Centre for Crop Science (QAAFI CPS)

Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland

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The Centre delivers research to target improved crops, crop protection systems, and sustainable production systems in tropical and sub-tropical environments for enhanced economic and environmental outcomes. The Centre provides innovative plant-focused research by the pursuit of excellence in plant science at molecular, whole plant, and production system levels. The centre harnesses the plant science development capabilities of QAAFI, and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) and our national and international partners.

Website
https://qaafi.uq.edu.au/centre-for-crop-science
Organisation type
  • University Research Centre
  • Queensland Government – Partner
Number of research staff
20-100 research staff
Address
Queensland Bioscience Precinct, 306 Carmody Rd, The University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD 4072

Strengths and capabilities

  • Plant breeding and genetics
  • Plant health
  • Crop physiology and modelling
  • Farming systems science
  • Crop improvement
  • Crop nutrition/agronomy
  • Ag-Nano, Anti fungal silver nanoparticles

Facilities and major equipment

  • Hermitage Research Station, Warwick
  • J. Bjelke Petersen Research Station, Kingaroy
  • Maroochy Research Station, Nambour
  • Centre of Tropical Agriculture, Mareeba
  • Physical Containment Class 2 (PC2) laboratory
  • Quarantine laboratory
  • Cropping and animal farming facilities
  • Cropping research facilities at Hermitage, Toowoomba and Gatton

Lead researcher

  • Professor Ian Godwin—Pioneer in the use of GM and gene edited techniques in sorghum and author of 'Good enough to eat?: Next generation GM crops'
  • Professor David Jordan—Leader of Australia's public sorghum pre-breeding program resulting in genetic in 100% of the commercial sorghum grown in Australia.
  • Professor Andre Drenth—Leader in research on the biology and management of plant diseases caused by fungi in Horticulture

Achievements of the centre

  • Leading the most successful public sorghum breeding program in the world with sorghum now Queensland’s most important cereal crop
  • Identified the antimicrobial properties of the Kakadu plum powerful enough to extend the storage the shelf-life of food, particularly prawns

Key science sectors

More information about the sectors this centre is involved in:

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