AsianScientist (Mar. 21, 2011) – The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s national science agency, teamed up with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China’s national science agency, to discuss issues of food production.
At the three-day CSIRO-CAS scientific forum that took place in Canberra on 15 March, scientists discussed plans for future research collaborations, namely on the three most widely grown food crops in the world: rice, wheat and corn.
Leading researchers from both countries in the area of plant genomics shared their latest research findings and mapped out the areas where future joint research efforts could speed up the rate of scientific discovery.
CSIRO Plant Industry Deputy Chief, Dr John Manners, said the collaboration is a positive step towards meeting the growing challenge of global food security.
“China is not only an agricultural powerhouse but also a scientific powerhouse and they face many of the challenges that we do in Australia, including drought, hostile soils and plant diseases. The research projects that we will be working on together will not only improve crops in both countries but will play an important role in the battle for global food security,” Dr Manners said.
“This collaboration is about bringing leading scientific minds together to tackle a global issue. Our joint research efforts will be centered around plant genomics – looking at the genetic make-up of these crop plants to improve yield, sustainability and disease resistance.”
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Source: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
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