Fast (future) food

When it comes to the problem of feeding a growing population, the world is facing many challenges.

A 2017 United Nations report predicted 9.8 billion people would inhabit the planet by the year 2050 – a substantial increase from the current estimated figure of more than eight billion.

That’s an extra 1.8 billion mouths to feed, at a time when a changing climate is leading to drier and more arid conditions for farming.

Growing food in a sustainable way is the key. This includes less reliance on water and finding alternatives to products that contribute to rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

“Dirt is a dirty word to those who study soil - the soil should be considered as the Earth’s living skin, and should be treated as a precious resource.”Professor Jason Able, Head of the University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

Australia isn’t immune to these issues with our country’s dry climate and increasing pressure on farmers to produce more with less.This is why researchers from the University of Adelaide are tackling this complex and multi-faceted situation from a multitude of directions.

Professor Jason Able, Head of the University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, based at the Waite campus, says the impacts of climate change will have a significant impact on food production in Australia.

“Climate change is real and will alter the landscape as we know it in the years ahead,” he says.

“But all this comes at a cost, and such challenges require primary producers to alter their practices continually to ensure they are ahead of the curve and are winning in as many of those years in a typical boom and bust cycle.

“Researchers play a pivotal role in assisting primary producer profitability.

“It is through the research, development and extension cycle that many primary producers learn, evolve and adapt to ensure that their production system is as efficient as it can be.”

The University’s Waite campus is home to one of the largest concentrations of agriculture and wine research and teaching expertise in the Southern Hemisphere. Named in honour of Peter Waite, the Waite Agricultural Research Institute was established on the site in 1924 following the bequest of Urrbrae House and surrounding acres from Peter Waite to the University of Adelaide.

The campus is located on 184 hectares in the Adelaide foothills at Urrbrae, seven kilometres south-east of the Adelaide CBD.

“The School of Agriculture, Food and Wine aims to foster excellence in science education and research,” Jason says.

“We connect scientific excellence with the relevant industry bodies.

“This philosophy guides and inspires our research and teaching programs.

“Our extensive international network of academic and commercial collaborators provide a stimulating and unique environment for student training.”

Nothing is more important in agriculture than soil. It’s the basis of all plant life and is essential for developing reliable crops.

Tim Cavagnaro is a Professor in Soil Ecology at the University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, and the Associate Dean (Research Partnerships) for the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology.

“Healthy soil is the backbone of productive agricultural, and indeed natural, ecosystems,” he says.

“The soil, and the diverse communities of organisms that it is home to provide essential ecosystem services that our very existence depends upon.

“It takes many years to produce even a millimetre of new soil, yet it can be lost very rapidly through poor management.

“Dirt is a dirty word to those who study soil - the soil should be considered as the Earth’s living skin, and should be treated as a precious resource.”

Tim leads the Soil Ecology Group which is working on a number of projects, including:

Vineyard soil ecology – funded by Wine Australia, this project is investigating the impacts of under-vine cover crops on vine performance,  soil health, soil carbon stocks and vineyard resilience.

The microbiome project – capitalising on an archive of more than 10,000 soil DNA samples collected from cropping paddocks across the nation, over more than 20 years, and through glasshouse and field trials, this Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry- funded project seeks to identify fundamental changes in soil biological communities due to changes in farming systems over the past two decades.This is in collaboration with the South Australian Research and Development Institute.

Urban agriculture – a key strategy and important area of investigation for global food security. Urban agriculture, the practice of cultivating and producing food in towns and cities, has the potential to build community resilience in the face of climate change.

As well as research into the health of soil, another important project has discovered a new gene in barley and wheat that controls the angle of root growth in soil.

This research opens the door to new cereal varieties with deeper roots that are less susceptible to drought and nutrient stress.

“The angle at which barley roots grow into the soil enables them to capture water and nutrients from different soil layers,” said Dr Haoyu (Mia) Lou, joint first author on a study that was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

“Climate change is real and will alter the landscape as we know it in the years ahead.” Professor Jason Able, Head of the University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

“Shallow roots enable plants to capture phosphate and surface water, while deeper, straighter roots can stabilise yield by accessing deeper water and nitrate. They can also bury carbon deeper in the soil.”

Dr Lou undertook the research as part of a joint PhD program with the University of Nottingham.

Other projects that champion a sustainable future include:

• Professor Rachel Burton is leading research into the properties of industrial hemp and its many end uses, from providing food and building materials, to cosmetics, clothing and medicine.
• Professor Matthew Gilliham, Director of the new Centre for Excellence in Plants for Space, is leading a research centre funded by the Australian Research Council and led by the University of Adelaide that will investigate how to grow plants in space. This research will also have important implications for sustainable agriculture in harsh environments here on Earth.
• Dr Jenny Mortimer, Associate Professor of Plant Synthetic Biology, is leading research into the properties of duckweed – a high protein, nutrient- rich plant species that could be used as a protein substitute for meat products for astronauts.

So, whether it’s on Earth, or up in space, researchers from the University of Adelaide are playing their part in helping to uncover solutions on how to keep food on the table for generations to come.

Story by Lee Gaskin, Media Coordinator for the University of Adelaide.