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[Music plays]
(Narrator) Wheat -- one of the big three global cereal crops.
About 600 million metric tonnes of wheat is produced globally each year,
which means it accounts for about 30% of total cereal production.
Being a staple food, providing around 20% of people's energy,
wheat is integral to the food needs of over two billion
people around the world.
It is also an important part of our diet,
providing significant health benefits.
However, food security is fast becoming
one of the most pressing issues of our time.
(Dr. Morell) Science has a really important role to
play in protecting the future of our food supply,
both here in Australia, and internationally.
There are three areas that we're working on.
The first of those is to increase yields, particularly
under drought conditions; the second, to improve
disease resistance; and the third is to improve the
quality of the food that we can provide to the consumer.
[Music plays]
(Narrator) Unfortunately these aims are much easier said than done.
The wheat genome is one of the most complicated
around, being approximately five times larger than the
human genome, and 40 times larger than the rice genome.
One of the most exciting developments in recent
years is a new approach known as
Multi-parent Advanced Generation Inter Cross, or MAGIC.
(Dr. Richards) MAGIC is an extremely innovative population,
it has the potential to really change the way
in which we start breeding plants, it's going to
increase the speed and efficiency of breeding.
(Dr. Newberry) MAGIC is a new technology
that allows us to create an enormous range of diversity
within the wheat crop, allowing us to identify the genes controlling
the various traits we're interested in.
(Narrator) MAGIC targets a key problem facing wheat researchers
how to make the link between wheat's huge genome and the
performance attributes that drive the value of the crop.
From a scientific point of view there are three major advantages
that MAGIC offers compared to existing approaches.
To illustrate this we'd like you to imagine the wheat genome
as a series of genes linked together, like beads on a string.
The first major advantage of MAGIC is that we can very
efficiently shuffle the genes between different varieties
of wheat, enabling us to identify very accurately
the order of thousands of genes along a chromosome.
The second major advantage is that MAGIC incorporates a large
proportion of the genetic diversity within elite varieties of
wheat from around the world, and whilst we want to know which
gene controls a particular trait, this isn't all we need to know.
There is enormous diversity within genes that
control important traits, and we need to identify the best option.
Using MAGIC we can identify which of these genes variants is the best.
The third major advantage of MAGIC is that it enables us to find
the best combinations of genes for important traits, such as yield.
MAGIC enables us to not only find all the genes that determine a trait of
interest, but it can identify the very best combination of multiple genes.
MAGIC is also highly efficient and adaptable.
Now that the platform is established we can identify
the critical genes for a wide range of traits,
including quality, disease resistance,
yield and many more, allowing us to optimise genetic packages
suited to specific environmental conditions.
Because MAGIC includes wheats from around the
world, its application is not limited to Australia.
Back into the laboratory and our CSIRO scientists are using MAGIC
to target the genetic markers for all of these key characteristics.
(Dr. Cavanagh) The combination of genetic diversity
and the multiple rounds of inter-crossing that goes
into the development of the MAGIC platform means
that the genome is broken up into small segments.
We can then use the genetic platform to understand
which genes are controlling these traits,
and which combinations of genes, so essentially
it's a high tech way of natural breeding.
From a geneticist point of view, what I find exciting about MAGIC is
that we can not only identify the genes that are responsible,
we can rigorously test previous assumptions about
how these traits inter relate, and that's really
critical for identifying varieties into the future.
(Narrator) But what does this mean for the farmer on the ground?
(Dr. Richards) For farmers MAGIC has
potential to improve the varieties in which they grow.
This has a direct impact on the productivity on
farms, the sustainability on farms, and the quality
of the product which the farmer produces.
Eventually it will mean that MAGIC will contribute to improved
profitability and making a product for him which will be easier to sell.
( Narrator) MAGIC may seem like a futuristic approach,
but the reality is it's already up and running.
(Participant) We've spent five years using conventional
plant breeding methods to generate the genetic
lines that make up the MAGIC platform.
We've solved some key statistical challenges that
allow us to accurately identify the key genes.
Now we're focused on moving from the lab out into the growing regions,
so that we can identify the genes that our farmers most need to help them.
(Narrator) So while it's clearly something
that scientists are getting excited about,
what does MAGIC mean for the average person on the street?
In a nutshell, MAGIC means a greater potential to
create more food exactly where it's needed.
Even for those consumers in countries with a more stable food supply,
a product like MAGIC means they can be more confident in
the availability of healthier foods, both in the
near future, and for the generations to follow.
In order to fully realise the potential and power of the program,
CSIRO is seeking partners,
both nationally and in the international arena.
Science is in a unique position to contribute to
help our farmers feed the world.
MAGIC is shaping up to make a significant contribution.
From the lab, to the land, to our plates,
MAGIC has the potential to change the way we grow
and consume wheat all around the world.
[Music plays]