont Pioneer, Woodstock, Canada
Predictionbasedcropimprovementisfeasibletoday.Onepopularapproachisadirectextensionofthetraditionalplantbreedingmethods,usingapplicationsofWholeGenomePrediction(WGP)tocomplementandscaleempiricalbreedingprograms.Usingthephenotypicdatageneratedbytheempiricaltestingstagesofbreedingprogramssuitabletrainingdatasetscanbeconstructed.Withaccesstosequencebasedfingerprintsoftheindividualsincludedinthetrainingdatasetsstatisticalmethodscanbeappliedto associate sequencepolymorphismswith trait phenotypic variation. The resulting statisticalmodels can thenbe applied toindividualsthathavebeengenotyped,withorwithoutphenotypicinformation,toobtaintraitphenotypicpredictions.Whilethisprediction-basedmethodologyallowsa scalingof the traditionalbreedingmethodology itdoesnot solve some long-standingproblems,inparticularcomplicationsassociatedwithgenotype-by-environment(GxE)interactions.Onepotentialresolutionthathasbeenproposedinvolvestheuseofasuitablecropgrowthmodel(CGM)withinthemodel-buildingstepofWGPtoaccountfortheinfluencesofenvironmentalvariationandtraitvariationgivingrisetotheGxEinteractionsforhigherordertraits,suchasgrainyield.ThecurrentstatusofthisCGM-WGPmethodologyisreviewedandsomeofthepotentialadvantagesdiscussed.
105TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
209 Whywasgenomic selection so rapidlyadopted in theUSbeef anddairyindustries?
Dr Stewart Bauck1
1Neogen Geneseek, Lincoln, United States
SincetheintroductionoftheIlluminaBovineSNP50chiptotheglobalcommunityinJanuary2008,andthelaunchofgenomicenhancedPTAintheU.S.dairyevaluation,therehasbeenasteadyadoptionofthetechnologyinthecattleindustriesintheUnitedStates.Behindthisareavarietyoffactorsthathavecreateda“perfectstorm”ofcircumstancesrevolutionizinganimalbreeding.
Firstamongtheseistheavailabilityofhighdensitygenotypingarraysthatproduceaccurate,repeatableandhighqualitygenotypedatathatisconsistentfromsampletosample.Coupledwiththishighfidelityinthedesignandfunctionalityofthearraysisaconcomitantdecreaseinthecostpersample–uptofivefoldreductionoverthepast9years.Withhighqualitydatahascomerapidevolutioninthebio-informaticsandstatisticsforincorporationofgenomicdataintogeneticprediction,suchthathighlyaccuratepredictionsareavailablefromanimalsthatareonedayorage(orlessnow,withembryobiopsy).
Inadditiontothetechnicalfeaturesofthechipsandgenomicpredictionsarelessobviousbutequallyimportantchangesincludingnew sample collectors that areeasy to apply anddeliver integrity in the sample (eg. Allflex TSU), rapid turnaroundtimeonthesamplesanddata(includingGuaranteedTurnAroundTimeforGeneSeekGenomicProfilers)andtheavailabilityofadjacenttechnologysuchasgenderselectedsementhatensures90+%femalescalvesfrominseminations,withlittleornolossinfertilityorpregnancyrates.
106TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
210 Speed breeding with genomic selection to accelerate wheat varietydevelopment
Miss Amy Watson1,DrLeeHickey1,DrJessicaRutkoski2,DrJackChristopher3,DrJessePoland4,ProfBenHayes1
1QAAFI, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 2Cornell University, Ithaca, United States, 3QAAFI, The University of Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia, 4Kansas State University, Manhattan, United States
Genomicselection(GS)inwheatcouldaccelerateyieldgainprincipallythroughareductioninbreedingcycleduration.Amethodforrapidgenerationadvancecalled‘speedbreeding’(SB)enablesuptosixgenerationsofspringwheatperyear,andcouldbeusedtoacceleratethedevelopmentofinbredlinesrequiredforGS,thusenablingevenfurthergains.Toimprovetheaccuracyofselectionforimprovedyields,manyheritabletraitsthataregeneticallycorrelatedwithyieldcouldbemeasuredunderSBandusedinmultivariatemodelstoimprovegeneticgain(overthatoftraditionalunivariatemodelsonlycontainingyielddataofthetrainingpopulation).Foreaseofcomputation,theseproxytraitsmaybeconsolidatedintoasmallnumberofprincipalcomponents(PC).Totestthesehypotheses,130double-haploidlinesfromaSeriM82xHartogspringwheatpopulation,genotypedwith4,000GBSpolymorphicmarkers,wasgrownunderglasshouseSBconditionsandphenotypedforthefollowingtraits:daystoanthesis,height,andspikeandflagleaf length.Thepopulationwasevaluatedforyieldinnon-waterstressed,anthesiswaterstressandpost-anthesiswaterstressfieldenvironments.Usingfive-foldcrossvalidation,yieldpredictionabilityforeachenvironment,usingbothunivariateandmultivariatemodelsincludingSBproxytraitsortheirPCs,werecompared.ResultsindicatemultivariateGSprediction includingSBproxytraitsor theirPCscan improveselectionforfield-basedyield.ThesetraitscouldbephenotypedduringrapidlinedevelopmentunderSBandusedwithtrainingpopulationyielddatatoadvancegeneticgainandwheatvarietydevelopment.
107TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
211 Largescalegenomicselectionintropicallyadaptedcattletoimprovefertilityandmeatquality
Dr Matthew Kelly1,DrGerhardMoser1
1Australian Agricultural Company, Brisbane, Australia
AustralianAgriculturalCompany(AACo)isAustralia’slargestintegratedcattleandbeefproducer.AACooperatesastrategicbalanceofproperties,feedlotsandfarmscomprisingaround7millionhectaresoflandinQueenslandandtheNorthernTerritory.Mostofthesepropertiesarelocatedwithintropicalenvironmentsassuchourcattlemustbeabletothriveunderharshenvironmentswheretheyareexposedtomanystressorsincludingheat,humidityandparasites.AACorunsthreeseed-stockbreedingoperationstailoredtoproducebullssuitedtotheirappropriateenvironmentandsupplychains.OurBrahmanherdproducesbullsforourharshest environments. AACo’s four-breed composite females aremated toWagyubulls to produce crossbred calves for thecommercialsupplychain.TheWagyuseedstockherdalsoproducesbullsforourlong-fedpurebredproductionsystem.IntegratedsupplychainsallowAACotocapturethebenefitfromgeneticimprovementandclearmarketsignalsinformselectiondecisions.Collectinggenomicinformationoncommercialanimalsmeasuredforgrowthandcarcasstraitswillsignificantlyincreasetherateofgeneticimprovementinallthreebreedingprograms.Femalereproductiveperformanceisakeyprofitdriverforthenorthernbeef industry.Rateofgeneticgaincouldbedramatically increasedbydevelopinga resourcepopulationbycollecting lifetimereproductiveperformanceoffemalestodevelopgeneticevaluationforyoungbulls.
108TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
212 Genomicselectioninhorticulture
Dr Satish Kumar1,DrCraigHardner2,DrCameronPeace3
1Plant and Food Research, Havelock North, New Zealand, 2University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia, 3Washington State University , Pullman, USA
Perennialfruitcropssuchascitrus,banana,appleandgrapeareimportantamonghorticulturalcrops,providinglivelihoods,health,andaddingbillionsofdollarstotheworldeconomy.Mostfruitcropshavealongjuvenilityperiod,whichcanlastuptoeightyears,sothattraditionalfruitbreedingoftentakesupto25yearstodevelopcommercialcultivars.Thetimelinecouldbeevenlongerifnovelattributes(e.g.,diseaseresistance)areintrogressedfromwildgermplasmtofirstdevelopparentsforcultivarbreeding.Genomics-assistedbreedingprovidemoredirectandquickersolutionstofast-forwardthedevelopmentofhigh-valuecultivars.Sequencingofgenomesofsomemajorfruitspeciesduringthelast10yearshasfacilitatedthedevelopmentofhigh-throughputcost-effectivegenotypingplatformssuchassinglenucleotidepolymorphic(SNP)arraysandreduced-complexitygenotyping-by-sequencing(GBS).Accesstothesegenomicresources isprovidingopportunitiesforapplicationofanoveltoolcalledgenomicselection(GS).ThemostattractivefeatureofGSisthatithasthepotentialtodramaticallyshortenthebreedingcyclelengthbyobviatingtheneedtophenotypeselectionpopulations.Fruitcharactersthatconstituteasuperiorcultivarareoftenpolygenicintheirinheritance,andGSisbestsuitedforselectionofcultivarcandidatesforsuchtraits.EvaluationofGSinvariousfruitcrops,includingapple,pear,peach,grapes,sweetcherryandstrawberry,haveprovidedpromisingselectionaccuracies.Asaresult,GSisnowbeingusedinsomecommercialfruitbreedingprogrammes.ResultsfromempiricalstudiesandfuturepotentialsofGSinfruitcropswillbediscussed.
109TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
213 The futureof genomic selection - Incorporatingbiological information ingenomicpredictions
Dr Iona Macleod1,DrPhilBowman1,ProfBenHayes2,DrChristyVanderJagt1,MrMulusewFikere1,DrAmandaChamberlain1,DrHansDaetwyler1,ProfMichaelGoddard1
1Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport & resources, Bundoora, Australia, 2Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), Brisbane, Australia
Todate,genomicpredictionofperformanceinanimalsandplantsexploitsrelativelydensegenome-wideDNAmarkers(SNPchips).GenomicpredictionworksbyapplyingstatisticalmethodsthatlinktheDNAmarkersgenotypestotheexpressionofcomplextraits,suchasgrowthordiseaseresistance,thatmaybeinfluencedbymanyhundredsofcausalmutations.Thesegenomicpredictionmethodsrequirenopriorbiologicalknowledgeofgenesormutationsthataffectatrait,andindeedassumethatalltheDNAmarkersareequallylikelytobeassociatedwiththetrait.ThisnaïveapproachworkswelliftheDNAmarkersliecloseto,orarestronglylinkedtoallthecausalmutationsthatunderpinthetrait.However,thisisnotalwaysthecaseandforexample,genomicpredictionsdonotworkwellwhenthetargetpopulationisnotcloselyrelatedtothepopulationusedtotrainthegenomicprediction(suchasadifferentbreed/strain).ApotentialsolutionistoimputeallindividualswithSNPchipgenotypestowhole-genomesequence,andintheorythiswillincludethecausalmutations.However,inpracticeusingthenaïvegenomicpredictionmodelswithwhole-genomesequencehasnotimprovedtheaccuracyofgenomicprediction.Wehavedevelopedagenomicpredictionmethodthatincorporatesbiologicalinformationandexploitssequencedata.Wewillpresentpracticalexamplestodemonstratetheapplicationofthismethodtoimprovetheaccuracyofgenomicprediction.
110TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
214 Lessonsfromtemperatecropsfortropicalcropbiofortification
Prof Roger Hellens1
1QUT, Brisbane, Australia
Horticulturalcropsweresomeof thefirstplants tobedomesticates. Temperate fruitcrops likeapple,grapesandstone fruit(Peaches,plumsandapricots)havebenefitedfromconsiderablegeneticimprovementoverthousandsofyears.Itisperhapsnosurprisethattheseheavilypopulateandwealthyregionsoftheglobehaveinvestedtimeandeffortintonewcultivarsthroughselection,breedingandatleasttwoexampleofderegulatedgeneticmodification.Bycontrastmanytropicalcropshavehadlessinvestmentinnewcultivardevelopment.Cropssuchasbananaandmangobeinggloballysignificant,andaccountforproductionvolumesgreatthatthetoptemperatecrops,theyfacemanychallengesthatcanbeaddressthroughnewcultivardevelopmentprogrammes.
Inadditiontoselectionofattributesforimprovedproductions(productivity,yield,nutrientuseanddiseaseresistance)breedersofwholefoodalsoneedtofocusontraitsthatareconsumertoconsumers.Selectionswithenhancehealth,tasteorconveniencehavethemostinfluenceonconsumption.Thedevelopmentofthesetraitsintemperatecropswillbediscussedandtheapplicationtonewcultivarsoftropicalandsub-tropicalcropsconsidered.
111TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
215 Highfolatestrawberries–Finallysomethingtasty?
Dr Michael Netzel1,MsLisaStriegel1,2,MsSorayaChebib1,2,MsEvaBiehl1,2,DrGabrieleNetzel1,DrMarkHerrington3,ProfessorMichael Rychlik2
1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University Of Queensland, Coopers Plains, Australia, 2Technical University Munich, Freising/Munich, Germany, 3Agri-Science Queensland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Nambour, Australia
Strawberriesareconsideredatastyandhealthyfruitbyconsumersandmaypotentiallybeanimportantdietarysourceofnaturalfolates.Therelativeimportanceofstrawberryasasourcewilldependonbioavailabilityandconcentrationandislikelyinfluencedby cultivar and environment. Folates are a groupofwater-soluble vitamers and are coenzymes formethyl, formyl andothersinglefunctionalcarbongrouptransfers.FolatevitamersareinvolvedinDNA,proteinandneurotransmittersynthesisandcannotbe biosynthesized in humans. Folate is also considered as a critical vitamin. Folate deficiency is associatedwith neural tubedefectsinnewborns.AninadequateintakeisalsoknowntobeinvolvedincardiovascularandAlzheimer`sdiseaseaswellasinthedevelopmentofcertainformsofcancer.InaninitialunreplicatedscreeningstudyofasampleofAustraliangrowncommercialandexperimentalgenotypesofstrawberry,andusingstate-of-the-artstableisotopedilutionassays(SIDA),wefoundtotalfolatecontentsof82–161μg/100gfreshweight.These levelsarewellabovethevalue intheNUTTABdatabase(39µg/100gfreshweight). At thesehigh concentrations, a single serve of Australian grown strawberriesmaydeliver a considerable amount oftheFSANZ recommendeddaily intake (RDI) for folate.The resultsofapilotbioavailability studywithhealthyhumansubjectsconsumingstrawberries,5-methyltetrahydrofolate(supplement)andafolate-freecontrolwillbealsopresented.
[ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyHorticultureInnovationAustraliaLtd.,project:“NaturallyNutritious”/HN15001]
112TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
216 Sweetcornbiofortification–Isa1000%increasepossible?
Dr Tim O’Hare1
1QAAFI University of Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia
Sweetcornisagooddietarysourceofthecarotenoidpigment‘zeaxanthin’,oneofonlytwocarotenoidsactivelyaccumulatedinthehumanmacula.Zeaxanthinisthoughttoprotectagainstblue-lightoxidationofphotoreceptorcells,thelossofwhichleadstoage-relatedmaculardegeneration,theleadingformofblindnessinindustrialisedcountries.Ashumanscannotsynthesisezeaxanthin,itmustbeobtainedfromourdiet.Althoughsweetcornhasoneofthehighestconcentrationsofzeaxanthin,itisstillwellbelowtheconsensusconcentrationof2mg/person/dayusedforclinicalstudiesorsupplementformulations.Toobtainthisconcentration,apersonwouldhavetoconsumeapproximately4-11cobsperday,whichisclearlyinfeasible.Currently,sweetcorncultivarshaveazeaxanthinconcentrationofapproximately0.2mgper100gkernels.Thiskernelweightisapproximatelyequivalenttoasmallcob,whichcouldbeconsumedaspartofanormalmeal.Thismeans,atenfoldor1000%increaseinzeaxanthinconcentrationwouldbenecessarytoprovideadailydosageof2mgfromasinglecob.Althoughthisincreasecouldbeviewedasextremelychallenging,itwas recently achieved via conventional breedingwith the development of several sweetcorn lineswith greater than 2mgzeaxanthinper100g.Bycombininga2-3foldincreaseintotalcarotenoidproductionwithanincreasedproportionofzeaxanthinfrom20%to70%oftotalcarotenoidspresent,itisnowpossibletoingest2mgofzeaxanthinfromasinglecob,providingoneofthebestsourcesofzeaxanthininourdiet.
113TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
217 Highpro-vitaminAbananas–AfirstforAfrica
Prof James Dale1
1Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Micronutrientdeficiencies,oftenknownasthehiddenhunger,areoneofthemostseriousofthepublichealthproblemsintheworld.Vastlydisproportionallyaffectingdevelopingcountries,strategiestoovercomethesedeficienciessuchassupplementsandfoodfortificationhavebeenveryeffectivebutmissmanyofthepoorestofthepoor.Biofortificationisaveryattractivestrategywherestaplecropsaredevelopedwithhigh levelsofspecificmicronutrients. InUgandaandothersurroundingcountries, thelevelsofvitaminAdeficiency (VAD)arehighand increasing.Cookingbananasare themajorstaple foodwithconsumption inUgandamorethan500gperpersonperday.AsacontributiontoalleviatingVADinUgandainitially,QUTjoinedwiththeNationalAgriculturalResearchOrganisationofUgandatodevelopEastAfricanHighlandbananaswithsignificantlyelevatedlevelsofpro-vitaminA(α&β-carotene).ThestrategywastodevelopthetechnologyinAustraliathroughfieldtrialsusingCavendishbananasasthemodelandthentransferthetechnologytoUgandafordeploymentinEastAfricanHighlandbananas.Wehavebeenableto generatebothCavendishandEastAfricanHighlandbananaswithmore than threetimes the target levelofpro-vitaminAbyoverexpressingasinglebananagene,thephytoenesynthase2agenederivedfromAsupina,abanananaturallyveryhighinpro-vitaminA.ThesemodifiedplantsarenowinalineselectiontrialinUgandafromwhichasmallnumberofelitelineswillbeprogressedthroughmulti-locationfieldtrialstoderegulation.
114TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
218 Potentialhealthbenefitsofbreedinghighflavonoidapples
Prof Jonathan Hodgson1
1Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
Flavonoidsarenaturalphytochemicalsthatarecurrentlythefocusofmuchnutritionalandtherapeuticinterest.Dietaryflavonoidscanimprovevascularfunctionandthereismountingevidencethathighflavonoidintakescanprotectagainstheartdisease.Therearemanyhundredsofstructurallydistinctflavonoidspresentinthehumandiet.Thebioactivityofthedifferentclassesofflavonoidsandofflavonoidswithdifferentstructuralcharacteristicscanvarywidely.Thus,themechanismsofactionandtheultimatehealthimpactof specificpolyphenol-rich foodsmayvary.Applesarean importantdietarysourceofflavonoids.Theycontainseveralflavonoids,buttheskinofapplesisparticularlyrichintheflavonoidquercetin.OurresearchprogramaimstosuccessfullyreleasenewAustralian-bredapplevarietieswithenhancedhealthattributes.Akeycomponentofthisresearchprogramisevaluationofthevascularhealthbenefitsofapplesandtheirflavonoids.Inobservationalstudieswehavedemonstratedthatappleintakeisassociatedwithlowerriskofmortalityandlowerriskofsevereatherosclerosis,andthatflavonoidspresentinapplesareassociatedwithlowerriskofcardiovasculardiseaseandall-causemortality.Inhumaninterventionstudieswehaveshownthatconsumptionofapplescanimprovevascularfunction,butthesamebenefitscouldnotbedemonstratedwiththepurifiedflavonoidquercetin.Thesestudiesprovideproofofconceptthatbreedingappleswithhighflavonoidcontentwouldenhancetheirhealthattributes.Thismaybeanimportantcomponentofthemarketsuccessofnewapplevarieties.
115TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
219 Notanothertypicalcornytrial:Geneticandagronomiczincbiofortificationofsweetcorn
Mr Zhong Xiang Cheah1,2,DrTimO’Hare2,DrStephenHarper3,DrJitkaKochanek1,DrPeterM.Kopittke1,ProfMichaelBell1,2
1School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University Of Queensland, Gatton, Australia, 2Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Gatton, Australia, 3Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Gatton, Australia
Zincdeficiencyiswidespreadinagriculturalsoils,resultinginca.30%oftheworld’spopulationbeingconsideredzinc-deficient.Thisdeficiencyisrankedasthefifthleadingcauseofdiseaseinthedevelopingworld,especiallyamongchildren,pregnantwomenandtheelderly.Ithasalsobeenassociatedwithage-relatedmaculardegeneration(AMD),theleadingsourceofblindnessinthedevelopedworld.
Biofortificationhasbeenshowntobe themostcost-effectiveapproachtoaddressingmalnutrition,butzincbiofortificationofmaizeoverthelast15yearshasnotreacheditsfullpotentialasthetoughouterlayer,wherezincisdeposited,isoftenremovedduringprocessingintoflour.Apromisingalternativeissweetcorn,sincetheentirekernelisconsumed,includingthezinc-richouterlayer.Beingoneofthewidelyconsumedfreshvegetablesworldwide,itisacandidateforzincbiofortificationresearch,promisingtodeliverpotentialbenefitsinbothdevelopedanddevelopingcountries.
Thisstudyfocusesonzincbiofortificationofsweetcorn,apreviouslyunreportedresearcharea.Inthisresearch,geneticvariationforhighzincuptakeandstorageisbeingquantifiedinbreedingpopulations,withsuitablecandidatesidentifiedaspotentialfutureparentsfortargetedcrosses.Concurrently,researchisalsoexploringagronomicandfertilizerapplicationstrategiesthatmaydeliverelevatedzincconcentrationsincommercialcrops.Earlyresultsindicatethatsweetcornzincconcentrationscouldpotentiallybedoubledoreventripled,enablingsweetcorntocontributealargeproportionoftherecommendeddailyintakeofthisimportantmicronutrient.
116TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
220 Aglobalperspectiveontheresponsibleuseofantimicrobialsinveterinarymedicine
Dr Shabbir Simjee1
1Elanco Animal Health, Basingstoke, United Kingdom
Antimicrobialuseinveterinarymedicinehasbecomeanimportantpoliticalissue,especiallyinrelationtothecontributionthatantimicrobialresistancemightplayasignificantrole inhumanmedicineandtheirstrugglestocontaintheirownantimicrobialproblemsinhealthcaresituationssuchasinhospitalsandcarehomes,leadingtocallsatapoliticallevelfornationalactionplanstobedeveloped.TheWHOandOIEhavecreatedcriticallyimportantantibioticlistforhumanmedicineandveterinarymedicine,respectively.RegionalCIAhavebeendevelopedbytheFDAintheUSandEMAintheEU.Withrespecttoveterinarymedicineitcanbeagreedthatantibioticsareanessentialtooltomaintainthehealthofanimalsandmoreimportantlyareneededtomaintainproductionofsafefoodforhumanconsumption.
Antibioticsaretypicallyusedinveterinarymedicineeitherforatherapeuticindicationofdiseasesi.e.fortreatment,controlandpreventionorasagrowthenhancer,alsocalledAGPuse.TherehasbeenmuchdebateovertheAGPuseofantibioticsinveterinarymedicineandtheEU,takingtheprecautionaryprincipleapproach,bannedAGPuseasof1stJanuary2006.Incontrast,basedonscientificriskassessmentsandlearningsfromtheEU,theUSFDAtookamorepragmaticapproachlimitingAGPuseonlytonon-medicallyimportantantibiotics.
This talkwill giveanoverviewof someof the significantglobaldevelopmentswith regards toantimicrobialuse in veterinarymedicineespeciallyrecentdevelopmentsaroundNationalActionPlans,AGP,colistinandzincoxide.
117TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
221 AntimicrobialresistancesurveillanceinlivestockinAustralia
Prof Darren Trott1,SAbraham2
1The University of Adelaide, Roseworth, Australia, 2Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia
Australiaisalarge,isolatedislandwithdiverseclimateandgeography,asparsehumanpopulation(22.7million,2.9peopleperkm2withover60%livingincitiesofgreaterthan1millionpeople),significantpopulationsoffood-producinganimals(e.g.74.7millionsheep;28.5millioncattle)andasubstantialmeatexport industry. In linewithrestrictionsonfluoroquinoloneuse inhumans,Australiaistheonlycountrythathaslegalmeasuresinplacetoexcludetheuseoffluoroquinolonesinfood-animalspecies.LabelconstraintsforthirdgenerationcephalosporinuseinAustralianfood-animalsareverystrictbyinternationalcomparison,andtherearenoregisteredproductsforAustralianlivestockthatcontainfourthgenerationcephalosporinsorcolistin.TherealsoarelargedifferencesbetweenAustraliaandothercountrieswithrespecttoanimalproduction(astrongerrelianceonextensiveproductionwithouthousing),quarantinebansontheimportationoffreshmeatandliveanimals,andthefactthatAustraliaisgeographicallyisolatedwithno shared landborders.WhilstAustralia alsodoesnot currentlyhaveanational, federally fundedantimicrobialresistancesurveillanceprogrammefocusedonanimals,anumberofpilotsurveysandfeasibilitystudieshavebeenconductedinrecentyears.Thesestudieshaveconsistentlyconfirmedalowpublichealthriskinthefood-animalsectorrelatedtoresistanceagainstcriticallyimportantdrugssuchasfluoroquinolones.However,therecentemergenceofMDRSalmonellaentericaserotypeTyphimuriumcontainingblaCTX-M-9indairycattleinVictoriaisacauseforconcernandshouldrefocusattentionontheoff-labeluseofceftiofurindairies.
118TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
222 AntimicrobialuseandstewardshipinanimalhealthinAustralia
DrLauraY.Hardefeldt1,2,DrHelenBillman-Jacobe1,2,ProfJamesR.Gilkerson1,DrKirstenE.Bailey1,2,Prof Glenn F. Browning1,2
1Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia, 2National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
CurrentunderstandingofpatternsofantimicrobialuseinanimalhealthinAustraliaisrestrictedto5yearlycompilationsofimportdata. Thesedata provide little information about thefinal patterns of useof these antimicrobials, andno information aboutthe indications underlying their administration to animals.Withoutmoredetailed information it is very difficult to judge theappropriatenessofantimicrobialuseinanimalhealthandimpossibletotargetmeasurestoimproveantimicrobialstewardship.Wehavefocussedondevelopingtoolsforimprovingantimicrobialstewardshipinanimalhealthbyinitiallysurveyingveterinarypractitionersabouttheirapproachtoprophylacticadministrationofantimicrobials,andthebarrierstoandenablersofimprovedantimicrobialstewardship.Wehavedevelopedapilottoolforgatheringdataontheindicationsunderlyingprescribingandarecurrentlytriallingitsuseinthefield.Oneofthebarrierswehaveidentifiedisthereadyavailabilityoftoolsforpromotingpracticeantimicrobialusepolicies.Tofacilitatethiswehavegeneratedantimicrobialuseguidelinesandpolicypostersinformatssuitableforuseinpractice.Ongoingdevelopmentoftoolsforpromotinggoodantimicrobialstewardshipandformonitoringpatternsofantimicrobialusetoassesstheeffectsofstewardshipmeasureswillbeneededtoassureconsumers,tradepartners,regulatorsandthegeneralpublicthattheuseofantimicrobialdrugsinAustralianagricultureisappropriate.
119TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
223 Caeci Caecos Ducentes
Dr Pat Blackall1
1QAAFI, UQ, Brisbane, Australia
Thetitleofthispresentationisarecognitionofthepriorpublicationsofhighprofilemicrobiologists–oneaclinicalmicrobiologist(DavidGreenwood-Invitroveritas?1980JInfDis144:380-385)andtheothertwoveterinarymicrobiologists(JohnWoolcockandMalMutimer-Caeci caecos ducentes?1983VetRec113:125-128).Bothpublicationsquestionedtheroleandreliabilityofinvitroantimicrobialsensitivitytesting–onefromahumanmedicineviewandtheotherfromtheveterinaryview.DavidGreenwoodpresentedanargumentthatroutineantimicrobialsensitivitytestingintheclinicallaboratorieswasawasteofresources–arguingthatfocussedtestingonlywhenjustifiedbytheindividualsituation(seriousandorproblematicinfections)shouldbethenorm.JohnWoolcockandMalMutimerarguedthattheveterinarysituationwasdifferentasseriousillnessandproblematicinfectionsarenotamajorfeatureoftheveterinaryscene.However,theyarguedthatthereweremajorlimitationstotheinterpretationofantimicrobialsensitivitytestingintheveterinarydiagnosticsetting.Theyarguedthatboththelaboratorystaffandtheveterinarianusing the resultsneed tohaveamuchgreaterawarenessof these limitsof invitro testing.This talkwill lookatwhether theintervening30yearsofresearchandstandardizationhavealteredthesituationforveterinarydiagnosticlaboratories.
120TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
224 Moleculardetectionoftetracyclineresistancegenesinsalmonellaisolatedfromporkandpoultryegg
Paul Blanca Gaban1
PhilippineCarabaoCentre,Phillipines
Tetracyclineresistanceinbacteriaisaseriousissueworldwideduetothefrequentuseoftetracyclineforprophylaxisandgrowthpromotion,aside fromdisease treatmentandpreventionamong livestockanimals.Thus, thepresent study is focusedon thedetectionoftetracyclineresistancedeterminants(tetA,tetB,tetG)onidentifiedSalmonellaisolatesfromfourmunicipalitiesofNuevaEcija,PhilippinesusingaPCR-basedprotocol.
240eggsand180freshporkcutswereboughtfromdifferentwetmarketsin10municipalitiesoftheprovinceofNuevaEcija,Philippines.Allthesampleswereculturedinnon-selectiveenrichmentmediumandselectivemediumforSalmonellabacterialcultureandisolation.IsolatedcoloniesweresubjectedtocolonyPCRtargetingtheconservedinvAgeneofSalmonellaspp.Only13isolatesfromthealbuminsamplesand18isolatesfromtheporksamplesshowedtheexpected219bpampliconsize.DNAsequenceidentifiedtwoSalmonellaspecieswith99%identity,thesewereSalmonellaentericaserovarenteriditisandSalmonellaentericaserovartyphimurium.
41.67%ofalbuminisolatesfromGuimbawerepositivetotetBand8.33%arepositivetotetA.Ontheotherhand,amongtheporksamplesfromCabanatuanCity,TalaveraandSanJoseCity5%werepositivetotetAand0.91%waspositivetotetB.However,tetGwasnotdetectedamongalltheisolates.Thus,theprotocolusedwasabletodetectthepresenceoftetracyclineresistancegenes.However,alargerstudyareaincludingallthemunicipalitiesinNuevaEcijaisrecommendedforamoreintensivesurveillanceoftetracyclineresistanceintheprovince.
121TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
225 Assessing the role of public institutions in facilitating an inclusive globalvaluechain:AcomparativeanalysisofthenaturalrubberindustryinSouthandSoutheastAsia
DrAmmarAbdulAziz1,Muhammad Fadzli Ali1
1University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia
Engagement with an inclusive agricultural commodity chain has been shown to play a crucial role in improving smallholderlivelihoodsandpromotingruraleconomicdevelopment.Whiletheproductionofmanyagriculturalcommoditiesbenefitsfromprivateagribusinessfirms facilitating the inclusionof smallholders throughcontributionssuchas technology, capital,markets,labour, and knowledge, the natural rubber industry is primarily reliant on national policies andpublic institutions to supportrubbersmallholders.This ismainlyduetothelackof incentivefortheinvolvementofprivateagribusinessfirms.Smallholdersaccountformorethan90%ofglobalnaturalrubbersupply.Therefore,effectivesmallholder-orientedpoliciesareessentialforasustainablerubberindustry.Inthispaperweanalysetherolesofresearchorganisations,extensionserviceproviders,andsupportmechanismsforreplantinginimprovingtheintegrationofsmallholdersintheglobalvaluechain.WeexaminethenaturalrubberindustryinThailand,Indonesia,Malaysia,andIndiatocomparetheimpactofthesepublicinstitutionsontheproductionefficiencyof thesmallholdersectorandthe improvementof rural livelihoods.Thedataandanalysisarederived fromongoingresearchandsecondarysources.Thecomparisonof the fourproducingcountrieshighlights theachievementsandchallengesof theseorganisationsinensuringasustainablesmallholder-basedrubberindustry.Theanalysisconfirmstheeffectiveroleofgovernmentpolicies in spearheading research anddevelopment and facilitating the effective transfer of technology. Theproductivity andprofitabilityofthesmallholdersectorisheavilydependentonthesupportsystemsavailablethroughthesepublicinstitutions.
122TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
226 SmallholderparticipationinthepalmoilvaluechaininMalaysia,Indonesia,andThailand
Prof Rob Cramb1
1University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Thelongboomintropicaloilcropshasgeneratedmajoreconomic,social,andenvironmentalchangeinproducingcountries.OilpalmproductionhasbeenatthecentreofthischangeinSoutheastAsia,wherethereison-goingconflictanddebateregardingthemeritsoflarge-scalecorporateproductionsystemsversusthedevelopmentalbenefitsofencouragingsmall-andmedium-scaleholdings.ThethreemajorSoutheastAsianproducers–Indonesia,Malaysia,andThailand–havepursuedcontrastingapproachestothisissue,withsignificantimpactsonthedegreeofsmallholderparticipationinthepalmoilvaluechain.InthispaperIreviewthedebate about themerits andmodesof supporting smallholderoil palmand compare the relationsbetween smallholderoilpalmproducersandothervalue-chainactorsunderthethreedifferentpolicyregimes. Ialsoexaminethepotentialforandconstraintstosmallholderparticipationinglobalcertificationschemesdesignedtoensuresustainablepalmoilproduction.Iusethisstudytosuggestageneralframeworkforthestudyofsmallholderengagementinglobalvaluechains.
123TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
227 Developingvalue-chainlinkagestoimprovesmallholdercassavaproductioninSoutheastAsia
Dr Dominic Smith1,DrJonathanNewby1,2,ProfessorRobCramb1
1University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia, 2International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Vientiane, Lao PDR
The recentboom inglobalmarkets for cassavahas created livelihoodopportunities formany smallholders in SoutheastAsia.Researchhasgeneratedanabundanceoftechnologiesthatcouldenhancetheproductivityandsustainabilityofthesecassavaproducers.Whilenationalgovernmentpolicieshavenotprioritisedthedisseminationofthesetechnologies,wehypothesisethat,inparticularcontexts,private-sectorvalue-chainactorshaveincentivestoinvestinthepromotionofsuitablevarieties,fertiliserregimes,pestcontrol,andotherproductionpractices. Inothercontextsthereis little incentiveforprivate-sector involvement,andsupportfrompublic-sectorornon-governmentactorswillberequired.Inthispaperweprovideanoverviewofsmallholdercassavaproductionintheregionandthedriversbehindtherecentboom.Wethenpresentaframeworktoanalysetheincentivesforprivatevalue-chainactorstoinvestinthepromotionofdifferenttechnologies,takingintoaccount(1)thecharacteristicsofthetechnology,(2)thenatureoftheproductionsystem,and(3)thefeaturesofthevaluechain,includingtheabilityofagribusinessactors to capture thebenefitsof any investment in technologydissemination.We test this framework throughapreliminaryanalysis of three contrasting case studies: (1) a value chain centredon a large starch factorywith awide catchment areaofsmallholdersuppliersinDaklakProvince,Vietnam;(2)across-bordervaluechainlinkingsmallholdersinKratieProvince,Cambodia,tostarchfactoriesinVietnam;and(3)alocalvaluechainforcassavaasafoodcropinNusaTenggaraTimurProvince,Indonesia.
124TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
228 Theeconomicsofsmall-holdercattleproductionandmarketinginEasternIndonesia
Dr Scott Waldron1
1The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
The“InternationalLivestockRevolution”literaturehasoverthelast30yearsforecastanddocumentedthedemand-ledgrowthof the livestock sector in thedevelopingworld.There isparticular interest in the implications for small-holderswhostand tobenefitfromnewmarkets,butwhocanalsobecrowdedoutbycommercialoperatorsandimports.Theparticipationofsmall-holdersisdeterminedbybiological,cost,policy,andotherfactors,whichvaryenormouslybetweenindustries,industrysegments,andregions.Thispaperexaminesthebeef industryofChinaandSoutheastAsia,whichcomprisesupto20millionhouseholdcattleproducers,traders,butchers,andbeefretailers.Basedonasegmentedindustryframeworkandmeso-levelindustrydata,thepaperdocuments themultiple trajectoriesof small-holders in the regionalbeef industry in aneraofbuoyantpricesandconstrainedsupply.Small-holdersthroughouttheregionhaverespondedbysellingbreedingstock;someentrepreneurialfarmershave“steppedup”intothespecialisedfatteningsector;whilemillionsinChinahave“steppedout”oftheindustrytopursuemorelucrativeactivities.Inareaswithlargecattleimportsandfeedlots(IndonesiaandVietnam),modernvaluechainsoperatealongsideorincorporatesmallactorsincludingbutchersandretailers.Evenwiththesechanges,thebeefindustryremainsdominatedbyhouseholdsoperatinginefficient,low-cost,genericbeefchains.Theongoingparticipationofsmall-holdersinthebeefindustryhardlyprovidesapathwaytoprosperity,butneitheraretheybeingsqueezed.Theindustryhasprovenmoreresistanttochangethanotherlivestocksectors,wherearevolutionmaybemoreapparent.
125TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
229 HowdoesparticipatinginaninclusiveglobalvaluechainimpactsmallholdercoffeeproducersinIndonesia?
Mrs Yanti Muflikh1,2,MrAmmarAziz1,MrNunungKusnadi2
1School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia, 2Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia
Indonesiaistheworld’sthirdlargestcoffee-producingcountryandthefourthlargestcoffeeexporter.Morethan90percentofcoffeeproducersinthecountryaresmallholdersandsomeofthemengageintheglobalvaluechainthroughaninclusivebusinessmodeldevelopedbyagribusinessfirms(exportersandprocessors).Weaimtoassesstheimpactonsmallholderswhoparticipateinthisinclusiveglobalvaluechain.Weaddresstwokeyresearchquestions:Whatarethecontributionsoflargeagribusinessfirmstosmallholdercoffeeproduction?Havethecontributionsmadeabeneficialimpactonparticipatingsmallholders?Thestudyisbasedonsemi-structuredinterviewswith70coffeefarmersinLampungProvinceandin-depthinterviewswithotherkeyactorsinthevaluechain.Theresultsshowthatinaninclusivecoffeevaluechain,agribusinessfirmsplayedasignificantroleinimprovingtheproductionandmarketingofthecrop.Whileindependentfarmershadmorefreedomtoselltheirproductsbasedonthemarketprice,farmerswhoactivelyengagedwithagribusinessfirmsthroughthefacilitiesandservicestheyprovidedgainedincreasedeconomicbenefits,suchasapricepremium,andnon-economicbenefits,suchasproductionknowledgeandskills,translatingintogoodagriculturalpractices.Participationalsopromotedsocialbondswithinfarmergroupsandbetweengroupsandcompanyagents.Recommendationstofurtherimprovetheoutcomesoftheinclusivebusinessmodelarealsodiscussed.
Keywords:livelihoodsofsmallfarmers,coffeevaluechain,globalizationofmarkets
126TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
230 Integratingsmall-scalevegetablefarmerstobetteraccesshighendmarketinDili:ThecaseofJosephinaFarmswithcontractfarming
Dr Vicente Correia1
1National Center for Scientific Research, National University of Timor Leste (untl), Dili, Timor-leste
Increasingparticipationofsmallfarmersintohighervaluemarketshasbeenrecognizedbygovernmentsandinternationalagenciesasanimportantfactorforeconomicdevelopmentandpovertyreductioninmanydevelopingcountries.Accesstomarketforsmallfarmersisimportantasthiscanenhanceagriculture-basedeconomicgrowthandincreaseruralincomes.Theobjectiveofstudyistoexaminehowvegetablefarmersarelinktothehighendmarketthroughcontractfarming.ThesiteofthestudyisMaubisseandErmeraandrespondentsarethosefarmersengageinthecontractingarrangementwithJosephinaFarmsandbuyersinDili.Datagatheringmethodsincludeface-to-faceinterviews,RRA,desktopresearchofcurrentandrelatedliterature.Dataanalysisappliedwasqualitativeandquantitativeanalysisincludingcasestudyandvaluechainanalysis.Theresultofthestudyshowsbyinvolvinginthecontractfarmingfarmerscanincreasedtheirproductionandproductivityoftheircrops,theriskfacedinproductionandmarketingisreduced,betteraccesstohighendmarketinDili,betteraccesstoinputsandassistanceandfinallyreceiveregularweeklycashpayment.Thestudyisalsorevealfromvegetableproductionalonecanofferasignificantimprovementinincomeperfarmhouseholdinthestudyarea.Thisisreallyimportantasthemajorityoffarmersarefacinganumberofproblemsandchallenges includingthefarmsitethat is isolated,thesizeoffarmwhich issmallandtherearedifficulties insustainingfamilyincomefromothercrops.
Keywords:Marketing,contractfarming,income,productivity
127TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
232 Thedevelopingofgenotypinganditsfuture
Prof Robert Henry1
1The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Understandingandimprovingagriculturalspeciesdependsupontheavailabilityofgenotypingtechniques.Advancesinmoleculartechnologies have facilitated the continual development of faster and cheaper genotyping techniques. The progression oftechniquesfromhybridizationtoPCRbasedtosequencingbasedmethodscanbetracked.Theultimategenotypeisthewholegenomesequenceforthenuclearandorganellargenomes.Thecompletemethylomedefiningtheexactmethylationstatusofthegenomeisalsonowpossible.Assequencingcostsreduceandaccuracyimprovesthisbecomesthepreferredoption,firstforspecieswithsmallgenomesand thenextending to largergenomesas the technology improves. Wholechloroplastgenomessequencesarenowapracticaloptionforroutinebarcodingofplants.BecausethechloroplastispresentinthecellinveryhighcopynumberthesequencecanbeobtainedathighqualityfromlowpasssequencingoftotalDNAfromthesample.Cropswithsmallwellcharacterizedgenomessuchasricearenowcandidatesforre-sequencingasamethodofnucleargenomegenotyping.Sequencing toaround10Xallowsvariant callingover thewholegenomewith littlemissingdataandprovidesan increasinglyattractivegenotypingapproach.Forlargergenomesenrichment(toremoverepetitiveelements)ortargetingofthesequencingisrequiredtoreducecostsbutitseemsonlyamatteroftimeuntilthiswillnolongerbenecessary.
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233 Automatedphenotypingandanalytics
Dr Michael Schaefer1
1CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australia
Plant Phenotyping is key to understanding the physiological and genetic bases of plant growth and performance and theirapplicationforcropimprovement.InAustraliawithintheAustralianPlantPhenomicsFacility(APPF),toincreaseourcapacityformeasuringplanttraits,arangeofhigh-throughputphenotypingplatformshavebeenengineered.Thesephenotypingplatformsrangefromautomatedsystemsincontrolledenvironmentstoground-basedoraerialvehicles(mannedorunmanned)inthefield.Theseplatformsofferarangeofsensorsthattheyintegrate,rangingfromvisibleimagingsensors(RGB)toimagingspectroscopysensorsorfromthermalinfrared(IR)sensorstoLightDetectionandRanging(LiDAR)sensors.Theavailabilityofandaccesstotheseplatformsforresearchersandindustryalikeistransformingphenotypingatscalesrangingfromindividualplotsforbreedingandphysiologicalstudiesthroughtoentirefarms.
For analysis of the vast array of high-throughput phenotyping data, the Australian Plant Phenomics Facility’s collaborativee-infrastructureplatformphenoSMARTÒisbeingutilised.Thisplatformallowstheusertoeasilyextractrealinformationandvaluefromthedatacollectedusingphenotypingtools.TheplatformalsoservesasabasetoallowcomputationaltoolsdevelopedbyotherresearchgroupsacrossAustraliatobecomeavailabletoothersand/ortheAgro-businesssector.ôø
129TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
234 Statisticalperspectives in theeraofBigData:Candeadfish readhumanminds?
Alison Kelly1
1Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Leslie Research Facility, Toowoomba, Australia
Whilemathematicalthinkinghasevolvedsinceancienttimes,thetheoryofstatisticsappliedinthescientificreasoningprocesshas only become establishedover the past century. The science of biometrics had its beginnings in agricultural research atRothamstedResearchStationintheUnitedKingdom,throughtheworkofRAFisher(1920). Thenewdisciplinearoseasfieldscientistsandgeneticistsgrappledwithdeterminingcauseandeffectrelationshipsinthebackgroundofvariationthatisinherentinagriculturalresearch.Overacenturylaterwecannowquestionandreviewthechangingroleofstatisticsintheeraofbigdata.
Theprinciplesof causeandeffectwillbeexploredbydissectinga studyonneuro-imagingof atlantic salmon (Bennettetal.,2009).Theexperimentexposed(dead)atlanticsalmontodifferentfacialexpressionsinhumansandmeasuredchangesinneuro-functioninginresponsetohumanemotion.Theresultsarefascinating,andprovideanidealbasisforexploringtheroleofstatisticsintheworldofbigdata.Thestudydemonstratesthedangerofusingblack-boxstatisticalapproachestomulti-variateimagingdatawithoutanunderstandingofstatisticaltheoryandreasoning.Moreimportantly,itreinforcestheneedforsoundscientificprocessthroughformingaresearchhypothesisanddevisinganexperimentaldesigntoensurevalidscientificfindings,andhencerobustconclusionsfromresearch.
130TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
235 Phenotypic prediction augmented through crop model-whole genomeprediction:ApplicationtoARGOS8
Dr Charlie Messina1,DrTomTang1,MrsCarlaGho2,DrRandyClark1,DrBelayKassie1,DrMarkCooper3
1Dupont Pioneer, Johnston, United States, 2Dupont Pioneer, Viluco, Chile, 3Zenrun42 Inc, Johnston, United States
Phenotypic prediction accuracy for yield is limited in agricultural systems where Genotype-by-Environment-by-Management(G×E×M) interactions are ubiquitous. Recent advances in fusing crop growthmodels (CGMs) and whole genome prediction(WGP)methodscreatedopportunities to improvepredictionaccuracyof cropping systems response togenetic,managementandenvironmentalchange.WedemonstratethemethodologywithfocusonthedevelopmentofasuitableCGMthatenablesestablishingtheproper linkwithquantitativegeneticmodels, forARGOS8,atransgenethatcan improvedroughttolerance inmaize.
131TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
236 Biotechnologiesandthefutureofplantimprovement
Prof Jimmy Botella1
1University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Shortageofmany‘important’humannecessitiessuchascars,mobilephonesorPlayStationsareunlikelytostartarevolution,but lack of foodwill surely do the trick. There are 7.5 billion people living in this planet andpopulation keeps growing fast.Unfortunatelythegoodoldtimeswhenincreasingagriculturalproductionwasjustacaseofsowingmorewheatfieldsorraisingmorecattlearefargoneaswearerunningoutoflandandwater.WeneedtoproducemorewhilstusinglessearthresourcesandwhilethegreenrevolutionledbyDrNormanBorlauginthe1950’sachievedanunprecedentedincreaseinproductivitywehavenowachievedayieldplateauinwhichevensmallimprovementsaredifficult.Biotechnologycanprovideanew,andsofarrelativelyunexploited,setoftoolstoaccelerateagriculturalimprovement.Biotechnologicalmethodsallowtobreakthespeciesbarrierandtransferusefulgenesbetweendifferentcrops.Diseaseandinsectresistancegenescannowbeincorporatedintocropsinwhichtheydon’tnaturallyexistwhiledroughttolerancetraitscanbetransferredfromdryenvironmentplantstowaterthirstycrops.TheadventofnewtechnologiessuchasnextgenerationsequencingandprecisegeneeditingbyCRISPRarespearheadinganewbiotechrevolutionprovidingmoredatathatscientistscaneasilydigestandallowingprecisegenomeengineeringinawaythatwasunthinkablejust5yearsago.Newdisciplinessuchasnanotechnologyarecomplementingandpotentiatingthebiotechpossibilitieswiththecreationofnewmaterialsandnewapplications.
132TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
237 Biofutures–Opportunitiesforagricultureinbiobasedfuelsandbioproducts
Prof Ian O’Hara1,2
1QUT, Brisbane, Australia, 2Queensland Government Department of State Development, Brisbane, Australia
Theproductionofbiobased fuelsandproductsoffers significantopportunities foragriculture to increaseprofitability throughrevenuediversificationandaddingvaluetowastesandcoproducts.Thedevelopmentofnewbiobasedproduct industrieswillcreatejobsinruralandregionalQueensland.
In2016, theQueenslandGovernmentdevelopedaRoadmapandActionPlanfor thedevelopmentof theBiofutures industry.TheRoadmapandActionPlanidentifiesthevisionofa$1billionsustainableandexport-orientedindustrialbiotechnologysectorattractinginternationalinvestmentandcreatingthousandsofregional,highvalueandknowledgeintensivejobsby2025.
Supporting this roadmap and action, plan, the Queensland Government committed almost $20 million over three years tostimulating the industrial biotechnology and bioproducts sector. This paper will explore the current status of the BiofuturesindustryinQueenslandanddescribeprogressinthedevelopmentofthesector.
133TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
238 Discovery,evaluationandmanufactureofnewlivestockfeedsupplements
Assoc Prof Robert Speight1
1QUT, Brisbane, Australia
Animalfeedtypicallycontainsavarietyofdifferenttypesofsupplementstohelplivestockdigestthefeedandremainhealthy.Thesesupplementsincludeprobioticsanddigestiveenzymes.Probioticsarelivemicrobialcellsthatcanenhancethehealthandperformanceofananimalandenzymesareaddedtohelpbreakdownfeedtoreleaseextraenergyandnutrients.Thediscovery,evaluationanddevelopmentofnewprobioticandenzymesupplementswillbediscussed,particularlyforinclusioninfeedsbasedonlow-costfibrousingredientssuchassugarcanebagasse.Themicrobesthatnaturallyexistandthriveindistinctenvironmentalnichesinsugarcanebagassestockpilesmayhaveadaptedtothismaterial.Eachnichecontainsmicrobeswithdistinctcharacteristicsandenzymesforsurvivingineachenvironment.Thesemicrobesarethusapotentialresourceforthediscoveryoffeedsupplements.
Forsupplementstobecommerciallysuccessfultheymustbemanufacturedeconomically,beproventodeliverlivestockbenefitsandbeapprovedintargetgeographicalareasandforspecificlivestockmarkets.Anewcollaborativeprojectwillalsobepresentedthat isaimingto increasethespeed,efficiencyandreliabilityofnewsupplementdiscoverycommercialisationfromthe labtothemarket.Theprojectiscloselyintegratingfermentationprocessdevelopmentwithlivestocktrialstoenablerapidinformationfeedbackforimprovedsupplementdiscovery,designandmanufactureandtoacceleratethepathtocommercialproducts.
134TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
239 Biogasproductionfromenergycropsandagriculturalresidues
Dr Prasad Kaparaju1
1Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
Lignocellulosic biomass such as energy crops and agricultural crop residues are ideal substrates for biogas production. It isanticipatedthattheuseoflignocellulosicbiomasswillincreaseinthenearfuture.Thus,identificationofidealgenotypes,amongotherthingsoptimumstorageandpretreatmenttechnologiesshouldbedeveloped.Inthisstudy,anoverviewofuseofenergymaizeassubstratesforbiogasproductionandtheeffectofdifferentpretreatmentsonenergymaizeand/oragriculturalresiduessuchasenergymaize,sugarcanebagasse,sunflowerstalksand/orsorghumtoimprovethebiogasyieldispresented.Atfirst,theeffectofensilationonthechemicalcompositionandmethaneyieldsofenergymaizeispresented.Later,theeffectofhydrothermalpretreatmentonchemicalcompositionandmethaneyieldsfromthepretreatedmaizesilageisalsopresented.Similarly,theeffectofdifferentchemicaland/orhydrothermalpretreatmentsonchemicalcompositionandmethaneyields fromagriculturalcropresiduessuchassunflowerstalks,sugarcanebagasseandsorghumstalkispresented.Theresultsshowedthatthemethaneyieldsfrommaizesilageswerecomparabletothatoffreshenergymaizesuggestingthatensilationcouldimprovethestorageofenergycropsforyearroundfeedstocksupply.Similarly,pretreatmentofagriculturalcropresidueswasfoundtobeessentialformostofthelignocellulosicbiomasstoimprovethemethaneyields.However,thedosageanddurationofthepretreatmentneedstobeoptimizedinordertopreventinhibitionduetotheintermediatedegradationcompoundssuchasfuransandcarboxylicacids.
135TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
240 Convertingagriculturalwastesintovaluableproducts
Dr Paul Jensen1
1The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Agricultural industriesareamongthe largest landusersandwaterconsumerswithinAustralia;andgenerate largevolumesofwastewaterandsolidwasterichinorganiccontaminants,nutrientsandmetals.ManagementofthesewastesisasignificantcostexceedingAUD$200Mperyearintheanimalindustriesalone.However,recentadvancesinprocessdesignandenvironmentalbiotechnologyarecreatingsignificantopportunities to reducewateruse, recover resourcesanddevelopnewandsustainablevalue-addproducts.
Traditionalwaste-to-energytechnologies,suchasanaerobicdigestionandbiogasproductionarecommerciallyadvanced.WhileADisaneffectivetechnologytooffsetfossilenergyandreducegreenhouseemissions,manyagriculturalwasteshavemoderatetopoorbiodegradabilityandthereforeanaerobicdigestionprocessesutilizeonlysomeofthecarbonavailableintheagriculturalwastes.ADprocessescanalsobeausefulmethodtomobilisenutrientsfordownstreamcapture,howeveradditionaltechnologiesaregenerallyrequiredtorealisethevalueofthesecomponents.
Rapidadvancesinbiotechnologyarecreatingarangeofother‘waste-to-value’optionswithhigherrevenuepotentialthatutiliseabroaderfractionofthewaste(thatincludescarbonintheformofprotein,fats,starch,lignocellulose,bioplastics,biocomposites,carbondioxideandmethane;andnutrientssuchasnitrogenouscompounds,phosphate,vitamins,aminoacidsandtraceelementssuchasmetal ions).Thesenewtechnologies,andthediverseproducts theyproducecreatecompetition for thebio-chemicalcomponentsofwastestreams.However,notallwastesareequal.Carefultechnologyselectionandapplicationofnoveltechnologycombinationsisincreasinglyrequiredtomaximisecommercialvaluefromwastes.
136TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
241 Cellulose nanofibres from spinifex arid grasses: “Unique properties andapplicationsunderdevelopment”
Prof Darren Martin1
1The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Werecentlydiscoveredthatauniquetypeofcellulosenanofibrecanbecost-effectivelyproducedfromendemicAustralianspinifexgrassesfromtheTriodiagenus.Thesefascinatingextremophilegrasses,withover20millionyearsofevolution,havepresenteduswithamostuniquesourcefornanocellulose.Ourfibrillationprocessinvolvesamildpulpingprocedurefollowedbyeitheralowmechanicalenergytreatmentoramildsulfuricacidhydrolysis.Wehavedemonstratedthatahighcontentofresidualhemicelluloseandlignininbleachedandunbleachedpulpresultsinsuperiorcellwalldeconstruction,andconsequently,theproductionoflongerandmore flexible nanofibres.When benchmarked against the other leading academic and commercially availablematerials,spinifex nanofibres have the highest aspect ratio compared against nanofibres obtained through themechanical or chemicaltreatmentsoftheothersourcesofcellulose.Thisnoveltymeansthatourmethodoffibrillation,andmoreimportantly,thissourceofcellulosehavethepotentialtodirectlyaddressthecurrenttechnologicalbottlenecksthathavesofarlimitedthewidespreadtranslationofnanocellulosetechnology intomoreapplications.Thispresentationwillgiveanoverviewofourteam’sresearchandtechnologydevelopmentactivitiesincludingspinifexnanofibreproduction,andapplicationsincludingultrathincondomsandgloves,polymercomposites,enhancedrecycledpaperandboardproductsandrigidpolyurethaneinsulationfoams.Itwillalsointroducea landmarkumbrellaagreementandcommercialpartnershipbetweenTheUniversityofQueensland (UQ)andThelndjalandji-Dhidhanutraditionalownergroup,whichprovidesaframeworkaccommodatingsharedfuturecommercialbenefitsandIndigenouseconomicdevelopmentfromthegeneratedIP.
137TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
242 Brassica carinata:Theskyisthelimit
Dr Anthony van Herwaarden1, Dr Christopher Lambrides1,MrHank Krakowski2, DrDarylMales2, Dr Rick Bennett2, Dr PhillipSalisbury3,MrTrentPotter4
1The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia, 2Agrisoma Biosciences Inc., Gatineau, Canada, 3The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia, 4Yerunga Crop Research, Naracoorte, Australia
Thecurrentglobaljetfuelconsumptionis300billionlitresannuallyandexpectedtogrowto500billionlitresannuallyby2030.Theaviation industryhascommittedtoacarbonneutral futuretargetinga50%reduction inCO₂by2050.Whilebiofuelsarecurrentlymandatedin62countriesaroundtheworld,anddemandforrenewabledieselandjetfuelsisthemostrapidlygrowingsegmentoftherenewablefuelsindustry,the‘biojet’componenthasapproximately100billionlitresofdemandthatiscurrentlynotbeingmet.
BiojetfuelsproducedfromCarinata(Brassica carinata)oilhavealreadybeenusedsuccessfullyinbothcommercialandengineeringflights,includingtheworld’sfirst100%biojetfueledflight.Todaymanyflightsarepoweredbybiojetfuels.With40%erucicacidcontent,Carinataoffersmanufacturersmoreefficientconversionintobiojetfuelwithreducedamountsofsecondaryproductscompared toother industrialoilseedsandbio-wastestreams.CommercialCarinataoperationsareestablishedon threeothercontinentssothisprojectfocusesongeneticselection,adoptionandscale-upwithintheQueenslandagriculturalenvironment.
Carinataisreputedlytolerantofheatanddroughtwhichmeansitcanbegrownonsomeofthemostchallengingfarmlandwherewinter-broadleafcropoptionsare limited.Wewillpresent results fromourfieldworkselectingadapted lineswith thecorrectphenologyforAustralianenvironmentsandeffortstowardsintroductionandscale-upofarenewableandsustainablesourceofhighqualityoilforbio-fuels,feedstockforbio-plasticsandtheremaininghigh-proteinmealusedinformulationofanimalrations.
138TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
243 Expectedmarketopportunitiesanddemandprofilesfortropicalpulsesto2022
Mr Peter Wilson1
1Agt Foods Australia, Toowoomba, Australia
TropAG2017 affords the pulse industry in tropical Australia, an opportunity to consider research anddevelopment resourcesavailable,andconsiderthebestmeanstodeploythesefundsandinitiatives.We’lldiscussdesichickpeas,fababeans,mungbeansandthefuturefoundinpigeonpeasorToorintothefuture;plusopportunitiesforlocalprocessingandvalueaddition.
Thebiggameintown,fortheforeseeablefuture,willbedesichickpeas.Intermsofgrowingseason,it,alongwithfababeansbenefitgreatlyfromtropicalmoistureoverthesummermonths. Desichickpeashaveestablishedthemselvesasthe“anchor”ofthenorthernAustralianpulseindustry.Producingaround2milliontonnesduring2016/2017season,demonstratedthatdesichickpeasaredeliveringfarmprofitabilityandrotationalsustainability.
Fababeansprovidesignificantbenefittoagronomicrotations;marketedtodifferentendconsumers,thusdeliveringcapacityforfarmerstomanagemarketexposureandprovideagronomicflexibilityregardingseedingtimeandharvesting,etc.NotwithstandingcurrentdifficultiesinEgypt,marketsforsplitfababeansandwholebeanswithinthesnackfoodsectorcontinuetogrow.
Mungbeansdeliveragenuinegrossmarginandrotationalchoicefornorthernfarmers.Australianmungbeanshavewideacceptanceintobothbulkandrefinedendmarketconsumers.Frommanufacturingmungdhalthroughtosproutingdemand,mungbeansseemdestinedtogrowininfluenceintothefuture.
PigeonPeashaveopportunitytodevelopintoasecondoptionforfarmersintropicalAustralia,tappingintowell-establishedandlargemarketsintheIndiansub-continentandpartsofAfricaandAsiaintothefuture.
139TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
244 Sustainabilityandprofitdriversfortropicalpulses insustainablecroppingsystems
Prof Michael Bell1
1University of Queensland, Gatton Campus, Gatton, 4343, Australia
Tropicalpulsescanmakeasignificantcontributiontotheproductivityofcroppingsystemsinthetropicsandsubtropics,withtheirgeneralunderrepresentationinbothintensiveandextensivecroprotationscontributingtotheemergenceofagrowingnumberofchallengestobothsustainabilityandprofitability.Theseincludeagrowingrelianceonincreasinglyexpensiveexternalsourcesofnutrientstobalanceremovalinharvestedproduce,developmentofasuiteofspecificandnon-specificsoil-bornepathogensthatlimitgraincropproductivityandthedevelopmentofweedresistancetoanumberofimportantherbicidemodesofaction.
Pulsesofferamorediverseandinsomecasesveryeffectivesolutiontosomeoftheseissues.Theyallowfocusonnon-nitrogenousnutrientinputsduringatleastpartofthecroprotation,canprovideanon-hostformajorsoil-bornecerealpathogensandprovideanopportunitytorotateherbicidemodesofaction.However,thediversityandrelativelysmallscaleofthevarioustropicalpulseindustrieshasledtoalackofintensiveresearcheffortonmanyspecies.Thishasledtodeploymentoflesswelladaptedgenotypesoronesthatarelesseffectiveindeliveringsystemsbenefits,contributingtoperceptionsthatpulsecropscanbe‘risky’togrowandnotveryeffectiverotationoptions.Anintensifiedresearchefforttounderstandthenuancesofchoiceofdifferenttropicalpulsespeciesandgenotypesonaddressingthevariouscroppingsystemschallengesisneeded,aswellasimprovingtherobustnessoftropicalpulseperformanceinresponsetocontrastingsoilandclimaticchallenges.
140TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
245 Breedingstrategiestounlockgeneticpotentialofpulses
Dr Pooran M Gaur1
1International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Hyderabad, India
Pulsesaregloballygrowninabout85millionhaandplayanimportantroleinhumannutritionandsustainabilityofthecroppingsystemproductivity.Oneofthemajorachievementsinpulsesimprovementisthedevelopmentofearlymaturingvarieties,whichhashelpedinexpandingcultivationofpulsestonewnichesandcroppingsystems.Therehasbeenaslowprogressinimprovingproductivityofpulses.Concertedeffortsareneededonrestructuringtheplanttypeinpulsesforbringingabreakthroughintheproductivity.Pigeonpeaistheonlypulsecropwheredevelopmentofcommercialhybridshasbeenpossible.Thesehybridshavegiven25to40%higheryieldthanthevarietiesatfarmers’fields.EffortsarebeingmadetodiversifythesourcesofCMSsystemsinpigeonpeaanddevelophybridsindifferentmaturitygroups.Thegeneticvariabilityavailableinthegermplasm,particularlyinwildspecies,ofpulsesshouldbeexploitedforbroadeningthegeneticbaseofvarietiesandintrogressingusefultraits,suchasresistancetoinsect-pestsanddiseases.Novelbreedingapproaches,suchasmulti-parentadvancedgenerationinter-cross(MAGIC),canbeusedforenhancinggeneticrecombination.Therehasbeenarapidprogressindevelopmentoflowcostgenotypingplatformsandgenomicresourcesforpulsesintherecentyears.Integratedbreedinginvolvinggenomicapproachesneedstobeusedforhigherprecisionandefficiencyofbreedingprogramssothatimprovedvarieties,whichmeetthediverseneedoffarmers,consumersandtheindustries,canbedevelopedrapidly.
141TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
246 New genetic tools and solutions to make pulse crops more resilient tovariableclimates
Sagadevan Mundree1,BrettWilliams1,SudiptaDasBhowmik1,AlamCheng1,HaoLong1,MyLinhHoang1,DrTjHiggins1
1Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia
Chickpea isoneof theworld’smosteconomical sourcesofprotein for foodand feed. It is alsohigh in theessential aminoacidslysineandmethionineandthusnutritionallycomplementarytothecerealswhicharedeficientinboththeseaminoacids.Despitethisimportance,thegapbetweenproductionandincreasedconsumptionofchickpeacontinuestowiden,globally.Withthis increased global demand comes unprecedented opportunities for Queensland agriculture.While we have some naturaladvantages,increasingQueenslandpulseproductionalsohasinherentchallenges.Abioticstresses,mainlydroughtandsalinity,andpathogenssuchasBotrytisgreymouldsignificantlyhinderchickpeaproduction.Toensurecontinuedproductioninfutureenvironmentswemust develop strategies to improve stress tolerance of crops. In 2013, theQueenslandGovernmentmadeastrategic investment in theQUT-DAFTropicalPulses forQueensland (TPFQ) researchprogramaimedtodevelopanddelivereffectivetechnologiesandsolutionsthataddressindustrychallengeslimitingtheproductionoftropicalpulsesinQueensland.AmajorgoaloftheTPFQprojectwasthedevelopmentofanefficientchickpeatransformationsystemforthegenerationofstresstolerant,pathogenresistantchickpea,aswellaschickpeathataccumulatehighlevelsofbioavailableiron.HerewepresentoutputsfromthegenerationandassessmentoftransgenicchickpeadevelopedintheTPFQproject.ItisenvisionedthatoutputsfromthisprojectwillsubstantiallyassisttheQueenslandGovernmentindeliveringtheirvisiontodoubleagriculturalproductionby2040.
142TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
247 Physiological,agronomicandmodellingapproachestooptimiseproductivityof tropical pulses
Assoc Prof Rao (RCN) Rachaputi1
1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Althoughthereisawarenessabouttheimportanceoffoodlegumesinhuman,animalandsoilhealth,developmentandadoptionoftechnologiesforlegumecropsimprovementisnotproceedingatthesamepaceasforcerealcrops.Sincethe1960s,cerealandoilseedcropproductionincreasedby800%,comparedtoonly54%inpulsesoverthesameperiod.
AlthoughtheAustralianmungbeanandchickpeaproductionhasnearlytripledinthepast3yearstheaverageyieldhoweverhasremainedat1.15t/haandtheyieldsindevelopingcountrieshaveevendeclinedoverthepastdecadeduetosubsoilconstraintsandbyongoingclimatechange.Theincreasingmarketdemandcoupledwithscantyinformationonhowtomanagepulseshasaddedurgencytotheresearcheffort,whichhistoricallyhasbeendoneinasomewhatpiecemealway.
Mostofthelegumeshaveevolvedundersubsistencefarmingconditionswithsomeuniqueintrinsicphysiologicaltraitssuchasadaptationtomarginalsoils,littleresponsetoinputs,indeterminacyandN-fixationcapacityetc.Whilethesetraitssatisfiedtherequirementsoftheeraofsubsistencefarming,thereisaneedtodevelopbetteryieldinggenotypesandinnovativeagronomytooptimizeresourceuseinagivenenvironment.Resourcecapturemodelscanbepro-activelyusedasatooltosimulateyieldvariationduetogenotype,environmentandmanagement.
Thispaperexploresphysiologicalconstraints limitingtheyieldofmungbeanandchickpea in tropicsandsub-tropicsdiscussesavenuesforfutureresearch.
143TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
248 Thepastishistory:AcasestudyofQueensland’ssuccessfulchickpeaindustry
Dr Merrill Ryan1,MrWilliamMartin1,MrsPennyBorger1
1DAF Qld, Warwick, Australia
2016, the InternationalYearofPulses, sawchickpea (CicerarietinumL.) reaffirm itspositionasQueensland’smostprofitablegraincropworthaforecast$793M.Thiswasdrivenbyrecordsowings,highgrainpricesandavailabilityofresilientandprofitableAustralian-bredchickpeavarieties.
DesichickpeavarietieswerefirstreleasedandsowninAustralia,hereinQldin1979.Fornearly40yearstherehasbeencontinuouseffortbyDAFQldindevelopingvarietieswithsuperiorgrainyield,plantheightandexportgrainquality.TheQldcropaccountsfor55%ofthe1.3MTnationalcrop,growninSouthernandCentralQldandnowasfarnorthasGeorgetowninNorthQld.
Thirtyyearsof successfulbreeding innationalcollaborativeprojects,most recently ledbyNSW,hasbeenunderpinnedbyanintegrated, across discipline effort in the areas of genetics, agronomymanagement packages, specific support in pathology,fungicidesprayregimes,entomologythresholdsandseedqualityparameters.
Majordiseasethreatshavefocussedmuchofourchickpearesearch.Phytophthorarootrot(P.medicaginis)remainsakeyproblemtosolveandnovelapproachesofsourcingresistancegenesfromthewildrelativegenepoolsuchasCicerechinospermumhavebeen utilised. In 1998, an Ascochyta blight (Phoma rabiei) epidemic decimated the Australian chickpea industry. Ascochytaresistancegenescontinuetobesourcedfromoverseasgermplasmtoeffectivelycombatthisongoingthreat.
Research innovationhas driven a remarkable success story for chickpea and given industry the tools to reliably produce thechickpeasourglobalcustomer’sdesire.
144TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
249 Aresearchefforttoimprovesubtropicalandtropicaltreecropproductivitythroughintensification
Dr John Wilkie1
1Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Wollongbar, Australia
The intensificationof temperate treecroporchard systemsover recentdecades, inparticularapple,havebeenaccompaniedby large increases inproductivity.Weareattempting toadapt relevantprinciples from this intensificationand theassociatedunderstanding of the orchard systemphysiology that underlies productivity to subtropical and tropical tree crops,which aregenerallystillgrowninextensivesystems.Weareworkingwiththreetreecrops:macadamia,avocadoandmango.
Wehave identified four components of orchard systems in these subtropical and tropical tree crops thatwebelieve requireimprovedunderstandingandimprovedabilitytomanageinordertoincreaseproductivity:vegetativevigour,developmentofcropload,treearchitectureandorchardlightrelations.Inadditiontostudyingtheseorchardsystemscomponentsinisolation,wearealsoundertakingexperimentationthatallowsustoexaminetheeffectsoftheinteractionsbetweenthemontheproductivityofthesystem.
ThefirstoftheintegratingactivitiesisPlantingSystemsTrialswhereweareinvestigatingtheeffectsofplantdensityandrootstock(avocado)orplantdensity,treetrainingsystemandscioncultivar(mangoandmacadamia)onproductivity.ThesecondoftheintegratingactivitiesisFunctional–StructuralPlantModelling,whichisbeingusedtosimulateeffectsoforchardconfigurationsontheorchardlightenvironmentandeffectsofmanagementoncompetitionbetweenvegetativeandreproductivegrowth.Finally,amolecularbiologycomponentofworkisbeingundertakenandusedasatooltohelpunderstandtheunderlyingphysiology,inparticularthetimingandlocationoffloralinitiation.
145TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
250 Diurnalvariationinthesensitivityof‘HoneyGold’mangofruittodevelopingunder-skinbrowning
DrAnhSan1,7,DrPeterHofman2,DrDarylJoyce1,3,Dr Andrew Macnish2,DrJoseMarques4,MrRichardWebb5,DrHeatherSmyth6
1School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia, 2Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Nambour, Australia, 3Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dutton Park, Australia, 4New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Ourimbah, Australia, 5Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia, 6Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Coopers Plains, Australia, 7Sub-Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Post-Harvest Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Under-skinbrowning(USB)isanunsightlyphysiologicaldisorderthatafflicts‘HoneyGold’mangofruit.USBsymptomsexpressafterharvestupontheinteractionofphysicalabrasionandphysiologicalchillingstresses.Lessunderstoodpre-harvestand/orharvestfactorsevidentlyalsoinfluencefruitsusceptibilitytoUSB.TheeffectofharvesttimeduringthediurnalcycleonpropensitytodevelopUSBwasexamined.Fruitwereharvestedat4-6hourintervalsoveradiurnalcycle.Theywerelightlyabradedwithsandpaper to simulate vibrationdamageduring refrigerated road transport, thenheld at 12-14°C for 6days. Spurt andoozesapthatexudesfromfruitpeduncleswascollectedateachharvesttime.ThesampleswereseparatedandanalysedbyGC-MS.Fruitharvestedat1000,1400,and1800hoursexhibited3 -5-foldhigher incidenceofUSBthanthosepickedat2200,0200,and0600hours.Sapconcentrationsofthekeyaromavolatilecompounds2-carene,3-carene,α-terpinene,p-cymene,limonene,andα-terpinolenewerehigherforfruitharvestedat1400hoursascomparedtothosepickedatothertimes.Intheafternoonharvest fruit, skin abrasions treatedwith spurt sap sampled at 1400hours had 14.3-fold and 29.0-fold higher incidence andseverity,respectively,ofinducedbrowningthandidthosetreatedwithsapcollectedat0600hours.TheresultsshowedthatfruitharvestedintheafternoonweremoresusceptibletoUSBthanthosepickedatnightorintheearlymorning.Thediurnalvariationinsensitivitywasevidentlyassociatedwithtemporalvariationinsapphytotoxicity.
146TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
251 Pollinationofmacadamia
Dr Brad Howlett1,MrBrianCutting2,MsSamanthaRead1,DrDavidPattemore3
1The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Christchurch, New Zealand, 2Plant & Food Research Australia, Brisbane, Australia, 3The New Zealand Institute For Plant & Food Research Limited, Hamilton, New Zealand
Although cultivatedmacadamia (Macadamia integrifolia andM. tetraphylla)may be capable of producing nuts through self-pollination,studiesstronglysuggestedthatimprovedfinalnutsetcanbeachievedthroughcross-pollinationbetweendifferentcultivars.Toachievecross-pollination,insectpollinators,particularlyhoneybees(Apismellifera)andstinglessbees(Tetragonulacarbonaria)areconsideredimportantforvectoringpollen.However,detailedstudiesassessingandcomparingtheefficiencyofdifferentflower-visitinginsectsinmacadamiaremainverylimited.Toaddressthis,wecomparedtheefficienciesofflower-visitinginsects–honeybees,stinglessbees,netwingedbeetles(Metriorrhyncusrhipidius),soldierbeetles(Campsomeristasmaniensis)andnoseflies(Stomorhinadiscolor)–byassessingtheirabilitiestodepositpollenontostigmas,frequencyofstigmacontacts,andmovementpatternsbetweenracemes.Basedonthesecombinedmeasures,stinglessbeeswerefoundtobethemostefficientpollinators.Nectar-collectinghoneybeesandnetwingedbeetlesweresimilarintheirefficiency,followedbysoldierbeetles.Nosefliesweretheleastefficientoftheinsectsassessed;however,theystillcontributedtopollination.Toimprovepollination,growersshouldpromoteinsectcross-pollinationbyplantingamixofcultivars,preferablywithinrows,andreplacepoorlyyieldingtreeswithinsingle-cultivarblockswithadifferentcultivar.Monitoringtheabundanceofpollinatorsandcorrespondingyieldswillassistgrowersinimprovingfuturepollinatormanagementstrategies.
147TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
252 Breedingforadaptationduringclimatechange:Hittingamovingtarget
Dr Jose Chaparro1
1University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
ClimateChangeisreducingthenumberofchill(0-7.2C)hoursavailableforthenormalgrowthanddevelopmentoftemperatetreecrops.ThecumulativechillhoursforAlachuaCounty,FLforthe2015-2016and2016-2017peachproductionseasonswere59%and50%ofthelong-termaverageof457hours,respectively.ThislackofchillingiscreatinghighlyunpredictablecroppingforexistingpeachcultivarsinthesoutheasternUS,reducingthepeachcropbyatleast75%forthe2017seasonincentralGeorgiaalone.During thepast65years, theUniversityof FloridaStonefruitbreedingprogramhas focusedonbreeding lowchill andsubtropicalpeachcultivars.Theexperienceobtainedinadaptingatemperatecroptoasubtropicalclimatecanbeusedtopredicttheexpectedimpactsofglobalwarmingonpeachproduction.WehaveinitiatedaneffortfocusedondevelopingpeachselectionsadaptedtohighfrequencynochillconditionsexperiencedinthesouthernmostrangeofpeachproductioninFlorida.Difficultiesencounteredduringthedevelopmentofsubtropicalpeacheswillbediscussed,afeware:delayedbudbreak,lowyield,poorshapeandsmallfruitsize.
148TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
253 InsightsintotheAvocado-Phytophthorainteraction
Dr Alice Hayward1,MrStephenFletcher1,2,MadeleineGleeson1,MrChristopherO’Brien1,ProfNeenaMitter1
1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, St Lucia, Australia, 2School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Avocado(Persea americana Mill.)isasubtropicalhorticulturalcropworth$920MannuallytotheAustralianeconomy.Therisingpopularityofavocadohasseenthe industrygrow65%since2003,withvastpotentialforcontinuedexpansion.Torealisethispotentialrequiresresearchtowardssustainablecontrolofmajordiseasethreats.TheubiquitousOomycetepathogenPhytophthora cinnamomi,casualagentofroot-rot,isthemosteconomicallydevastatingdiseaseofavocado.Inwaterloggedsoilsthispathogencanrapidlydecimateanorchard,withyoungplantsparticularlysusceptible.Thereisnomajorgeneresistancetothisdiseaseincommercialavocadorootstocks,howeveranumberofbreedingprogramshavedevelopedcultivarswithanincreasedtolerancetothedisease.
ThisprojectisusingtranscriptomeandsmallRNAdatatocomparethemolecularresponsetoP.cinnamomiinahighlysusceptiblecultivar(cvReed)versusatolerantcultivar(cvVelvick).ThepotentialroleofsmallRNApathwaysintheregulationofgenesineachpathosystemwillbediscussed.
149TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
254 AnewapproachinoilpalmharvestingImprovement
Miss Wan Rusydiah W Rusik1,Mr Mohd Zulfahmi Mohd Yusoff2,MrMohaimiMohamed1,MrAhmadZamriMdYusof2,DrDavidRossAppleton1,DrHarikrishnaKulaveerasingam3
1Biotechnology & Breeding Department, R&D Centre, Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd, Banting, Malaysia, 2Advanced Mechanisation & Robotics, R&D Centre, Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd, Banting, Malaysia, 3R&D Centre, Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd, Banting, Malaysia
Inrecentyears,labourshortagehasbeenoneofthemajorchallengestooilpalmindustry.Beingalabourintensiveindustry,itrequireshighlabourperarearatiotooperateefficiently.Themajortasks infieldoperationsaretheharvesting,collectionandevacuationoftheoilpalmfreshfruitbunches(FFB).HarvestingoftheoilpalmFFBrequiresskilledlaboursespeciallyfortallpalms.Researchandoperationaleffortstointroducemechanisationinfieldoperationshasbeenestablished,however,theoperationalimplementationislowduetobelowaverageacceptancebytheindustry.Intryingtobepartoftheeffortsinmechanisation,wehaveembarkedonaprojecttobreedlongstalkoilpalmFFBofmorethan20cmtomakeharvestingeasierandatthesametimetodevelopanddesignnewharvestingtoolstocomplementthislongstalktraittomakeharvestingeffortless,moreproductiveandefficient.ThreedesignsofharvestingtoolsareproposedinthispaperwhichisexpectedtoincreasetheproductivityinharvestingFFBaswellasreducingfatigueandenergyexpenditureoftheharvesters.
150TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
255 Thetropicalaquaculturepowerhouse–Global impactsandopportunitiesforAustralia
Dr Nigel Preston1
1University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Three-quarters of countrieswhere fish contributesmore than one-third of animal protein in the diet are low-income, food-deficit, tropical countrieswhere fish is often the cheapest andmost accessible animal-source food. Tomeet futuredemand,particularlyinthesedevelopingcountries,fishproductionwillneedtodoubleby2030.Overthepasttwodecadesthegrowthoftropicalaquaculturehasbeenphenomenalwithclearlydemonstratedimpactsonreducingpovertyandimprovingfoodsecurity.Meanwhile,theproductionofanimalproteinfromterrestrialagricultureintropicalcountriesisfacingcriticalconstraintsincludingintensecompetitionforlandandincreasinglyvariablesuppliesoffreshwater.Incontrast,farmingofmarineandestuarinefish,crustaceansandmolluscsisfreefromtheseconstraints.Therearevasttractsoftropicalcoastlines,includingdesertcoastlines,thatareunsuitableforagriculturebuthighlysuitableforsaltwateraquaculture.Thisisahugecompetitiveadvantageformarineandestuarineaquaculture. However,effortstosustainoracceleratethegrowthoftropicalaquaculturemustaddressthekeychallengesof;breedimprovements,managingdisease,developingmoresustainablefeeds,improvingenvironmentalmanagementandsociallyequitabledistributionofthebenefitsofaquaculture.Thispresentationillustratessomespecies-specificexamplesofthesechallengeshowtheyarecurrentlybeingaddressedandthepotentialbenefitsofemergingtechnologies.ItalsohighlightstheopportunitiesforAustralia,includingthepotentialforastep-changeinsustainabledomestictropicalaquacultureproduction,theglobalimpactsofsomeofAustralia’scurrenttropicalaquacultureresearchandsomekeyareasforadditional,high-impact,researchinthisdomain.
151TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
256 Meeting the growing demand for aquaculture - Balancing biologicalrequirement,sustainabilityandenvironment
Dr Richard Smullen1
1Ridley Agrifoods, Australia
Thedemandforfishproteinisincreasingandinthemarketplace,thisiscompetingwithotherproteinsourcessuchasbeef,porkandpoultry.Aquaculturegloballyisgrowingtomeetthisdemandandcomparedtootherlivestock,fishareknowntobethemoreefficientconvertersoffeed.Yetasanindustry,thereisgrowinginternalandexternaldemandforgreatersustainabilityandbetteruseofoverallresources. Asfeedisthemajorfarminputbothfinanciallyandenvironmentally,this istypicallythefirstportofcallfortheindustrywhenlookingtomeetagrowingdemandforenvironmentalresponsibility.Assuch,thefocusonsustainablesourcingofrawmaterials,whilemaintainingcostrelevanceandstillmeetingenvironmentaloutputtargetsonthefarmhasbeengrowingconstantly. This talkgivesanoverviewof thedemandson thesectorandhowthe industryhas tobalancenewrawmaterialdevelopment,thechangingenvironmentandfinancialconsiderationswhilestillmeetingthebiologicalrequirementofthetargetspecies.
152TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
257 Makingaquaculturesustainable in the tropics–Growingalgae to reducenutrificationandproducehigh-valueproducts
Mr Arnold Magnott1
1MBD Energy Ltd, East Melbourne, Australia
Nutrientrichwastewaterfromtheagricultureoraquaculture industrycanleadtoeutrophicationofsensitiveecosystems.TheexpansionoftheQLDaquacultureindustryisheavilyregulatedduetoitsproximitytotheGBRMarinePark.Allnewdevelopmentneedtoabidetoazeronetenvironmentalimpact,whichhasrestrictedallgrowthoftheaquacultureindustryinQueenslandoverthelast16years.
MBDhasspentseveralyearspilotingscaledland-basedandon-farmcultivationofmacroalgae(seaweed)toremediatewastewaterfromactualaquaculturesites.Thesuccessfullydevelopedlow-costbioremediationtechnologyguaranteescleandischargewaterwhichenablestheindustrytoincreasetheiroperationcapacitywhileconformingtostrictlegislation.ThisworkingsolutionhasattractedaquaculturecompaniesfromAustraliaandoverseas.
MBDiscurrentlyintegratingitsalgaebioremediationtechnologyintotwoofthelargestprawnproductioncompaniesinAustraliaandVietnam.ThenewdevelopmentinAustralia(2018)willcompriseof259hawithapproximately25haofalgaetoremediatethenitrogenandrecyclethewastewater.ThescaleinVietnamwillbe10fold.
ForeachkgofnitrogenremovedMBDwillproduce25kgofvaluableseaweed.Algaeproductsfromthesecommercialdevelopmentsaretargetinghighvalueproductsforfertiliser,feed,foodandhumanhealthsupplementmarkets.
153TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
258 BreedingfordiseaseresistanceinAustralianshrimp:Howdowegetthere?
Miss Tansyn Noble1,2,DrGregComan2,DrNickWade2,ProfDeanJerry1,2
1James Cook University, Townsville, Australia, 2CSIRO, Brisbane, Australia
Shrimpfarmingisahighlyvaluableaquacultureindustryglobally.InAustralia,theshrimpfarmingindustryisworthover$86millionwithplans formassiveexpansion,particularly innorthernAustralia.Disease is the singlebiggest threat to shrimpproductionglobally.Managementofdiseaseinoverseasproductionhasbeenthroughtheuseofdomesticatedandspecificpathogenfree(SPF)stocks,whichhasallowedfarmingofshrimptocontinue,althoughdiseaseremainsabigproblem.Selectivebreedingisthoughttobeamoreeffectivelongtermdiseasemanagementstrategy.Sofar,breedingdiseaseresistantshrimphasbeenaccomplishedforveryfewdiseasesusinglaboratorychallengetests,sib-selectionandconventionalbreedingmethodologies.Highlypathogenicdiseasessuchasthatcausedbywhitespotsyndromevirus(WSSV)stillcausetremendousproductionlossesglobally,includingrecentlyinAustralia.Improvedaccuracyofselectionandincreasedselectionintensityisneededifdiseaseresistantshrimpareto be fully realised. Genomic selection offers the potential to significantly advance shrimp selective breeding particularly forcomplextraitslikediseaseresistance.InAustralia,abreedingprogramiscurrentlyunderwaydevelopingandapplyingnewandimprovedmethodsforselectionfordiseaseresistanceinshrimp.ThispresentationwillprovideanoverviewofhowdiseasehasbeenmanagedinthepastandhowdiseaseresistantshrimpwillbecomearealityinAustralia.
154TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
259 Theblacklipoyster–AnalternativefortropicalaquacultureinAustralia?
Dr Carmel McDougall1
1Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
TheAustralianedibleoysteraquacultureindustryiswhollyreliantontwodisease-pronespecies.Asaresult,productionvalueshavebeenindeclinesince2010.Onepotentialsolutionfortheindustryisthedevelopmentofadditionalspeciesforhatcheryproduction.The‘blacklipoyster’(Saccostrea echinata)hasbeenidentifiedashavinghighaquaculturepotentialinthePacificduetoitstoleranceofenvironmentalfluctuations,fastgrowth,acceptancebyconsumers,andresistancetoexistingoysterdiseases.Howeverpoorlarvalsurvivalincultureisacurrentbarriertoproduction,andthepresenceofasimilarparasitetothatwhichcausesQXindicatesthatdiseasemitigationstrategiesmayalsobeimportantforthisspecies.GiventhatS. echinata is closely related to theSydneyrockoyster,Ioutlinehowcomparativemoleculartechniquescanbeusedtofast-tracktheefficientproductionofthisspecies.
155TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
260 In-vitrooocytematurationby radial nerveextract and fertilizationof theblackseacucumberholothuria leucospilota
Mr Chieu Hoang Dinh1,2,A/Prof.ScottFCummins1,Prof.AbigailElizur1,MsSaowarosSuwansa-ard1,MrTomerAbramov1,MsMituShahidaAkter1
1University Of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Down, Australia, 2Research Institute for Marine Fisheries, Ngo Quyen, Vietnam
Theoverexploitationofwildseacucumbershasledtoanincreasingneedtodevelopitsaquaculture.Artificialinductionofoocytematurationfollowedbyin-vitrofertilizationrepresentsaninnovativeapproachthatcouldhelpincreasesupply.Theinducersofoocytematurationarenaturallysynthesisedwithinneuraltissue,whichinseacucumbersincludesacircumoralnerveringandradialnerves.Inthisstudy,wepreparedradialnerveextract(RNE)thatwasincubatedwithovarytissuetoinducein-vitrooocytematurationoftheblackseacucumberHolothuria leucospilota (Brandt,1835).Maturationwasdeterminedbygerminalvesiclebreakdown(GVBD)at3hpost-treatment.GVBDwasmostefficientwith0.7mgRNE(98.9%),comparedto1.4mgRNE(77.6%)andfilteredartificialseawater(1%).RNE-maturedoocyteswerefertilized(99%)andlarvaedevelopedtolateAuriculariastage(25dayspost-hatch).TheseresultsprovideascientificfoundationfortheidentificationofthebioactiveRNEfactorthatmaybeusedforlarge-scaleartificialbreedinginblackseacucumberhatcheries.
156TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
261 Techniquesandplatformsforhigh-throughputphenotypingofcanopiesandplants
Dr Xavier Sirault1
1CSIRO Agriculture & Food, Canberra, Australia, 2Australian Plant Phenomics Facility, Canberra, Australia
Phenotypingiskeytounderstandingthephysiologicalandgeneticbasesofplantgrowthandperformanceandtheirapplicationfor crop improvement. To increaseour capacity atmeasuringplant traits, a rangeof high-throughputphenotypingplatformshavebeenengineeredrangingfromautomatedsystemsincontrolledenvironmentstoground-basedoraerialvehicles(mannedorunmanned)inthefield.Thecommonalityinalltheseplatformsistheplethoraofsensorstheyintegrate,rangingfromvisibleimaging sensors (RGB) to imaging spectroscopy sensorsor from thermal infrared (IR) sensors to LightDetectionandRanging(LiDAR)sensors.Theavailabilityoftheseplatformsistodaytransformingphenotypingatscalesrangingfromindividualplotsforbreedingandphysiologicalstudiestoentirefarmstocharacterizeagro-eco-systems.
ThroughexamplestakenfromresearchconductedacrossCSIROAgriculture&Foodinwheat,riceandsugarcane,thispresentationwillfocuson:
1 ExploringhowLiDARandaerialRGBtechnologiescanbeusedtoeffectivelyprobeplantbiomassproductionandbiomassdistributionincerealsandsugarcane;and,
2 HowthedynamicmeasurementofcanopytemperatureusingIRtechnologiescanbeusedforimprovingwater-useefficiencyinwheat.
The Australian Plant Phenomics Facility’s Collaborative e-infrastructure platformphenoSMART, for extracting information andvaluefromthedatacollected,willalsobeillustratedinthispresentation.TheplatformaimsatmakingthecomputationaltoolsdevelopedbyResearchgroupsacrossAustraliaavailabletoothersand/ortheAgro-businesssector.
157TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
262 HowwouldGooglefarm?
Prof Alex Thomasson1,2,ProfCraigBaillie2
1Texas A&M University, College Station, United States, 2University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia
Meetingtheworld’sfoodandfiberneedsinthe21stcenturywhilemaintainingfarmprofitabilityrequiresexploitingdata-centrictechnologies.Googlehasspearheadedfullyautonomousvehiclesonourroadways,andweretheytoenterfarming,theywouldlikelyfirstamassallpertinentdataand implementartificial intelligence(AI)sothedatacoulddictatehowtoproceed. Aself-drivingcarusessensorsandAItosee,hear,read,understand,decide,andact–justlikehumandrivers.AsGooglerevolutionizesmobility, the sameopportunity exists in agriculture. Precision agriculture tookholdwith the adventofGPS,whichprovidedpositiondataandalongwithGISenabledmappingoffieldvariability.Newsensorshaveenabledmappingofmorefieldproperties.VRThasenabledinputapplicationstobevariedinrealtimeaccordingtofieldposition.AdvancesinanalyticslikeAIareenablingcomplexmodelingamongnumerousfieldpropertiesandkeyoutputmetricslikeyield.The“InternetofAgriculture”–stationarysensornetworksandubiquitoussensorsonfieldequipment,coupledwithwirelessnetworksandcloud-baseddatahandling–hasprovidedvoluminousdatathatenableAI-basedmodeling.Automationisenablingreal-timecontrolofvehiclesandimplementsinthefield.UAVsarebeingusedassensorplatformstoprovideimagesindicativeoffieldvariability.Fieldrobotsarebeingdevelopedformorecomplexagriculturaltasks.WearebeginningtolearnhowtocombineadvancementsinprecisionagriculturewiththoseinplantgeneticstooptimizeGxErelationships,andthisiscriticalworkforthefutureofagriculture.
158TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
263 Autonomousadaptiveprecisionirrigationforbroad-acreagriculture
Dr Joseph Foley1,DrAlisonMcCarthy1,DrMalcolmGillies1
1NCEA, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia
Forovertwentyyears,theNationalCentreforEngineeringinAgriculture(NCEA)attheUniversityofSouthernQueenslandhasbeenmeasuringfurrow,centrepivot,andlateralmoveirrigationevents,andprovidingmanagementadvicetooptimiseirrigationevents.The commercial IrriMate surface irrigation improvement process ofmeasurement,modelling, performance assessment, andprovisionofeventmanagementadvicehasbeenusedbyconsultantsandirrigationindustrypersonnelinabout1000assessmentsacrossfivestatesinAustraliawherewholefarmirrigationefficiencyrangesfrom40to95%.AsirrigationlabouravailabilityinhotandremotebroadacreirrigationregionsinAustraliareduces,growersarenowimplementingalternativemeanstoirrigatetheirlargefields.Areasofautomatedfurrowandoverheadbroadacreirrigationarerapidlyexpandingusingcommercialprovidersofremotelycontrolledgatesandvalves.CurrentresearchactivitybytheNCEAatUSQ,fundedbytheCommonwealthDepartmentofAgricultureandWaterResourcesundertheRuralR&DforProfit’sSmarterIrrigationforProfitprojectacrossfoursitesandthreedifferentcrops,isimplementingprecisionadaptiveirrigationusingthecrop-modelbasedVARIwisecontrolsystem(McCarthyetal2011)soastoautonomouslyoptimisehydrauliccontrolofirrigationeventsandcropoutcomes.Thisminimisestiresomeandtediousirrigationeventmanagement,andallowseasierremoteimplementationofoptimisedirrigationcontrolacrosslargefieldsinremoteruralregionswithagingworkforces. Installationofautonomousprecisionadaptive irrigationmanagementsystems,ensuresoptimalperformanceforeveryevent,improvedwaterproductivity,andeasierworkenvironmentsforgrowers.
159TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
264 Seekingenergyindependence
Assoc Prof Bernadette McCabe1
1National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia
Theuseofrenewableenergyanddevelopingequipmentwhichrunsonalternativeformssuchashybridtechnologyorbiofuelsisagrowingtrendaswemovetowardmoresustainableagriculturalsystems.Theuseofbiodiesel,windandsolarenergy;andelectricity and gas generated from biogas are important renewables being implemented globally at various scales. From aninternationalperspective,farmers’considerationforusingorincreasingrenewableenergyseemstobeindependentofthesizeoftheiroperationsbutratherstemfromtheirdesireforfarmstobeenergyindependent.Theenergyindependentfarmseekstocaterforitsownenergyneedsandcreatesaself-sustainingenvironmentwhichbuffersagainstfluctuatingenergypricesandtheresultingnegativeimpactithasonfarmincomes.
Thispresentationwillprovideanoverviewofexistingonfarmenergyefficiencypracticeswhichareatthecoretotheoperationofanyfarmingenterprise.Itwillthenintroducethedefiningfeaturesofanenergyindependentfarmandhowthekeycomponentsintegratetoprovideanoverarchingsustainableagriculturalplan.Keyoperationalmodelswhichexistworld-widewillbeusedascasestudiesandthepotentialtranslationtoAustralianfarmingcontextswillbeexplored.Somekeyaspectscoveredwillincludetheuseofenergycrops,wholeofcroputilisation,waste,spoilageandlosses.
160TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
265 Animalsensingwilltaketheindustryback100years
Assoc Prof Mark Trotter,DerekBailey2,JamieBarwick3
1Central Queensland University, Australia, 2New Mexico State University, United States, 3University of New England, Australia
Thereisaquietrevolutionhappeninginthelivestocksectorthatwillultimatelyseetheindustrytakenback100yearsintermsofitscapabilities.Itdoesn’tsoundgreat,butthisinnovationwillalsocatapultthelivestockindustriesintoanewphaseofincreasedproductionefficiency,sustainabilityandanimalwelfarecredibility.
On-animalsensingsystemshavebeenindevelopmentformanyyearsbutarenowincreasinglyfindingtheirwayontocommercialfarms.Thesesystemsprovidefine-scalebehaviouralinformationontheactivitiesoflivestockthroughaccelerometer,GPS,audio,proximityandothersensors.Theyarecurrentlyavailableforthedairyindustryincollarandeartagformandaresoontomakeanappearanceintheextensivegrazingsector.
Theywilltaketheindustryback100yearsbecausetheyprovidetheopportunityforanimalmanagersto“watch”theirlivestockinawaythathasn’tbeeneconomicallyviablesincewehadshepherdsfollowingflocksandstockmandrivingherds.100yearsagoadairyfarmermightatbesthaveowned20cowsandcloselywatchedforbehaviouralchangestoindicatetheonsetofdiseaseorillhealththatneededtreating.Thesesensorscannowdothisremotelyandautonomously.
Thisnewgenerationofanimalsensingsystemswillactuallyprovidemoreinformationthanwaspossiblyobservablewhenwehadshepherdandstockmanmanagingsmallnumbers.Withtheabilitytomonitoreventheslightestbehaviouralchanges24hours-a-day,7days-a-weeknoteventhemostdedicatedshepherdboycouldnothavecompetedwiththepotentialofthesenewsensors!
161TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
266 Fieldroboticsinagriculture
Mark Calleija1
Australian Centre for Field Robotics, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
Fieldrobotsareoutdoorautomatedmobileplatformsthatcanoperate24/7inallweatherconditions.Overthelastfiveyears’fieldroboticcapabilitieshavedramaticallyincreasedbecauseofadvancesinmachinelearning,powersystems,additivemanufacturing,sensing andmachine computation. Their impact has been felt inmining, stevedoring, infrastructuremonitoring and lately inagriculture.InthistalkwewillpresentthecurrentstatusonthreeagriculturefieldroboticsprojectsattheAustralianCentreforFieldRobotics.Thefirst iswiththehorticulture industryand inparticularourworkonrobotics,sensingandmachine learningtechniquesthataimstohelpthevegetableindustryincreasecropproductivitythroughprecisionagriculture.Thesecondisourworkwithinthetreecropindustryandinparticularhowsensingandroboticsisbeingusedtoundertakeprecisioncropmonitoring,andthechallengesencounteredbecauseofdifferenttreestructuresandfruit/nuttypes.Thethirdprojectwilllookatroboticsforthegrazinglivestockindustryandtheinparticulartheobjectiveofundertakingautonomouslargescalemonitoringofthelandandanimals.
162TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
267 Systemsgeneticstudiesofphotosynthesisandwateruseefficiencyinrice
AnujKumar1,SupratimBasu1,ChiragGupta1,SaraYingling1,JulieThomas1,Andy Pereira1
1University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, United States
Improvementofcropsforthefuture,requiresthegeneticdissectionofcomplextraitsandare-synthesisofindividualessentialcomponents,toreconstructcropsthatproducemoreunderthelimitationsofthenaturalresourcesandrespondwithresiliencetothechallengingenvironment.Toidentifythelandscapeofgenescontributingtoproductivitytraitsinrice,weconductedagenomewideassociation(GWA)analysisofcomponenttraitsforphotosynthesis,productivity,wateruseefficiencyandgrainyieldunderwell-wateredandcontrolleddroughtconditions.AdiversericepanelcomprisingoftheUSDAmini-corecollectionandadditionalgenotypes were phenotyped in the greenhouse and field for multiple productivity traits under well-watered and controlleddrought.GWAofthediversepanelusing~200,000SNPsidentifiedcandidategenesformosttraitsanalyzedusingFarmCPUwithpotentiallyfewererrorsinmapping.Tointegrateinformationonproductivitytraits,correspondingmarkersandgenesinvolvedintraitexpressionwecreatedageneregulatorynetworkaroundtheHYR(HigherYieldingRice)geneusingChIP-SeqandRNA-SeqdatafromHYRexpressinggenotypesthatshowedhigherphotosynthesis,WUEandyieldunderdrought.ThisnetworkisbeingusedtointegrateinformationfromriceGWAdata,tosupportfunctionalanalysisandidentifynovelcandidategenesassociatedwithriceproductivityanddroughtresistance.Ourongoingstudieswillbedescribedthatprovideanunderstandingofthegeneticpathwaysandphysiologicalprocessesinvolvedinproductivityofriceunderdrought.
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268 Developmentofricevarietiesformultipleabiotic–stresstoleranceintheMekongregionandAustralia
Prof Shu Fukai1,DrJaquieMitchell1
1University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Ricerequiresalargeamountofwater,andifamplewaterisnotavailableitcanbeseverelyaffectedbywaterstress.IntheMekongregionofThailand,LaosandCambodia,therainfedlowlandriceecosystemisdominant.Inthissystem,thecropreliesonrainfallinthewetseason,andisoftensubjectedtointermittentandterminaldroughtbutalsosubmergenceafterheavyrainfallevents.Climatechangeisthoughttobeexacerbatingtheoccurrenceofdroughtandflood.Selectionmethodsarewellestablishedfordevelopmentofdroughttolerantvarieties,andseveralvarietiesadaptedtobothdroughtandfloodhavebeenreleased.
FortheAustralianriceindustry,lackofirrigationwateraswellascoldweatherpriortoandaroundfloweringaremajorlimitingfactorsforsustainableproduction.AerobicriceispractisedinnorthernAustralia,butseverecoldpreventsitsuseinthemainricegrowingareainthecountry.Wehaveestablishedscreeningmethodsforselectionofgenotypestoleranttobothcoldandaerobicconditions.PhysiologicaltraitsandQTLsthatconfercoldtolerancehavebeenidentified.Colddonorswerealsoidentified,crossesmadewitheliteAustralianvarieties,andadvancedmaterialswithcoldtolerancearebeingtestedunderbothfloodedandaerobicconditions.
TheuseofseeddrillsreplacingtraditionalhandtransplantingorbroadcastingintheMekongregionandreplacingaerialsowinginAustraliaiscontributingtominimizingthewatershortageeffectonriceproduction.Developmentofvarietiesadaptedtomultipleabioticstresstoleranceshouldfurtherassistthericeindustries.
164TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
269 Mapping,miningandtrackingtoolstolocateandharnessclimateresiliencein rice
Dr Tobias Kretzschmar1
1IRRI, Metro Manila, Philippines
SNP-basedgenotypingapproacheshavebecomeindispensabletoolsinmodernricebreedingactivities,facilitatingthedevelopmentofclimate-changereadyriceforincreasedfoodandincomesecurityofresource-poorfarmersinAsiaandAfrica.TheInternationalRiceResearchInstitute(IRRI)offersanddeploysadiverseportfolioofin-houseandoutsourcedgenotypingsolutionsforapplicationsthatrangefromtraitmobilizationinpre-breedingpools,overmarkerassistedselectioninbreedingpipelines,tovarietalimpactassessmentinthefarmer’sfield.
Onthehigh-densityendIRRIgovernsoveraglobalgeneticresourceofthousandsofre-sequenceddiverseaccessionsandelitebreedinglinesfortraitdiscoveryandtheminingoffavorablealleles.
In themedium-density rangefixedarray- andamplicon-basedplatforms reliablyproduceuniquegeneticfingerprints that aresuitableformappingpurposes,associationstudies,genomicpredictionsandassessmentsofdiversityandpopulationstructure.
Atthelow-densityendpuritySNPsetshavebeenoptimizedtounambiguouslydistinguishanytwovarieties.Appliedinqualitycontroltoconfirmhybridityofcrossesandtoassessthepurityofmaterials,theycontributetosustainedgeneticgainswithintheIRRIbreedingprogramsandensurecleanseedproduction.
ForefficientintrogressionofhighvalueQTLsofdemonstratedeffectintoelitematerialsandtoenrichtherespectivefavorableallelesinrelevantbreedingpools,arangeoftrait-specificmarkershavebeendevelopedandvalidated.Theyincludemarkersfortoleranceofdroughtandsubmergence,aswellasforresistanceagainstmajorpathogensandpeststofacilitatefortificationagainstclimateextremesandtheassociatedincreaseddiseasepressure.
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270 Climate-smartriceproductionforAustraliaandAsia
Assoc Prof Andrew Borrell1,DrMaiVanTrinh2,ProfessorUdayaSekharNagothu3
1The University of Queensland, Warwick, Australia, 2Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Hanoi, Vietnam, 3Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, As, Norway
TheEarthisawater-scarceplanet.Feedingmorepeoplewithlesswaterisamajorchallengefacinghumanity.Thedevelopmentofwater-savingtechnologiesforriceproductioninnorthernAustraliaandAsiawillbepresented,includingcasestudiesfromAustralia,Indonesia,IndiaandVietnam.EarlyresearchinnorthernAustraliafoundthatitisnotnecessarytofloodricetoobtainhighgrainyieldandquality.Saturatedsoilculture(SSC),asystemofgrowingriceonraisedbedswithwatermaintainedinthefurrows,usedabout32%lesswaterinthewetanddryseasonscomparedwithtraditionalfloodedproduction.SSCwassubsequentlyevaluatedinIndonesia,withsimilarbenefitsfound.SmallholderricefarmersinVietnamfaceconsiderablerisk,andrequirerice-basedcroppingsystemsthataremoreresilienttothenegativeimpactsofdroughtandsalinity.Fivekeyclimate-smartmeasuresforriceproductionhaverecentlybeenidentifiedandtestedinVietnam.Theseincludesalinity-tolerantricevarieties,slow-releasenitrogenfertilisers,organicfertilisersthatreducegreenhousegasemissions,climate-smartcroprotations,water-savingirrigationstrategies,andarangeof genetic,management andeconomic solutions. Significant environmental benefitswere also identified. For example,methaneemissionswerereduced5-foldusing‘alternatewettinganddrying’irrigationcomparedwithtraditionalfloodedrice.ThepotentialapplicationofthesemeasurestonorthernAustraliawillalsobediscussed.
166TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
271 Generatingusefulgeneticvariationincropsbyinducedmutation
Apichart Vanavichit1
1Rice Science Center, Thailand
Thesuccessofconventionalbreedingandselectionreliesheavilyonavailablegeneticvariation.Thedepletionofgeneticdiversityis, therefore, a crucial limiting factor to next generation plant breeding, and therefore an obstacle to feeding the increasingworld.Whilespontaneousmutationaddsnewallelestothegenepoolataslowrate,radiation-andmutagen-inducedmutationsrapidlytriggerstructuralandnucleotidechangesinthegenome.ItiscommonlyacceptedthatinducedmutagenesisgeneratesrandomalterationonDNAsequencesandstructuralchangesatgenome-widescale.However,newevidenceshowsthatradiationmutagenesis generates specific local lesions and structural changes in the genome. For instance, next-generation sequencingrevealedthatirradiationgeneratesahighdensityofsinglenucleotidevariationofwhichover80%isduplicatedwithspontaneousvariation. Inaddition, selectionunder stressesmaygeneratemore specificgain/lost-of-functionmutantswhichcarry specificgenomicchangesandallelicvariationsimilartowhatcanbefoundinnaturalgeneticvariation.Whataretheexactmechanismsallowingtherapidgenerationofgeneticvariationremainunclear. Identifyingthosewillempowerbreederstorapidlydevelopbetterplantvarietiestocopewiththeimminentclimatechangesandrespondtospecificnutritionalneedsofthepopulations.
167TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
272 Irontoleranceinrice
Prof Antonio Costa De Oliveira1,DrCamilaPegoraro1,DrLucianoMaia1,DrRailsonSantos1,MissVivianViana1
1Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
Plant breeders are facedwithbigger challenges sinceworld’s population continues to growand climate changes threaten toreducecropyields.Notonlyhigheryieldsareneededbutabioticstresstolerancesneededtobeaddedtothegeneticbackgroundof cultivars. Thismajor taskwill require a deeper understanding of stress responses in plants aswell as the identificationofgenesthatwillprovidethestrengthneededfora resilient ideotype. Ironexcess,salinityandcoldaremajorstressesaffectingriceworldwide.Ourgrouphasbeenworkingonabioticstressresponsesandtheirregulationasastrategytofindgenotypeswithbetteryields.MicroarrayandRNAseqexperiments,aswellasbioinformaticstoolshavebeenusedtoidentifynovelcandidatesformarkerassistedselection.ThemechanismsunderlyingstresstolerancepointtoacomplexregulationsystemandfeedbackcontrolbyWRKYtranscriptionfactors.
168TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
273 Microbialmanipulationofrumenefficiency
Assoc Prof Athol Klieve1,MsDianeOuwerkerk2,DrRosalindGilbert2
1University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia, 2Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dutton Park, Australia
Improvingtheefficiencyofrumenfunctionthroughmanipulationofthemicrobiomeisanareaofincreasinginterest.Inparticular,introducingnewspeciesorbolsteringexistingmicrobialpopulationsthroughdirect-fed-microbialsisinascendancy.However,thisisnota“onesizefitsall”strategy,butisverycomplexinvolvingtheinteractionofmanydivergentnotwellunderstoodfactors.Threeconsiderationswillbediscussed:
1.Consideradditionalbenefits.AninoculumproducedbyDAFdetoxifiesleucaenaandmarkedlyimprovesproductivity.Thegoaloftheinoculumistodetoxifyanutritiousfeedplant.Onespeciesofbacteriaachievesthisbutprovidingamixedbacterialinoculumselectedforleucaenadegradationalsoimprovesthedigestionofleucaenabiomass.
2. Consider the diet and tailor strategies accordingly. A probiotic to enhance grain digestion in feedlot cattle demonstratedinterestinginteractionswithfeedandhighlightedthatlaboratoryfindingsdonotalwaystranslatetothein-vivosituation.AstrainofButyrivibriofibrisolvens,isolatedasthemostefficientutilizerofstarchin-vitro,disappearedwithin24hoursin-vivo.Ruminococcusbromiiisolatedfromcattlefedbarley,usedasaprobiotic,dominatedthemicrobiomeinthefirsttwoweeks,andthenbecameundetectable.
3.Considercrypticmechanisms.Whenusedasaprobiotic,BacillusamyloliquefaciensH57increasedliveweightgaininsheepandcalves.However,theseeffectsoccurwithoutH57establishingintherumen.So,themechanismforthisiscurrentlycrypticbutmaybeattributedtoH57sporescarryinganti-microbialsthatshifttherumenmicrobiometowardsamoreefficientmixforplantfibredigestion.
169TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
274 Estimating the efficiency of rumen microbial protein synthesis in cattlegrazingtropicalpastures,andimplicationsforanimalperformance
Dr Maree Bowen1
1Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland, Rockhampton, Australia
Incattlegrazingtropicalpasturesmostofthemetabolisableproteinavailableisfromrumenmicrobialcrudeprotein(MCP)synthesis.WehavedevelopedanewmethodforestimatingMCPproduction ingrazingcattle. It involvescontinuous intravenous jugularinfusionofchromium(Cr)-EDTAandmeasurementofbothCrandpurinederivative(PD)concentrations inspoturinesamplestoestimateurineoutput,and,thereby,totalPDexcretion.Inaddition,wehavedeterminedalowerestimateofendogenousPDexcretion,forBosindicuscomparedwithB.tauruscattle,whichisrequiredtocalculateMCPflow.AmajorstudywithB.indicussteersgrazingarangeoftropicalpasturetypesconfirmeddatafrompenstudieswithhaydiets,showingthattheefficiencyofMCPsynthesis(EMPS)insteersconsumingtropicalgrasspastureswaslowandlimitedbyrumendegradableprotein(RDP)supplyfromthepasture.InsituationsofhighRDP,ingrazingandpenstudies,therewasverylowconversionefficiencyofRDPtoMCP(0.24-0.40).Abetterunderstandingofthemechanismsassociatedwithendogenousnitrogenrecycling,andthemetabolisableproteinrequiredundervariouscircumstances,willenablebetterelucidationofhowchangestoEMPSwillaffectanimalgrowth,inpractice.Inthegrazingstudy,tropicallegumesprovidedadequateRDPtomeettheneedsofrumenmicrobesandthismayprovidethebeststrategytoincreaseEMPSandanimalperformance.Astudyoncommercialcattlepropertieshasconfirmedthattheinclusionofadaptedperenniallegumesintropicalpasturesdramaticallyimprovesanimalperformanceaswellasprofitability.
170TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
275 The relationship of efficiency ofmicrobial crudeprotein productionwithrumenmicrobialcommunitystructureinsteersfedtropicalpastures
Dr Karen Harper1
1The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia
A better understanding of the factors that govern microbial community structure and efficiency of microbial crude proteinproduction (EMCP) in tropicalproduction systems is required.Microbial crudeprotein (MCP)production is themajorproteinsupplytothehost,andcanprovidecloseto100%oftheproteinrequirementsinextensiveproductionsystems.MCPisafunctionoftheMEintakeandEMCP,thereforeanimportantstrategytooptimizeMCPistomaximizethisefficiency(EMCP).InpracticeEMCPofNorthernAustraliannativepasturesrarelyexceeds130gMCP/kgDOM.Thisvalueisthesuggestedminimumoffeedingstandardswhenrumendegradablenitrogenisadequate(S.R.A.2007).VariousformsofsupplementationtotropicalpastureshaveprovidedonlylimitedimprovementsinEMCPvalues.Twostudieswithabasalroughageoflowcrudeprotein(CP)increasedtheEMCP(toapproximately167gMCP/kgDOM)inBrahman-crosssteerswhenrumendegradabletrueproteinwasincreasedasasupplement.Panjaitanetal.(2015)usedspirulinaalgaeandBowenetal.2016usedcaseinbothathighlevels.
These improvements inEMCPwereoftenassociatedwithdecreases intherumenretentiontimewithsupplementedanimals.Rumendilutionratehasamajoreffectonmicrobialgrowth.TheprincipleuponwhichEMCPisincreasedisthatitmayoccurviasimplemassactioneffectsongrowthand/orchangesintherumenmicrobiometofastergrowingrumenmicrobialspecies.Someexamplesofthesechangesareoutlined.
171TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
276 Changing the interplay between gut and host to improve productionefficiencyofruminants
Prof Roger Hegarty1
1University of New England, Australia
Increasingly, the gut biome is recognised as influencing the host and the host as influencing the gut biome. This awarenesscreatesopportunitiestomanagebothmicrobeandhosttoincreasetheoverallefficiencyandproductivityoftheanimal.Earlylifeinterventionstoaffecttheestablishingbiomehaveshownefficacyinchangingruminalecologybutprovedlesseffectiveindeliveringsustainedchangeintheyieldofmicrobialproductsandproductivityofthehost.Targetedbiomemanipulationssuchaseliminationofrumenciliateprotozoahaveshownlastingimprovementsinproteinavailabilitythatcanbeadvantageousinlowproteintropicalgrazingsystems.Manipulatingthehosttoinfluencetheretentiontimeofdigestabymeansfromanimalbreedingtodietaryadditives(eg.cysteamine)anddietstructurecanpredictablychangefermentation.Thispresentsanexampleofregulatingthebiologyofthehosttofavourablychangeruminalnutrientyieldtobettermatchhostanimalnutrientrequirements,reducinginefficiencies in the rumen (eg.energy loss inmethane)and in thehost (eg.energy:aminoacid imbalance).Newapproachestomanage thegutbiomedirectly,orby influencinghostbiology tomodify the ruminal conditions,offerpromise to improveproductionefficiencyofrumenmicrobesandofthehostruminant.
172TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
277 Whatistheactualroleofrumenforsupplementedgrazingcattle?
Prof Edenio Detmann1,ProfMárioPaulino1,ProfSebastiãoValadaresFilho1
1Universidade Federal De Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
Protein has been recognized as the most important component in supplements for grazing cattle in the tropics. For manyyears, the technical arguments regarding supplementationhavebeenbasedonoptimizationof ruminal fermentation,mainlyfiberdegradation.Theoretically,arumendegradablenitrogensupplementationwouldbeabletoincreasemicrobialgrowthandimprovebothenergysupplyfromfiber,andmetabolizableprotein(MP)supplyfrommicroorganisms.However,severalresultsobtainedinBrazilhavepointedoutthateffectsofnitrogensupplementsaremoreprominentonmetabolismthanonrumenitself.Theimprovementsinmicrobialnitrogensupplyrespondforapproximately20%oftheimprovementintotalnitrogenaccretionintheanimalbodyobtainedbyusingnitrogensupplementation.Fromthisstatement,onecanwonderwhichistheactualroleoftherumenwhensupplementsaresuppliedforgrazingcattle.AlthoughnitrogensupplementsseemtohaveaminorroleonimprovementofMPsupplyfrommicrobialprotein,anysignificantandpositivemetaboliceffectofsupplementalnitrogencanonlybeachievedafterruminalenvironmentisequilibratedconcerningnitrogenbalance(RNB).TheRNBismainlyaffectedbydietaryavailabilityofnitrogenandshowsnocorrelationwithdietaryenergy.WhentheRNBisnegative,adeleteriouseffectsonnitrogenstatusintheanimalbodyoccurs,which,inturn,willdecreasetheefficiencyofMPutilization.Inconclusion,thefirststeptoachievebettermetabolicefficienciesingrazingcattleinthetropicsistoprovideanequilibratedruminalenvironmentregardingnitrogenavailability.
173TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
278 Live yeast supplementation improves rumen fibre degradation in cattlegrazingtropicalpasturesthroughouttheyear
Mr.DannyloSousa1,MsCassieleOliveira1,Mr.JohnnySouza1,Dr.EricChevaux2,Dr.LucasMari3,Dr Luis Silva1,4
1Universidade de Sao Paulo, Pirassununga, Brazil, 2Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Blagnac, France, 3Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Aparecida de Goiania, Brazil, 4Qaafi, St Lucia, Australia
Theeffectofliveyeast(LY-SaccharomycescerevisiaeCNCMI-1077)oninsitufiberdigestibilityandrumencellulolyticbacteriapopulationofgrazingNellorecattlewasevaluatedthroughouttheyear.Eightrumencannulatedsteerswereusedina2x4factorialarrangementoftreatments:withorwithoutLY,andseasonsoftheyear(spring,summer,fall,andwinter).Theproductwasgivendaily,incapsules,viarumencannula,inordertoprovide8x10⁹CFU.Animalswerekeptonarotationalgrazingsystemreceivingmineralsupplementation.Every45d, insiturumenfibredigestibility(NDFD)of5referenceforageswasdeterminedafter24hincubation.AcompositesampleoftherumencontentswascollectedforDNAextractionandreal-timePCRquantificationoffourcellulolyticbacteriaspecies:Butyrivibriofibrisolvens,Fibrobactersuccinogenes,Ruminococcusflavefaciens,andRuminococcusalbus. Although pasture composition varied greatly throughout the year, there was no LY*season interaction (P>0.20).SupplementationwithLY increased24h-NDFDby6.3% forbermudagrasshay (P=0.02),4.1% forpalisadegrass (P=0.01),4.9%forguineagrass(P=0.03),13%forsugarcanesilage(P=0.02),and6.9%forcornsilage(P=0.04).Amongthefourrumenbacteriaevaluated,R.flavefacienswasthemostprevalent,andLYsupplementationincreasedby78%(P<0.01)therelativepopulationofR.flavefaciensintherumen.TheeffectofLYonR.flavefasciencswasmorepronouncedduringthesummerandspring(LY*seasoninteraction,P=0.10).SupplementationwithLYincreasedrumenpopulationofR.flavefaciensandfibredigestibilityofroughagesinsteersgrazingtropicalpastures.
174TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
279 RegulationandadvancingGMtechnologies
Dr Raj Bhula1
1Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, Canberra, Australia
Technologyismovingatapacethatrequiresadaptablelegislationandregulatoryprocessessothatresearchandinnovationissupported.
New plant breeding technologies are challenging legal definitions of GMOs in many countries including Australia. DifferentregulatoryframeworksataninternationallevelcanimpactontheacceptanceofGMOs.
TheOGTRhasconductedatechnicalreviewoftheGeneTechnologyRegulationsinpreparationforagreaterreviewoftheGeneTechnologyscheme.Submissionstothereviewoftheregulationshavehelpedtoinformtheprocess.Theoutcomesofthetechnicalreviewwillbepresented.
175TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
280 RegulatoryoversightofnewbreedinginnovationsintheUS
Dr Alison Van Eenennaam1
1University of California, Davis, Davis, United States
TheUS“CoordinatedFrameworkfortheRegulationofBiotechnology”promulgatedinthe1980s,istechnicallyagnostictowardsthebreedingmethodunderreview.AccordingtotheOfficeofScienceandTechnologyPolicy,“Exerciseofoversight…shouldbebasedontheriskposedbytheintroductionandshouldnotturnonthefactthatanorganismhasbeenmodifiedbyaparticularprocessortechnique”.Inpractice,thisisnotwhathappens.TheUSDepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)regulatoryoversightforgeneticallyengineered(GE)plantsistriggeredbythedependenceofanygeneticmodificationuponaplantpestorpotentialtobecomeaplantpest.ThedependenceofolderGEtechniquesonpest-andvirus-derivedgeneticcomponentsresultedinadefactoprocess-basedregulatoryregimeofGEplantsbytheUSDA’sAnimalandPlantHealth InspectionService.Thetrigger fortheUSFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)mandatorypremarketevaluationofGEanimalsisthoseanimalswhosegenomehasbeen intentionallymodifiedby recombinantDNA (rDNA) techniques, including theentire lineageof animals that contain themodification.AllGEanimalsarecapturedundertheseprovisions,regardlessoftheirintendeduse.Thus,althoughtheregulatoryevaluationisbasedontheproduct,theFDAdraftguidancesuggestsanyintentionalalterationofananimal’sgenomewouldtriggerregulatoryoversight.Asaresult,plantswithnonovelDNAsequencesproducedusinggenomeeditingwould likelybeexemptfromregulatoryoversight,whereasanyanimalswith intentionalgenomemodificationswould facemandatorypremarketFDAevaluation.
176TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
281 Regulationofnewbreedinginnovations–Implicationsforthegraintrade
Ms Rosemary Richards1
1Grain Trade Australia, Royal Exchange, Australia
TheAustraliangrainsindustrywillpotentiallybenefitfromresearchutilisinginnovativeplantbreedingtechnologiestoenhancetheproductivecapacityofAustraliangrainproducers.Theusesofsuchinnovativetechnologiesareexpandingastheyareadaptabletolargevarietyofcropsandoftenmoreeconomical.
Amajorchallengefortheglobalgraintradeisthelackofconsistencyinregulationsregardinginnovativebreedingtechnologiesglobally.Harmonisationofregulationsisrequiredtoprovidecertaintytothegraintrade.
Thegraintraderequiresaclearpolicyframeworktofacilitatetheefficientmovementofgrainaroundtheworld.Theabsenceofaconsistentpolicyframeworkislikelytoresultinalackofalignmentinregulatoryapproachesinexportingandimportingcountries.Thiswillpotentiallyleadtotradedisruptionwithsubsequentincreasedcostsandrisks.
The Australian industry works with global partners, through the International Grain Trade Coalition, to achieve internationalalignmentandframeworksthatwillminimisetradedisruptions.Alignmentandregulatorycoherencewillassistgovernmentstoavoidunnecessarilyerodingthevalueoftheinnovationand/ordrivingupcostsandcomplexityintheglobalfoodsystem.
GrainTradeAustralia(GTA)isthefocalpointforthecommercialgrainsindustrywithinAustralia.Itfacilitatestradeandworkstoprovideanefficient,equitableandopentradingenvironmentbyprovidingleadership,advocacyandcommercialservicestotheAustraliangrainvaluechain.
177TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
300 TheMediterraneanDiet:Ahealthyandtraditionaldietarypatternembeddedinasustainablefoodsystem
Prof Lluis Serra-Majem1,2,3
1Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain, 2Ciber Obn Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, Institute of Health ‘‘Carlos III’’, Madrid, Spain, 3International Mediterranean Diet Foundation, London, United Kingdom
TheMediterraneandietshouldbeunderstoodnotonlyasasetoffoodsbutalsoasaculturalmodelthatinvolvesthewayfoodsareselected,produced,processedanddistributedTheMediterraneandietarypatternispresentednotonlyasaculturalmodelbutalsoasahealthyandenvironmentallyfriendlymodel.
TherecognitionbyUNESCO,withtheconsequentincreasedvisibilityandacceptanceoftheMediterraneandietaroundtheworld,alongwithbetterandmorescientificevidenceregarding itsbenefitsandeffectivenesson longevity,qualityof lifeanddiseaseprevention,hastakenthisdietarypatterntoanunprecedentedhistoricalmoment.ThisisafavorablesituationthatcouldpossiblyenablethestrengtheningoftheMediterraneandietaroundtheworld,thuspotentiatingimprovementsinglobalhealthindicatorsandinareductionofenvironmentalimpactbyproductionandtransportationoffoodresources.
To this end, theMediterranean diet should be seen for what it is: an extremely and incomparable healthy, affordable andenvironmentallysustainable foodmodel,aswellasanancientculturalheritagethatconfers identityandbelonging.Fromthehearttotheearththroughtheroadofculture,theMediterraneandietisaculturalheritagethatlookstothefuture.Withtheleadershipofthenewinternationalorganization–TheInternationalFoundationoftheMediterraneanDiet(IFMeD)www.ifmed.org–thefutureisover.IFMeDaimstoraisepublicawarenessofhealthyandsustainablenutrition,makingitacentralissue,andtopromotetheinternationalcooperationagreementswithactorsbothpublicandprivatestakeholderstosupportandpursuethevaluesandbenefitsoftheMediterraneandiet.
Keywords:MediterraneanDiet,sustainability,healthbenefits,culture,UNESCO,environment.
178TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
301 Thechangingfaceofhorticulture:Hellotomorrow!
Prof Neena Mitter1
1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Avibrantandsustainablehorticulture industry isamust toprovidenutritional food for10billionpeopleby2050.Fruitsandvegetablesarecriticaltoaddresstheso-called‘hiddenhunger’,withtheWorldHealthOrganizationrecommendingadietaryintakeofmorethan400goffruitsandvegetablesperdaytopreventmalnutrition.Morethanthis,horticulture isastrongdriverforeconomicgrowth.Itcreatesjobs,supportsawiderangeagri-businessesacrossthesupplychainandgeneratesincometoagreaterdegreethananyotheragriculturalcrop.Asustainablehorticulturalproductionsystemwithanecosystemapproachisnecessarytoadapttochangingsocial,political,economicandenvironmentalimpacts.
Thediversityoffruits,vegetables,nuts,herbs,medicinalplantsandornamentalsthatmakethehorticultureindustrycanbegrownacrossvariedagro-ecological zones. InAustralia,horticultureaccounts for~18%of the totalvalueofagricultureandemploysaround61,000people.A‘newworldorder’isemergingintheglobalfreshfruitandvegetabletradewithconsumerslookingfor‘value’over‘volume’.Thesechangesarenotyearsaway,theyarehappeningnow.TherapidgrowthofAsia’sconsumerclasstoanestimated3.2billionby2030willdrivedemandforpremium,high-qualityandsafehorticultureproducefromAustralia.HortInnovationAustralia’sinitiativessuchas‘TasteAustralia’and‘HortFrontiers’feedintothevisionofacollaborativeandgrowinghorticultureindustry.
Robotics,precisionfarming,protectedcropping,dronetechnology,newunexploredcrops,andnovelcropprotectionanddiagnosticplatformsaresomeofthekeytenetsforthe‘horticultureoftomorrow’.Theequationneedstoincludebothpre-andpost-farmgateoperationsallthewayfromproductiontomarketandtradeinvestments.Theamalgamationoftraditionalandinnovativeframeworksarecrucialforaproactiveindustryreadytoembracethefuture.Thisrequiressupportfrombothfundamentalandappliedscience.Itisimperativethatnewinnovationsreducepesticidemisuseandconservesoilandwater.“BioClayforaclean-greenandsafecropprotection’and“Plantstemcellbasedclonalpropagationofavocado’aretwosuchexamples;creatingchangethatcounts.Thisisbecomingincreasinglyrelevantasthewell-informedmillennialconsumerwantsinformationallthewayfromgrowingconditionstoshop-front.
Recognisingdifferentpathwaystosuccess,guidingyoungmindstodeliverforthefuture,andinnovationthatgoesbeyonddiscipline,organisations,governments,industriesandgeographiesarevitaltosaying“HelloTomorrow”tothechangingfaceofhorticulture.
179TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
302 Combining nanotechnology and molecular recognition for fertilizerapplications
Prof Maria DeRosa1,DrCarlosMonreal2
1Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, 2Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, Ottawa, Canada
Innovationinagriculturaltechnologywillbeacriticalelementintheefforttoachieveglobalfoodsecurityinanenvironmentallyandeconomicallysustainablefashion.Thispresentationwillexaminethequestion:Canthecombinationofnanotechnologyandmolecularrecognitionhelpimprovethenutrientuseefficiencyoffertilizers?Thepresentationwillfocusspecificallyonarelativelynewtechnologycalledaptamersandtheiragriculturalapplications.Aptamersaresyntheticnucleicacidsthatfoldintonanoscaleshapesthatareabletorecognizeandbindtoatargetmoleculeofinterest.Thisinnovativeformofbionanotechnologyisgainingattentionintheareasofbiosensingandcontrolleddelivery.Oureffortsinthedevelopmentofaptamersforspecificrootexudatesassociatedwithnitrogenuptakewillbedescribed.Also,ourwork in thedevelopmentofaptamer-basednanoscalepolymericcoatingsfortriggerednutrientreleasewillbepresented.
180TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
303 Regulatoryscienceandagriculturalinnovation:Wheredowestand?
Dr Phil Reeves1
1Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, Kingston, Australia
Nanotechnologyandbiotechnologyadvanceswillleadtomanyinnovativeplantprotectionproducts(PPPs)inAustralianagriculture.ThebenefitsofsuchPPPswillincludeincreasedproductstability,enhancedefficacy,controlledreleaseofactiveingredients,bettertargetingofpestspecies,andreducedenvironmentalfootprints.However,novelPPPshavethepotentialtoposeriskstohumanhealthandtheenvironment.Thecurrentproceduresforassessingtherisksofproperly-characterisednanomaterialstohumanhealthareconsideredtobeadequate.Fromanenvironmentalriskassessmentperspective,thebehaviourofnanomaterials inbothterrestrialandaquaticenvironmentscanbeverydifferentcomparedwiththoseofnon-nanoscalechemicalsandasaresult,modificationstotheconventionalrisk-assessmentapproachfornanomaterialsarenecessary.Inthebiologicalproductsarena,RNAinterference(RNAi)isamajorfocusofR&Dactivitiesglobally.Althoughtheriskassessmentoftopicallyapplieddouble-strandedRNA(dsRNA)designedtoinduceatargetedRNAiresponsetoapestspeciesinvolvessimilarconsiderationstothoseappliedtoother conventional chemicalpesticides, additional considerationsareneeded.These include thepossibilityof silencinggenes(eithertargetornon-targetgenes)innon-targetorganismshavinganoverlappingsequencetothetargetedgeneinthetargetorganism,andthefateandanypossibleeffectofremnantsmall-interferingRNA(siRNA)intheenvironmentortreatedcrop.Whiletheexisting regulatory frameworks for the safetyassessmentof chemical andbiologicalpesticidesare sufficiently robustandflexibletobebroadlyapplicabletonovelPPPs,appropriaterefinementswillneedtobeappliedasourknowledgebaseincreases.
181TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
304 Ananobiotechnologyapproachtoprotectplantsfromabioticstress
DrHonghongWu1,NicholasTito1,Asst Prof Juan Pablo Giraldo1
1University of California, Riverside, Riverside, United States
Plantabioticstressleadstoaccumulationofreactiveoxygenspecies(ROS)andconsequentdecreaseinphotosyntheticperformance.Wedemonstratethataplantnanobiotechnologyapproachofinterfacingnegativelycharged,sub-11nm,sphericalceriumoxidenanoparticles(nanoceria)withchloroplastsinvivoaugmentsROSscavengingandphotosynthesisofArabidopsisthalianaplantsunderexcess light,heat,darkchilling,andsalinitystress.Poly (acrylicacid)nanoceria (PNC)withahydrodynamicdiameterof10.3±0.6nm(lowerthanthemaximumplantcellwallporosity)andzetapotentialof-16.9±2.7mV,preferentiallylocalizeinsidechloroplastsofleafmesophyllcellsthanpositivelychargednanoceriaofsimilarsize.Nanoceriaaretransportedintochloroplastsvianon-endocyticpathways,influencedbytheelectrochemicalgradientoftheplasmamembranepotential.PNChavingCe3+/Ce4+ratiosof35.0%±2.2%augmentplantROSscavengingincludingsuperoxideanionandhydroxylradicals,forthelatterROSthereisnoknownplantenzymescavenger.PlantswithembeddedPNCthatwereexposedtoabioticstresshaveenhancedquantumyieldofphotosystemII,carbonassimilationrates,andRubiscocarboxylationratesrelativetoplantswithoutnanoparticles.PNCimprovebothquantumyieldofphotochemistryandcarbonassimilationratesunderexcesslightbutonlythecarboxylationreactionsunderheatanddarkchilling.AnionicsphericalPNCwithlowCe3+/Ce4+ratioscanbeusedbothasatooltostudytheimpactofoxidativestressonplantfunctionandtoprotectplantsfromabioticstress.
182TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
305 Nano-enabledpesticides:Anemergingtechnologyinplantprotection
Dr Rai Kookana1
1CSIRO Land and Water, Waite Campus, Australia, 2University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Australia
Nanotechnology is increasingly being used to develop new and more effective pharmaceuticals and agrochemical products(NanofertilisersandNanopesticides).Atthenanoscale(thesizerangeofapproximately1nmto100nm),materialscandisplayverydifferentoradditionalphysical,chemicalandbiologicalpropertiescomparedtothepropertiesofthebulkmaterials.Thusnanotechnologycanhelpdelivermoreeffectiveand/orenvironmentallyfriendlierproducts.Thereforethereisgrowinginterestin deliberate applications of nanotechnology in the development of newplant protection products.Nano-enabled pesticidespromisemanybenefitsoverconventionalpesticideproducts.Thesebenefitsmayincludeimprovedformulationcharacteristics,easier application, better targeting of pest species, increased efficacy, lower application rates, and enhanced environmentalsafety.Forexample,dendrimertechnologyisbeingappliedtoanumberofpesticideactiveingredientstodevelopnano-enabledpesticideswithenhancedefficacyandsomeproductsareinanadvancedstageofdevelopment.Nanopolymersarebeingusedascarriersfortargeteddeliveryofpesticidesandandafewsuchnano-enabledpesticideshavealreadybeenregisteredforuse.Itisexpectedthatanincreasingnumberofnano-enabledpesticideproductswillbemadeavailableforuseoverthenextfiveyears.Thispresentationwillprovideanoverviewoftypesofnano-enabledpesticidesinthepipeline,thepotentialbenefitstheymayofferandthechallengestheymayposetotheregulatoryagenciesduringregistrationprocess.
183TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
306 Nanoparticlesforanimalhealthcare
Prof Chengzhong Yu1
1The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
Agriculturehasplayedacrucialrole inaddressingtheHumanity’stopproblemsinourfuture.Conventionaltechnologiesusedinagriculturehavelimitationstoincreasetheproductivityandmaycauseecosystemsdamages.Thelong-termnegativeeffectsof farmingsuchas irrigation, fertilizersandpesticidesarepersistentandhavetobesolvedusing interdisciplinaryapproaches.Nanotechnologyholdsgreatpromise insustainableagriculture,neverthelesscurrenteffortsaredevotedsignificantlyto“high-end”areassuchasnano-medicineandcancertherapy,leaving“weakmomentum”fornano-scientistsworkinginagriculturesectorthathashugeneedsandbigimpactinsociety.Itiscriticalforchemistsandmaterialsscientiststoprovideenablingsolutionsinagriculturethroughmultidisciplinarycollaboration.
Inthispresentation,ourrecentprogressesonfunctionalnanomaterialsinanimalhealthcarewillbeintroduced.Wereportthatsilicananoparticleswith roughsurfaceshaveenhancedadhesion towardsvarious surfaces, thuscanbeused forantibacterialproteindelivery,DNAvaccineandnano-pesticideformulation.Conventionalsilicamaterialshavebeenusedasadjuvantsinvaccineformulation, however their adjuvanticity is limited.We demonstrate that by tuning the composition, surface roughness andnanoparticlesymmetry,therationallydesignedsilicananoparticlescanbeusedasnoveladjuvantsandcarrierswhichstimulatepotentandtunableimmuneresponse.Ournanotechnologiesapplicableinotheragriculturesectorswillalsobereviewed.
184TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
307 BioClayforcropprotectionagainstviruses
Miss Elizabeth Worrall1,DrKarlRobinson1,PengLi2,MrRiteshJain1,ChristelleTaochy1,3,MrStephenFletcher1,3,BernardJCarroll3,GQ(Max)Lu2,4,ZhiPingXu2,ProfessorNeenaMitter1
1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 2Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 3School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 4University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
Protectingcropplantsagainstvirusesbytopicalapplicationofdouble-strandedRNA(dsRNA)representsahighlyappealingalternativetovirusresistanttransgeniccropsorpesticidestargetingvirusvectors.RNA-interference(RNAi)hasproventobeapowerfultooltocombatcropviruses,howeversocietalacceptanceofgeneticallymodifiedcropshasbeenasignificantdrawback.PriorstudieshavedemonstratedthathomologousdsRNA,exogenouslyappliedontoplant leaves,providesRNAi-mediatedprotectionwhenvirallychallenged.However, the instabilityofdsRNA isamajorbottleneck,assprayeddsRNAonlyprovidesprotectionagainstvirusesforupto5days.TheinnovativeapproachofutilizingnanoparticlesasdsRNAcarriersisemergingasapromisingdisruptivetechnologythatisenvironmentallysustainableandeasy-to-adopt.CoinedasBioClay;dsRNAisloadedontodesigner,non-toxic,degradable layereddoublehydroxide(LDH)nanosheets for improvedstabilityandsustainedrelease.Upontopicalapplication,LDHslowlydegradesunderthepresenceofmoistureandcarbondioxide,therebyreleasingthedsRNA.ReleaseddsRNAistakenupbyplantcellsandsilenceshomologousviralRNA.BioClaycanbedetectedonsprayedleaves30dayspostapplicationandisresistanttowashing.Importantly,plantsvirallychallenged20dayspostspraydemonstrateviralprotectiononbothsprayedandnewlyemerged,unsprayedleaves.RNAi-mediatedprotectionutilizingBioClayhasbeenachievedwithvirusesfromthreegenera;Cucumovirus,TobamovirusandPotyvirus.ExogenousapplicationofdsRNAintheprotectedformofBioClayhasunlockedendlessopportunitiestoprotectcropsfrompestsandpathogensasacleanandgreencropspray.
185TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
308 ConstraintsonphotosyntheticefficiencyinC4crops,withspecialreferencesto sugarcane
Prof Rowan Sage1
1Ecology and Evolution Department, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
C4photosynthesisexhibitssuperiorproductivityandresourceuseefficiency inwarm,high lightenvironmentsof low latitude.As a consequence, themost productive crops are C4.While there has beenmuch emphasis on engineering photosyntheticimprovements in C3 crops, including the introduction of the C4 pathway into rice, there is less emphasis on improving C4photosynthesis.IncomparisonwithC3photosynthesis,theremaybegreateropportunitiesforimprovingphotosynthesisinC4speciesduetotheadditionoftheC4cycle.Forexample,enhancingC4cycleactivitycouldimproveCO₂deliverytoRubiscointhebundlesheathcells, therebyenhancingcarboxylationefficiencyandphotosynthesisat lowerstomatalconductance. C4cropsdesignedtohavehighercarboxylationefficiencyat lowerstomatalconductancewouldthereforehavemuchhigherwateruseefficiency,apremiumadvantageinthedrytropics.LowtemperaturesalsoimpairC4photosynthesis,duebottlenecksimposedbyeitherRubiscoorpyruvate-P-dikinaseactivity.Overcomingtheselimitations,forexample,byintroducingisoformsoflimitingenzymesfromcold-tolerantC4speciessuchasMiscanthus,couldimproveperformanceoftropicalC4cropsinuplandlocations.Inthecaseofsugarcane,itsphotosynthesisrateisoftenlimitedbynitrogensupply,duetoreducedNapplicationtoenhancesugarallocationtostorage.Maizebycontrast,hasa50%highernitrogenuseefficiency(NUE)thansugarcane,possiblyduetolessstructuralinvestmentinthemaizeleaf.Bymimickingthemaizepattern,itmaybepossibletosubstantiallyenhancephotosyntheticNUEinsugarcane,andwithit,sucroseyield.
186TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
309 Licence to farm: Why nitrogen use efficiency matters and how we canachieve it in sugarcane
Prof Susanne Schmidt1,DrNicoleRobinson1,DrRichardBrackin1,DrPrakashLakshmanan2
1The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia, 2Sugar Research Australia, Indooroopilly, Australia
Highcropyieldsareonlyrealisedwithnutrientsufficiencyandfertilisersareindispensableinmodernfarming.Anundesirablesideeffectispollutionandtheincreasedpresenceofreactivenitrogenandphosphorusischangingplanetaryfunction.Fertiliserlossespollutesoil,waterandair,causealgaebloomsandcoastaldeadzones,generate10%ofanthropogenicgreenhousegasesanddepletebiodiversity,e.g.viacoral-predatingstarfishintheGreatBarrierReef.
Attheheartisthemismatchbetweenfertiliseravailabilityandcropdemand.Similartocropsglobally,insugarcanefarming,ureaisappliedandrapidlyconvertedtoammoniumandhighlymobileandloss-pronenitrate.SugarcaneacquiresNover7monthsbutwetseasonrainfallandirrigationdriveNlossesintheearlyseasonandNefficiencyisonly50%.
TomeettheNinfluxreductiontargetfortheGBRlagoon,transformationalchangerequiresatwo-tieredapproach.(1)Advanceunderstanding of soil N processes and efficient N supply, and (2) breedN use efficient sugarcane varieties.We discuss pastresearchwithcommercialureaformulations,andcurrentnext-generationfertilisersinformedbynano-technologyandsugarcanephysiology.WepresentanupdateonevaluationofgeneticvariationinNuseinexistingcommercialvarietiesandcharacterisationofN-uselinkedtraits includingcanopyclosure,specificleafN,andNuptakewithpotentialforproximalandremotescreeningforefficientNuseinsugarcanebreedingprogrammes.Lastly,wediscussthefarmingsystemasawholewithopportunitiesforbiologicalNfixationandnutrientrepurposingtoachievenutrientstewardship.
187TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
310 Control of sugar and fibre: Insights from the sugarcane transcriptomeanalyses
Dr Prathima Perumal Thirugnanasambandam1,2,DrNamVanHoang3,DrAgneloFurtado1,DrFrikkieCBotha4,DrRobertHenry1
1QAAFI, Brisbane, Australia, 2ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore,, India, 3College of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University, Hue, Vietnam, 4Sugar Research Australia, Indooroopilly, Australia
Sucroseandfibretraitsinsugarcaneshareaverydynamicrelationshipdependinglargelyuponthegeneticmakeupofgenotypesandgrowthenvironment.To investigate themolecularbasisof carbonflux into sucroseandfibre thatmakesgenotypeshighsugaredorhighfibred,ordualpurposed,anextensivetranscriptomicsstudywasundertakenusingasetofsugarcanegenotypesdifferinginsugarandfibrecontents.RNA-Seqwasusedforsequencingwholetranscriptomesfromtopandbottominternodesof20genotypesat12monthsofplanting.Differentialgeneexpression(DGE)analyseswereperformedusing40transcriptomesusingpubliclyavailablesugarcanegenomic resources including sugarcaneESTdatabase (SUCEST)andSaccharumofficinarumgeneindices(SOGI), inadditiontoalong-readsugarcanetranscriptomereferencedatabase,SUGIT.ResultsofDGEanalysisforsucroserevealedacomplexnetworkof transcriptsassociatedwithgrowth,defence,vacuole,sucroseandfibrerelatedgenes,forinstance,withSUGITdatabase,18543differentiallyexpressedtranscriptswereobtainedwhileDGEanalysisforfibreresultedin4818transcriptsdifferentiallyexpressed.Sucrosemightplayasignificantregulatoryrole incontrollingexpressionofseveralthousandgenesincludingthoserelatedtofibreratherthanmerelybeingastoragesugaroftheculms.Furtherthehighsugargenotypeswerenotalwayslowfibredandfibremighttoanextentprovidestructuralframeworkformaintaininghighsugarlevelsasseenbythehighexpressionoffibrerelatedgenes.Thestudyalsosuggeststhattherecouldexistcertainthresholdlevelsofsugarorfibrecontentsbeyondwhichaninverserelationwouldoccur.
188TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
311 Applicationofhigh-throughputphenomicsforsugarcanetraitdevelopmentandvarietyimprovement
Dr Prakash Lakshmanan1,DrSijeshNatarajan2,DrScottChapman3,DrJayampathiBasnayake2
1Sugar Research Australia, Indooroopilly, Brisbane, Australia, 2Sugar Research Australia, Burdekin, Australia, 3CSIRO Agriculture, Brisbane, Australia
With the recent advancements in sensor, computational and automation technologies, cost-effective, high-throughputquantitativephenotypingtolinkthegenotypeandenvironmenttoplantform,functionandultimatelycropyield(phenotype)isbecomingarealityinmanycrops.Thegenotypeofaplantconsistsofallitshereditaryinformationwhilephenotyperepresentsthemorphological, physiological, growth and developmental attributes resulting from the interactions between genome andenvironment.Becauseofthelargespatio-temporalvariationinenvironment,bothbioticandabiotic,thephenotype(e.g.yield)ofanindividualcanbeveryplastic.Understandingthemechanismunderpinningthephenotypicplasticity(e.g.yieldvariation)anditsdeterminantsremainsthemajorbottleneckforbreeding.Overthepasttwodecades,genomicsrevolutionproducedalargebodyofgenomesequenceandgeneexpressiondatabutitislargelyunexploitedforcropimprovement.Theinabilitytostudyplantfunctionsdynamically in largegeneticpopulations in thefieldremainstherealbottleneck forourunderstandingof“genome-phenome”relationships.Recentlywestudiedgeneticvariationforresponseofsugarcanetowaterandnitrogendeficitbydifferentphenotypingtechnologies.Theysuccessfullydiscriminatedtestgenotypesforgrowthandtraitvariationinthefield.Thispaperreviewsthestatusandthepotentialapplicationsofphenomicsinsugarcane,andhighlightsthebreakthroughsinothercrops.
189TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
312 Sensitivityandplasticityofsugarcaneleafmetabolismduringstress
Ms Annelie Marquardt1,2,ProfRobertJHenry2,ProfFrederikCBotha1,2
1Sugar Research Australia, Brisbane, Australia, 2Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), Brisbane, Australia
Yieldimprovementsinsugarcanehavebeennegligibleinthepastthreedecadesasbreederscopewithnewpestsanddiseases,as well as changing environmental conditions. Sugarcane production is increasingly forced intomoremarginal, higher stressenvironments.Generally,wehavea limitedunderstandingofthemolecularmechanismsthatunderpinthecrop’sresponsetostress.Agoodunderstandingofthesebiochemicalmechanisms,andassociatedgeneexpression,supportsandencouragesthedevelopmentofsugarcanebreedingandmanagementstrategies. Inthisstudythemetabolic impactsofstressesonsugarcaneleavesaredescribed,withemphasisontheC4spatialseparationofcarbonfixationanddecarboxylation.InallC4-species,PEPcarboxylase(PEPC)inthemesophyllistheprimaryenzymeofCO₂fixation.TheproductofPEPC,oxaloacetate(C4-organicacid),isthenshuttledtothebundlesheathcellswhereCO₂isreleasedviaadecarboxylationreaction.Therearethreedifferentpathwaysthroughwhichthisshuttlinganddecarboxylationcanoccurandplantsareclassifiedbasedonthedominantpathway.Wehaveusedtranscriptomeandproteomedatatoreconstructthecarbonfixationpathways,lightreactionsandmitochondrialpathwaysin sugarcane leaves at different stages of development and stress.We show there is variation and flexibility in shuttling anddecarboxylationpathwaysunderthedifferentphysiologicalconditions.Inthelightreactions,thephotosystemII(PSII)componentoftheelectrontransportchainisparticularlysensitivetostress.Thesechangesinphotosyntheticactivityalsocoincidewithmajorshiftsincarbonpartitioning.
190TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
313 Usinggenomicsequencingtounderstandthesugarcanegenomestructure
Dr Karen Aitken1,DrJiriStiller1,DrPaulBerkman1,DrAnneRae1
1CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, Australia
Sugarcanehas a complexpolyploidhybrid genomeof 10Gbpwhichmakes sequencingandassembling the genomeamajorchallenge.Despite thiswehavegenerateda sugarcaneassembly that represents97%of sugarcanegenes.Theassemblywasgeneratedusingbothwholegenomeshotgun(WGS)sequencegeneratedfromarangeofDNAfragmentsizesbetween180bpand32,000bp,andPacBiolongreadtechnologywithanaveragereadlengthof7282bp.AsugarcaneGbrowsehasbeendevelopedwhichaligns thesugarcaneassembly to thecurrentsorghumgenomesequencetheclosestdiploidrelativetosugarcane.TheGbrowseallowsthemultipleallelesofgenesthatarepresentinthepolyploidgenomeofsugarcanetobeinterrogated.Analysisofthisdatahasidentifiedlargenumbersofsinglenucleotidepolymorphisms(SNPs),whicharecurrentlybeingtestedforassociationwithdesirabletraitsamongstapopulationofplantlines.Adefinedgenomesequencewillbeusedbymanyresearcherstoidentifythebasis of traits and to capitaliseon knowledgeof traits from related crops suchas sorghum.Previousworkhas identifiedquantitative trait loci (QTL) for traits suchasbiomass in sugarcane.Bioinformatic tools cannow identify theunderlyinggenesequencesfromthesugarcanegenomesequence.Inasimilarway,thesugarcanehomologuesofgenesthatareknowntoenhanceproductivityinotherspeciescannowbeidentified.Inadditiontorevealingunderlyingbiologicalmechanisms,thesegeneswillbevaluableastargetsforselectionorgeneticmodificationtoenhancevarietydevelopment.
191TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
314 TheImportanceofAssessingAnimalWelfare
Alan J Tilbrook
Centre for Animal Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Australia
The livestock industries globally are striving to continuously improve the welfare of their animals. This is a direct result ofincreasedpublicawarenessandconcernoveranimalwelfare.Thelivelihoodsofproducersandprocessorscanbedramaticallyandcatastrophicallyalteredbyrapidsocialmedia-inducedchanges inconsumerbehaviour.Thesignificanceofthisrisk isveryreal. Indeed,a recenteconomicappraisalof theAustralianredmeat industriesshowedthat there isnogreater riskcurrentlyfacingtheredmeatindustriesinAustraliathanthatofnotengaginginanimalwelfareresearchanddevelopment.Thisriskfaroutweighsanygainduetoimprovedproductivity.Inordertoimprovethewelfareofanimalsitisvitaltobeabletoreliablyandaccuratelyassesstheirwelfare.Thisisanarearequiringasubstantialresearcheffort.Wearetakingamultidisciplinaryapproachtodevelopthemeanstounderstandboththebiologicalfunctioning(physiologyandbehaviour)andaffective(emotional)statesofanimalsthroughoutthesupplychain.Inadditiontoascientificapproach,webelievethatacriticalfeaturetoachievingimprovedanimalwelfareistoengagewiththeentirevaluechain,whichincludesthepublic,consumers,processors,retailors,producersandaccreditors.Ourresearchwithcattle,sheepandpigsutilizesnovelscientificandtechnologicalapproachestoprovidethepracticalmeans to assessphysiological, behavioural andemotional functioningunderextensive and intensive conditions. Theultimateobjectiveistoprovideasuiteofmeasuresthatwillprovidearobustandrepeatablemeanstoassessanimalwelfareinpractice.
192TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
315 AnimalwelfareissuesinthegrazingbeefindustryofnorthernAustralia
Michael McGowan1,GeoffryFordyce2,DaveSmith3,KierenMcCosker4,TamsinBarnes5
1The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia, 2QAAFI, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 3Dept Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Charters Towers, Australia, 4Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, Katherine, Australia
Themajorproperty-levelanimalwelfareissuesintheextensivebeefproductionregionsofnorthernAustraliaarehighmortalityrates in breeding females and young calves, and pain associated with dehorning, castration, branding and spaying. A largeepidemiologicalstudyofcommercialbeefbreedingherdsfoundthat25%ofherdshadapercentagemissingness(estimateofmortality)ofpregnantcowsofatleast12%,and25%ofherdshadapercentagefoetalandcalflossofatleast15%.Aged(>11yearsold)cows,cowscalvingduringthemid-dryseasonorinpoorbodycondition,latepregnant/lactatingfemalesgrazingphosphorusdeficientpasturesduringthewetseason(withtheassociatedriskofbotulism),pregnantfemalesgrazingpoorqualitydryseasonpastures,dystocia,musteringlatepregnant-earlylactatingcows,poorudderandteatconformation,andcastrationanddehorningareimportantfactorsassociatedwithincreasedmortalityinbreedingfemalesandcalves.
Most calves born in northernAustralia need to be dehorned because they derive their tropical adaptation fromBos indicusgenotypes.Dehorningandcastrationareconductedeitheratthetimeofbrandingormorecommonlyatthetimeofweaningwhenmanycalveswillbeatleast6monthsofage.Currentlyinthemajorityofcasestheseproceduresareconductedwithouteitherlocalanaesthesiaorsystemicanalgesia.Similarly,surplusheifersandagedcowsarespayedinmanycaseswithouteitherlocalanaesthesiaorsystemicanalgesia.
193TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
316 Proteomicstodetectbiomarkersofpainandinflammationincattle
MrsPriyaGhodasara1,DrPaulMills1,Dr Nana Satake1,DrPawelSadowski2,DrStevenKopp1
1The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia, 2Central Analytical Research Facility, QUT, Brisbane, Australia
Cattle are routinely subjected to painful surgical husbandry procedures, such as castration and dehorning. Quantifying theeffectivenessofpainreliefinterventionsduringtheseproceduresischallenging,duetothesubjectivityandcomplexityofpainperceptioninanimalsandtheinherenttendencyforpreyspeciestosuppresstheirbehaviouralresponses.Therefore,thereareobviouslimitationsintheuseofbehaviouralobservationsandroutinebiochemicalorimmunologicalassaysrestrictedtoindividualtargets(e.g.plasmacortisol)fordetectingandquantifyingtheresponsetopainandstress.Oneapproach,increasinglyusedinhumanbiomedicine,istodevelopanarrayofplasmabiomarkers,whichcollectivelyrespondtoastimulus.Nextgenerationmassspectrometrytechniques,suchasSWATH-MS,canbeappliedtoquantitativeprofilingofproteins(proteomics),lipids(lipidomics)andmetabolites(metabolomics)inanunbiasedmannerandenablesimultaneousevaluationofhundredstothousandsofvariousmarkers in virtually unlimited number of samples and thus providemore holistic representationof the physiological change.SWATH-MSanalysisrequiresoneoffconstructionofspectrallibrarieswhichcanbeexpandedastheprojectdevelopsandsharedbetweenlaboratories.Inthisstudy,SWATH-MSapproachhasbeenappliedtomonitorproteinsthatformapartofthesystemicresponsetopainandinflammationandareputativetargetsofanalgesicdrugs.Wedescribethedevelopmentofthefoundationaldataandtoolsthatdonotonlypermitmorethoroughunderstandingofpainandinflammationincattlebutalsohaveapotentialtoadvanceveterinarymedicineinamannerthathasnotbeenpossiblebefore.
194TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
317 Cagerowarrangementaffects theperformanceof layinghens in thehothumidtropics
Dr Siaka Diarra1,MrsRanitaDevi1,MrsSamanthaRogers1,MsPapayaiaVaeluagas1,MrJuniorMolis1
1School of Agriculture and Food Technology, Apia, Samoa
Althoughthetraditionalcagesystemofhousinglayinghensisgraduallybeingfacedoutduetowelfarereasons,cagesarestillcommoninmostdevelopingtropicalcountriesindifferentarrangements.Ina12-weekexperiment,theeffectsofathreecagerowarrangementonhen-dayproductionandeggqualitiesofShaverBrownhenswasstudied.Datawerecollectedfrom2layershedshousing9,000hensina3-cagerowarrangement(southernrow,northernrowandmiddlerow)with3,000hensperrow.Datawereanalysedforarandomizedcompleteblockdesignwherecagerowswerethetreatmentsandweekstheblocks.Resultsshowednosignificanteffectsofcagerowarrangementonfeedintake,hen-dayproduction,percentyolkandHaughunit(P>0.05).Eggweight,eggmassandpercentshellweresignificantlyreducedandfeedconversionratioincreasedonthemiddlerow(P<0.05).Eggweight,eggmass,percentshellandfeedconversionratiodidnotdifferbetweenthesiderows(P>0.05).Theseresultssuggestthatbatterycagerowarrangementmaynotaffecttherateoflaybuteggweight,eggmassandefficiencyoffeedutilisationmaybeadverselyaffectedinhenshousedinthemiddlerow.Thesefindingshavebotheconomicandwelfareimplications.
195TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
318 Applicationsofendocrinephysiologyconceptstoevaluatestressandwelfareofproductionlivestock
Dr Edward Narayan1
1School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
AnimalhealthandwelfareareimportantcomponentsofqualitylivestockproductioninAustraliaandwelfareiscarefullymonitoredbyhighstandardrulesandregulations.Stress isaphysiologicalprocesswhichenablesanimalstorespondtochanges intheirenvironmenthoweverlong-termactivationofthephysiologicalstressresponseduringexposuretonoxiousstimulus(e.g.climatechange,physicalmismanagement)could leadtonegative impactsontheanimal’shealthandwell-being.Thestressendocrinesystem(hypothalamo-pituitaryadrenal-HPAaxis)isresponsibleforregulatingthephysiologicalstressresponseinanimals.Secretionofstresshormonesorglucocorticoidsaltergeneexpressionthatmaybeneededfor immuneresponseandenergysupply forincreasedmetabolicdemandwhileanimals face-offwith stressors. TheHPAaxisnormallyoperateswithinhomeostasis rangehoweverprolongedexposuretophysicalandenvironmentalstressorscausesthephysiologicalstressresponsetoturnmaladaptive,causingnegativeeffectsonreproduction,immunefunction,satietyandbehaviour.Simplyput,itisessentialtomonitorstressinproductionlivestocksothatproducersandconsumersareawarethattheanimalsare“happy=physiologicalwellness”. Recentinnovationsintheemergingfieldofnon-invasivestressendocrinologyhaveimprovedlaboratorytechniquesthatcanrapidlyandreliablyquantifystresshormonesinanimalsthroughmeasurementsofsteroidsinnon-invasivebiologicalsamplessuchasfaeces,woolandhair.Myresearchlabrunsunderthethematicareaof“StressPhysiology”andthroughthispresentationIwilldescribeanddiscusstherecentapplicationsofnon-invasiveendocrinologyforstressassessmentsinproductionlivestocktomonitorhealthandwelfare.
196TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
319 Feather-eating is related to stress level and sucrose preference in layinghens
Mr Sungbo Cho1,DrEugeniRoura1
1The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Featherpeckingbehaviour in layinghensmaybeassociatedwith stress level. It hasbeen reported that featherpeckingwaspositively correlated with plasma corticosterone. Stress hormone receptors were found in the tongue, especially related toTas1r3-expressing taste cells (a common receptor for sweetandumami taste), thus,potentiallyaffecting taste sensitivityanddiet selection.Wehypothesized that theseeffectsondiet selectionmayultimatelyexplainaberrant foragingbehaviourssuchas featherpecking/eating (FE). Therefore,we compared corticosterone levelsbetweenFEandnon-feathereating (NFE)birdsusinganon-invasivemethod:eggalbuminanalysis.Adoublechoicetestwascarriedoutin96individualmaturehenstostudytheirnutrientpreferencesincludingsucrose(at1,5or17%).Attheendofthetrialthehenswereeuthanisedandtheirfeatherconsumptionassessedbynecropsy.NFEhensshowedsignificantlyhigherpreferenceforsucrosethanFEbirds(p<0.05).Andthecorticosteronelevelwashigherinnon-feathereatersthanfeathereaters(p<0.05),indicatingNFEwereunderhigherstress.Wespeculatethatthehigher levelofstressrelatestobeingobjectiveoffeatherpullingandpecking.ThehigherstressstatusandsucrosepreferenceinNFEareconsistentwithstressexperimentsinrodentswhichindicatedthatchronicstressincreasedsucroseconsumption.Therefore,higherstressstatusmightberelatedtoasucroseappetiteinNFE,victimfromfeatherpeckingbehaviour.
197TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
320 Tropicalrice:Challengesforquality
Prof Melissa Fitzgerald1,DrVeneaDaraDaygon1,DrMariafeCalingacion1
1University of Queensland, University Of Queensland, Australia
Aromaticricecommandsthehighestpricesinbothdomesticandinternationalmarketsbecauseconsumersprizeboththemouth-wateringaromaanddelicateflavourof the rice.Themajoraromaticcompound in fragrant rice is2-acetyl1-pyrroline (2AP).Usingapanelof380diversevarietiesofrice,metabolomicsprofilingofvolatilecompoundsfromthegrain,andgenomewideassociationwith33000singlenucleotidepolymorphisms(SNPs),theobjectivesofthisstudyweretoidentify(i)sensorytraitsthatdescribejasminerice;(ii)thevolatilecompoundsthatdefinethosesensorytraits,and(iii)geneticmarkersforthosecompounds.The sensory descriptors fell into three clusters,with Cluster 1 describing high quality jasmine rice, Cluster 3 describing non-fragrantrice,andlowerqualityjasminericesfallingbetweenthedescriptorsinClusters1and2.Thecompoundsthatmoststronglydiscriminatedthehighqualityjasminericesfromtheothersampleswere2APandfourothercompounds,twoofwhichrequiredhigh resolutionplatforms to reveal theirmolecular structureandannotation. Thesefive compoundsassociatewith the sameSNPonchromosome8,severalarefragrantwithalowodourthreshold,andtheyprovidenewinformationaboutthepathwayof2APsynthesis.ThreeQTLwerefoundthatassociatewithhighorlowamountsofthefivecompounds.Another20metabolitesassociatedeitherpositivelyornegativelywithhighquality jasmine fragrance. Significantgeneticassociations couldbe foundforsomeofthesecompounds.Bycombiningtheseplatforms,wedelivernewandvaluabletoolstobreedersforselectinghighlyfragrantrice.
198TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
321 Starchesinriceendosperm:Diversityandimprovement
Prof Qiao-Quan Liu1,2,DrChang-QuanZhang1,DrQian-FengLi1,ProfMing-HongGu1
1College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R. China, 2Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland, Brisbane,, Australia
Riceisoneofthemostimportantfoodsintheorientalworld,andmorepeoplesprefertoconsumericewithgoodsensoryandhealthcharacteristics.Starchisthemajorcomponentofriceendosperm,andthecompositionandstructureofstarchplayadominantrole in thequalityof the ricegrains, aswell as their industryapplication. In theworld, thereareabundant ricegermplasms,includinglotsoflocallandraces,andthegrainqualityvariationoccurredwidelyamongtheselandraces.Thus,itisveryimportanttominenovelallelesofstarchquality-relatedgenesforricequalityimprovement.Ourresearchfocusedonthestarch-synthesisrelatedgenes(SSRGs),andcarriedouttominenoveldiversityofsuchgenesforqualityimprovementofbothjaponicaandindicaricecultivars.Byusingre-sequencingandrelatedapproaches,theallelicvariationofSSRGsamongricegermplasmswereanalyzedandseveralnewallelesweremined.Ourresultsshowedthattherehasacertainimpactoftheallelicvariationsongrainquality.Theresultswillbeveryusefulnotonlytobreednewricecultivarswithgoodsensoryand/orproperties,butalsotounderstandthegeneticdiversityofgrainqualityinrice.
199TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
322 Opportunitiesandchallengesofestablishinganorthernriceindustry
Mr Russell Ford1
1Rice Research Australia, Jerilderie, Australia
Mostoftheworldsriceisgrownundertropicalorsub-tropicalconditionsasfoundinNorthernAustraliaformuchoftheyear.
PastexperiencesinNorthAustraliahasshownthatmuchofthedevelopmenttoasuccessfulriceindustryhasbeenlimitedbypests,disease,suitablevarietiesandlackofinfrastructure.
The latestefforts ingrowingrice inNorthernAustraliahavemainlybeenfocusedongrowingrice inanAlternateWettingandDrying(AWD)growingsystem,whereadryersurfacehelpsalleviateproblemsfrombirdpressureandworksinwithmanyofthecurrentfarmingsystemssuchassugarcaneandpulses.
TheopportunityexiststodeliveraNorthernricefarmingsystemthatcandeliveraprofitableoptionforinclusioninagricultureacrossNorthAustralia.Reliabilityofrainfallandwater,alongwithheatandsuitablesoils,arekeydriversinfindingasuitablesystemforNorthernRice.OvercomingsomeofthechallengesanddeliveringasafeandbalancedRiceRecipefortheNorthisthefocusoverthenextfewyears.
200TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
323 Designingtropicalriceforimprovednutritionandpalatability
Prof Robert G Gilbert1,2,DrChengLi2,MrShiyaoYu1,DrHongyanLi3
1The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 2Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China, 3Beijing Technology & Business University, Beijing, China
Thequalitytraitwhichhasreceivedthemostattentionfromricebreedershasbeenyield.Nutritionalqualityisalsoimportant,especiallyslowdigestibility(higherresistantstarch).Currentriceswithveryslowdigestibilityarehigh-amylosetypes,whichhaveunacceptablepalatability.Ricedigestibilityisstronglydependentonthestarchchainlengthdistribution,especiallyhavingmorelongeramylopectinchainsandmoreshorteramylosechains(e.g.[1-3]).Longamylosechainsgive lowpalatability,forreasonsthat are becoming understood on amolecular basis [4, 5]. This new knowledge is available for rice breeders andmolecularbiotechnologists(includingnewtechnologies[6-7])toselectanddevelopimprovedricevarietiesfortropicalagriculture.Thiscanincludebothnewtypesofwildrice[8],aswellasconventionaldomesticatedvarietiesgrownintropicalconditions.
[1]XLShu,GJiao,MAFitzgerald,CZYang,QYShu,DXWu,Starch/Staerke58(2006)411.
[2]Z.A.Syahariza,S.Sar,M.Tizzotti,J.Hasjim,RGGilbert,FoodChem.136(2013)742.
[3]K.Wang,J.Hasjim,A.C.Wu,R.J.Henry,RGGilbert,J.Agric.FoodChem.62(2014)4443.
[4]H.Li,M.A.Fitzgerald,S.Prakash,T.M.Nicholson,RGGilbert,ScientificReports7(2017)43713.
[5]H.Li,S.Prakesh,T.H.Nicholson,M.A.Fitzgerald,RGGilbert,FoodChem.196(2016)702.
[6]C.Li,RGGilbert,Planta243(2016)13.
[7]C.Li,…RGGilbert,PLoSOne10(2015)e0125507.
[8]T.Tikapunya,…R.J.Henry,RGGilbert,CarbohydratePolymers172(2017)213.
201TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
324 Australianwildrice:Diverseandtasty
Mr Ali Mohammad Moner1,MsTiparatTikapunya1,MrsHaybaBadro1,MrsMartaBrozynska1,MrAgneloFurtado1,HSymth1,QQLiu2,RGGilbert1,ProfRobertHenry1
1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, 4072 Australia, St Lucia, Australia, 2Better Cereal Centre, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, P.R. China
AustralianwildricesincludeAgenomepopulationsthataretheclosestrelativesofdomesticatedrice.GenomesequencinghasindicatedthattheAustraliantaxaarepartofsistercladestotheotherAgenomespeciesdiverginginthelast1.5-3millionyears.RecentanalysishasexamineddiversityintheAustralianpopulationsatthegenomelevelandexploredgrainqualitytraits.Thisresearchhasconfirmedthepresenceofnoveldiversityatthegenome,starchstructureandqualitytraitlevel.Grainsizeiswithinthenormalrangesofdomesticatedrices.Theamylosecontentofthegrainsisgenerallyveryhighwithadiversityofstarchfinestructures,someofwhicharesignificantlydifferentfromthoseofdomesticatedricesandthusmayhaveadvantageousnutritionalproperties.Genomeanalysishasconfirmedthepresenceofnovelstarchbiosynthesisgenes.Sensoryevaluationsuggeststhatthesericesareattractiveforconsumptionintheirpresentformaswildricesandwillbeusefulassourceofextensiveandnoveldiversityfordomesticatedriceimprovement.
202TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
325 Where the rubber meets the road: Implementing molecular markertechnologiesintheAustralianricebreedingprogram
Dr Ben Ovenden1
1Nsw Department of Primary Industries, Yanco, Australia
Therapidemergenceofnewmolecularmarkertechnologieshasthepotentialtorevolutioniseplantbreedingprograms,howevertheincorporationofthesenewtechnologiesintovarietydevelopmentsystemshaslonglaggedthedevelopmentphase.
TheAustralianricebreedingprogramhas integratedmolecular technologiesatmultiplepointsalongthebreedingpipelinetoincreasebreedingefficiencyandgeneticgain.Molecularcharacterisationofgeneticdiversityallowsbreederstounderstandthepotentialaswellaslimitationsofbreedinggermplasm.Markerassistedbackcrossingandgenomicselectionincreasegeneticgainduringbreedinglinedevelopment.Wholegenomeprofileinformationisalsousedtoincreasetheefficiencyoffieldtrialdesignsandpureseedproduction.
Implementationofmarkertechnologiesinthericebreedingprogramhasbeenfacilitatedbythecontemporaneousimplementationofadatamanagementsystemtomanagegeneticinformation.Trainingplantbreedersindatamanagementandtheadoptionofnewmarkertechnologiesisanopportunitytomorefullyrealisethepotentialofthesetechnologiesinplantbreedingprograms.
203TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
326 TheroleofAustralia’sgenebanksandcropwildrelativesinallourfutures
Dr Sally Norton1,DamianWrigley2
1Australian Grains Genebank, Agriculture Victoria, Horsham, Australia, 2Australian Seed Bank Partnership, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, Australia
Plantbreedersneedasmuchdiversityas they canget todevelop themoreproductive, resilientandnutritiousvarieties thatare needed to feed the growingworld population under pressures such as reduced arable land and the expected effects ofclimatechange.Throughhistorymuchofthisgeneticdiversityhasbeenprovidedbylandraceandheirloomvarieties,however,amuchwiderdiversityoftraitsexistwithincropwildrelatives(CWR),thecousinsofcultivatedcrops.ThesuccessfuluseofCWRisdependentontheiravailabilityforresearchfromgenebanks,andthesubsequentinformationonthetraitstheycanprovidetoplantbreeders.AlthoughnomajorfoodcropsoriginatedinAustralia,thereisarichdiversityofwildrelativesofbanana,cotton,macadamia,millets,mungbean,pigeonpea,rice,sorghum,soybeanandyam.TheseCWRarepredominantlyspreadacrossthetropical regionsofnorthernAustralia,witha recent gapanalysisofCWRdiversity showing theyareunderrepresented in theworld’sgenebanks.TheAustralianGrainsGenebankhascollectionsofmanyoftheseCWRspecies,andhasacollaborativeprogramtocollectandconservethepriorityspecies,identifiedduringthegapanalysessotherepresentativediversityisconserved.Oncetheyhavebeenevaluated,theseCWRwillprovidevaluabletraitsforimprovedproductivityunderarangeofbioticandabioticconstraints.
204TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
327 Drought proofing sorghum: Multiscale phenotyping and genotyping fornodal root angle
Dr Vijaya Singh1
1QAAFI-CPS, Brisbane, Australia
Geneticimprovementofdroughtresistanceinsorghumisessentialtoenhanceproductionunderwaterlimitingenvironments.Recentresearchhasdemonstratedthattheangleofthefirstflushofnodalrootsisakeydeterminantofspatialpatternsofwateracquisitioninmatureplantsandcanimprovedroughtadaptation.Herewesummarisestudiesonthegeneticcontrolofnodalrootangleinsorghumseedlingsanditseffectsonwaterextractionofmatureplants.Phenotypingfornodalrootangleinsmallsoilfilledchambersatseedlingstageindicatedextensivegeneticvariation(15°-50°)withhighheritability.Selectedlineswhengrowninlargechamberswerepredictiveoftheamountandtimingofwateruptakeinadultplantswithnarrowrootanglerelatedwithdeeprootdevelopment.FurtherphenotypingandgenotypingofamappingpopulationidentifiedfourQTLsfornodalrootangle,whichexplained58.2%ofphenotypicvariance.TheseQTLsco-locatedwithQTLsforstaygreenandcorrelatedwithgrainyielddatafrombreedingtrialsinthefield.Thenew,morehigh-throughputphenotypingplatformhasbeenveryeffectiveinphenotypingmultiplecomplementarypopulationstoelucidatetheunderlyinggeneticarchitectureofnodalrootangle.GWASinasorghumNAMpopulation,aDiversityPanelandelitebreedingpopulationshasidentifiedcommongenomicregionsassociatedwithnodalrootangle.Itisanticipatedthattheidentificationofgeneticregionscontrollingnodalrootanglewillsupportmolecularbreedingfordroughtadaptationbymanipulationofroottraits.
205TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
328 Interoperableinfrastructure–AvisionforDivSeek
Mr Robert Davey1
1Earlham Institute, United Kingdom
The academic and commercial crop research communities are becoming increasingly reliant on, and responsible for, largerandmorecomplexdatasets.Thesedata range fromhighly-curatedcentralised resourcesmanagedbydedicated specialists toheterogeneousbundlesoftabular, image,orbinaryfilesthataregeneratedandstoredby individualresearchers,breeders,orcollaborativegroups. Integrationof thesemulti-scale resourceswill be vital tomeet thedemandsof scientists andbreeders,makingthevastcorpusofknowledgeaccessiblesothatintuitivedatarepresentationandeffectivedatainterrogationispossible.However,dataintegrationisnotoriouslychallenging,withmuchresearchhavingbeenundertakeninthelast20yearstogeneratestandardstoformcommonwaysofconsistentlydescribingresearch,computationalinfrastructuretohouseanddisseminatedata,andsoftwaretoolstofacilitatecomplexanalysisandvisualisation.Tobringtheseeffortstotheforefrontofcropresearch,astronglycoordinatedandopenlycollaborativeeffortisrequired.
206TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
329 Speedbreedingtoaccelerategenebankdepositsintofarmerfields
Dr Lee Hickey1,MsAmyWatson1,MrAdnanRiaz1,MrEricDinglasan1,MsDilani Jambuthenne1,DrOlgaAfanasenko2,DrOlgaMitrofanova3,DrKaiVoss-Fels1,DrEvansLagudah4,DrSambasivumPeriyannan1,4,ProfIanGodwin5
1The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, St Lucia, Australia, 2Department of Plant Resistance to Diseases, All-Russian Research Institute for Plant Protection, St Petersburg, Russia, 3N. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources, St Petersburg, Russia, 4Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Agriculture & Food, Canberra , Australia, 5The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture and Food Science (SAFS), St Lucia, Australia
Thehumanpopulationisexpectedtoreachninebillionbytheyear2050,andwillstrainglobalresources.Modernplantbreedingandaswitchtomonoculturecroppinghasgreatlyimprovedyieldandquality,butlackofgeneticvariationhasleftcropsvulnerabletorapidlyevolvingdiseasesandclimatechange.Fortunately,diverselandracesselectedandgrownbyfarmerspriortomodernbreedingarepreservedinnumerousgenebanksaroundtheworld.Yetdespitethepotential,theyaretremendouslyunderutilised.Thelackofinformationavailableforaccessions,lackofhigh-throughputphenotypingmethods,andthelengthytimerequiredtoeffectivelybackcrosstargettraitsintoadaptedgermplasm,haspresentedmajorchallengesandprovidelittleincentiveforplantbreederstoutilisethesegeneticresources.Anewmethodforrapidgenerationadvance,called‘speedbreeding’,usesextendedphotoperiodsandcontrolledtemperaturetoacceleratethegrowthofplants,enablingupto6generationsofspringwheat,barleyand chickpeaper year and four generations of canola. This creates an excitingopportunity to harness geneticdiversity lyingdormantingenebanksandintroducenewallelesintomodernbreedinggermplasmpools.Wepresentsomecasestudiesthatintegratetheuseofspeedbreeding,genomicsandphenotypingtoolstospeedupthediscoveryandutilisationofnovelgenesforresistancetomajorfoliardiseaseofwheatusingacollectionofgenebankaccessionssourcedfromtheN.I.VavilovInstituteofPlantGeneticResources(VIR)inStPetersburg,Russia.
207TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
330 Thegenomicsofricegeneticresources
Prof Robert Henry1
1The University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Australia
Rice is a keyglobal food cropwithawell characterisedgenome.Howevermuchcanbegained from theuseof genomics tofurtherexplorethewiderricegenepool.TheAgenomeOryzaspeciescompriseaprimarygenepoolforrice.Recentgenomesequencinghasdemonstratedthatdomesticatedjaponica,indicaandausricesarederivedfromseparatewildgenepools.Thisis despite keydomesticationgeneshaving a commonancestry. Sequencingand re-sequencingofwildA genome specieshasrevealedextensivegeneticdiversityinwildpopulationsinAustralia,AsiaandAfrica.SouthAmericanpopulationsremainpoorlycharacterized.Chloroplastandnucleargenomesshowdifferentevolutionaryhistories in thewildpopulations.Divergenceandintrogressionareevidentwithhybridpopulationsbeingidentifiedinthewilddemonstratingactiveevolutionofthesetaxa.DenovosequencingofwildOryzaallowstheseprocessestobecharacterized.Understandingtheseprocessesmaybeusefulinsupportingriceimprovementandbetterutilizinggeneticresources.Oryzaspeciesthataremoredistantlyrelatedtodomesticatedricealsorepresentanimportantgeneticresourcewithmanytraitsofinterest.
208TropAg2017 International Tropical Agriculture Conference Incorporating | tropagconference.org
331 Unlockinggenomicdiversitywithoutassemblyoralignment
MrKevinMurray1,DrChristfriedWebers1,2,DrChengSoonOng1,2,DrJustinBorevitz1,Dr Norman Warthmann1
1The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, 2Data61 CSIRO, Canberra, Australia
Geneandseedbankspreservethegermplasmoftheworld.Thephenotypicandgenotypicdiversityinthoserepositorieshasbeenexploitedinthepastandwillbekeyforfuture-proofingourecosystemsandagriculturalproduction.
Entiregenebankcollectionsarecurrentlybeing interrogatedbyDNAsequencing inorder tounravelpopulationstructureandkinshipandtoenableapproachestoassociategenotypewithphenotype.Acceleratedprogressinsortingthroughthesamplesandimprovingtheassociatedmetadatarequirescomputationallyefficient,bias-freeapproachesandwholegenomesequencingdata.Currentbestpracticesaredependentonalignmenttoreferencegenomes,whichareoftenunavailable,inappropriate,andinanycasecanintroducebias.
Rapidandunbiasedestimationofgeneticrelatednessbyassembly-andalignment-freemethodshasthepotentialtoovercomethisreferencegenomebias,todetectmix-upsearly,andtoverifythatbiologicalreplicatesbelongtothesamegeneticlineagebeforeconclusionsaredrawnusingmislabelled,ormisidentifiedsamples.Wepresentonesuchmethod:kWIP,thek-merWeightedInnerProduct(kWIP),anassembly-,andalignment-freeestimatorofgeneticsimilarity.kWIPcombinesaprobabilisticdatastructurewithanovelmetric,theweightedinnerproduct(WIP),toefficientlycalculatepairwisesimilaritybetweensequencingrunsfromk-mercounts.Itproducesadistancematrix,whichcanbefurtheranalysedandvisualised.Nopriorknowledgeoftheunderlyinggenomesisrequiredandapplicationsincludedetectingsampleidentityandmix-up,non-obviousgenomicvariation,andpopulationstructure.
kWIPiswritteninC++,licensedundertheGNUGPL,andisavailablefromhttps://github.com/kdmurray91/kwip