More than 215 breeders, researchers, students and industry professionals from across the country came together for the fourth annual ACB Breeders Week, the largest gathering in the event’s history. Australian Crop Breeders CEO, Dr Narelle Moore, said the strong turnout reflected the growing importance of the event to the national breeding community.
“Attendance continued to grow this year, creating valuable opportunities for delegates to connect, share ideas and build relationships across Australia’s crop innovation value chain,” Dr Moore said.
“Breeders Week demonstrated the strength, depth and collaborative nature of Australia’s field crop breeding sector.” This year’s program featured a strong technical line-up spanning wheat, barley and oats, pulses, canola and, for the first time, rice. Researchers presented cutting-edge work across genetics, genomics, disease resistance, phenotyping, data science and emerging breeding technologies.
“The event highlighted the significant scientific capability within the industry, with researchers and breeders sharing innovation across a range of crops and disciplines,” Dr Moore said.
“The inclusion of rice alongside wheat, barley and oats, pulses and canola further strengthened the program and reflected the diversity of Australia’s crop breeding industries.”
Pictured: Narelle Moore (ACB) at the lectern, panel of Tress Walmsley (InterGrain), Haydn Kuchel (AGT), Andy Thomas (LongReach Plant Breeders), JD Rossouw (Bayer Crop Science)
A significant focus of this year’s event was the future workforce and the skills needed for the next generation of crop improvement, with strong participation from students and early-career researchers alongside established industry leaders. “One of the most encouraging aspects was the strong focus on the future workforce. The industry’s long-term success depends not only on world-class science, but on attracting, developing and retaining talented people,” Dr Moore said. “Crop breeding has made a significant contribution to improving the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Australian agriculture, and future gains will require ongoing investment in innovation, research and skills. “It was particularly pleasing to see students and early-career researchers engaging alongside experienced breeders, creating valuable opportunities for mentoring, collaboration and knowledge exchange. “The strong participation from students reinforces the depth of emerging talent and provides confidence in the future of Australia’s crop breeding sector.”
Dr JD Rossouw’s presentation, Are We Set Up for the Next Decade? Global Lessons for Australian Crop Breeding was a standout of Breeders Week and received exceptionally positive feedback from delegates. Dr Rossouw provided a global perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing crop breeding, encouraging delegates to think strategically about the capabilities, talent and investment needed to remain competitive over the coming decade. The session generated strong discussion throughout the event and reinforced the importance of future-focused innovation and workforce development in shaping the future of Australia’s crop breeding sector.
The Sundowner Showcase featured 21 research posters from students and early-career researchers, generating strong interest and engagement from delegates throughout the event. The showcase gave students a valuable opportunity to present their research directly to breeders, researchers and industry leaders, and demonstrated the high quality of emerging research being undertaken across crop breeding and agricultural science. Ten students attended Breeders Week with industry support – five backed by GRDC and five by AgriFutures Australia – reflecting the industry’s commitment to developing future breeding capability. The networking and mentoring opportunities on offer throughout the week helped strengthen connections between students and potential future employers and collaborators.
