Recommendations: ICAR-ACIAR Planning workshop on MAS wheat breeding

 Program research priorities

1.      Within the next 6 months, begin a bioinformatics component in the MAS project. ICIS will be implemented at University of Sydney's Plant Breeding Institute (PBI) at Cobbity and at the National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology (NRCPB) in Delhi.

2.      A new project on applying rust genes and new genes to provide varieties with improved rust resistances (leaf, stripe, stem) should be fast-tracked, to be closely linked to the already implemented MAS implementation project.

3.      Scope and develop a large integrated project on characterizing suitable traits and markers for better crop establishment and roots (water use efficiency being implicit in this).

4.      Continue with the implementation of the pipeline project on germplasm development addressing waterlogging and other abiotic stresses associated with waterlogging.

5.      A project on quality traits to be scoped and developed for a later stage in the program (implementation in 2009). Opportunities for including work on soft wheat will be explored immediately by the Program Development Committee. 

General recommendations

6.      A Program Development Committee should be appointed with the task of further developing the ICAR-ACIAR MAS wheat breeding program. This committee, comprising members for India (e.g. ICAR, DWR, IARI) and members from Australia (e.g. ACIAR, Uni Sydney, CSIRO), should provide a draft program plan to ACIAR and ICAR by mid December 2007, and a final plan by March 2008, with a view of obtaining ICAR and ACIAR approval by June 2008.

7.      Given ACIAR’s mandate of funding projects with shorter time to impact, the ICAR-ACIAR MAS program will focus on MAS applications, trait testing and marker validation to form the core of a broader Indian wheat breeding program. This broader program could encompass transgenics and gene discovery work conducted by Indian institutions alone. Training and workshop activities will link the core ICAR-ACIAR program with the broader All-India wheat breeding program.

8.      To maintain the momentum of the program while the plan is being drawn up, a series of shorter term activities should be carried out over the next 8 months. These can include Small Research Activities funded by ACIAR enabling Australian researchers to initiate research work in India, and an ICAR funded exposure visit of Indian scientists to Australia in August 2008 (to synchronise with International Wheat Genetics Symposium, Brisbane).

9.      In developing the plan, a staged approach should be taken. Inclusion of bioinformatics in the implemented MAS project will be implemented in the coming 6 months. Projects on rust, drought and water logging to start as soon as possible in 2008, followed by a further project on quality in 2009. Opportunities for including work on soft wheat will be explored immediately by the Program Development Committee.

10.  A Steering Committee to be designated by the Program Development Committee will oversight and review the Indo-Australian MAS program.