Publications
Introgression of improved root-lesion nematode resistance from wild Cicer into elite chickpea germplasm
Date: 2023 – 2025
Position: Senior Lecturer, School of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, AUSTRALIA
Funding: Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
Institute: Centre for Crop Health, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, AUSTRALIA
Project Team: Dr Rebecca Zwart (Project Leader), Mrs Hannah Rostad, Mrs Michelle Thompson
The objectives of this project are to map the genetic locations of genes contributing to resistance to the two species of root-lesion nematode (P. thornei and P. neglectus) in interspecific crosses between cultivated chickpea (C. arietinum) and wild Cicer relatives (C. reticulatum and C. echinospermum). This project provides the opportunity to incorporate newly identified superior sources of resistance from wild Cicer into adapted elite lines to produce new elite lines with enhanced resistance and develop molecular tools to enhance the ability of breeders to incorporate, deploy and select improved levels of RLN rapidly and efficiently in new commercial chickpea cultivars.
Assessing collections of wild chickpea relatives for resistance to root-lesion nematodes
Date: 2016 – 2021
Position: Senior Research Fellow (Crop Nematology), Centre for Crop Health, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, AUSTRALIA
Funding: Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
Project Team: Dr Rebecca Zwart (Project Leader 2020-2021), Mrs Roslyn Reen, Mrs Hannah Rostad, Prof. John Thompson.
The objectives of this project were to evaluate C. echinospermum and C. reticulatum accessions from the 2013 and 2014 wild Cicer collections for resistance to P. thornei and P. neglectus and conduct genome-wide association mapping (GWAS) to investigate the genetics of the new sources of resistance. A total of 371 wild Cicer accessions, comprising 122 C. echinospermum and 249 C. reticulatum, were obtained from the Australian Grain Genebank (AGG, Horsham, Australia) in batches between 2016 and 2021, as the wild Cicer accessions became available through quarantine and distributed to Australian researchers. With PBA HatTrick the most P. thornei resistant Australian chickpea cultivar commercially available to growers (rated at the level of moderately resistant-moderately susceptible (MR-MS); the phenotyping and GWAS analyses conducted in this project confirmed that the wild Cicer collections contain greater genetic diversity in root-lesion nematode resistance than exists in C. arietinum. Australian chickpea breeders will be able to use wild Cicer germplasm with demonstrated resistance to root-lesion nematodes to improve the resistance of new commercial chickpea cultivars. This project formed a component of a suit of national projects that evaluated the wild Cicer collection for a range of priority breeding traits, coordinated by CSIRO, including, flowering cold tolerance (CSIRO), terminal drought stress tolerance (CSIRO), phenology regulation (CSIRO), low pH tolerance (Murdoch University), Ascochyta blight resistance (Curtin University and South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), boron tolerance (SARDI), Phytophthora resistance (NSW Department of Primary Industries)
Enhancing awareness of the threat of root lesion nematodes in India
Date: 2016-2017
Position: Senior Research Fellow (Crop Nematology), Centre for Crop Health, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, AUSTRALIA
Funding: Australia-India Council (Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT), Australia)
Project Team: Dr Rebecca Zwart (Project Leader), Dr Kirsty Owen, Mrs Roslyn Reen, Mr Jason Sheedy, Mr Neil Robinson, Mr Tim Clewett
Collaborators: Dr. S.P. Tiwari, Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University (JNKVV), Jabalpur, INDIA and Dr Uma Rao, Head Division of Nematology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, INDIA
A delegation of six experts from the USQ Crop Nematology team conducted a full day seminar at the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences complex in New Delhi followed by a five day training workshop at JNKVV University in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, in Central India. The full day seminar, held in partnership with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute on 03/02/2017, was targeted at the Indian scientific community as well as Australian and Indian Government stakeholder representatives engaged in funding bi-lateral research. The seminar raised awareness of the threat of root-lesion nematodes (RLN) in India and highlighted innovative research and management strategies developed by USQ. A five day practical training workshop will be held at JNKVV University in Jabalpur from 06/02/2017 to 10/02/2017, aimed to build capability for RLN research in India and brought together Australian and Indian nematologists to discuss research strategies to address on-farm solutions to RLN. The awareness of the threat of yield losses from RLN in India is low because symptoms caused by these microscopic organisms are easily overlooked and often confused with drought stress and nutrient deficiencies. Highlighting the impact RLN has had on Australian agriculture will increase the awareness of these nematodes, which have been reported to be present on various crops in India, in nematological surveys conducted in different states and districts. Increased recognition of yield impacts caused by these nematodes will encourage support for appropriate diagnosis and development of systematic research approaches to increase agricultural productivity in India.
Identification of molecular markers closely linked with stem rust resistance genes in wheat
Date: 2008 – 2011
Position: Visiting Scientist, National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) Pune, INDIA
Funding: 2008 Endeavour Research Fellowship (Australian Government, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations), and Australia-India Strategic Research Funds (bi-lateral funding Australian Government, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research and the Indian Government, Department of Science and Technology)
Institute: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, INDIA
Supervisors: Dr Harbans Bariana, University of Sydney, Plant Breeding Institute – Cobbitty, NSW, AUSTRALIA, and Dr Vidya Gupta, Plant Molecular Biology Group, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, INDIA,
Collaborators: Dr Ruth Wanyera, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, National Plant Breeding Research Center, Njoro, KENYA; Dr M. Sivasamy, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)- Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Regional Research Station, Wellington, INDIA
The incorporation of multiple rust resistance genes in commercial cultivars is of global importance and is vital to provide durable resistance against the emergence of new rust pathotypes, which can acquire virulence for previously effective resistance genes. The objectives of this research is to develop closely linked molecular markers that will assist wheat breeders in pyramiding race-specific and durable stem rust resistance genes. A QTL mapping approach was used to identify and validate molecular markers closely linked to major and minor stem rust resistance genes. Mapping populations were screened for response to stem rust pathotypes in multiple environment trials conducted in Australia, India and Kenya.
Breeding wheat cultivars resistant to Fusarium Head Blight for Belgium
Date: 2005 – 2007
Position: Research Scientist, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Plant Sciences – Applied Genetics and Breeding, Melle, BELGIUM
Funding: Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT) – Agricultural Research, BELGIUM
Supervisor: Dr Isabel Roldàn-Ruiz, ILVO Plant Sciences – Applied Genetics and Breeding
Collaborator: Clovis Matton NV, Avelgem-Kerkhove BELGIUM
Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most devastating diseases of cereal crops worldwide. While numerous species of Fusarium are associated with FHB in wheat, F. graminearum and F. culmorum are the predominant species in Western Europe. In 2006, the European Commission introduced legislation on the maximum levels of Fusarium mycotoxins acceptable in cereals and cereal products for human consumption. Consequently, resistance to FHB is now an important criterion for the evaluation of wheat varieties before they are accepted on a national variety trial list and able to be marketed. Selection of wheat lines with resistance to FHB is hampered by the quantitative nature of inheritance of FHB résistance and the considerable influence of environmental conditions, plant developmental stage and abundance of inoculum on the expression of resistance. A limited number of sources of FHB resistance have been identified in adapted European wheat cultivars, but wheat breeding programs worldwide have, to date, relied heavily on resistance derived from exotic sources, namely a spring wheat originating from Asia. To aid the challenge of breeding FHB resistant wheat cultivars in Belgium, this project investigated the genetic potential of currently grown Western European wheat cultivars and advanced breeding lines to identify genotypes from the Western European wheat gene pool with potentially novel FHB resistance genes. A set of 295 wheat genotypes, consisting of 144 European winter wheat cultivars registered on the national lists and 151 advanced breeding lines from various breeding companies in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Switzerland were investigated. Field trials were conducted to measure type I FHB resistance (resistance to initial infection) and type II FHB resistance (resistance to spread) and overall resistance (combined type I and type II resistance). The set of wheat genotypes was characterised molecularly using microsatellite and AFLP markers.
Molecular markers for high priority traits in winter cereals for the northern region
Date: 2004-2005
Position: Plant Pathologist/Biotechnologist, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F), Leslie Research Centre, Toowoomba AUSTRALIA
Funding: Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
Collaborators: ; CSIRO Plant Industries, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA; University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, AUSTRALIA
Molecular markers for wheat quality and disease resistance for the northern region
Date: 2001-2004
Position: Plant Pathologist/Biotechnologist, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F), Leslie Research Centre, Toowoomba AUSTRALIA
Funding: Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
Collaborators: ; CSIRO Plant Industries, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA; University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, AUSTRALIA, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), TURKEY
Northern Region wheat producers face a number of threats to their livelihood. One medium term threat is that quality of available wheat varieties may not meet important market demands. Another more immediate threat is from several serious diseases to which only a few varieties are individually resistant with no variety being resistant to all diseases. Wheat breeders need the most modern tools to counter these threats. The use of molecular markers to screen early generation breeding material for quality and disease resistance could greatly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of wheat breeding programs. Research providers to the Northern Region are coordinating efforts to develop molecular markers for high priority attributes for regional wheat breeding. This project is the Queensland Department of Primary Industries component of a suite of four closely-linked projects (from Queensland Department of Primary Industries, University of Southern Queensland, CSIRO Plant Industry and CIMMYT). The aims of the projects are to (1) Develop molecular markers to wheat quality attributes of importance to the Northern Region (high dough strength and extensibility and good sponge and dough bread quality), (2) Develop molecular markers to serious diseases of wheat in the Northern Region (root-lesion nematodes, crown rot and yellow spot), (3) Validate markers for quality traits and disease resistances before implementation into Northern Region wheat breeding programs.
Genetics of disease resistance in synthetic hexaploid wheat (Root-lesion nematodes: Pratylenchus thornei, P. negectus; and yellow spot)
Date: 1999-2003
Position: PhD student
Institute: University of Queensland, School of Land and Food Sciences, Brisbane AUSTRALIA
Funding: Postgraduate Scholarship in Plant Breeding/Biotechnology awarded by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries
Location: Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F), Leslie Research Centre, Toowoomba AUSTRALIA
Supervisors: Dr John Thompson, DPI&F and Assoc. Prof. Ian Godwin, University of Queensland
Diseases causing substantial economic losses in the northern grains region of Australia include the destructive soil-borne pathogens, root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus thornei and P. neglectus) and the stubble-borne fungal pathogen causing yellow spot (Pyrenophora tritici-repentis). Very effective sources of resistance to these diseases have been identified in synthetic hexaploid wheat lines. The genetics and nature of inheritance of disease resistance in these synthetic hexaploid wheat lines was investigated to give an insight into the most effective breeding strategy for durable resistance to multiple pathogens. The inheritance of P. thornei resistance was investigated in five elite synthetic hexaploid wheat lines (Yallaroi/AUS24152, TAMD870167/AUS18913, CPI133842, CPI133859, and CPI133872) using a half-diallel crossing design. Inheritance of P. thornei resistance was identified as polygenic and additive in gene action. General combining ability of the parents was more important in the inheritance of P. thornei resistance than specific combining ability. The inheritance of disease resistance in the synthetic hexaploid wheat, CPI133872, was investigated in more detail through the molecular characterisation of the resistance genes. A CPI133872 x Janz doubled haploid population was developed and phenotyped for resistance to P. thornei, P. neglectus, and yellow spot. A framework mapping strategy and quantitative trait loci analysis was then used to determine the nature of the genetics of multiple disease resistance in the mapping population.
Diversity study and genetic mapping of Melaleuca spp. for tea tree oil quality traits
Date: 1996 – 1999
Position: Research Assistant – Genetic Mapping
Company: ForBio Research Pty. Ltd. Brisbane, AUSTRALIA.
ForBio Research was a agribiotech company which specialised in genetic mapping for performance predictors by employing random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method.
Supervisor: Dr Karen Aitken, Scientist
In Australia there are about 200 Melaleuca species which are predominantly temperate to subtropical, although a small number of tropical species do occur. Several species of Melaleuca are harvested commercially for their essential oils, including M. alternifolia for terpinen-4-ol in New South Wales, and M. quinquenervia and M. cajuputi in New Caledonia and Indonesia for nerolidol and 1,8-cineole, respectively. This project investigated the genetic diversity over 250 trees representing 12 Melaleuca species, from temperate sub-tropical and tropical regions.
