PLANT BREEDING INNOVATION
We focus on the development of more resilient
and productive crops for our future.
and productive crops for our future.
PLANT BREEDING INNOVATION
We focus on the development of more resilient
and productive crops for our future.
and productive crops for our future.
Our Expertise
We are improving Australia’s most important food crops through discovery and applied research.
What We Do
The Hickey Lab is a diverse group of researchers specialising in plant breeding innovation. We work on key crops like bread wheat, durum wheat, barley, mungbean, chickpea, and banana.
Our research supports developing productive food crops to combat evolving diseases and climate change by understanding genetics of traits like drought adaptation and disease resistance, and developing new technologies for plant breeders.
HICKEY LAB IN NUMBERS
FUNDING
RESEARCH PROJECTS
COLLABORATORS
PUBLICATIONS
Our Team
Innovators in Multidisciplinary Crop Research
“We train the next generation of crop scientists and breeders. Our PhD graduates now work for leading research institutes or breeding companies around the world.”
Professor Lee Hickey
LEADER OF THE HICKEY LAB
OUR COMMITMENTResilient Cultivars for Farmers
We at the Hickey Lab are committed to benefiting the Australian grains industry. Funded by the Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC), we have developed valuable insights, breeding tools, and technologies to enhance plant breeding efficiency and precision.
We utilise cutting-edge genomics tools and speed breeding to understand the genetics of key traits, such as drought adaptation and foliar disease resistance.
Our new tools and elite pre-breeding materials are delivered to breeding companies, supporting the development of more productive and resilient cultivars for farmers.
OUR IMPACTAccelerate Crops with Speed Breeding
Our lab was instrumental in developing speed breeding protocols for crops, enabling up to 6 generations per year for crops like wheat, barley, chickpea, canola, pea, and quinoa. This innovation significantly accelerates crop breeding and research and helps develop improved crops faster.
A global collaboration of 58 researchers published the first multi-crop speed breeding protocols, offering a step-by-step guide for establishing both small- and large-scale speed breeding facilities.
Let's Connect
We invite students and researchers passionate about making a difference in crop science to connect with us. By joining our collaborative and diverse team, you will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects, contribute to global food security, and shape the future of agriculture.
Reach out to us to learn more about our programs and how you can be part of our mission.
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