6 The Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics Pty Ltd Case-studies on past EU-Australian research collaborations

The Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics University of Melbourne University of Queensland Waite Campus University of Adelaide (ACPFG Headquarters) University of South Australia

Research  Crops – Wheat and Barley  Models – Rice and Arabidopsis  New expansion - Chickpeas  Research Area – Abiotic stress tolerance  Drought and heat  Salinity  Nutrients – N and P  Platforms Technologies and Resources  Associated Projects Biofortification Boron

DROught-tolerant yielding PlantS DROPS EU funded project ( ) Coordinated by François Tardieu (INRA)

- 8.7 million euros - 10 public organisations - 11 countries - 15 partners - 5 companies - 4 continents

Objectives Increase the efficiency of breeding under water deficit 1.Novel indicators: “Identity cards” of genotypes: heritable traits genetically related to yield 2.Natural variation: genomic regions controlling key traits; assess allelic diversity under a wide range of scenarios 3.Models for estimating the comparative advantages of alleles and traits under contrasting drought scenarios Three crops Maize Durum wheat Bread wheat

A global research coordination platform for wheat improvement

International partnership for wheat improvement A framework to identify synergies and facilitate collaborations for wheat improvement at the international level Created in 2011 following endorsement by the G20 Agriculture Ministries to improve food security

15 countries, 9 private companies, 2 international organisations Current members

What do we get out of EU partnerships? Link to latest research advances and networks –Interactions with the very best people Access to technological improvements and infrastructure International benchmarking Australian input into international research agenda

Why are we regarded as good partners? Simple structure and ease in reaching agreement Capabilities –Research focus –Technical expertise –Crops of major importance to Australia and Europe (wheat & barley) High quality research Strong links to technology delivery