Who we are
Yitpi, a Kaurna word for seed or soul
About Yitpi
The Yitpi Foundation was established as a Private Ancillary Fund in 2009 to encourage and promote research and education in the fields of crop science, particularly in relation to the wheat industry in southern Australia; and the studies of the linguistics and culture of Australian Aboriginal people, particularly in relation to land usage.
The Yitpi Foundation was set-up by Professor Tony Rathjen using his personal share of royalties from the commercialisation of the Yitpi wheat grain. It is recognized in the awarding of grants that the funds under management have their origin in levies collected from growers of Yitpi in southern Australia, especially South Australia, western Victoria and Western Australia. Tony’s share of levies from the durum wheat varieties Yawa, Tjilkuri and Tjompa are also contributed to the Foundation.
Our purpose
The Yitpi Foundation provides “seed” funding for novel projects, and in particular to:
- Develop an idea for a larger research project;
- Carry out locally relevant projects;
- Provide assistance for research outside of the focus of bigger funding bodies.
The funding provided by the Foundation has a niche in higher risk areas with major potential impact.
Donations
Donations to the Yitpi Foundation will be gratefully accepted. Please contact us to find out how.
and more, PROJECTS funded SINCE 2010
The name Yitpi is a Kaurna word for seed or soul.
Yitpi wheat was released 1998. It proved to be well adapted to south eastern Australia with excellent yields. Subsequently it was grown in select areas of Western Australia as well. Yitpi is resistant and moderately tolerant to CCN, moderately resistant to stripe and stem rust and susceptible to leaf rust.
Yitpi has moderate tolerance to boron. It is best suited to low to medium rainfall areas.
Tony Rathjen
Professor Tony Rathjen bred wheat varieties that, at one stage, made up 40% of the Australian crop. He also introduced durum that became a major new industry in South Australia. To find out more about Tony’s work, follow these links;
Tony Rathjen creates a revolution in wheat varieties; introduces durum at Adelaide’s Waite institute
https://adelaideaz.com/articles/tony-rathjen-creates-a-revolution-in-new-australian-wheat-varieties-and-introduces-durum-at-adelaide-s-waite-institute
Planting the seed for agricultural achievement.
Tony Rathjen’s lifetime of agricultural research has had hundreds of collaborators: the farmers, scientific colleagues and students themselves who have benefited from his findings.
https://www.adelaide.edu.au/lumen/issues/63001/news63042.html
“When things were needed in the wheat industry, Tony looked at the big picture first and the big picture was the whole farm, or the whole wheat industry.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2014-07-03/wheat-breeder-tony-rathjen-dies/5568272
