ACRCP Strategic Plan Update ACRCP Consultative Committee Meeting 22 nd March 2012 Tony Kent

Rationale & process Assuming familiarity with Sept 2011 update (ACRCP-CC website) Why the need for a strategic plan? – Response to review recommendations – Need for sustained improvements to the delivery vehicle for science program outputs – Need for response to Agri RDE policy changes – GRDC funding schedule Process – Strategic Planning Group & members – Draft strategy document – Meetings 2

Some areas to be addressed Review and revision of the Charter of Participation, particularly to clarify of roles and accountabilities of the PISC agencies, the ACRCP-CC and CIMMYT, ACRCP management structure and its capacity to provide strategic overview and governance for the science and services (FFS) streams, Clarify the funding model, structure and management of the Fee For Service operation A clearer and expanded ACRCP-CC role in some important areas, Gaps in the fundamental and applied R&D program relating to fungicide use and their interaction with the APR genes, and the design of agronomic management packages, and Need to be attentive to any change in fungicide insensitivity situation of the rust species in Australia Address the relationship with national plant disease policy and science architecture. 3

ACRCP Goals To provide cereal breeders with; (i)Diverse sources of genetic resistance, emphasising discovery of new sources of APR, and the breeding tools required for them to readily deploy these genes in new varieties, and (ii)Commercial screening services to allow reliable selection for resistance to the major cereal rusts. 2. To provide the Australian grains industry and biosecurity agencies with; (i) A coordinated national rust monitoring service, threat surveillance and forecasting capacity, giving timely advice on the occurrence, potential epidemic severity and likely costs of endemic and exotic rust threats and for early detection of exotic rust incursions, (ii) Timely consensus ratings and rust resistance genotypes of current commercial varieties to rust pathotypes and the implications of any changes for resistance breakdown, based on a system of regional and disease progress nurseries, disseminated through ACRCP & external communications networks; and (iii) An early warning system for detecting the emergence of cereal pathotype insensitivity to fungicides, using a structured monitoring approach. 3. To ensure continuity of cereal rust management knowledge and the scientific skill- base, through; (i)targeted dissemination of information and education of the industry and the public, and (ii)mentoring and training of the next generation of cereal pathologists and breeders. 4

Science Goals Target species – Wheat primary focus – Barley increased investment esp. LR, YR & BGYR mutation – Oats (almost certainly) proportional to crop value – Triticale (& Long Season Wheat), disproportionate to crop value b/c of risk – Durum Increased opportunistic investigation of rust APR genes with non-rust targets e.g. mildews of wheat and barley. 5

Science Program Wheat: By 2017, three minor genes/Adult Plant Resistance (APR) genes for each wheat rust, with markers suited to high throughput MATS, will be available to breeders. Over the succeeding 5 years, the ACRCP will continue to build this suite of genes and markers. Other cereals: By 2017, at least two minor genes for resistance to each of these rusts will be characterised and diverse adapted germplasm containing these genes be available to breeders. The genetic basis of resistance to the exotic stripe rust pathogen in Australian barley germplasm will be established. Over the succeeding 5 years, markers for these genes, suitable for high throughput MATS, will be developed and work will continue to identify additional minor genes and markers. Specific 10 year science goals will centre around: 1)Resistance gene discovery and characterization 2)Rust pathogen variability and diagnostics 3)Fungicides 4)Transgenic & native resistance approaches 6

Maximising application of science outputs Organisational structure & management – ACRCP activity streams separated, strategic oversight. – At high level 2 streams are the Science program & the Service business Principle vehicle for ensuring application of science outputs on farms is via the services to breeders. Two elements – Fee for service business (screening & backcrossing ++) – Small industry & public good services Ensure ACRCP science program outputs are deployed in commercial varieties to minimize rust risk & grower losses in-season & longer term – Genes backcrossed – Markers etc used to accelerate deployment, or Collaboration strategy to “multiply” impact of research – Current ACRCP Charter Participants already collaborate – Must be open to new collaborative arrangements with: regional pathologists network Domestic & OS organisations global agbio businesses 7

Questions still to be resolved 1.Balance of the effort on APR/minor genes vs. major genes 2.Management structure of ACRCP esp. strategic oversight 3.Status of the Fee-for-Service business in Fungicide X genotype & agronomic packages 5.Role(s) for the state agencies 6.A global budget? 8

Balance of emphasis on APR & major gene resistances The review recommended greater emphasis on APR, which the SPG agreed with, but the balance of this emphasis and the resources to be directed toward developing APR genes vs. work on major resistance genes is yet to be confirmed. We need reasonable confidence that if effort is redirected to APR, the products of R&D will be deployed. Are Australian wheat breeders deploying the major resistance genes & perfect markers developed in the preceding phase of ACRCP? If not, why not and does the strategy for the next phase of ACRCP address this gap? 9

Management structure review recommended some changes to the management & organisational arrangements for the next phase of ACRCP which were intended to clarify responsibilities, improve high level strategic planning, governance and reporting. Some areas of organisational arrangements, reporting and governance and representation on strategic oversight group to be finalised. Question of the need (or not) for an identified lead agency The detailed arrangements have yet to be finalised but the ACRCP Consultative C’tee will have a formal role in these. 10

Breeder & industry service business Strategy outlines business principles My view on the future: – Starts with Business Manager – Review & feasibility different business models – USYD purchaser-provider model will reveal transactions and true costs. – Move to an entity based at Cobbitty, initially controlled by USYD with Advisory Board. – Transition to fully separated self-funding NFP by

GRDC National Rust Strategy ACRCP Charter of Participation (Expanded to include PISC agencies) ACRCP DIRECTOR Consultative Committee Strategic Advisory Group  Independent Chair  Director (science leadership)  Business Manager, Services  Breeders' Advisory Group Representative (market expectations of science & services)  Consultative C'tee Pathologist (applied R&D & regional knowledge, links to PISC policy)  GRDC (R&D investment strategy) Strategic Advisory Group  Independent Chair  Director (science leadership)  Business Manager, Services  Breeders' Advisory Group Representative (market expectations of science & services)  Consultative C'tee Pathologist (applied R&D & regional knowledge, links to PISC policy)  GRDC (R&D investment strategy) Services & program management support Science Business Manager Commercial Services Fee-For-Service Company Incorporated entity based at Cobbitty, controlled by USYD but at arms length Transition to separate self- funding NFP in Strategic Planning Group forms Advisory Board. Fee-For-Service Company Incorporated entity based at Cobbitty, controlled by USYD but at arms length Transition to separate self- funding NFP in Strategic Planning Group forms Advisory Board. Breeders’ Advisory Group Communication services Training administration Research services & support? Regional project coordination? Science Leadership Group Communicate on scientific developments & policy issues Regional, national & global R&D and non-commercial service programs with Charter Participants Proposed Structure ACRCP Phase II Communicate on service needs & operational issues 12 ? ?

ACRCP Charter of Participation ACRCP DIRECTOR Consultative Committee Strategic Advisory Group Proposed Structure & Accountabilities for Phase II Science Program: Services and Program Management: Breeders Advisory Group Science Leadership Group Director (Chair) Uni of Sydney, CSIRO, CIMMYT, Uni of Adelaide, Chair ACRCP-CC Research Programs Pre-Breeders Alliance 13

ACRCP Charter of Participation ACRCP DIRECTOR Consultative Committee Strategic Advisory Group Services and Program Management: Proposed Structure & accountabilities for Phase II Business Manager Services Breeders Advisory Group Communication Services Science Training Administration? Research Services & support? Regional Coordination and Support? Regional Services – PISC Agencies? Training and extension 14 FFS entity: Transition to separate self- funding NFP in 2017

R&D to investigate fungicide-gene interaction and develop agronomic management packages. Risk of over-dependence on fungicide & demand for APR in easily managed diseases e.g. Yr. The issue is dealt with in detail in the risk analysis. Decision to proceed with an investment decision already made to flow on from current USDY-PBI project. My view: this work must be part of ACRCP but yet to be confirmed by planning group. ACRCP-CC feedback? 15

Strategic opportunities with state (PISC) agencies? Opportunities exist for strategic partnerships addressing key regional cereal rust issues, combining capabilities of core participants and those of regional agencies. Business case for stronger agency linkages with ACRCP will be based on the need for focused work addressing specific regional issues, which can be enhanced with well-defined ACRCP-agency collaborations. Feedback from ACRCP-CC members? 16

National investment in cereal rust control R, D & E (I) We have not recommended a global budget for annual national investment in cereal rust control R&D, support to application of ACRCP science outputs and extension. Charter participants investing >$5mio (+ access to CIMMYT non-GRDC projects $2mio), state agencies (PISC etc) investing in CR…say $2.5mio+ ACRCP-CC feedback – Should we set a target for a global budget? – If so, how much? 17

GRDC National Rust Strategy ACRCP Charter of Participation ACRCP Director ACRCP Consultative Committee ACRCP Steering Committee (Charter Participants) Project Specifications CSIRO GRDC Research Agreement CIMMYT GRDC Research Agreement Project Specifications University of Adelaide GRDC Research Agreement Project Specifications University of Sydney GRDC Research and Commercial Operations Agreements Project Specifications Research and Non- commercial services Commercial Services Offer (contracts) Present Structure of ACRCP 19