BrisScience (June): Speed breeding – accelerating crop research

The world has to produce 60-80% more food by 2050 to feed the world’s projected population of 9 billion. However, traditional plant breeding is slow and the current rate of genetic improvement is insufficient to meet this demand.

NASA experiments to grow wheat in space were the inspiration for UQ scientists to develop the world’s first ‘speed breeding’ procedures here on Earth. This enables them to produce up to six generations of major crops per year, compared to the one or two possible with standard growing conditions. This powerful tool is fast-tracking the development of more productive crops in the face of climate change and rapidly evolving pests and diseases.

Join Dr Lee Hickey as he discusses the genetics of disease and drought resistance, and how this can be used to design more robust crops.