Centre for Crop Science

The focus on wheat yield gains has sharpened considerably since estimates back in 2012 found that existing rates of improvement were not going to keep pace with rising demand. The world's response was the US$100 million International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP).

We are seeing the emergence of a new breeding system that can predict the likely paddock performance of breeding material based on a marriage of biological data, climate records and machine-based artificial intelligence (AI). The new system is called prediction-based crop improvement.

In the next two decades, crop yields need to increase dramatically to feed the growing global population. Wouldn’t it be incredibly useful if we had a crystal ball to show us what are the best strategies available to increase crop yields? A team of scientists have just developed exactly that: a dynamic model that predicts which photosynthetic manipulations to plants will boost the yields of wheat and sorghum crops.

The world-first speed breeding technique was developed by scientists at the University of Queensland's alliance for agriculture and food innovation (QAAFI), who use light and temperature-controlled greenhouses to accelerate plant growth and deliver more tolerant crops.

Professor Robert Henry, Director of the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at UQ, is conducting experiments to tailor sugarcane production to effectively produce biofuels and bioplastics.

A new Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) project will lay the foundation for a northern Australian rice sector with the potential to produce more than one million tonnes of specialty rice annually.

Scientists must speak out about the benefits of new genetic technologies such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and gene editing, according to The University of Queensland’s new Director of Crop Science, Professor Ian Godwin.