APPN supports canola yield improvement project

Three APPN Nodes are playing an important role in the new project ‘Determining Source to Sink Relationships in Canola and Identifying Exploitable Genetic Diversity‘, led by Senior Principal Research Scientist Dr Harsh Raman at the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD). 

The project aims to boost yields in canola – an important source of cooking oil, animal feed and biofuel feedstock.

NSW DPIRD, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and other research partners—including the Australian National University (ANU), Western Australian DPIRD, Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI), and Australian canola breeding companies—are jointly investing over $10 million to boost the size and stability of Australian canola yields across low, medium, and high rainfall zones. 

At ANU, the research is being driven by Professor Dani Way and Professor Bob Furbank, with contributions from Dr Florence Danila, Dr Andrew Scafaro, and Professor Owen Atkin, and support from Dr Frederike Stock.

APPN is contributing our unique plant phenotyping infrastructure and expertise to the project—including advanced imaging technologies, innovative phenotyping methodologies, and cutting-edge drones —which will help researchers identify the plant traits and environmental drivers that could enhance Australian canola yields.

This phenotyping effort is being led by our ANU Node, which is providing controlled environment facilities, phenotyping infrastructure, and expertise in computer science and image analytics. Our ANU team is also leading field phenotyping efforts in NSW, with drone flights operated by the APPN Node at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. Meanwhile, our WA DPIRD Node is leading canopy and leaf-level phenotyping in Merredin, WA. 

Canola has been grown in Australia since the 1970s, meaning it is still a relatively new crop. The researchers believe there is plenty of potential to increase canola yields, in much the same way that more productive wheat and barley cultivars have been developed. 

Dr Raman says that recent breeding and farming practices have resulted in more vigorous canola varieties, but the growth is not always converted into seed production, harvest yields and profitability. The project scientists based in Wagga Wagga are collaborating with staff from APPN to understand which traits are most important for boosting seed production across different climatic zones and especially in water-limited conditions.

The project aims to deliver its new insights and tools to canola breeding companies by 2029, paving the way for the development of new canola varieties with improved and more stable yields. 

26 November 2025