Re-balancing global resources: Manipulating toxic prussic acid (dhurrin) to improve nitrogen use efficiency in forage sorghum in a changing climate

高粱在澳大利亚和世界各地广泛种植，用于饲料、谷物（主要是动物饲料）和生物燃料。它在干旱地区长得很好。问题是，叶子含有一种毒素，会释放出氰化物，这种毒素会减少动物产量，甚至杀死以它为食的牲畜，尤其是在缺水的情况下。随着气候变化，这个问题会变得更糟。我们采用非转基因方法培育的低氰植物生长速度快，但却积累了硝酸盐，而硝酸盐也是有毒的。这也是对昂贵肥料的浪费。我们的目标是开发将资源转移到生长而不是毒素的植物，以减少肥料的使用，并为未来做好准备。这种快速生长的植物也可以用作生物燃料作物。

Sorghum is grown widely is Australia and world-wide for forage, grain (mostly for animal feed) and biofuels. It grows well in dry areas. The problem is that the leaves contain a toxin that releases prussic acid (cyanide) that can reduce animal production or even kill stock feeding on it, especially when water stressed. The problem will get worse with climate change. Low-cyanide plants developed by us using non-GM methods grow fast, but accumulate nitrate instead which is also toxic. This is a waste of expensive fertiliser too. We aim to develop plants that divert resources to growth instead of toxins in order to reduce fertiliser use and help prepare for the future. The fast growing plants may also be useful as a biofuel crop.