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
