Hy-Gain: developing sorghum and cowpea self-reproducing (SR) hybrids for smallholder farmers
Abstract
Sorghum and cowpea are subsistence crops for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Seed yields are important for their livelihoods. Hy-Gain, led by UQ at QAAFI, and funded in part by the Gates Foundation, began in 2020 with six international partners building on work in a prior 5-year project phase, Capturing Heterosis, led by CSIRO. Hy-Gain aims to produce SR sorghum and cowpea hybrids, so smallholders can economically save and sow high yielding, high quality hybrid seed over multiple generations. Hy-Gain has generated the world’s first sorghum SR hybrids and has made significant progress towards SR hybrid development in cowpea.
Prof Anna Koltunow
Professor Anna Koltunow’s research focusses on the molecular and genetic mechanisms regulating seed and fruit formation and translating that research into useful outcomes for the agricultural sector. Highlights include tools for seedless fruit induction and advancing knowledge in the regulation of asexual seed formation for breeding applications. She currently leads Hy-Gain, a multinational project, funded in part by the Gates Foundation, aiming to develop self-reproducing hybrid sorghum and cowpea. She is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technical Sciences and Engineering; she is also an advisor for the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space.
Prof Anna Koltunow, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Agriculture and Food Innovation E: a.koltunow@uq.edu.au
For any questions, please contact the QAAFI Science Seminar Committee.
For any questions, please contact the QAAFI Science Seminar Committee.
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Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation hosts science seminars across the disciplines of animal, horticulture, crop, food and nutritional sciences.
With a range of speakers from Australia and abroad, the series explores how high-impact science will significantly improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the tropical and sub-tropical food, fibre and agribusiness sectors.
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The Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation is a research institute at The University of Queensland, established with and supported by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries.
