Field to Food

• Wheat plays a huge roll in the feeding world.
•  AGT (Australia Grain Tech) is the largest wheat breeding company.
• Enhances the rate of scale of genetic gain through new varieties. 
•  Plant breeding is developed in three different phases;

            1. New genetic combinations are made by crossing one source with                    another. E.g. combining high yield with quality, or maybe better                  disease resistance.
            2. The second phase is the new varieties are encouraged to breed                    naturally so that when they release the variety for farmers to                    grow, it stays true to type.
            3. Tested for years in different environmental conditions.

• Plant breeding is the 'art' of changing genetics of plants for our benefit.
• Traits that plant breeders have tried to put into crop plants in the last 100 years include:

          -Increased quality and yield of the crop
          -Increased tolerance of environmental pressures e.g. Salinity 
          -Resistance to viruses, fungi and bacteria

• Higher tolerance to insect pests.

Genetic Grains:

•  DArT (diversity arrays technology) scientists identified unique DNA marker sets for each of the commercial barley varieties and showed satisfactory genetic differentiation between all of them. They then analysed 440 barley samples used for planting from across Australia to determine the level of purity of commercial barley crops and to validate their techniques with grower-supplied seed
• Wheat is a natural hybrid derived from interspecies breeding.

• This process of wheat transformation has continued for millennia, resulting in various wheat species that are grown for specific purposes and climates.

•  When recombinant DNA techniques were developed in the 1980s, work began on creating the first transgenic wheat, coincident with the third Green Revolution. (Recombinant DNA (rDNA) means: formed in a lab by genetic recombination, creating a hybrid that would not be found in biological organisms.)

Barley Growth & Development 
1) Germination- Almost all plants go through this stage of growth. It is when the seed splits open revealing a ting root which sucks in any water and nutrients,leading into the formation of a small sprout.

2) Photosynthesis- Although this is not a growth stage but Photosynthesis is required for the plant to keep growing. It does so by collecting sunlight through the leaves of the plant and used to convert CO2 and water into glucose and and oxygen.

3) Tillering Stage- This is an important growth stage as it is when the plant branches out and creates side shoots called tillers. Tillers grow and eventually becomes the barley head of grain."So if you have more tillers,you have more grains!" 

4) Plant Puberty- At this time the barley plant steps away from growing leaves and stems to reproductive growth of the ovules and anthers in the developing ear. It also goes through a growth spurt in which the stems elongate.






                  





Growing Great Grains- Barley Production in South Australia 

• South Australian farmers receive around 400 mm of rain per year. They are also lucky that their rainfall is quite reliable. This helps with the production of crops .
• Farmers rely on the rainfall at the right quantity at the right time as many farmers don't irrigate their crops
• Have about 7000 hectares (70 square km) and of that 5000 hectares (15 square km) is Barley.
• Farmers apply a moderate nitrogen fertiliser regime. Plants require nitrogen as it is essential for leaf growth.
• Weed management is important because weeds compete with the plants for the most moisture. 
• Traditionally the malting barley is sold to Japan and China for beer production.