According to current estimates, food production must double by 2050 to match population growth.<\/p>\n
The impact of climate change on crop yield, combined with population growth, places food security at the top of a growing list of critical issues that must be addressed.<\/p>\n
UWA is leading research to help farmers adapt to changing environmental conditions by pushing the boundaries of traditional agriculture.<\/p>\n
Researchers at The UWA Institute of Agriculture (IOA) are working with farmers in some of the world\u2019s harshest environments.<\/p>\n
Efficient water use, dry land agriculture and adapting crops that can survive in a changing climate are among the many ways UWA is reshaping global agriculture through scientific research.<\/p>\n
UWA\u2019s role in reshaping global agriculture<\/h3>\n
The IOA is reimagining traditional farming through the development of a more agile, less labour-intensive and technology-led industry.<\/p>\n
<\/ins><\/p>\n Leading the IOA\u2019s research is a man who has dedicated his life and career to improving agriculture through science \u2013 Hackett Professor Kadambot Siddique, IOA Director.<\/p>\n Professor Siddique is an internationally renowned agricultural scientist who has spent more than four decades immersed in research, training, technology exchange and industry development.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe world today is facing many complex challenges,\u201d Professor Siddique said. \u201cClimate change and record population levels present an increasing threat to global food security.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that the University\u2019s strategy in combating these challenges through science, technology and innovative research can unlock the answers we seek.\u201d<\/p>\n Temperature, water and soil quality must remain within optimal levels for crops to grow and climate change affects this delicate balance.<\/p>\n <\/ins><\/p>\n Doubling food production to feed a 25 per cent rise in global population brings even greater challenges to the industry.<\/p>\n \u201cI consider agriculture to be the mother of all sciences,\u201d Professor Siddique said.<\/p>\n \u201cAgriculture must evolve and adapt to our natural environment. It is no longer about just planting seeds, driving tractors and kicking soil.<\/p>\n \u201cThe digital age of agriculture is already here. We rely on GPS technology, drones, sensors, robotics, machines and learning from big data.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is where technology meets science. Agriculture is adapting to our changing world through cell biology, nanotechnology, and genomics genetics.\u201d<\/p>\n The challenges facing the global agriculture are many. How do crops survive in arid, dry farming systems, or regions affected by floods? How can we sustain and increase crop yield?<\/p>\n <\/ins><\/p>\n \u201cIndustry, research and government collaboration is vital in our search for solutions to the challenges facing the world,\u201d Professor Siddique said<\/p>\n \u201cWe have established significant connections with the agriculture industry within Australia and internationally. This includes many universities around the world engaged in agriculture research, teaching and industry development.<\/p>\n \u201cThe IOA is pursuing a number of research themes including crop roots and rhizosphere, genetics and breeding, sustainable grazing system, water for food production, food quality and human health.<\/p>\n \u201cOur research is focused on unlocking agriculture engineering solutions for food production, agribusiness and ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n The search for answers to agriculture\u2019s present and future challenges requires the international community working together in sharing data and experience to understand and solve problems.<\/p>\n <\/ins><\/p>\n Since his days as a student, Professor Siddique understood the vital importance of field work and engagement with farmers.<\/p>\n His hands-on, practical approach ensured a thorough understanding of the complex challenges facing the agriculture industry.<\/p>\n Completing his PhD in less than four years, his research produced several published papers and proved critical in the early growth of Australia\u2019s then non-existent chickpea and pulse industry.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter completing my masters at Indian Agriculture Research Institute, I worked with grain legumes in Aleppo, Syria, at the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas,\u201d Professor Siddique said.<\/p>\n \u201cI often thought the drylands climate of Australia would be similar to that environment, so I wanted to do my PhD on chickpeas at UWA, but I was told to work on something else.<\/p>\n <\/ins><\/p>\n \u201cThe chickpea was nothing in Australia then. But I insisted, and it was the first PhD on chickpeas completed in Australia. Today, we have a thriving pulse export industry in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n Australia is now the world\u2019s largest exporter of chickpeas, producing about one-third of global exports over the past 10 years.<\/p>\n Professor Siddique has contributed immeasurably to that growth, having developed 13 new varieties of pulses, including seven chickpea varieties.<\/p>\n Among these is the very successful \u201cKimberley Large\u201d Kabuli chickpea, grown in the Ord River Irrigation Area, which consistently yields large-sized peas.<\/p>\n Professor Siddique\u2019s work has been instrumental in developing opportunities for yield improvements in wheat and pulses across southern Australia.<\/p>\n His international collaborations include ground-breaking projects with researchers in China, India, Pakistan, the Middle East, Timor-Leste and Africa.<\/p>\n <\/ins><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to me that our research is making a difference to agriculture,\u201d Professor Siddique said. \u201cI enjoy working on practical problems and applying a scientific rigour out in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n Re-established in 2006, the IOA has a clear vision.<\/p>\n \u201cOur vision is to foster innovation and provide research-based solutions to food and nutritional security, environmental sustainability and agribusiness,\u201d Professor Siddique said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Institute works with the agricultural and natural resource sectors to create knowledge and improve workforce skills, contribute to local and regional prosperity and exercise responsible stewardship of the environment.<\/p>\n \u201cUWA Agriculture is now rated number one in Australia and 9th in the world in Agriculture (ARWU, 2024 ranking). I am surrounded by very clever, passionate people and I\u2019m immensely proud of what we have achieved together.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/ins><\/p>\n Professor Siddique wants to ensure that the next generation of researchers is equipped to meet the imminent threats facing agriculture \u2013 climate change and sustainability \u2013 and that the industry more broadly rises to the challenge of feeding the world.<\/p>\n \u201cAround 800 million people throughout the world go hungry every day, and that number is rising,\u201d Professor Siddique said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe average Australian farmer produces enough food to feed 150 people at home and 450 people overseas \u2013 that\u2019s not a bad effort.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, the United Nations predicts that by 2050, agricultural production must increase by at least 50 per cent globally to meet food demand.<\/p>\n \u201cKey to overcoming hunger and malnutrition is greater funding and support for innovative, impactful agricultural research that is conducted in collaboration with industry and working with farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/ins><\/p>\n Solving problems through research, transferring knowledge to regions impacted by climate change, and ensuring the IOA continues to grow by inspiring the next generation of students, is key to the professor\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n \u201cWe may not be able to feed Asia entirely, but we can certainly help them feed themselves by building their capacity with our knowledge and technology,\u201d Professor Siddique said.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that UWA\u2019s strategy in combating global challenges through science, technology, innovative research and building capacity can help solve many problems.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a great demand for agricultural graduates all over the world, due to the complex food production system and the challenges the world faces in relation to food security.<\/p>\n \u201cWe must work together to find solutions, share this knowledge and ensure future generations have the food they need to survive and flourish.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Hackett](\"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/siddique-greenhouse-card.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Hackett](\"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/siddique-and-canola-card.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nThe UWA Institute of Agriculture<\/h3>\n