Australia and Kazakhstan Sign MOU for Cereal Research

The Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Kazakhstan to produce improved varieties of wheat and barley more tolerant to drought, salinity and nutrient deficiencies, and toxicities.

"The partnership is an exciting venture for ACPFG and Australia. Our farmers will benefit from the research activities of scientists working on crop tolerance to environmental stresses," said ACPFG CEO, Professor Peter Langridge. In return, Professor Serik Kenenbayev, President of the JSC KazAgroInnovation, said that "Whilst the varieties grown in Kazakhstan and Australia are quite different, it's likely that the advances in genetic studies will have a very positive effect on Kazakhstan varieties and the lessons we learn in working with this material will have direct application to Australian germplasm."

ACPFG will train Kazakhstan researchers to use molecular biology techniques to improve cereal varieties. Kazakhstan will share knowledge and intellectual property produced by its researchers with ACPFG, in the process helping to accelerate its breeding programs.

See the news release frm ACPFG at http://www.acpfg.com.au/uploads/documents/news/MoU%20Kazakhstan%20release%20final.pdf