Steve Jefferies Managing Director

Outline of todays presentation • A brief background of me • Some prior external perceptions of GRDC • My broad and preliminary vision for GRDC

Brief background to me • Oat breeding, field crop research management in SA Government for 12 years • Barley breeding, wheat breeding, undergraduate and post graduate teaching at the University of Adelaide for 6 years

• CEO of AGT for the past 14 years. • AGT is now a healthy and growing business So why leave AGT?

To answer I need to explain why I became a plant breeder in the first place?

Inspiration from • Tony Rathjen (Yitpi) • Gil Hollamby (Spear, Dagger, Machete) • David Sparrow (Clipper, Schooner, Galleon)

These plant breeders were clearly delivering value to growers and were valued by growers

There comes a time when you know its time to move on and find another place where you can clearly add value and be valued

I believe there is no place in the Australian grains industry where you can add more value to growers than at GRDC

Unique opportunity to listen to what growers and the broader industry were honestly and openly saying/thinking about GRDC

More negative than I expected People were passionate. No passion without care. There were some areas identified where GRDC could clearly be doing better - Increase transparency and reduce bureaucracy

There were also some alarming messages. Two growers messages that particularly alarmed me; “I haven't seen real benefit from GRDC levy for years” (Jack) “I want my levy $ to pay for research in my area not for research in a big city building interstate” (John)

Grower Jack’s comment; “I haven't seen real benefit from my GRDC levy for years!”

“Jack, what wheat variety do you grow?” “Kord CL Plus”

Selection Grower Steve’s comment; accuracy and intensity Rate of Genetic I haven't seen real benefit Gain

=

x

Population size

from GRDC levy for years!

Steve – what variety do youTime from grow?

cross to cross

Photo courtesy of AGT

Three major GRDC investments that have contributed to the development of Kord CL Plus and improved the rates of genetic gain in Australian wheat and other crop breeding

GRDC Investing in rust research

National Rust Control Program – improved selection accuracy and intensity

GRDC Investing in molecular breeding technologies

Photo courtesy of AGT

Photo courtesy of AGT

DNA markers and marker assisted selection – improved selection accuracy and intensity as well as decreased cross to cross timec

GRDC Investing in innovative statistical methods

Photo courtesy of AGT

Statistical methods for field experiments to increase both selection accuracy and effective population size

Selection Grower Steve’s comment; accuracy and intensity Rate of Genetic I haven't seen real benefit Gain

=

x

Population size

from GRDC levy for years!

Steve – what variety do youTime from grow?

cross to cross

Photo courtesy of AGT

“Jack, on what basis do you make on farm decisions?” “ I have an agronomist” “How do you know your agronomist is giving you the right advice” “He does research, he focusses on evidence based learning (data)”

Grower John’s comment; “I want my levy $ to pay for research in my area for research in a big city building interstate”

not

I have come to very much understand the importance of critical mass and economies of scale

A day in the life of Fred from Merriden, WA

INVESTING IN INNOVATION

Apple “Apple is on track to spend $10 billion on R&D this year; 12,000 employees at R&D centre in California

INVESTING IN INNOVATION

Samsung Samsung’s Global Innovation Centre, Seoul Korea, centre of software and services R&D for breakthrough technologies.

INVESTING IN INNOVATION

AGT AGT generates approximately 50,000 potential new varieties each year at its breeding centre in Roseworthy, South Australia

Photo courtesy of AGT

GRDC consolidates grower levy $ Federal government matches grower levy to a cap GRDC leverages more $ from both Government and private research agencies to invest in grower R&D GRDC can invest on behalf of all growers on a scale not possible by a single grower or small groups of growers

Lets be careful what we wish for! GRDC should be understood to be every Australian grain grower’s R&D Department GRDC should be regarded as every Australian grain grower’s asset

Looking forward I want GRDC to be….. • regarded as the grower’s R&D department- a valued grower asset • open, transparent and trusted • a true research partner not a funder • agile and business like

Thank you and I welcome questions Steve Jefferies Managing Director