AI breakthrough set to advance sorghum breeding efforts - A new industry partnership will harness cutting-edge AI technology to improve sorghum breeding for the benefit of Australian growers

Date:05-03-2024

A new industry partnership will harness cutting-edge AI technology to improve sorghum breeding for the benefit of Australian growers.

Fellow Centre for Animal Science researcher Dr Eric Dinglasan has been announced as the winner of an Advance Queensland Industry Research Early-Career Fellowship. In partnership with the University of Queensland (UQ) and Pacific Seeds, Dr Dinglasan will expand his work in predictive agriculture to apply FastStack technology to sorghum breeding efforts. FastStack is an AI-guided breeding technology, where instead of selecting the best individual, scientists choose the best chromosome segments that are good for a trait, then identify the optimal crossing path to combine them with other chromosome segments across the genome to develop the ultimate stack.

Dr Bertus Jacobs, Pacific Seeds, Head of Research said the project would focus on heat tolerance traits for sorghum as part of wider research to ensure new hybrids meet changing climatic conditions over the next 20 years and beyond..

″By combining on-ground farm experience, world-class research, and new AI technologies, we’re set to deliver the best possible new hybrids that not only adapt but thrive in the changing climate conditions,″ Dr Jacobs said.

Dr Dinglasan said that together with industry partners, we want to develop an AI breeding scheme to tackle the main issues facing Queensland crop growers like enhancing grain quality and resilience to severe heat stress.

″Incorporating new breeding interventions with chromosome stacking we can ensure that genetic gains don’t plateau but boost both immediate and long-term gain in the face of climate change,″ said Dr Dinglasan.

″I’m really grateful for this opportunity to work with industry partners and directly with breeders to see our work translated into the real world and I’m very excited to be applying all these technologies.″

Within three years the project is expected to see hybrids with improved heat tolerance and quality traits flow into the respective Pacific Seeds breeding pipelines. The AI technology will be translatable to other traits and crops across the Pacific Seeds portfolio.