TISTR in talk with Sydney University’s Plant Breeding Institute for agricultural technology collaboration
Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR) under Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) makes a progress on the Campaign of Driving Area-based Economy Using Innovation which is sponsored by the Office of Permanent Secretary of MHESI and aimed to create an international collaboration network for the Innovative Agriculture.
The delegations from TISTR and MHESI visited Australia and discussed with Plant Breeding Institute, an organization under the University of Sydney together with the Rust Project Research Team joined, to exchange and learn the Research and Development in Agricultural Technology, especially Crops and Ornamental Plants, as well as the future collaboration between both organizations.
The Thai delegations was led by Dr. Chutima Eamchotchawalit—Governor of Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR), along with Dr. Rochana Tangkoonboribun—Director of Expert Centre of Innovative Agriculture (InnoAg). Led by Prof. Richard Trethowan—Director of the Plant Breeding Institute, the University of Sydney, there was also Prof. Robert Park—Research Team Leader of Rust Project—joined the meeting.
The meeting was started by Dr. Rochana Tangkoonboribun—Director of Expert Centre of Innovative Agriculture (InnoAg) with a presentation of the overall operation of the Expert Centre, and the introduction to the Malaiwittayasatan (Malai Academy) Project. After that Prof. Robert Park—Research Team Leader presented the Rust Research Project of the Institute which has been being operated for more than 100 years. The institute discovery includes more than 15 diseases from Wheat. To prevent the diseases from spreading onto other commercial plants, the institute was relocated to Sydney because the city is not a significant agricultural area of Australia. The institute is proud of Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram—a researcher of the institute who received a world’s honored award, the World Food Prize.
The executives of Plant Breeding Institute took the delegations of TISTR to visit the Rust Research Program and another Institute Research Project of Agriculture and Crop Cultivation. There are the Missions to promote the research to improve the Plant Genetics both Crops and Ornamental Plants for benefits, profits, and sustainable production with the best technology. The research focuses on the Genetic Development of Cereal and Crops, the Development of Food Quality and Farming System, the Agricultural Digitalization, and the Adjustment for Climate and Natural Change.
Dr. Chutima revealed that the operation of the Plant Breeding Institute of the University of Sydney has a very close direction to the Missions regarding Agricultural Research of TISTR. Therefore, the delegations of TISTR had seek for a further collaboration or a co-research project among institutes in the future, and now the institute is waiting for a reply from the Plant Breeding Institute of Australia.
