The Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics Pty Ltd (ACPFG), based in Adelaide, signed a research collaboration agreement focusing on yield enhancement and stability in crops with Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., headquartered in Johnston, Iowa, USA.

Improving plant productivity, including the ability to cope with abiotic (environmental) stresses such as drought and nitrogen limitations, is a target for the new collaborative program. The overall goal is to provide farmers with
better crop varieties.

"This is an excellent opportunity for the scientists in both organisations to develop outcomes relevant to the Australian wheat and barley industries and the US maize and soybean industry," said Professor Peter Langridge, Chief Executive Officer of the ACPFG.

"Increasing harvestable yield for our farmer customers is still the main focus of our research at Pioneer. This collaboration will help us to learn more about plant development and productivity under drought and nitrogen
stress and allow us to bring dramatically improved products to market in the near future," said Bill Niebur, Vice President of Crop Genetics Research and Development at Pioneer.

The terms of the agreement give the ACPFG commercial rights to the collaboration's research outcomes in wheat and barley, while Pioneer will have commercial rights in maize and soybeans. Each will have commercial rights in
other crops such as rice and sorghum.

"There is considerable scientific synergy between Pioneer and the ACPFG and we expect that this will be an important collaborative program that will grow into new areas over time," Professor Langridge said.

It is estimated that at least a dozen new scientists will work at the ACPFG as a result of the new collaboration, reinforcing the ACPFG's position as an internationally recognised crop genomics research facility and one of
the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

The ACPFG is based at the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus. It was founded in 2002, primarily with funds from the Australian Research Council, Grain Research Development Council and South Australian government.

"We're particularly pleased because this deal is the first major agreement with a large US commercial company for the ACPFG, a great achievement given we've been operating for less than three years," Professor Langridge said.