Andrew Merchant
2007 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Winner
Dr Andrew Merchant - Breeding tolerant trees
Victorian Winner
Australian trees are renowned for their ability to tolerate harsh climates.
In fact, the responses they use to counter tough climatic conditions not only ensure survival, but long-term growth as well.
And it's these responses to stress that are of interest to Dr Andrew Merchant, a research fellow at the University of New South Wales.
"Marginal landscapes present a significant challenge to expanding Australia's forest plantation estate," he said.
"In many instances, substantial tree plantings have failed due to the inability of the selected species to survive the harsh conditions."
"By better understanding the chemical and molecular processes that lead to stress tolerance in Australian trees, improved species selection and breeding programmes can be developed for specific climates."
Dr Merchant's project involves studying the presence of cyclitols, a group of compounds that maintain plant cellular function and accumulate during periods of dehydration, in selected eucalypt and acacia species.
"By conducting a range of experiments, exposing plants to periods of high light and temperatures, I will be able identify the conditions inducing cyclitol accumulation in plants to determine its suitability as a selection criterion for breeding programmes," he said.
"This should prove a breakthrough in the work to identify the chemical basis of stress adaptation in native Australian trees."
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