Poster Presentation International Plant Molecular Biology Conference 2024

Towards technologies that assist seed-based outcomes of wild plant species for en masse ecosystem restoration (#113)

Abhishek Bajpai 1 , Georgie McGregor 1 , Kenneth Tryggestad 1 , Melinda Pickup 2 , Colin Saltmere 1 , Jitka Kochanek 1
  1. Advanced Spinifex Biofuture Materials Centre, Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  2. Greening Australia, Perth, WA, Australia

The restoration of nature is crucial to combat the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change1 hence the UN decade on ecosystem restoration aims to restore 1 billion degraded hectares of land by 20302. Nonetheless, a critical impediment is that for en masse plant reintroductions (>100 km2) only seed-based restoration is economically viable, yet disastrously low seedling emergence and survival (c. 6-11%) severely limits outcomes and wastes seed 3-6. Technologies for “on-demand” dormancy release using chemical stimulants are promising6,7 because 50–90% of wild plant species have seed dormancy and stimulants, such as karrikinolide (KAR1) and gibberellic acid (GA3), can release the most common classes (physiological, morpho-physiological and combinational dormancy3,8).

In a partnership between the Indigenous-led company Bulugudu Ltd and The Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland, we are working towards developing solutions to assist plant biodiversity restoration. This research explores the delivery of the chemical stimulants KAR1 and GA3 to overcome seed dormancy and aid in healthy seedling development. We firstly present the outcomes of screening bioassays across a broad array of Australian native plant species. We then cover the entire life-cycle from seed germination to nursery-stage and/or field establishment for select species. Preliminary results have shown promising increases in seedling emergence and survival and ongoing research is investigating the role of KAR1 as a stress ameliorant9 against drought for wild plant species. This research thus forms a thread within a tapestry of solutions to assist future ecosystem restoration outcomes.

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