Boosting Aussie Wheat: How New Reference Genomes are Revolutionising Wheat Farming Down Under.

Wheat is a cornerstone of Australia’s agricultural landscape, with sprawling golden fields stretching across the continent. But as every farmer knows, growing wheat isn’t just about planting seeds and watching them grow. It’s a constant battle against pests, diseases, and unpredictable weather. Developing wheat varieties adapted to specific environmental conditions such as temperature, drought and pest tolerances is essential. Australia produces over 41 million tons of wheat per year,¹ across over 200 different wheat varieties² thanks to numerous local and international genetic improvement initiatives. Despite this diversity, limited genetic resources exist in terms of wheat reference genomes.

Traditionally, plant research has relied on a single reference genome per species. However, with recent advances in agricultural science, researchers are shifting the focus towards building multiple reference genomes (pangenomes), capturing the species’ full genetic diversity. This marks a new era of crop science, improving our understanding of the genes linked to vital traits such as drought tolerance, disease resistance and grain quality.

AGRF is partnering with Professor Rajeev Varshney, Director of the State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre and the Centre for Crop and Food Innovation at Murdoch University, on a project aimed at building pangenomes for the agriculture market. The initiative aims to produce a comprehensive pangenome for ten commercially valuable and novel wheat varieties as well as generating contig assemblies.

Professor Varshney has been instrumental in leading efforts to build pangenomes for the agricultural market— and not just in Australia. His work spans key grain, legume and horticultural crops, focusing on improving food and nutrition security in several countries through genomic innovations. “We’ve had a remarkable experience working with AGRF”, Rajeev says. “Their cutting-edge genomic technologies and expertise with novel technologies are essential in advancing our understanding of crop diversity and improving the resilience of our food systems.”

Chromosome level assembly for any species involves combining Hi-C (Dovetail Genomics Omni-C) 3D data, which reveal chromosome interactions, with PacBio HiFi contigs (2D linearised DNA long-reads). Together, they generate high-resolution genomic data and enhance our ability to map structural variations. Incorporating Omni-C data improves the representation of genetic diversity, enabling fully scaffolded assemblies and a more complete understanding of a species’ genetic variability.

As more wheat varieties are mapped and understood the possibilities for genetic improvement will continue to grow. Australian farmers stand to benefit immensely, gaining access to wheat crops that are more resilient, productive, and tailored to the unique challenges of farming in Australia.

References:

¹ Australian Bureau of Statistics (2024), Australian Agriculture: Broadacre Crops, Available at https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/agriculture/ australian-agriculture-broadacre-crops/latest-release, Accessed 15 October 2024.

² Grains Australia (2023), Wheat Variety Master List, Available at https://grainsaustralia.com.au/master-lists/wheat-variety-list, Accessed 15 Oct 2024