APSRU PROJECT SUMMARY NO. 47
Project Title: Overcoming Production Constraints to Sorghum in Rainfed Environments in India and Australia
Project Supervisor: Dr G L Hammer (APSRU) Dr B S Rana (ICAR)
Funding Body: ACIAR
Admin Contact: Ms Anne Beames - DPI, Brisbane
Commencement Date: 01/07/96 Completion Date: 30/06/99
Aims:
The goal of this project is to develop technologies for optimal deployment of sorghum genotype and crop management combinations that best match major biotic and abiotic production constraints in Rabi sorghum in India and dryland sorghum in Australia. This goal will be attained by developing an integrated approach involving plant breeding and genetic engineering, crop physiology and agronomy, and crop modelling. Specific objectives of the project are-
(i) to enhance genetic transformation techniques to aid development of sorghum varieties with high and stable levels of resistance to sorghum shoot fly
(ii) to develop methods to improve the efficiency of selection for plant breeding through better analysis and design of multi-environment testing
(iii) to develop improved crop models and climatic and soil databases to be able to simulate water and nitrogen effects on crop production and predict the consequences of management manipulations of the crop
Research Proposal Summary:
The proposal focuses on overcoming major production constraints in post-rainy (Rabi) season sorghum in India and dryland sorghum in Australia. The Rabi belt in India extends through the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andrha Pradesh. In Australia, the major dryland sorghum areas are in central and southern Queensland and northern NSW. In these sorghum systems in India and Australia productivity has not increased over the past 20 years. Improving productivity of sorghum in these systems is a major objective of both national research efforts. In this proposal improved adaptation of sorghum to dry rainfed environments and enhanced insect resistance are the prime target areas. These components have received highest priority in bilateral discussions during project development as they represent areas of greatest rationale for enhanced research effort to have impact on productivity.
The combined human resources of the collaborating organisations in India and Australia contain extensive expertise in physiology and agronomy, modelling and simulation, biotechnology and genetic engineering, and quantitative genetics and plant breeding. In this project, synergies will be sought among these skills to meet the project objectives. The project will consist of three interacting sub-projects that will target the three specific objectives -
(i) Improved Insect Pest Resistance by Genetic Transformation
(ii) Improved Breeding Methods
(iii) Improved Management Strategies
Potential Outcomes:
1. A genetic transformation protocol (protoplast, microprojective, Agrobacterium) for sorghum.
2. Creation and testing of gene constructs for resistance to shoot fly.
3. A detailed analysis of the adaptation of Rabi season sorghum in the trials conducted by ICAR.
4. Definition of the potential to improve yield of Rabi season sorghum from the results of the detailed analysis.
5. Design of an optimal multi-environment testing program for selection of Rabi season sorghum genotypes.
6. An electronic database of soil, climate, crop growth and yield data for sorghum in India.
7. Physiological basis of response of key Indian and Australian sorghum cultivars to climate x water x nitrogen interactions incorporated into the APSIM sorghum growth simulation model.
8. Characterisation of Indian Rabi season environments in terms of degree and frequency of water deficit (climatic variability x soil type x sowing date)
9. A simulation analysis, using historical climatic data, of the potential consequences of crop management manipulation (sowing date x soil type x nitrogen x density x location) on Rabi sorghum production in India and rainfed sorghum production in Australia.
10. Scientists from India and Australia trained in relevant technologies.
Project Publications: