The University of Adelaide, media release – 25 November 2020
An international research collaboration has unlocked new genetic variation in wheat and barley – a major boost for the global effort in breeding higher-yielding wheat and barley varieties.

“Wheat and barley are staple food crops around the world but their production needs to increase dramatically to meet future food demands,” says the University of Adelaide’s Associate Professor Ken Chalmers who, together with his School of Agriculture, Food & Wine colleagues Professor Emeritus Peter Langridge and Professor Robbie Waugh, led the Adelaide research.

“It is estimated that wheat production alone must increase by more than 50% over current levels by 2050 to feed the growing global population.”

Professor Chengdao Li at Murdoch University also played a key role in the Australian component of the barley sequencing.