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International Perennial Grain Crops Workshop
Wagga Wagga, Cowra and Canberra, 20-24 September 2010
| Program | Acknowledgments | Presentations | Delegates | Photographs |
Some of the delegates enjoying picturesque Wagga Wagga.
From left: Phil Larkin, Jianjun Zhu, Fengyi Hu, Mike Ewing, Rex Oram, Lee Dehaan, David Van Tassel, Karen Hills, Len Wade, Lisa Xian, Sergio Moroni, Lindsay Bell and Clinton Revell
Thirty people, including two from China and three from the USA, attended this workshop to discuss progress in the development of perennial grain crops.
Perennials in mixed farming systems have many benefits , including stabilised production, improved ground cover for reduced erosion and improved infiltration, and likely benefits to carbon sequestration and water, nutrient and salt balance. This is especially important in Australia, where fragile soils of low fertility include the threat of rising water tables and salinity. As wheat dominates the arable cropping zone, development of perennial wheat offers the prospect of economic advantages from grazing and grain, together with the system stabilisation offered by perenniality. At the same time, the perennial may provide a green bridge for disease, and the genetics may prove complex. Nevertheless, interest is increasing worldwide in developing perennial grain crops. This by-invitation workshop was held to review progress in the Perennial Wheat Feasibility Study conducted by the Cooperative Research Centre for Future Farm Industries (CRC-FFI), in the context of related efforts in the USA and China with perennial wheat, rice and other crops.
Program
The Workshop was held at three locations from 20 - 24 September 2010:
Monday 20 - Tuesday 21 Sep - Conference Room, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, Investment & Infrastructure NSW
Wednesday 22 Sep - field trip to Cowra and Woodstock
Thursday 23 Sep - CSIRO, Canberra
Friday 24 Sep - National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, Wagga Wagga
Acknowledgments
We thank the organisers of the workshop: Phil Larkin (Project Leader), Mark Norton, Richard Hayes (Field Tours), and Len Wade (Workshop Convenor)
We thank our donors for the financial support that made this workshop possible:
EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation
CSIRO Division of Plant Industry
The Cooperative Research Centre for Future Farm Industries
Selected presentations
Introduction to the Workshop Objectives - Dr Phil Larkin
Official Opening by CRC-FFI ex Director of Research - Dr Mike Ewing
Introduction to Australian mixed farming systems - Dr Brian Dear
Preliminary whole farm economic assessment (Ag Systems) – Dr Mike Ewing
Review of prospects for perennial wheat in Australia (CPS) – Dr Lindsay Bell
Origins of germplasm in Australian trials – Dr Phil Larkin
Overview and initial field results – Mr Richard Hayes
Argentine selections and quality in Australia – Mr Simon Crane
Disease, cytogenetic & molecular marker screening – Dr Phil Larkin
Next steps with perennial grain crops in Australia – Dr Phil Larkin
Perennial wheat development at The Land Institute, Kansas - Dr Lee DeHaan
Perennial Wheat Research in Washington State - Ms Karen Hills
Progress in Perennial Rice Breeding and Genetics - Prof Fengyi Hu
Breeding of perennial grains and why annual crops? - Dr David Van Tassel
Secale montanum breeding in CSIRO Plant Industry - Dr Rex Oram
Briefing on perennial wheat experiments at JJ Pridhan Centre - Mr Matt Newell
Wheat improvement: the approach and contribution of crop physiology - Dr John Passioura
Breeding dual purpose wheats at CSIRO - Dr Richard Richards
Genetics of Brachypodium distachyon; implications for perennial wheat - Dr Iain Wilson
The Delegates
Australia
Mr David Armitage, Landmark Temora NSW, david.armitage@landmark.com.au
Dr Lindsay Bell, CSIRO-CSE Toowoomba QLD, lindsay.bell@csiro.au
Dr Ali Bowman, I&I-NSW Orange NSW, alison.bowman@industry.nsw.gov.au
Ms Lucinda Corrigan, Graham Centre, Wagga Wagga NSW, rennylea@bigpond.com
Mr Simon Crane, AWB Bendigo VIC, simon.crane@awb.com.au
Dr Ray Cowley, I&I-NSW Wagga Wagga NSW, raymond.cowley@industry.nsw.gov.au
Dr Brian Dear, I&I-NSW Wagga Wagga NSW, brian.dear@industry.nsw.gov.au
A/Prof Phil Eberbach, CSU Wagga Wagga NSW, peberbach@csu.edu.au
Ms Jan Edwards, I&I-NSW Cowra NSW, jan.edwards@industry.nsw.gov.au
Dr Mike Ewing, ex CRC-FFI, Perth WA, mike.ewing@futurefarmcrc.com.au
Mr Robert Gill, AWB Griffith NSW, robert.gill@awb.com.au
Mr Richard Hayes, I&I-NSW Wagga Wagga NSW, richard.hayes@industry.nsw.gov.au
A/Prof John Kent, CSU Wagga Wagga NSW, jhkent@csu.edu.au
Dr Phil Larkin, CSIRO-PI Canberra ACT, philip.larkin@csiro.au
Prof Deirdre Lemerle, Graham Centre, Wagga Wagga, deirdre.lemerle@industry.nsw.gov.au
Dr David Luckett, I&I-NSW Wagga Wagga NSW, david.luckett@industry.nsw.gov.au
Dr Sergio Moroni, CSU Wagga NSW, smoroni@csu.edu.au
Dr John McGrath, CRC-FFI Perth WA, john.mcgrath@futurefarmcrc.com.au
Dr Gordon Murray, ex I&I-NSW, Wagga Wagga NSW, gordonmur@gmail.com
Mr Matt Newell, I&I-NSW Cowra NSW, matt.newell@industry.nsw.gov.au
Dr Mark Norton, I&I-NSW Canberra ACT, mark.norton@csiro.au
Dr Rex Oram, ex CSIRO-PI, rexheather@grapevine.com.au
Dr Clinton Revell, CRC-FFI Perth WA, clinton.revell@agric.wa.gov.au
Prof Len Wade, CSU Wagga Wagga NSW, lwade@csu.edu.au
Ms Lisa Xian, Student, Sydney NSW, xian.l@live.com
China
Prof Fengyi Hu, YAAS Kunming, China, hfengyiyaas@yahoo.com.cn
Mr Jianjun Zhu, YAAS Kunming, China, 1234zhujj@sina.com
United States of America
Dr Lee DeHaan, TLI Salina Kansas USA, dehaan@landinstitute.org
Ms Karen Hills, WSU Mt Vernon Washington, USA, karen.hills@email.wsu.edu
Dr David Van Tassel, TLI Salina Kansas USA, vantassel@landinstitute.org
Photographs
Click here for photgraphs of the workshop activities