QUT Professor Peter Prentis will lead a $2.2 million study to investigate the genetic basis of several traits, including disease resistance and plant growth habits in citrus to improve the industry's viability and competitiveness.
QUT researchers will work with members of the CRC Future Food Systems and Superior Production PTY LTD on the project titled, Elucidating the genetic basis of disease, dwarfing, seedlessness and early flowering in citrus through genomic approaches.
Professor Prentis, from QUT's School of Biology and Environmental Science, said Australia's $1.3 billion citrus industry was threatened by new diseases, and labour shortages.
"To remain globally competitive, Australia's orchard industries must undergo a transformation to produce new superior disease resistant varieties compatible with high-density orchards," Professor Prentis said.
"Genetic solutions to the various challenges are critical for the long-term viability of the industry.
"The cost of labour, pest and disease management are steadily rising while grower returns rarely reflect these cost increases.
"We need new disease resistant varieties that flower and fruit more consistently at a young age to speed up returns for farmers and production companies.
"We will incorporate whole genome sequencing with existing breeding approaches, such as induced mutation breeding that have a proven track record of success in citrus orchards."
Professor Prentis said the project would focus on novel mutants with traits as dwarfing, seedlessness and early flowering using commercial partner Superior Production's Australian mutation breeding program.
"We will characterise the genetic basis of these important production traits for the development of new elite varieties," he said.
"An important aim of the project is to discover and validate resistance genes to Huanglongbing (HLB), which threatens citrus production globally.
"To do this we will leverage Superior Production's extensive mutant varieties that are planted and phenotyped at their US research farm."
The research team comprises Professor Prentis, Dr Ben Dugdale, Mr Luke Luo a PhD student from QUT School of Biology and Environmental Science, Joanne Simpkins, Maiko Kato, Georgie Stephan and Dr Jiyuan An, all from QUT, in partnership with Dr Andrew Miles and Craig Pressler from Superior Production.
(Image, from left: Dr Jiyuan An, Maiko Kato, Professor Peter Prentis, Joanne Simpkins, Georgie Stephan. Inset, from top: Zac Stewart, Dr Ben Dugdale.)
