“It’s not just an environmental effect you’re measuring. You make better choices based on genetics.”

Developing molecular marker work – to identify the best candidate genes that are involved in improved nutrition within seeds – is not easy – which is why the importance of cross-disciplinary collaborations in this field of research is so important and delivering strong results. 

“The complexity involved in this seed research and the need for great outcomes demands much broader conversations, which is why we talk with nutritionists and economists. This research busts out of the existing silos and limited thinking. It’s exciting to take on the experience and knowledge of thinkers from outside your area of expertise.”

Ensuring adequate zinc levels in grains has been a fundamental problem. Mild-to-moderate zinc deficiency affects up to one-third of the global population, leading to impaired immune system function, skin disorders, cognitive dysfunction,  and increased susceptibility to lower respiratory tract infections, malaria and diarrhoeal disease.  It is responsible for more than 800,000 deaths every year.

Breeding for higher zinc concentration in grains helps farmers provide better growth on zinc deficient soils – a major problem worldwide, including in Southern Australia. Identifying genes that effectively boost nutrients into the grain involves an entirely different mechanism in the plant to how it would transport nutrients from the soil. The efficiency of improved seed helps produce better crops and more reliable yields.

This proven process is now being applied globally, with the results having been marked against control crops to prove that improved targets are being effectively met. Results have been universally positive. 

“The developing world is really embracing these new varieties and what HarvestPlus research groups are achieving is giving everyone the know-how at low cost,” says Professor Stangoulis.

While much of this work was initially intended to benefit developing countries, ultimately the improved seed with higher nutritional value is also being introduced to Australia through CGIAR collaborations with their breeding partners in Australia. “We will all benefit greatly from being plugged into this vast and cohesive global network.”

Having spent the best part of 20 years working to improve the presence of iron and zinc in food crops, Professor Stangoulis is now focusing his research attention on calcium – with a specific aim to help improve children’s nutrition. 

He believes that breeding new strains of millet may provide the best solution, as millet is already packed with nutrition and some of the many millet varieties are very drought-tolerant. “I expect that we’ll be able to get more speedy results on this,” he says. “There are high throughput analysis programs already in place, and there are laboratories around the world that now have the necessary equipment and expertise to swiftly do analysis of trial crops that once took ages. 

“The frustrations that we went through in the early years, going through so much trial and error, were all worthwhile. Now, we have proven answers and tested methods. The seed breeders know what to look for, so results from the next areas of crop research will be so much faster.” 

Professor Stangoulis also studies the stress physiology of plants, which has growing importance as this knowledge can provide a clearer understanding of how climate change will affect crops – especially how abiotic stress affects plants, and how increased heat in our atmosphere could affect the nutritional value of crops.

“It’s an important future investment,” says Professor Stangoulis.