PLANT BUSINESS

Cooperative Research Centrefor Remote Economic

Participation

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Plant BusinessOverview:

Main themes:• Selection of improved Bush Tomato varieties as a

model for bush food crop development• Legal and related strategies for safeguarding the

interests of traditional custodians when culture-based products are commercialised

Sub-project areas:• Community engagement and field sample collection• Plant Science – genetics and phytochemistry• Plant Propagation – conventional and tissue culture• Field Trial – assessment of variation and selection• Seed-banks – risk of the loss of values in plants• Safeguarding the interests of traditional custodians – law

PhD

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Plant BusinessProgress:Community engagement and field sample collection

• Tjuwanpa community engagement and field sample collection completed

• 68 genotypes of 19 accessions off Aboriginal land• documented in a Big Book

• extra samplesfrom Crown land

http://www.crc-rep.com.au/resource/ConvoTeaPBproject/index.html

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Plant BusinessProgress:Plant Science – genetics and phytochemistry

• glycoalkaloid analysis dispelled concerns of potential toxins in mature fruit

• sequencing of chloroplast DNA enabled confirmation of S. centrale accessions

• 3 samples were found to be either S. ellipticum or S. quadriloculatum• each accession distinguished from others by genomic DNA analysis• results can be used for:

- quality assurance- provenance identification- IP protection

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Plant BusinessProgress:Plant Propagation – conventional and tissue culture

• AZRI trial seedling propagation successful at ASDP using published protocol

• clonal (cuttings) propagation conducted at ASDP on field trial selections

• seedling plants being propagated for pilot plots (DGP & Ntaria)

• tissue culture protocol developed by CleanGROW used to clone accessions

Alice Springs Desert Park nurseryCleanGROW tissue culture laboratory

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Group No. of accessions

No. of genotypes

No. of plants

Tissue Culture 7 7 71Crown 7 608 608Arrernte 19 68 68

  33 683 747

Plant BusinessProgress:Field Trial – assessment of variation and selection

• trial site established at AZRI;- 941 planted, 80% survived (lesson: plant in spring)- 747 plants of 33 accessions (origins) providing 683 different

genotypes- 68 genotypes originating from Arrernte Country

• 11 genotype selections made in first season (by April 2015) – prospective varieties

- 5 originating from Arrernte Country, 6 from Crown land • ideotypes established

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Plant BusinessProgress:Semi-commercial assessment plantings

• three test plots- Desert Garden Produce Aboriginal Corporation,

Rainbow Valley- kitchen garden plot at Tjuwanpa Outstation

Resource Centre Aboriginal Corporation, Ntaria, Hermannsburg

- intensive commercial test plot, Ilparpa Road, Alice Springs

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Plant BusinessProgress:Semi-commercial assessment plantings

• enrichment planting- planning for enrichment planting plots as Ntaria

• other potential sites- interest is sought from

other potential partners

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Plant BusinessProgress:

More than just a plant: Recognising the interests of hereditary custodians:

• spiritual and totemic values• cultural stories and lore• intergenerational knowledge• traditional practices• respect and consent• benefit-sharing• participation• wild harvest / commercial / enrichment

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Plant BusinessProgress:Safeguarding the interests of traditional custodians (law PhD), andSeed-banks – risk of the loss of values in plants

– Strategies unfolding• legal instruments – adopted, amended & new• prescribing governance principles – stakeholders• assisting participation and enterprises• bush food industry advocacy – e.g. ANFIL role• model for ethical development of new bush food businesses• research agencies support

– Seeds Colloquium• international plant genetic resources community dialogue on

cultural heritage• spreading awareness of Indigenous interests in plant genetic

resources

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Plant BusinessProgress:Future directions

– the Miles Review and CRC-REP• ‘public good’ nature of CRC-REP• CRC-P recommendation and prospects for bush foods research• other R&D prospects and the search for funding

– Plant Business IP• CRC-REP bush tomato varieties• Aboriginal provenance and non-Aboriginal• Benefit-sharing Agreement• the Plant Business model for ethical bush food development

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Plant Business

Project participant sites