GRDC: Phenomics methods and tools to enable improved resource capture efficiency in grain crops – research partnership

Opportunity for

• Researchers and entrepreneurs, start-up/scale-up, SME and corporates with expertise in plant phenomics technologies.

Opportunity description

Industry challenge:

Researchers will seek to unlock plant potential and develop new crop varieties that reach new frontiers as part of GRDC’s 2023-2028 RD&E plan. To drive step changes in the research capacity to improve how plants make use of sunlight, water and nutrients to maximise yield will require tools and methods to measure complex plant traits. These traits are hard to measure, but if we could measure them cost-effectively, accurately and efficiently, it would enable development of superior new varieties and improve outcomes from agronomic trials. These changes are fundamental to solving grand challenges like improving drought tolerance, fertiliser use efficiency, and ultimately, yield.

Phenomics is the use of new technology and analytics capabilities to measure plants and plant performance more efficiently. By accessing phenomics technologies across the GRDC investment portfolio we can save money and time when we measure important crop traits and environmental variables, improve accuracy, and make progress in areas where being able to identify and measure traits accurately has created scientific bottlenecks (e.g., complex physiological traits). The technology is therefore well suited to develop methodologies in the challenging areas described above.

Current opportunity:

This Request for Proposal (RFP) process will source new projects focussed on developing tools and methods to phenotype the traits involved in improving crop resource use-efficiency and unlocking plant potential.

A cross-business consultation process was undertaken to identify the highest priority traits for which we need suitable phenomics tools and methods for to deliver GRDC’s aspirations, particularly related to the Reach New Frontiers Pillar.

These traits fit into the following categories:

• shoot architecture
• root structure and function
• plant nutrition, and
• physiological traits.

Industry Briefing: Monday 7th of August 2023 at 1.30PM (ACST).

Enquiry deadline: Monday 9th of October 2023, at 5.00PM ACT local time.

For more information on this opportunity and to submit an application go to "Visit website" or to connect with GRDC go to "Enquire now".