Seafood CRC: visiting Expert: Dr Standish Allen - enhancement of tetraploid and triploid production in the Australian Pacific Oyster industry
SCL’s overall goal with regard to tetraploid technology is to make it work as effectively as anywhere in the world. In some ways, SCL is ahead of the game already, with dedicated facilities and technicians to pursue this goal. The objective of this Visiting Expert project is to get SCL fully on this path and to continue the improvement of tetraploid technology in Australia, and by example, the world.
There is currently only a hand full of commercial operations producing natural triploids and even fewer assessing breeding technologies required to enhance the breeding of tetraploid populations.
At SCL, commercial production of natural triploid oysters in Australia has been successful for a number of years. The regeneration of tetraploids through large mass populations of tetraploids are accomplished each year by SCL research staff. We also have the know-how for the production of both natural mass spawning of tetraploids and chemical induction of tetraploids.
The opportunity exists to enhance our tetraploid lines through the infusion of genetics from the industry owned breeding program (Australian Seafood Industries). This request from industry is based on the following two, and likely very distinct, traits.
1. Specific resistance to OsHV-1 µVar
2. Increase fitness in general oyster populations to combat mortalities in South Australia or Tasmania probably due to the high metabolism of triploids in food poor waters.
Final report
The overall goal for shellfish culture limited (SCL) is to make tetraploid technology work as effectively as anywhere in the world. In many ways, SCL is ahead of the game, with dedicated facilities and technicians to pursue this goal. There is currently only a hand full of commercial operations producing natural triploids and even fewer assessing breeding technologies required to enhance the breeding of tetraploid populations.
The breeding of specific tetraploid lines is a new challenge filled with a number of, as yet, answered questions about the biology and genetics of tetraploids. Long term breeding objectives will require answers to these questions and this Visiting Expert project aims to initiate some of this work and set a course for future work for SCL, CSIRO and VIMS, and train SCL staff.
