Australian Wheat

Wheat is Australia’s largest grain crop (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). Intensive breeding has led to significant increases in yield and productivity. The size and complexity of the wheat genome have limited the application of advanced methods for wheat improvement. Hence, concerted efforts are required to characterise Australian bread wheat to enable the generation of superior genotypes underpinning further crop improvement, productivity and resilience.

A successful model for wheat data management (T3) has been established in the USA and it has been proposed that researchers at UQ who are recognised leaders in producing advanced wheat germplasm establish a similar database for Australian wheat breeding data. The Triticeae Toolbox contains the database for Australian T3 wheat breeding data, and contains SNP, phenotypic, and pedigree data from wheat and barley germplasm.