CSIRO scientists will join global efforts to develop of crops with produce oils to be used by the chemicals industry as sustainable alternatives to those derived from crude oil
The four-year project involves leading scientists from 23 partner organisations in 11 countries and aims to develop high-yield, sustainable oilseed crops for the chemical industry and provide environmental benefits, energy savings and economic returns.
The non-food oilseed crops to be modified are Crambe abyssinica and Brassica carinata, which produce wax esters and are more resistant to high temperatures than normal plant oils.
CSIRO Plant Industry scientist, Dr Allan Green said the CSIRO was already developing crops to provide renewable industrial raw materials to replace petrochemicals through the Crop Biofactories Initiative – a joint venture between CSIRO and the Grains Research and Development Corporation.
Earlier this year CSIRO announced it would use safflower as its first biofactory platform crop because it is hardy, easy to grow, widely adapted and easily isolated from food production systems.
"Essentially, safflower is ‘ready-to-go’ as an industrial crop platform within Australia," Dr Green said.
