This project forms part of our work to better understand energy use efficiency and crop yield in wheat, and is associated with the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) consortium. We will measure respiration rates and characterise plant phenology through different parts of the wheat plants at different growth stages, using multiple cultivars to determine the consistency of these patterns. This will provide valuable information to inform growth and energy models of crop development, which we will use in our field and large glasshouse trial experiments here Canberra, Adelaide and Mexico. Gaining a better understanding of variation in respiration throughout the plant will provide knowledge of how energy may be distributed and utilised across the plant canopy.

Possible Techniques: Phenomics (high throughput measures of photosynthesis and respiration); statistical analysis; glasshouse and plant growth techniques.

Additional Information (e.g, web links, publications):

http://biology.anu.edu.au/research/projects/optimising-energy-use-efficiency-increase-wheat-yield

http://iwyp.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2016/05/Barry-Pogson-Project.pdf

https://plantmethods.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13007-017-0169-3