Plant Breeding and Production in the Sydney Institute of Agriculture is a research collective focussing on the sustainable production of food and fibre for Australia’s domestic and international agricultural markets.
We specialise in advanced trait discovery for translatable genetic solutions to current and future issues facing agriculture.
We have strong ties with research groups concentrating on the same areas of plant genetics and breeding, and in countries with areas of similar climates, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, China, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
We have close links with domestic and international partner organisations, including:
We have particularly strong interactions with three centres of the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR):
Our research focuses on solving production challenges across a range of agricultural and forestry industries, including broadacre grains and fibers, horticulture, and domestic forestry.
Our expertise spans the entire production pipeline, with a strong emphasis on understanding the intricate relationships between soil, plants, microbes, and the atmosphere.
The Cereal Rust Laboratory hosts the GRDC supported Australian Cereal Rust Control Program (ACRCP), which continues one of the longest-running research efforts at the University of Sydney.
Cereal rust diseases are the most important biotic constraints to cereal production globally. The ACRCP conducts research on all rust pathogens of wheat (common and durum), barley, oat, triticale and cereal rye, with a strong emphasis on tracking changes in pathogen virulence (pathogen surveillance) across the Australian continent and disease control by resistance breeding.
We are leading a national GRDC supported project to develop wheat genotypes with enhanced heat tolerance.
By 2026, at least five advanced pre-breeding lines with 10% higher yields under heat stress during grain filling will be delivered to breeders. This project builds on previous research to develop high-yielding, heat-tolerant wheat using genomic selection and field-based trials across key Australian environments.
The CAIGE program, coordinated by the University of Sydney and the University of Queensland, imports and evaluates wheat and barley lines from CIMMYT and ICARDA to enhance Australian breeding programs. This GRDC supported project enhances the selection, evaluation, and distribution of imported germplasm.
New lines will undergo genotypic and phenotypic screening at CGIAR centres before being tested across multiple Australian locations. Data is shared with breeders to accelerate trait integration into Australian wheat and barley.
We have developed a unique genetic system for producing and maintaining male sterility in wheat. This system allows us to produce F1 hybrid seed efficiently and cost effectively. Our research now focuses on identifying heterosis and developing heterotic pools to maximise hybrid vigour. We are also working to develop genetic systems for making F1 hybrids in other self-pollinated crops.
Email:Ìýrichard.trethowan@sydney.edu.au
