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sector is under significant pres- sure. Budget cuts to research or- ganisations such as CSIRO have resulted in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in research capacity 8 . Universities are being asked to do more with less 9 : train the workforce of the future, de- liver industry-relevant research, and maintain global competi- tiveness — all while navigating uncertain funding models. The Australian Government is currently reviewing the research funding landscape, including the role of the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Collaborative Research Infra- structure Strategy (NCRIS). These reviews are timely. We need a system that supports both fun- damental discovery and applied outcomes — and that recognises the long lead times often required to develop new crops. At the same time, regulatory frameworks are evolving. Recent changes to gene technology regulations have clarified that certain gene editing techniques (like SDN-1) are not considered genetically modified organisms (GMOs), reducing red tape for introduction into growers’ fields. Broader reforms to gene technology and biosecurity laws are still underway. It’s unclear whether the decision to consider the more powerful SDN-2 technique as GMO will be revisited, despite other coun- tries adopting a less stringent approach. There’s a risk that in- creased regulatory requirements could slow the adoption of new
identified with traits such as al- tered architecture or non-GM herbicide tolerance 3 . Grower levy bodies such as the GRDC are pay- ing close attention to these tech- nologies 4,5 as a way of supporting breeders and growers. Some of these methods are often over- looked in public discussions, but they remain a valuable part of the innovation toolkit. I recently attended conferen- ces on seed biology in the USA and France. It appears likely that apomixis (clonal seeds) and hy- brid vigour (heterosis), which offer significant yield improve- ments 6 , have a real future in cereal breeding programs 7 . It’s been almost 30 years since I first read about the promise of fixing heterosis in cereal crops. Even with funding from gen- erous benefactors such as the Gates Foundation, it’s taken a long time to get to this point. Is our research innovation eco- system really set up to deliver new disruptive technologies on a national level? Who will take on the risk of testing these technol- ogies and determining whether they stack up in the Australian environment? Innovation Needs Support Of course, developing and ap- plying new technologies for new crops isn’t just a matter of sci- ence — it’s also about systems. Innovation requires investment, infrastructure, and a regulatory environment that supports timely translation from lab to paddock. Right now, Australia’s research
tions to the limit, chasing short- term gains at the expense of long-term soil health and system resilience. Should market signals alone dictate our agricultural fu- ture? Perhaps in the short term, this is the only way to overcome exorbitant fertiliser, fuel, and logistics prices. The bottom line is critical, but we need to think strategically about the crops we grow — not just for profitability, but for sustainability, climate re- silience, and food security. Rethinking What We Grow One strategy moving forward is to improve the crops cur- rently in the Australian system. Traditional breeding remains a powerful tool and has delivered steady yield improvements over an extended period 2 . However, natural genetic diversity within species remains an underutilised resource to introduce new traits into breeding programs; the advent of cost-efficient gen- ome sequencing is allowing re- searchers to uncover the genes underlying these traits. Breed- ing is also being supercharged by new technologies like gene editing and synthetic biology. Mutational breeding — using radiation or chemicals to in- duce genetic variation — has also delivered important gains, particularly in crops like bar- ley and chickpeas. Researchers have recently developed smart techniques to quickly induce mutations and detect specific changes in the DNA, allowing new genetic stocks to be rapidly
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