The Victorian Government has announced a $15 million investment to fast-track cereal, oilseed, and pulse crop development by upgrading the Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) into a more accessible database by 2027.
Minister for Agriculture Gayle Tierney has unveiled the co-investment between the State Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), providing researchers greater access to a broader range of genes to increase grain crop productivity and profitability.
“The digital transformation of the Australian Grains Genebank will fast track research and production of more resilient and profitable crop varieties — benefiting Victorian and Australian grain growers,” Minister Tierney said.
The AGG is Australia’s national hub for grain crop genetic resources, located at Agriculture Victoria‘s Horsham SmartFarm.
According to the State Government, identifying desirable genes within national and international genebanks has traditionally proved challenging for researchers. The increased funding will make the AGG’s plant genetic resources more accessible and beneficial to the Australian grains sector.
“Making sure that industry can easily get the seeds they need for plant genetic resources will be essential to tackle future challenges related to climate and food security,” Minister Tierney stated.
The AGG-supported research will accelerate the development of high-yielding, adaptive, and profitable grain crop varieties, ensuring Australia’s $40 billion grains sector remains robust to climate change and continues to thrive.
The news coincides with the completion of a $1.8 million seed multiplication facility that employs cutting-edge technology to enable the quick production and distribution of seed for plant genetic resources kept in the AGG.
“This new $15 million GRDC investment will connect the AGG with plant genetic resources around the world, allowing faster identification and location of genetic material, which will contribute to the faster development of new grain varieties in Australia,” GRDC Chair John Woods said.
“New and improved genetics are key to developing crop varieties that will cope with increased climatic challenges and deliver consistent, profitable yields for Australian grain growers,” he added.
The AGG transformation is part of the State Government’s Agriculture Strategy, which aims to improve research commercialisation to make Victoria’s agriculture industry stronger, more innovative, and sustainable.
“As we experience warmer temperatures and different weather patterns, the Australian Grains Genebank will play an integral role to ensure our crops remain consistent and strong,” Member for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora said.
