Story: Growing innovation - Breeding advancements
Episode: 3
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
Air Date: 19th August

Trevor explores the King’s Park Botanical Garden for more than just kangaroo paws.

• Digby Growns, who has worked for many years on the development of Australian native plants for horticulture, is responsible for the release of more than 50 new varieties. He’s leading research into new technology developments in plant tissue culture, biotechnology and plant breeding.
• The King’s Park breeding program is the only breeding program in the world focused on the environment, aiming for plants that use less water, have less disease and provide habitat for local fauna.
• Creating these cultivars requires patience and the expertise of Kings Park’s plant breeding experts, with each new cultivar taking up to seven years to develop.
• The Kings Park breeding program is currently focused on iconic WA plant genera including kangaroo paws, wax flowers, boronia, flowering gums and grevilleas.