PROC-9177361: Reducing Pod Drop in Lentil

Pod drop is a major cause of post-maturity yield loss in Australian lentil production, triggered by environmental stresses such as wind, temperature shifts, moisture variability, and desiccant-induced brittleness. These factors compromise pod attachment, leading to significant harvest losses. Despite its impact, the genetic and physiological basis of pod detachment in lentil remains poorly understood, limiting its inclusion as a selectable trait in breeding programmes. This investment seeks to establish pod drop as a selectable trait by developing scalable phenotyping methods, identifying key genetic and physiological drivers, and delivering breeder-ready tools and germplasm. Structured across two programs, it combines trait discovery and phenotyping innovation (Program 1) with potential functional validation via mutagenesis (Program 2). GRDC will provide strategic in-kind support through partnerships with AAGI, APPN, ICARDA and Traitomic, and seeks strong co-investment to deliver transformative outcomes for Australian lentil breeding.

For complete Request For Tender (RFT) conditions, details and instruction please visit GRDC website: https://grdc.com.au/research/partnering-in-rde-investment/opportunities/current-opportunities

For complete RFT details and instruction please visit GRDC website: https://grdc.com.au/research/partnering-in-rde-investment/opportunities/current-opportunities

4 years