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Plant Breeding Institute
Plant breeding for profitable and sustainable agriculture
Plant breeding contributes to our food supply and the beauty of the world around us. The Plant Breeding Institute is committed to improving our crop and horticultural species using the best that technology has to offer.
The Plant Breeding Institute (PBI) was established in 1973 to ensure a continuing University commitment to crop breeding and research.
The grains and horticultural industries require a continuum of new cultivars that maximise profitability and sustainability in a dynamic production and market environment.
This requires a continuous flow of new genetic materials, knowledge, technologies and trained people; the core business of the PBI.
Our research largely focuses on the genetic improvement of cereal, legume and horticultural crops, as well as cross-cutting themes on food quality, farming systems and digital agriculture in recognition of the changing nature of Australian agriculture.
Our research also forms part of the Plant Breeding and Production theme of the Sydney Institute of Agriculture.
The PBI aims to:
- develop the new genetic materials required by industry and the technologies that allow these materials and genes to be easily adopted,
- generate knowledge that furthers our understanding of plant biology and farming systems, and
- train the next generation of plant breeders/geneticists and scientists in related disciplines.
Our facilities
The PBI comprises established and complementary research facilities at Cobbitty and Narrabri.
The Cobbitty facility is part of the Camden campus located in southwestern Sydney and features laboratory, greenhouse and field facilities. The greenhouses incorporate the latest technology in design and environment control. There are laboratories for molecular genetics, cytogenetics and tissue culture as well as long-term seed storage rooms. Read more about our Camden campus.
Our Narrabri campus, located 600km from Sydney on the northwestern plains of NSW, has fertile, irrigable land which is available for plant breeding research, including the conduct of yield and quality testing and pure seed production. The station is strategically positioned in the northern NSW cropping area and comprises 430 ha of land of which 300 ha are irrigable. This is complemented by laboratories, storage and workspace for the conduct of the routine operations of breeding programs. The station is owned by the farmers of NSW and governed by a board of trustees; the Wheat Research Foundation. The property has been leased to the University since 1960 to conduct grains research. Read more about the Narrabri campus and farm and the Wheat Research Foundation.
Our people
- Professor Richard Trethowan, Director, The Plant Breeding Institute, School of Life and Environmental Sciences
Cobbitty
- Dr Mumta Chhetri, Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Dr Yi Ding, Research Fellow
- Dr Chong-mei Dong, Research Fellow
- Dr Ruijin Li, Research Fellow
- Professor Robert Park, Director, Cereal Rust Research, Judith & David Coffey Chair in Sustainable Agriculture
- Dr Karanjeet Sandhu, Research Fellow
- Dr Davinder Singh, Senior Research Fellow
- Dr Peri Tobias, Research Fellow
- Dr Peng Zhang, Senior Research Fellow
- Dr Laura Ziems, Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Dr Amit Singh, Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Dr Jianbo Li, Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Dr Julie Nicol, Senior Research Fellow
- Dr Sera Choi, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Narrabri
- Dr Kedar Adhikari, Senior Lecturer/Senior Plant Breeder
- Associate Professor Guy Roth, Director, Northern Agriculture
- Dr Abdus Sadeque, Research Associate
- Dr Rebecca Thistlethwaite, Research Associate
- Dr William Salter, Lecturer, Crop Physiology
- Dr Tim Weaver, Senior Lecturer/Systems Agronomy
- Dr Sabrina Lomax, Senior Lecturer in Livestock Behaviour and Welfare
- Mr Thomas O’Donoghue, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Cobbitty
- Graham Brown
- Dr Peter Dracatos
- Robert McIntosh
- Peter Sharp
- Dr Colin Wellings
- Percy Wong
Narrabri
- Lindsay O'Brien
- Dr Meiqin Lu
Cobbitty
- James Bell, Manager Farm Operations (Faculty of Science)
- Dr Nizam Ahmed, Principal Wheat Breeder
- Sonam Tashi, Technical Officer (Faculty Technical Services)
- Markham Bishop, Farm Hand (Faculty Technical Services)
- Dorian Friendship, Research Assistant
- Jo-Ann Geist, ACRCP Research Hub Coordinator
- Dr Muhammad Gill, Research Assistant
- Dr Sami Hoxha, Technical Officer, Farms (Plants and Soil)
- Dr James Hull, Facilities and Resources Coordinator (PBI)
- Paul Lipscombe, Senior Technical Officer, Farms (Faculty Technical Services)
- Jeanette Lipscombe, Technical officer, Farms (Faculty Technical Services)
- Dr Hanif Miah, Research Assistant
- Margerita Pietilainen, Technical Officer
- Hasan Pradhan, Research Officer
- Jeremy Roake, Professional Officer (Oat Rust Research)
- Dr Smriti Singh, Research Assistant
- Matthew Williams, Operations and Technical Officer
- Blanca Bardaji, Research Manager
Narrabri
- Kristy Faris, Administration Officer
- Nichola Onus, Technical Services (Glasshouses)
- Lucinda Richards, Technical Services (Labs)
- Chloe Rutherford, Technical Services Assistant
- Annette Tredrea, Technical Officer (Trials)
- Antony Vuragu, Technical Services (Senior Technical Officer)
- Amanda Graff, Technical Assistant
- Isobella Revell, Technical Assistant
- Madalene Atkinson, Technical Assistant
- Madalyn Paull, Technical Assistant
- Emma Pavey, Technical Assistant
- Nicolas Betterridge-Spooner, Technical Assistant
- Chloe Large, Technical Apprentice in Agriculture
- Ed Chaplain, Technical Assistant
- Fiona Foster, Technical Officer
- Dianne Hall, Native Grains Assistant
- Marc Harris, Building Support Officer
- Kerrie Saunders, Indigenous Engagement Officer
- Kieran Shephard, Acting Farm Manager
- Jason Simpson, Senior Farm Hand
- Jake Slack-Smith, Senior Farm Hand
- Robert Freebairn, agricultural consultant and WRF member
- Ray Hare, plant breeding consultant and WRF member
- Rob Long, Delta Ag and Chair, Wheat Research Foundation (WRF)
- Mark McKay, grains industry expertise and WRF member
- John Sheppard, cereal rust and plant breeding consultant
- Adam Steel, Chairman Green Camel, horticultural industry expertise
- Jim Watson, grains industry expertise and WRF member
- Mr Charles Brett, Moree
- Mr Bob Freebairn, Coonanarabran
- Dr Ray Hare, Tamworth
- Mr Rob Long (Chairman), Pallamallawa
- Mr Mark McKay, Trangie
- Mr James Nalder, Coonamble
- Katrina Swift, Executive Assistant of the Foundation
- Mr Jim Watson, Parkes
Opportunities
Plant Breeding Institute offers postgraduate research and training opportunities across all of our research areas. Find out more about undertaking a postgraduate research degree.
Projects are available in the following areas:
Barley genetics and pre-breeding
Contact: Dr Davinder Singh
Biodiversity
Contact: Dr Eliza Middleton
Cereal rust research
Contact: Professor Robert Park
Crop breeding and genetics
Contact: Professor Richard Trethowan
Grassland based food ecosystems
Contact: Associate Professor Guy Roth
Horticulture
Contact: Professor Richard Trethowan
Farming systems research
Contact: Associate Professor Guy Roth
Farms
Contact: Professor Stephen Cattle
Molecular biology
Contact: Dr Chong Mei Dong
Molecular cytogenetics
Contact: Dr Peng Zhang
Native Grains
Contact: Professor Richard Trethowan
Plant phenomics
Contact: Dr William Salter
Plant physiology
Contact: Dr William Salter
Weeds research
Contact: Dr Tim Weaver
Wheat rust genetics and pre-breeding
Contact: Dr Davinder Singh