A YOUNG plant molecular biologist has received national recognition for his research, which has the potential to improve production in food crops not only in Australia but in developing countries around the world.
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Jonathan Plett from the University of Western Sydney has been honoured in the 2014 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture.
The science awards recognise big ideas from young rural innovators who contribute to the success of Australia's agriculture sector.
Dr Plett was named the recipient of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Award for his research into whether chickpea plants bred to be disease-resistant are also able to take advantage of beneficial microbes in the soil.
His project focuses on disease resistance to two chickpea pathogens, Phytoph-thora and Ascochyta blight, which together are responsible for $13 million in lost productivity and $43.8 million spent on disease control each year.
Dr Plett says he is looking for a set of specific genes that allow crops to be resistant to these common diseases but still form beneficial relationships with soil microbes.
"A lot of great research has gone into breeding new crops that are resistant to diseases. But these crops are also very dependent on soil microbes. Bacteria and fungi in the soil help crops grow by giving them nutrients."
Dr Plett said he was "stoked" about the project and the chance to undertake research likely to have an impact on people's everyday lives.
