BEANSTALK April 2007 Volume 8, No 1 Centre for Legumes ......BEANSTALK Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture Newsletter Volume 8, No.1 April 2007 FROM THE DIRECTOR Professor

Pictured on a laboratory tour after CLIMA’s Industry Advisory Group March meeting: L to R, Mr Merv McDougall (Pulse Australia), Mr John Carstairs (COGGO), Mr Robert Sewell (CBH), Dr Debbie Thackray (CLIMA), Prof. Neil Turner (CLIMA), Dr Karam Singh (CSIRO), Mr Crawford Taylor (Rabobank Group), Ms Merrie Carlshausen (GRDC), Mr Deane Aynsley (WANTFA), Mr Rory Coffey (Pastures Australia), Ms Mary Nenke (Australian Women in Agriculture) and Mr Chris Gillam (Farmer). Also present but not photographed: Prof. Mike Jones (Murdoch University), Mr Neil Ballard (pasture seed industry), Mr David Sermon (AAAC), Prof. Hans Lambers (UWA).Read about the meeting on page 8

BEANSTALK Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture Newsletter

Volume 8, No.1 April 2007

PREMIER VIEWS CHICKPEA PROJECT

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BEANSTALKBEANSTALKApril 2007 Volume 8, No 1

Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture Newsletter

Left to right: Dr Suresh Pande (ICRISAT), The Premier, Dr Dyno Keatinge (ICRISAT) and behind him Professor Doug McEachern (UWA)

On his recent trip to India, the Premier Alan Carpenter visited the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) headquarters at Patancheru, near Hyderabad and reviewed progress on the collaborative project on chickpea improvement between India and Western Australia. The project was started in 2005 and involves ICRISAT, CLIMA, DAFWA and the Council of Grain Growers’ Organisation (COGGO). The work will continue until 2009 and after exchanging the Memorandum of Understanding documents with the Premier, ICRISAT’s Deputy Director General (Research), Dr Dyno Keatinge, said that they were helping to develop new disease-resistant chickpea varieties better suited to WA conditions. Field trials of promising material had been conducted in Punjab and in glasshouses at ICRISAT and he was hopeful that within 3-4 years new varieties would be accessible to farmers.

Further information on the project can be found in the travel reports by Prof. Neil Turner and Dr Tanveer Khan later in this newsletter.

This article is abridged from originals in the Hyderabad Business Standard and The Hindu, with thanks.

Contents

FROM THE DIRECTOR ....................2

FEATURE ARTICLES

Premier views Chickpea improvement project ..............................................................1

Launch of Pulse Breeding Australia .......3

New pasture variety – Sothis ......................4

RESEARCH REPORTS Herbicide tolerant lupins fast-tracked .....5

Doubled haploid technology latest .........6

Postcard from Penny .................................7

CLIMA EXTENSION

Industry Advisory Group meeting ............8

What’s new on CLIMA’s website ..............8

Recent CLIMA Publications ........................9

Meetings Diary .............................................10

VISITORS and TRAVEL NEWS

Student enjoys CLIMA experience........11

Enhancing pulse germplasm ...................11

Autumn in St Petersburg .........................12

Project reviews in India and Nepal .....13

Chickpea breeding at ICRISAT ..............14

Seeds of Life fun-run .......................4

Farewell from the Editor! ............9

New face at CLIMA ........................11



FROM THE DIRECTOR

Professor Neil Turner [email protected]

Since the last “Beanstalk”, the CLIMA Board has met and agreed on the future of CLIMA. From 1 July 2007, CLIMA III will be a centre in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at The University of Western Australia. While the full implications of this change are still being worked through, CLIMA will continue to function as a centre working on innovative and world leading pasture and grain legume science and will maintain its links and research projects with the partners in the current research alliance (CSIRO, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, and Murdoch University), national and international collaborators, and industry partners.

CLIMA III focusThe focus of research by CLIMA III will be the enhancement of pasture and grain legume germplasm for yield and quality characteristics required by breeders and industry. It is anticipated that researchers will use the modern techniques of molecular genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, tissue culture, embryo rescue, mutagenesis, transformation, and DNA fingerprinting to identify and develop germplasm with desirable traits (such as cold tolerance, herbicide/disease/insect pest resistance, drought and salinity tolerance) and to develop wide crosses, doubled haploids, interspecifi c hybrids, and transgenic plants for important grain and pasture legume species. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with national and international researchers and breeders in the public and private arena so that germplasm with desirable traits will be quickly incorporated into superior cultivars.

Another major focus of CLIMA III will be postgraduate research training in legume science. As a university centre CLIMA is expected to enhance postgraduate research training in genetics, physiology and pre-breeding technologies through collaboration within UWA with the School of Plant Biology, the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology and the Western Australian Institute of Medical Research.

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with Debbie over the past few months and I know that she will be sorely missed by staff, associates and the Industry Advisory Group.

At Crop Updates, The Minister of Agriculture Kim Chance launched the latest pasture legume, AGWEST® Sothis, Eastern star clover, which was developed within the National Annual Pasture Legume Improvement Program (NAPLIP) supported by GRDC, AWI, DAFWA and CLIMA.

Elsewhere in “Beanstalk” I report on a trip that I made to India in January. This was to see progress with two CLIMA projects being conducted at ICRISAT and supported by COGGO. Additionally, I went to Nepal to see the progress on another CLIMA project supervised by Prof. Clive Francis and funded by ACIAR. It was good to catch up with Dr Renuka Shrestha who was a PhD student in CLIMA and is now back in Nepal developing lentils and lentil packages for the mid-hills region of the country.

This will be my last Newsletter as Director. I have enjoyed the interim position as Director, but it has occupied more than the three days per week that I was advised it would take! One of the reasons that the job has been enjoyable has been the generous support from staff, associates, the Board and the Industry Advisory Group members. CLIMA is a great Centre and I am sure it will continue to thrive within The University of Western Australia. As an inaugural member and present Director, I wish CLIMA well in the future and I hope to continue my association with the Centre for many more years to come.

Communicating our researchMy term as Director concludes in June 2007 and the search is under way for the next Director now that the future of CLIMA III is clear. In the meantime, CLIMA continues to function as normal. The 2005-2006 Biennial Report is almost ready to send to the printers and I would like to thank Jan Peters for her persistence and hard work in fi nalizing the report. CLIMA’s research has also been widely disseminated in the scientifi c literature. In 2006, CLIMA scientists were associated with 47 scientifi c papers in international journals and refereed conference papers.

This will be the last Newsletter that will be edited by Dr Debbie Thackray who leaves to work for Research Services at The University of Western Australia from 1 May. Debbie has not only edited “Beanstalk”, but has been responsible for CLIMA’s publicity, maintenance of the website, seminar series and coordinating the Industry Advisory Group, staff meetings and professional development workshops. Debbie joined CLIMA as a researcher in January 1994, so is one of the ‘originals’, and took over responsibility as Communications Offi cer in 2002. I have thoroughly enjoyed working

(L to R) CLIMA Director, Professor Neil Turner, DAFWA researchers Dr Angelo Loi and Bradley Nutt and GRDC Western Panel Chairman, Neil Young of Kojonup at the release in February of AGWEST Sothis, the world’s fi rst commercial variety of eastern star clover. Photo by Brendon Cant and Assoc.

mailto:[email protected]

PBA is an unincorporated joint venture between the GRDC, Pulse Australia, the University of Adelaide, the SA Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPIV), the NSW Department of Primary Industries

will provide ‘fi rst option’ exclusive rights to a pipeline of lentil varieties developed through PBA until June 2011.

“Innovative research is a foundation of the Australian grains industry’s growth

(NSWDPI), the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (QDPI&F) and the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA).

Coinciding with the launch was the announcement that PB Seeds Pty Ltd had been awarded a commercial licence which

and sustainability,” Mr Reading said. “The formation of PBA ensures that with regard to pulse breeding, Australia will remain at the cutting edge.”

For more information contact:Brondwen MacLean on 0417 233 298



FEATURE ARTICLES

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LAUNCH OF PULSE BREEDING AUSTRALIA

The joint venture coordinating Australia’s pulse breeding efforts – Pulse Breeding Australia (PBA) – was offi cially launched at the University of Adelaide on Thursday March 15th, and promises to deliver better pulse varieties faster to Australian growers.

Peter Reading, who is inaugural PBA chairman and also managing director of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), said the creation of PBA would help to underpin the sustainability of the Australian grains industry by creating a world-class breeding and germplasm enhancement program.

“Pulses are an important part of Australian grain production, both as export crops in their own right and as part of crop rotations,” he said. “PBA’s focus will be on monitoring reliable market signals, accessing elite germplasm for breeding efforts, and rapid adoption by Australian growers of new lentil, faba bean, chickpea and fi eld pea varieties that have been developed for, and fi eld-tested in, local conditions.

“The grains industry is excited by the potential of PBA to enable greater collaboration and resource sharing in pulse breeding to improve effi ciencies and effectiveness. The GRDC strongly supports this joint venture as part of our objective to deliver to Australian growers better pulse varieties faster through a world-leading, cost-efficient breeding program.”

PBA’s Chairman Mr Peter Reading (right) with DAFWA’s Dr David Bowran and Ms Kerry Regan at the PBA launch

The PBA Coordination Group : Back row (L to R) : Dr Jeff Paull (Uni. of Adel.), Dr Ian Rose (NSWDPI - not group member), Dr Ahmad Maqbool (SARDI), Ms Kerry Regan (DAFWA), Mr Eric Armstrong (NSWDPI - not group member), Dr Michael Materne (DPIV).Front row: (L to R) : Mr Wayne Hawthorne (Pulse Aust.), Dr Merrill Ryan (QDPI&F), Ms Brondwen MacLean (GRDC), Ms Kristy Hobson (DPIV), Mr Tony Leonforte, VICDPI), Mr Larne McMurray (SARDI). Absent: Mr Ted Knights (NSWDPI)


Volume 8, No.1 April 2007 4

NEW PASTURE VARIETY ENHANCES WEED CONTROL OPTIONS

by Dr Angelo Loi, Mr Brad Nutt and Dr Clinton Revell

It was stars for Valentines Day when a new pasture variety was launched at the 2007 Agribusiness Crop Updates on February 14th.

Trifolium dasyurum cv. Agwest®Sothis is the fi rst cultivar of eastern star clover released to world agriculture and was developed by the Department of Agriculture and Food’s pasture group, under the National Annual Pasture Legume Improvement Program,

Dr Angelo Loi in a regenerating stand of Agwest®Sothis

by Alex Dalley

The Seeds of Life Program – East Timor team raised $1600 for charity to win the First Lady’s Cup and take home a kiss from the nation’s First Lady, Kirsty Sword-Gusmao. The cup presented to the team representative, Jose Edy is now proudly displayed in the SoL offi ce in Dili.

The First Lady’s cup is in fact a coffee mug on which are scribbled words of support for Xanana Gusmao. The mug was smuggled into jail by the now fi rst lady Kirsty during Xanana’s incarceration in Jakarta between 1992 and 1999.

Staff from the Seeds of Life Program, which is administered through CLIMA, turned out in force to meet their country’s First Lady at the annual fun run event, which was held in front of the Government Palace in Dili, Sunday 26 November 2006. All funds raised from the event went to the Alola Foundation for needy women and children in East Timor and to Rotary.

The event started at 8am to avoid the worst of the heat. Entrants could either walk 5 km or run 10 km. All but three of the 14 entrants from Seeds of Life walked the 5 km while Edy, Modesto and Leandro ran the 10 km leg. The route started at the Palacao Governo and went out along the ocean road east of Dili.

FUN RUN IN THE SUN

supported by GRDC, AWI, DAFWA and CLIMA. The variety was collected on the Greek island of Naxos and “Sothis” is the ancient Greek name for the star Sirius.

The variety is likely to have a particular role in the management of herbicide resistant crop weeds as it germinates much later than traditional pasture legumes and weeds. This allows the weeds to be sprayed or grazed before Sothis germinates (3-6 weeks later). Herbicide resistant weeds are one of the most signifi cant threats to the sustainability of the grains industry, so any new strategy to help overcome this problem is welcome news.

Although slow to germinate, Agwest®Sothis can grow rapidly in late winter/spring and produce a productive legume-dominant pasture for grazing or forage conservation. Its upright habit makes it an ideal plant for mixtures with grasses that can be cut later in the season for conserving silage or hay. It is most suitable for use on acid and alkaline fi ne textured soils in low to medium rainfall areas (325-450 mm).

The new variety is being commercialised by DAFWA through two licence partners: Ballard Seeds and Seed Distributors, and The Pasture Producers’ Association.

The variety brochure is available from DAFWA and is also on the CLIMA website at: http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/research/pastures/cultivars

After the race, prizes were handed out with a sausage sizzle and live band performing under the shade of two huge banyan trees. Everyone shared a drink and a laugh at Edy, who collected the fundraising trophy and didn’t wait for a second to kiss the First Lady!

Photo by Leith Carroll

http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/research/pastures/cultivars



RESEARCH REPORTS

HERBICIDE TOLERANT LUPINS FAST-TRACKED by Dr Ping Si

Mutation techniques are being used to improve lupin tolerance to metribuzin. The mutants are chemically induced by soaking the seed in a mutagen solution of sodium azide, not the more commonly used EMS (ethyl methanesulfonate). During the period of imbibition, DNA in cells starts to duplicate and the mutagen chemical causes changes in the DNA base leading to mutation at the DNA level to form many new versions of the cultivar used.

The conventional cultivar Tanjil is resistant to anthracnose, with the highest rating currently available in the DAFWA lupin breeding program, but it is susceptible to metribuzin. The lupin industry needs lupin cultivars with both high resistance to anthracnose and high tolerance to metribuzin. We are working to improve metribuzin tolerance in Tanjil using mutation techniques to accelerate natural evolution. Over time, we have identifi ed a number of mutants highly tolerant to metribuzin.

A mutant of Tanjil origin (Tanjil-AZ-33) showed a high level of tolerance to metribuzin at high rates (see Photo) and was also found to have the molecular marker for anthracnose resistance.

A fi eld trial at Shenton Park in 2006 demonstrated that in the presence of metribuzin the yield of Tanjil-AZ-33 was comparable to Mandelup (4.6t/ha), whereas the yield of Tanjil was reduced to half that of the mutant line (Si et al, 2007). The mutant line and Mandelup showed no leaf damage from metribuzin at 3 weeks after application, whilst Tanjil was severely damaged. This line also has the same high level of anthracnose resistance as conventional Tanjil in the disease nursery, unlike Mandelup. If further evaluation of seed yield and quality traits continues to support it, this mutant could be released directly as a cultivar for use in Tanjil growing areas where anthracnose risk is high.

This work is supported by GRDC in collaboration with DAFWA and the WA Herbicide Resistance Initiative. Herbicide tolerance is also being investigated in pulses in other GRDC-supported work.

Reference: Si P., Buirchell B and Sweetingham M (2007). Seed yield and anthracnose resistance of Tanjil mutants tolerant to metribuzin. In Crop Updates 2007, Lupin and Pulses Updates pp 50-51.

Plots of conventional Tanjil (left) and the mutant Tanjil-AZ-33 (right) after exposure to metribuzin in a fi eld trial.



CHICKLESS CHICKPEAS? An update on chickpea and fi eld pea doubled haploid research at CLIMA

by Dr Janine Croser, Miss Kylie Edwards,Dr Kayley Usher, Dr Tanveer Khan,

Prof. John Kuo and Prof. Kadambot Siddique

Chickpea and fi eld pea are important pulse crops in Australia but as demonstrated by the chickpea ascochyta blight outbreak of 1996, diseases and pests can have a devastating effect on the industry. Western Australian farmers are also constrained in their cropping systems due to limited pulse crop options. There is a need to respond to industry demands through a “faster” pulse breeding approaches.

In late 2005, CLIMA established an Australian Research Council Industry Linkage project with the support of COGGO, DAFWA and UWA. This project continues the research began through the GRDC funded project (UWA00035 2002-2005). Researchers aim to speed up the process of breeding useful traits into new cultivars by developing techniques for producing true-breeding lines from fi eld pea and chickpea much faster than can be done with conventional breeding. In canola, wheat, barley and many other crop species, true-breeding ‘doubled haploid’ lines are produced in a single generation but the pulse crops have historically been

unresponsive to this technique.

The project brings together expertise in tissue culture, plant breeding and microscopy. Chief investigators are Prof. Kadambot Siddique (IoA, UWA), Prof. John Kuo (CMM, UWA), and the Partner Investigator is Dr Tanveer Khan (DAFWA). Dr Janine Croser leads the project with microscopy expertise provided by Dr Kayley Usher and technical assistance from Ms Kylie Edwards.

To date, we have screened a wide range of chickpea and fi eld pea cultivars for responsiveness to doubled haploid culture techniques. Among the most responsive are the WA developed chickpea cultivars ‘Rupali’ and ‘Kimberley Large’. Laboratory culture conditions have been optimised to enable embryos to be formed from the immature pollen cells – termed isolated microspore culture. In this technique, the microspores are cultured free from surrounding anther tissue. The research effort in this area is currently directed at developing plants from these embryos.

Isolated Microspore Culture Sequence:

1. Chickpea uninucleate microspores prior to culture (DAPI Stained).

3. Cellularisation of the microspores to create an early stage embryo.

2. Chickpea multinucleate microspore after a period of culture.

4. Further division of a chickpea pollen cell into a multicellular embryo.

continued page 7

POSTCARD FROM PENNYIt’s a little over a year since Dr Penny Smith left UWA for the University of Sydney, but legumes are still in her blood and that’s something she’s now researching!

Penny has just had a project funded by the Grain Foods CRC to investigate cross-reactivity between peanut and lupin allergens. She is trying to fi nd out if people who are allergic to peanut are more likely (than any other person) to react to lupin and if so what proportion react to lupin. It is part of a collaborative project, the “National Lupin Allergen Project”, and involves clinicians in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney who are doing lupin food challenges with peanut allergic individuals to determine if they react clinically to lupin. Penny’s role is to use the sera of the volunteers to identify which proteins in lupin seeds the peanut-allergic people react to and if these proteins share the same IgE epitopes (which initiate the allergic reaction).



A second technique – intact anther culture – is the culture of the entire anther rather than the isolated microspores. This technique has yielded plants via callus-derived somatic embryogenesis in

Intact Anther Culture Sequence:

1. Anthers within the immature chickpea fl ower bud.

3.Somatic embryos from anther-derived callus tissue.

2. Single intact chickpea anther dissected and placed in tissue culture.

4. Chickpea plantlet from germinated somatic embryo in culture.

chickpea and we are hopeful of confi rming a haploid origin of these plants as soon as possible. If proven to be haploid this will be a world fi rst breakthrough for the CLIMA research team.

Once developed the technique will form part of the chickpea and fi eld pea breeding programs.



CLIMA EXTENSION

CLIMA’s future and its interaction with industry beyond June 2007 were hot topics on the agenda for the recent biannual meeting of CLIMA’s Industry Advisory Group on March 29th. The business meeting was held in the CLIMA Board Room at the University of Western Australia and also reviewed current and future grain and pasture legume industry needs, and CLIMA’s R&D planning.After the meeting, members received detailed updates on two

by Dr Debbie ThackrayCLIMA’S INDUSTRY ADVISORY GROUP DISCUSSES FUTURE

CLIMA IAG members viewing the work of Drs Janine Croser and Kayley Usher.

WHAT’S NEW ON CLIMA’S WEBSITE www.clima.uwa.edu.au

CLIMA Industry Forums http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/seminars/workshops_and_forums overviews of the 2005 and 2006 events

New pasture variety http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/research/pastures/cultivars

CLIMA newsletter April 2007 http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/news/newsletter

Press releases since the last newsletter http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/news/press

“Growers relieved by bladder clover” (15 December)

“CLIMA grows into Phase Three” (15 February)

Updates to Grower Group Alliance events calendar http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/links

Meetings Diary – updated for April 2007 http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/links

Seminar series 2007 http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/seminars

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CLIMA projects from Drs Tanveer Khan and Janine Croser, and viewed some of the associated work in the laboratory. The projects were, the international alliance on chickpea breeding between CLIMA, DAFWA, ICRISAT and COGGO (see newsletter article by Tanveer Khan), and the CLIMA project on improving doubled haploid techniques in chickpea and field pea, with support from ARC, COGGO, DAFWA and UWA (see newsletter article by Janine Croser).

http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au

http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/seminars/workshops_and_forums

http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/research/pastures/cultivars

http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/news/newsletter

http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/news/press

http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/links

http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/links

http://www.clima.uwa.edu.au/seminars



RECENT CLIMA RESEARCH PUBLICATIONSSince the December 2006 newsletter, we have been notifi ed of the following publications by CLIMA staff and associates. CLIMA publications lists for 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 are available on the website: www.clima.uwa.edu.au under “publications”.

We encourage all CLIMA staff and associates to forward 2 hard copies of your CLIMA-related publications to CLIMA’s Director. Journal papers, refereed conference papers and book chapters attract considerable research income to CLIMA.

In mid-December 1993, not long after my arrival from the UK, I was waiting nervously for my fi rst job interview in Australia in one of the old huts around the back of UWA, where CLIMA was housed at the time. Ten minutes later I had been put at my ease by John Hamblin, who had told me he was feeling a bit nervous himself because

it was his fi rst week in his job, without actually letting on to me that he was the new director! Then a smiling Ian Maling beckoned me in for my interrogation and so began a long and very happy association for me with CLIMA.

It’s been a wonderful journey, beginning with mass-rearing redlegged earth mites as part of the CRC P2 sub-program led by Dr James Ridsdill-Smith, then as a Research Officer based at DAFWA with Dr Roger Jones’ Plant Virology group working on control of aphid-vectored plant viruses in broadacre crops. This was followed by some simulation modelling of these relationships, after which I developed two websites to host my seasonal risk forecasts for virus damage to wheat and lupins. Finally, in 2002 I took up the part-time post of CLIMA Communications Offi cer whilst continuing some of my research activities and being a mum as well.

Now, its time for a new challenge and I’m moving into UWA’s Research Services group as one of several Research Development Offi cers. The role is varied and aimed at increasing UWA’s success rate in funding bids. I hope this will include plenty of continued contact with colleagues both on and off the campus!

All along, I’ve felt supported by the great family atmosphere of CLIMA, and I’d like to thank CLIMA staff, research associates past and present, and industry members for their continued support for the co-operative ethos of our organisation which I’ve found truly inspiring. I wish you all well in maintaining CLIMA’s high profi le in legume research and in ensuring open lines of communication between researchers, the agricultural industry, and funding providers continue into the future.

FAREWELL FROM THE EDITOR! by Dr Debbie Thackray

Scientifi c Journals

Danehloueipour, N., Yan, G., Clarke, H.J. and Siddique, K.H.M. (2007). Diallel analyses reveal the genetic control of resistance to ascochyta blight in diverse chickpea and wild Cicer species. Euphytica, 154: 195-205.

Loi, A., Nutt, B.J., Revell, C.K., Sandral, G.A. and Dear, B.S. (2006). ‘Mauro’: a mid to late maturing cultivar of biserrula (Biserrula pelecinus). Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 46: 595-597.

Refstie, S., Glencross, B., Landsverk, T., Sørensen, M., Lilleeng, E., Hawkins, W., Krogdahl, A. (2006). Digestive function and intestinal integrity in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fed kernel meals and protein concentrates made from yellow or narrow-leafed lupins. Aquaculture, 261: 1382–1395.

Shan, F., Clarke, H.J., Yan, G., Plummer, J.A. and Siddique, K.H.M. (2007). Identifi cation of duplicates and fi ngerprinting of primary and secondary wild annual Cicer gene pools using

AFLP makers. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution (online and in press).

Siddique, K.H.M., Regan, K.L. and Malhotra R.S. (2007). Registration of ‘Nafice’ Kabuli Chickpea. Crop Science, 47: 436-437.

Siddique, K.H.M., Regan, K.L. and Malhotra, R.S. (2007). Registration of ‘Almaz’ Kabuli Chickpea Cultivar. Crop Science, 47: 437.

Turner, N.C., Abbo, S., Berger, J.D., Chaturvedi, S.K., French, R.J., Ludwig, C., Mannur, D.M., Singh, S.J. and Yadava, H.S. (2007). Osmotic adjustment in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) results in no yield benefi t under terminal drought. Journal of Experimental Botany, 58 (2): 187-194.

Yadav, S.S., Kumar, J., Yadav, S.K., Singh, S., Yadav, V.S., Turner, N.C. and Redden, R. (2006). Evaluation of Helicoverpa and drought resistance in desi and kabuli chickpea. Plant Genetic Resources, 4(3): 198-203.




From 16th-18th May this year, the CRC Association is holding its annual conference in Perth, which is open to interested parties to attend. On the17th May in the morning there is a free EXPO which is open to the general public, entitled: “Science in Action: Making Innovation Happen”

CONFERENCE: 16th-18th May at the Convention Centre

http://www.crca.asn.au/conference

The conference will provide delegates with valuable insights into:

Assessing the benefits of cooperative research and innovation

Capturing creativity

Technology transfer and adoption

Policy opportunities and constraints in achieving effective research, technology transfer and adoption

Training and development

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CRC Conference and Expo 2007 EXPO: 10.00-1.00pm 17th May at the Convention Centre

http://www.crca.asn.au/conference/expo.html

The Science in Action Expo is free and is a unique opportunity to learn about the latest in Australian science and technology innovation while engaging in hands-on activities and interactive presentations from Cooperative Research Centres around Australia.

Featured interactive exhibits include:

A simulation programme designed to show how dangerous mobile phones are when driving

A noise tester that shows how dangerously noisy ipods and other electronic devices can be

Meet the dEadly mOb, an online Aboriginal community from Central Australia

Working models of human body parts that show the ravaging effects of arthritis and smoking

Video and poster presentations will showcase the latest Australian inventions such as implantable contact lenses, bionic ears for the deaf, genetically-modifi ed crops, DVD head rests for cars and carbon dioxide sequestration.

To register your interest in attending and to ensure you are on the VIP mailing list to receive regular updates, please complete the form at http://www.crca.asn.au/conference/expo_visit.html

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MEETINGS DIARY

NB “Conference Alerts” gives links to academic conferences worldwide: http://www.conferencealerts.com/

Model Legumes Congress (MLC2007), Tunis, TunisiaMarch 24th - 28th, 2007 http://www.ecopark.rnrt.tn/mlc2007/

1st workshop of the Grain Legume Technology Transfer Platform, Paris, FranceApr 23rd - 25th, 2007 http://www.grainlegumes.com/gl-ttp/

12th CRC Association Conference, Perth May 16th - 18th, 2007 http://www.crca.asn.au/conference/

CRC Expo: Science in Action: Making Innovation HappenMay 17th, 2007 http://www.crca.asn.au/conference/expo.html

10th International Plant Virus Epidemiology Symposium, Hyderabad, IndiaOctober 15th- 19th, 2007 http://www.IPVE2007.net

6th European Grain Legumes Conference, Lisbon, PortugalNovember 12th – 16th, 2007 http://www.eugrainlegumes.org/

12th International Lupin Conference, Fremantle, Western Australia.September 14th- 18th, 2008 http://www.lupins.org

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http://www.crca.asn.au/conference/expo_visit.html

http://www.conferencealerts.com

http://www.ecopark.rnrt.tn/mlc2007

http://www.grainlegumes.com/gl-ttp



http://www.IPVE2007.net

http://www.eugrainlegumes.org

http://www.lupins.org

Dr Jiayin Pang is a new postdoctoral fellow sitting in CLIMA. Jiayin has come to us from the University of Tasmania.

Jiayin is working with Dr Megan Ryan, Prof. Kadambot Siddique, Prof. Hans Lambers and Dr Mark Tibbett from UWA, Dr Matt Denton, currently at Rutherglen (DPIV) and Drs Clinton Revell and Mike Bolland from DAFWA, on an ARC linkage project titled “Phosphorus - A key factor in the development of novel perennial herbaceous deep-rooted pasture legumes”, with funding support from ARC and DAFWA

She will be working with some of the newer exotic perennial legumes, as well as the most promising of the natives that Mr Richard Bennett (UWA and CRC Salinity) has been working with.

We are very excited that Jiayin has started. Please make her welcome.



VISITORS AND TRAVEL NEWS

UC DAVIS STUDENT ENJOYS THE CLIMA EXPERIENCE! by Dr Julia Wilson

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NEW FACE AT CLIMA by Dr Megan Ryan

A Germplasm Enhancement meeting was held at The Waite Campus, University of Adelaide, in mid-March as part of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) National Pulse Breeding Program (NPBP). The meeting attracted members of the NPBP as well as some GRDC funded researchers contributing to pulse germplasm enhancement and breeding strategies. Drs Heather Clarke and Ping Si attended and presented an update of progress at CLIMA on interspecifi c hybridisation in chickpea and herbicide tolerance in a range of pulses.

Presentations from Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania covered a range of topics including waterlogging and acid tolerance in pea and lentil, reproductive frost tolerance in pulses, heat stress in fi eld pea and lentil, salt and boron tolerance in fi eld pea and lentils, pod drop in lentils, ascochyta blight in chickpea, and bacterial blight in fi eld pea. Some pulse breeders and GRDC members joined the

germplasm enhancement updates later in the afternoon which enabled some brief discussion of how best to integrate the germplasm enhancement research with breeding. It is recognised that this remains an issue for improvement and much of the debate continued later in the evening over good Italian food and some very pleasant SA wine!

In the same week, the joint venture Pulse Breeding Australia (PBA) was launched (see article in this newsletter). PBA will coordinate Australia’s pulse breeding programs currently based at three nodes, as well as Australia-wide evaluation trials and germplasm enhancement research. The Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI) hosts the pea and lentil breeding programs, NSW DPI the chickpea breeding program and the University of Adelaide the faba bean breeding program.

by Dr Heather ClarkeENHANCING PULSE GERMPLASM - ON A NATIONAL SCALE

You may have noticed a new face around CLIMA, Ms Stella Yee. Professor Craig Atkins has arranged for Stella to do work experience in legume microscopy with Dr Julia Wilson. Stella is a third year chemistry student from UC Davis, California. She is currently at the University of Western Australia for semester 1 and is enrolled in Australian Culture, Human Biology and Microbiology.

Julia is training Stella in resin embedding, microtome sectioning and light microscopy using tissue from the GRDC-funded Lupin Interspecifi c Hybridisation project. Stella will be assisting CLIMA Ph.D. student Caren Rodrigues with sectioning pods and stems of for transmission electron microscopy with the new JEOL 2100, which was installed in March 2007 at the Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis.

In addition to this work experience, Stella would like some experience in the health related fields as she plans to

apply for medical school (a postgraduate degree in USA) when she completes her degree. If anyone would like to provide Stella with training in this area, please contact Julia at [email protected].




AUTUMN IN ST PETERSBURG - characterizing germplasm collections in collaboration with the Vavilov Institute

by Dr Jens Berger

The team hard at work in the Physiology Department (note vodka bottle hidden behind juice!). Clockwise from left: Dr Ken Street (Project leader, ICARDA), Mr Jan Konopka (Germplasm database specialist, ICARDA), our host Dr Irena Koserova (Head Physiology Dept, Vavilov Institute), Mr Michael Mackay (Wheat curator, NSW DPI) and Dr Jens Berger (CSIRO/CLIMA)

Last November, I had the opportunity to visit the Vavilov Institute in sunny St Petersburg on the Baltic sea. I was there to participate in the planning meeting for FIGSII, the 2nd phase of the GRDC-funded ‘Focused Identifi cation of Germplasm Strategy’ headed by Dr Ken Street, a long standing CLIMA associate now based at ICARDA, Syria.

The project augments germplasm col lect ions by generat ing latitude/longitude data from collection site notes, and uses these to characterize habitats by extracting site specifi c data from interpolated climate models and other GIS resources such as salinity maps. This information is then used to select accessions of interest, based on the habitat of origin. Phase 1 of the project applied this methodology to bread wheat, and this will be extended to chickpea, lentils and lupin in phase 2. We will use this approach to identify chickpea accessions from areas experiencing low temperatures during fl owering, with a view to fi nding chilling tolerance which can be exploited to advance phenology in the crop and escape terminal drought stress.

NI Vavilov is a key fi gure in the history of genetic resource preservation and study, and the institute has very wide collections

that are only poorly represented in CGIAR genebanks, so their participation is a real coup for the project.

The Vavilov headquarters are situated in the heart of the old city in a beautiful old palace, and we conducted most of our business in gold-gilded rooms, watched over by the ever present bust of NI Vavilov. I hope we didn’t disappoint the great man in our synopsis of past progress and planning for the future.

Working with our Russian counterparts was very interesting. There appear to be few resources for scientists in the

Russian system at present. In a city where lunch at a café can cost US$15, most of our collaborators are earning between US$200-400 per month. International collaboration can supply much needed resources and provide a feeling of connectedness to the institute’s scientists, and is therefore met with great enthusiasm and hospitality by our Russian counterparts, so much so that I am very much looking forward to my next visit to St Petersburg, regardless of the outside temperature.

Street scene in St Petersburg



India in a week:From the 13-20 January 2007, I visited India with Mr Geoff Smith, the CEO of the Council of Grain Grower Organisations (COGGO). Our fi rst stop was at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) at Patancheru, near Hyderabad to review the COGGO-funded project “Improvement of salinity and boron toxicity tolerance in chickpea”. Progress was discussed with Dr V. Vadez, Dr L. Krishnamurthy and Dr P.M. Gaur. Previous work over 2 years had shown that there was a 6-fold range in salinity tolerance among 263 genotypes of chickpea when grown in Vertisol (black) soil. Fifty fi ve of these lines representing a range of tolerance levels have been transferred to Australia and are currently being bulked up in the fi eld after release from quarantine. An experiment was under way to confi rm whether the salinity tolerance observed in the black soil was duplicated when grown in an Alfi sol (red) soil. The 108 lines being screened in 3 replicates in the special screening facility at ICRISAT were also being screened for boron toxicity tolerance and a combination of salinity and boron toxicity tolerance.

Whilst at ICRISAT we were joined by Dr Tanveer Khan and Mr Stuart Morgan for the review and annual meeting of COGGO-funded project “Accelerated Genetic Improvement of Desi Chickpea: An International Partnership between DAFWA, CLIMA, ICRISAT and COGGO”. (See Dr Khan’s report below). Discussions were held with Dr C.L.L. Gowda, Dr P.M. Gaur, Dr S. Pande and included a visit to the growth facility where lines were being screened for ascochyta blight at both the seedling stage and when podding (from cuttings taken from plants grown in the fi eld and glasshouse) and a fi eld visit to see lines that had subsequently been successfully transplanted to the fi eld for further selection.

Field evaluation of promising lines.Geoff Smith and I then travelled with Pooran Gaur and Suresh Pande to Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) at Ludhiana via Amritsar. Between Amritsar and Ludhiana we stopped by a farm where the owners are growing a new variety of ascochyta resistant chickpea released by PAU. The farmer was trialling small areas of chickpea and lentil for the fi rst time for many years to see whether yields and prices would provide an economic alternative to wheat and rice. At PAU we visited the plots where the chickpea genotypes selected at ICRISAT for ascochyta resistance were being evaluated in the fi eld to confi rm that they had the same level of resistance as observed in the controlled environment facilities at ICRISAT.

After travelling by train from Ludhiana we met with Dr Jitendra Kumar and Dr S.S. Yadav, Principal Pulse Breeders in the Department of Genetics at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), in New Delhi. We visited the fi eld plots where large-seeded desi and kabuli chickpeas with multiple disease resistance (not ascochyta resistance) and suitable for dryland conditions were being selected and evaluated. We also held discussions with staff from the Department of Plant Physiology on the characters required in chickpea for introduction into the rice-wheat system in northern India.

PROJECTS REVIEWED IN INDIA AND NEPAL by Prof. Neil Turner

And on to Nepal: On the 20 January I arrived in Nepal, at the request of Dr Clive Francis, Deputy Director of CLIMA, to look at progress in an ACIAR-funded project “Lentil and Lathyrus in the cropping systems of Nepal. Improving crop establishment and yield of relay and post rice sown pulses in the Terai and mid hills”. A nationwide general transport strike and fog in both the Kathmandu Valley and on the Terai plains of Nepal caused havoc with my itinerary and taught me patience!!

Together with Dr Renuka Shrestha, a former PhD student in CLIMA, and Mr R.K. Neupane, I met with the Directors of the Nepal Agricultural Research Council and the Nepal Agricultural Research Institute in Kathamandu and then at short notice, avoiding the transport strike, fl ew to Nepalgunj to look at on-station trials and lines of lentil that were being evaluated in farmers’ fi elds for potential release. Also at Nepalgunj, 23 lines (some developed at CLIMA as part of the project and some from China) of low ODAP lathyrus were being grown in a screen house to prevent cross pollination with high ODAP lines and to bulk up the seed for further evaluation next season.

Biopesticides for Helicoverpa.The major problem in chickpea in Nepal is Helicoverpa damage. The incidence has been so severe that farmers in the terai have virtually stopped growing chickpea. No resistance has been found and spraying with insecticides and BT is too expensive. Entomologists at

Dr Pooran Gaur (ICRISAT), Mr Geoff Smith (COGGO), Professor Neil Turner (CLIMA), Dr Sandhu (Punjab Agricultural University) and Dr Suresh Pande (ICRISAT) enjoy a relaxing moment at the Golden Temple in Amrisar, India, while en route to Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana.

Continued page14



Nepalgunj have been trialling biopesticides, particularly Helicoverpa nuclear polyhedrosis virus (HNPV). The virus is effective in controlling the insect if sprayed when the larvae are small (2nd-3rd instar). We visited a farm where the World Bank and ICRISAT have funded a small on-farm production facility for HNPV. Helicoverpa larvae were being raised on nuclear polyhedrosis virus-infected chickpea seeds. When the appropriate size, the larvae are put in a blender, centrifuged and the supernatant kept in a refrigerator to use as a spray against Helicoverpa during the next season. Entomologists from the region will evaluate its effectiveness compared to HNPV produced commercially in India.

Back in Kathmandu after more delays because of fog, I visited experimental plots of lentil being evaluated by Dr Shrestha for the mid-hills region, gave a seminar that was highlighted on Nepali TV and went to the Dukuchap village in Lalitpur District where the farmers are trialling improved technology for the production of maize, rice, soybean, pigeon pea, lentil, cowpea, onions, oats for fodder, other fodder species, and goats. It is 5 years since I was last in Nepal and the impact of the internal political turmoil is very evident in the decline in infrastructure, decrease in resources, and increase in poverty. A full report is available from me [email protected]

CHICKPEA BREEDING COLLABORATION - an update and some new contactsby Dr Tanveer Khan and Mr Stuart Morgan

Dr Tanveer Khan and Mr Morgan visited ICRISAT in January 2006, an annual event designed to allow examination of the breeding material being developed for WA and to hold a project meeting with ICRISAT counterparts.

The project is an international alliance on chickpea breeding between CLIMA, DAFWA, ICRISAT and COGGO. Dr Khan was also joined by CLIMA Director Professor Neil Turner and COGGO CEO Mr Geoff Smith. Mr Morgan learned some valuable skills including some clues to the root rot problem that we encounter during summer growing of chickpea at Medina, WA. The good news is, that within a short period of less than two

years a large number of fi xed breeding lines will be ready in April for importing into WA.

Dr Khan also took the opportunity to visit adjoining districts to see chickpea farmers and their crops. Chickpea growing in the south of India is expanding, while it is declining in the north of India. Some blame it on global warming resulting in reduced rainfall in the north and increased rainfall in southern India.

Dr Khan also visited the Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur and National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow in the north of India and made valuable contacts that may encourage future collaboration.

L to R, Prof. Neil Turner (third standing), Mr Geoff Smith (fi rst sitting), Mr Stuart Morgan (fourth standing) and Dr Tanveer Khan (third sitting) with ICRISAT staff in the segregating F4 populations of chickpea at ICRISAT.

PROJECT REVIEW NEPAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13


CLIMA SEMINAR SERIES 2007 Please contact:

Janine Croser [email protected]

to suggest topics and speakers for July - December, 2007. In particular we value the earliest possible advice of seminars offered by visitors during 2007.



NEWSLETTER CREDITS

CLIMAM080FACULTY OF NATURAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

35 STIRLING HIGHWAY

CRAWLEY WA 6009

DISCLAIMERWhile every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this newsletter, the Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA) cannot accept any responsibility for the consequences of the use of this information. The Newsletter provides you with a brief explanation of research and other activities in progress and is a guide only.

EDITOR

Dr Debbie Thackray [email protected]

Contributing authors:

Dr Jens Berger [email protected]

Dr Heather Clarke [email protected]

Dr Janine Croser [email protected]

Alex Dalley c/o [email protected]

Dr Tanveer Khan [email protected]

Dr Angelo Loi [email protected]

Dr Megan Ryan [email protected]

Dr Ping Si [email protected]

Dr Penny Smith [email protected]

Dr Debbie Thackray [email protected]

Prof. Neil Turner [email protected]

Dr Julia Wilson [email protected]

© CLIMA 2007

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.clima.uwa.edu.au

LAYOUTPaul Ricketts

DUIT Multimedia

[email protected]

Volume 8, Number 1 – April 2007


















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BEANSTALK April 2007 Volume 8, No 1 Centre for Legumes ......BEANSTALK Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture Newsletter Volume 8, No.1 April 2007 FROM THE DIRECTOR Professor