Can we make sorghum the super feed grain Crispin Howitt July 2011 Food Futures Flagship.

Can we make sorghum the super feed grain

Crispin Howitt

July 2011

Food Futures Flagship

Australian Wheat Industry

• $ 5-7 billion annually

• 5th largest exporter of wheat

• Exports quality wheats

• Market share under pressure

• Harsh and changing environment

Maintaining Australia’s Market Share

• Enhancing quality

• Diversify

• Reduce input costs

• Increases in quality or yield are of equal value

• Increasing both is optimal

Starch Granule

GWD

ATP

• Limited viscosity

• Phosphorylation influences viscosity

• Glucan water dikinase (GWD) phosphorylates starch

Serendipity: Altering quality altered yield

Silence GWD using RNAi

GWD Protein Analysis

Reduction in GWD reduced viscosity

grainpromoter GWD GWD terminatorintron

bw26

taG

WD

1-1

taG

WD

3-1

taG

WD

4ctr

l

taG

WD

4-1

taG

WD

5-9

taG

WD

4-6

taG

WD

4-7

Pot trials: increased biomass and yield

Pot trials:

• 30 % yield increase

• More seeds

• Bigger seeds

Increased leaf area

Yie

ld (

g p

lan

t-1)

Simulated plot trials

taGWD4-6 T4 BW26 taGWD4-7 T4 taGWD4 ctrl taGWD1-1 T4

20c

m

20c

m

20c

m

20c

m

20c

m

Aerial Plant Biomass

0

2

4

6

8

taGW

D4-6

bw26

taGW

D4-7

taGW

D4 (n

eg)

taGW

D1-1

Dry

we

igh

t (g

.pla

nt-1

) ** **

*

Components of increased yield

Parameter Glasshouse Pot(% increase relative

to controls)

Glasshouse Tub(% increase relative

to controls)

Heads/Plant 32 25

Seed Yield/Head (g) 28 7

Seed Weight (g) 26 12

Seed Yield/plant (g) 31 % 19 %

GWD1-1 Ctrl

taGWD4-6 taGWD4-7 Control taGWD1-1Parent

Field trial 2009/2010 GES

taGWD4-6 bw26 taGWD4-6 bw26 taGWD4-6 bw26

08/10/09 04/11/0921/10/09

Low nitrogen High nitrogen0

4

8

12

16

20

bw26

taGWD

taCtrl Le

af

are

a c

m2

Increased leaf area validated in field trials

Consistent data obtained from 2 trials at different sites

Low nitrogen High nitrogen0

3

6

9

12

bw26

taGWD

taCtrl

Bio

ma

ss

g.p

lan

t-1

*** ***

Increased biomass validated in field trials

Consistent data obtained from 2 trials at different sites

Yield trials currently underway at 3 sites

Sorghum?

• Does the technology work in Sorghum?

• Investment from Feed Grains Partnership through GRDC

• Finalising transformation agreement

• Constructs completed

Acknowledgements

JP Ral

Matthew Morell

Bob Furbank

Xavier SiraultFrank GublerRichard Richards