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