Title

Emerging opportunities for agriculture: investigating plant adaptation by characterizing germplasm collection habitats

Authors

J Berger
J A. Palta
C Ludwig
D Shrestha
M C. Mackay
K A. Street
J Konopka
S Jenkins
K N. Adhikari
H J. Clarke, University of Notre Dame AustraliaFollow
J S. Sandhu
H Nayyar

Publication Details

Berger, J., Palta, J. A., Ludwig, C., Shrestha, D., Mackay, M. C., Street, K. A., Konopka, J., Jenkins, S., Adhikari, K. N., Clarke, H. J., Sandhu, J. S., & Nayyar, H. (2008). Emerging opportunities for agriculture: investigating plant adaptation by characterizing germplasm collection habitats. 14th Australian Agronomy Conference.

Abstract

Agricultural crops and their wild progenitors are excellent candidates for ecophysiology studies because germplasm collections are often extensive and well described, and in its dissemination the crop may explore habitats not found in the natural distribution of the progenitor. The advent of high resolution elevational climate models has greatly improved our capacity to characterize plant habitats and study species’ adaptive responses to different stresses encountered across the distribution range. With passport data and germplasm from the ICARDA, ICRISAT and the Australian Lupin Collection, we are applying this approach to (i) search for improved reproductive chilling tolerance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum); (ii) identify adaptive strategies in stress gradients across the distribution range in wild populations of narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) and (iii) genetic improvement in yellow lupin (L. luteus).

Keywords

Peer-reviewed, Published in Full

Comments

This conference paper may be accessed from the publisher here

Unkovich, M (ed.). Global issues, paddock action: Proceedings of 14th Agronomy Conference 2008, 21-25 September 2008, Adelaide, S A. may be accessed from the National Library of Australia here

The Author:

Dr Heather Clarke