Investment

The Australian Grains Gene Bank (AGG) identified critical infrastructure requirements that were needed in the short to long term to ensure it has the capability to support the Australian research and breeding community with access to germplasm of actual and potential value to sustain enduring profitable grain industry. The following significant gaps were identified: seed storage capacity; post entry quarantine capacity and infrastructure for the transfer of NSW-DPI winter cereal PEQ activities and operation that was not included at AGG inception.

The project allowed for the enhancement of AGG infrastructure capacity and capability that will only assist it to implement world's best practice for germplasm importation including associated post entry quarantine procedures, curation, germplasm maintenance, data management and germplasm distribution with traits targeted to meet priorities for Australian grain growers; it will also enable the AGG to respond more rapidly to any biosecurity bridge incursion as experienced with Russian wheat aphid recently.