The researchers from UWA’s Centre for Plant Genetics and Breeding say they developed the pulse-breeding platform to allow seeds to develop faster by rapidly accelerating the plant life cycle.

Australia produces around 2.25 million tonnes of pulses annually,but according to UWA changes in the production environment such as climate, new pests, water shortages and higher farming costs have led to pulse breeders looking for better strategies to ensure their crop material can adapt to changing conditions.

The accelerated-Single-Seed-Descent platform is claimed as the first of its kind that uses LED technology to encourage the plants to flower quickly and develop their seeds faster - with the resultant crops more resilient, requiring fewer chemical treatments and having reduced running costs.

Lead researcher, Dr Janine Croser from UWA’s Centre for Plant Genetics and Breeding, said the research was carried out in response to feedback from farmers about practical problems on the land.

“As we move into more instability in our regions, we will be able to respond more quickly to emerging issues and address these through our breeding platforms,” Dr Janine Croser said.

UWA researcher Dr Federico Ribalta said the team had extended the research - to investigate the development of key breeding populations for Australian grown legumes.

“Working in close collaboration with breeders means that there is a faster release of new varieties for farmers,” Dr Ribalta said.

This research was supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation.