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School of Plant Biology Matterse - bulletin

Head of School’s Report

Welcome to our new School Manager Mr Alan Luks! The School hosted an international workshop on organic phosphorus, sponsored by the ARC-NZ Vegetation Network. After one day of inspiring presentations, the attendants of the workshop worked on a joint publication to be submitted soon.

I attended and presented at the IPI-Quat-IPNI International Symposium in Orisa, India - the role of potassium and its benefits in improving nutrient management for increased quality of food production and reduced environmental damage on the 5-7th November. Following on from that, I visited ICRISAT in Hyderabad.

Three candidates have been interviewed for the new Quantitative Plant Ecologist position and a recommendation to offer the position has been sent to Human Resources.

The School is actively seeking participation from Alumni and community members for their donations for research scholarships through the Kwongan Foundation and though the UWA Office of Developmenthttp://www.plants.uwa.edu.au/foundation

School Manager’s ReportWe welcome back Mr Jeremy Foster as Purchasing Officer. Jeremy has been on long-service leave and also secondment in Research Services. We also say goodbye and thank you to Mrs Maja Popovic Milosevic who has been on secondment in Jeremy’s position for two years. She has returned to her position in Venues at UWA.

I would like to thank everyone for the warm welcome I have received to Plant Biology. I would also like to make special mention and thanks to Pandy, Kirsten and Barbara for making the transition an easy

October to December 2009

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one, and the wonderful job that Pandy did during Renu’s extended absence prior to my arrival.

A reminder that the annual Postgraduate Summer School at Rottnest will take place during the 7th to 10th February. This event has always been a huge success and a great way to start the year. I would particularly encourage our newer members to attend, as this is a great opportunity to meet staff and students in the School.

2009 has been a good year for the School: which is going from strength-to-strength as a result of hard work and effort from all of our staff. With continued effort, 2010 looks to be bigger and better still.

Merry Christmas to all.

Upcoming Events

Plant Biology Seminar Series

http://www.plants.uwa.edu.au/page/13134

NewsGary Kendrick is the Acting Director of the UWA Oceans Institute until a permanent Director takes up the position.

The International OECD-Genome Association-OZ09 Conference was held at UWA through ICPBER on the 9-12 th

November 2009. The conference theme was to display how the technology from the advances in human and animal

genome-mapping can be applied to grain crops.

The TechNet 2009 National Conference was held at UWA on the 25-27th

November. It was organised by the five WA universities: ECU, Curtin, Murdoch, Notre Dame and UWA. The theme of the conference was Sustain: People Places Resources. More than 170 professional staff attended.

Elizabeth Halladin (right)

Awards

Marcal Gusmao received a Convocation Postgraduate Research Travel Award which was presented during a ceremony on the 30th October.

Annaliese Mason received an award to travel to China for a 6 month Endeavour Scholarship.

Michael Shane and Roberto Busi received special commendation awards of $250 for their publications on “Summer dormancy and winter growth: root survival strategy in perennial monocotyledon” (Shane) and “Evolution of glyphosate


http://www.plants.uwa.edu.au/page/13134



resistance in a Lolium rigidum population by glyphosate section at sub-lethal doses” (Busi).

Gerald Page won the prize for 'Best Student Presenter' in the Isotope category at the 10th Australasian

Environmental Isotope & 3rd Australian Hydrogeology Research Conference held at the Chemistry & Resources Precinct at Curtin University on 3rd December.

New Staff Joining Plant BiologyTitle Surname First Name Position

Ms Burgess Sharyn Research Officer with Tim Colmer

Mr Luks Alan School Manager

Dr Michael Craig Adjunct Lecturer

Dr Sanchez de Dios Rut Adjunct Lecturer

Dr Schelfhout Christopher Adjunct Lecturer

Dr Sreenivasulu Nese Adjunct Senior Lecturer

Dr Varshney Rajeev Adjunct Professor

Dr Vila Aiub Martin Research Associate with Stephen Powles

New Postgraduate Students Joining Plant BiologySurname First Name Type Supervisor Project Title

Braithwaite Janelle PhD Kendrick, G and Meeuwig, J Identifying critical cetacean habitats for humpback whales off the north west coast of WA




Postgraduate Students SubmittedSurname First Name Type Supervisor Thesis Title

Chen Weihua PhD Finnegan, P; Lambers, H

Characterise the phosphate transport form of Arabidopsis Pht 1 family phosphate transporter

Maccarone Linda PhD Barbetti, MJ; Sivasithamparam, K; Jones, R

Detection and elimination of resting spores of Olipidium vectoring lettuce big-vein disease in lettuce seedling nursery production

Phillips Ryan PhD Dixon, K; Hopper, S; Poot, P

Biogeography and factors associated with rarity in orchids of south-western Australia

Postgraduate Students CompletedSurname First Name Type Supervisor Thesis Title

Coote Michael PhD Adams, M; Grierson, P; Polglase, P

Nutrient cycling within an effluent irrigated eucalyptus plantation

Hovey Renae PhD Kendrick, G; Cambridge, M

Linking Seagrass restoration and replanting to the biology of seagrass survival and growth

Mann Nicole PhD Considine, JA; Veneklaas, E; Burgess, S

The competitive effect of a companion crop on chardonnay vines in the Swan Valley, Western Australia, under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions

Manyol Eli MSc Wade, L Screening wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) doubled-haploid lines and cultivars for hardpan penetration ability of roots in growth room and field

McDonald Kathi PhD Ryan, M; Ewing, M The ecology of herbaceous perennial legumes

Moore Cordelia PhD Harvey, E; van Niel, K; Kendrick, G

Defining and predicting species-environment relationships: understanding the spatial ecology of demersal fish communities

Szota Christopher PhD Lambers, H; Veneklaas, E; Koch, J

Root morphology, water relations and development of jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) in response to soil constraints at restored bauxite mines in south-western Australia




Staff Leaving Plant Biology

Title Surname First Name Position

Mrs Popovic Milosevic Maja Purchasing Officer

Ms Han Shui-e Laboratory Assistant with Martin Barbetti

Dr Sadler Rohan Research Associate with Pauline Grierson

Visitors to the School

Wallace Cowling received visitors related to the Australia-China Science Linkages project (DIISR project CH080032) “Improving food and biofuel production in changing climates – development of new Brassica polyploids in Australia and China” (Cowling, Yan and Siddique). They were:

PhD students from Huazhong Agricultural University: Mr Entang Tian and Mr Cui Cheng Professors from Huazhong Agricultural University: Prof Meng Jinling, Prof Li Zaiyun and Prof Ma ChaozhiProfessor from Zhejiang University: Prof Zhou Weijun.

Title Surname First Name Institute Visiting

Dr Armstrong Bill Adjunct Professor Tim Colmer

Prof LauchliLäuchli Andre Retired Professor Tim Colmer

Mr Loiseau Nicolas Institute de Recherche Development in New Caledonia Tim Langlois/ Euan Harvey

Mr Thomson John Glasgow Euan Harvey

Prof Yuan Hongxu Zhanjiang Normal University Guijun Yan, Huaan Yang

Mr Zeng Yun-chao Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University

Guijun Yan, Nader Aryamanesh




Staff/Student Travel

Ghazi Abu Rumman travelled to Japan to write a paper from the collaborative work undertaken while Dr Shimpei Takahashi from the Tokyo University of Agriculture visited UWA for one year. The main findings of the study were that Distichlis spicata was superior in regulating concentrations of potentially toxic ions (Na and Cl) in the leaf tissues as a response to irrigating with high salt levels, when compared to other conventional grass types. Distichlis spicata maintained low Na and Cl concentrations in the tissues by Na exclusion, secretion and/or compartmentalisation; maintained almost equal mass of K in the tissues; and accumulated sugar in the leaf tissues which helped maintain its growth. Ghazi gave two lectures while in Japan; “Sustainable Landscapes” and “Salt and Water Dynamics”.

Month Name Destination Reason

October Brearley, Anne

Portland, USA Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference

October Cambridge, Marion

Portland, USA Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference

October Gaines, Todd Adelaide Meeting with scientists at University of Adelaide

October Grierson, Pauline

Tasmania CERF Callitris Project meeting

October Kendrick, Gary

Seattle Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference

October Powles, Stephen

Canberra GRDC in Canberra

October Renton, Michael

Melbourne Think Tank on Climate Change & Ag. Productivity

November Barbetti, Martin

Melbourne Meetings with Dr Phil Salisbury Melbourne University on National Brassica and ACIAR Brassica programs and collaborations

November Greenwood, Paul

Seattle International Water Technology Conference

November Kaur, Parwinder

India Conference and field trials in Punjab Agricultural University

November Raffi, Sharif-Ar

Adelaide 2009 ACPFG Genomics Symposium: The Genomics of Salinity

November Renton, Michael

Beijing PMA09 Plant Growth modelling, simulation, visualisation and applications




November Shane, Michael

New Zealand Conference attendance (Christchurch, New Zealand) and research (ANU, Canberra)

November Wallace, Mark

Gold Coast Australian Systematic Botany

December Barton, Louise

Sydney Smart approved Watermark expert panel

December Colmer, Tim New Zealand Combio 2009

December Hobbs, Richard

Canada Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions workshop, University of Victoria, Canada

December Pearse, Stuart James

Sydney Combio 2009

December Poot, Pieter Albany, Esperance Meeting with local DEC people for future translocation research

Research

Cropping Systems

No-Till Farming

Ken Flower is researching the possible benefits of daikcon radish, vetch, Saia oats and Indian mustard in a GRDC-supported trial at the UWA No-Till Farmers Association demonstration site near Meckering. The radish grows a thick tap root which can help to loosen the soil, help to improve moisture penetration, and add to soil organic matter.

These types of plants are important in no-till farming to help with breaking hard pans from clay or heavily-trafficked paddocks. No-till conserves soil moisture because there is no soil disturbance and also plant residues are retained on the surface. The crops can be used as feed

and can contribute nitrogen through mineralisation.

Ken is also studying the impact of different rotation and high residue no-till systems on crop yield, water use efficiency and soil health, in a trial at Cunderdin Agricultural College. The trial will span 10-12 years.

WAHRI

Prof Stephen Powles and Dr Roberto Busi are studying the potential for pollination from genetically modified (GM) canola to nearby non-GM canola as well as to the major agricultural weed, wild radish. Western Australia’s first GM canola crop is now being harvested by 17 farmers located across the state. Researchers will survey each of these sites as part of a study which also integrates NSW and Victorian studies on GM canola.




In a study led by Ms Mechelle Owen and Dr Pippa Michael of Curtin University, wheat, barley and canola seed was collected from 78 WA grain growers and examined to establish the level of weed seed contamination and the herbicide resistance status of this weed seed. They have found that WA farmers are seeding herbicide resistant weed seed into their cropping paddocks and therefore increasing their weed burden, even after seed cleaning.

Turf

There has been a new soft-leaf buffalograss project approved, funded by Horticulture Australia Ltd in partnership with the WA Turf Industry (Tim Colmer and Louise Barton).

Soft-leaf buffalograss (Stenotaphrum secundatum) has emerged as one of the most popular choices for new, or replacement, turfgrass for amenity areas in many regions of Australia. The new research project will involve renovation trials for thatch removal on a diverse set of soft-leaf buffalo genotypes in field plots, and mowing height and water use measurements in field plots housing weighing lysimeters.

Mapping uncharted genomic territory

Matthew Nelson, Assistant Professor (Research).

At a recent meeting of Australian and Chinese researchers, it was agreed to launch into uncharted territory to generate a map of a unique Brassica genome produced here at UWA by PhD candidate, Annaliese Mason.

Q: What makes this genome so unique?A: A novel crossing strategy involving three Brassica species commonly known as Indian mustard, Ethiopian mustard and canola produced a unique plant harbouring huge genetic diversity.

Q: How will we map this genome?A: By following the inheritance of many DNA markers (which tag different parts of the genome) through three generations, we can build a genetic map of the chromosomes based on linkages among the DNA markers.

Q: What do we hope to achieve with this new map?A: How the chromosomes of the three parent species interact with each other will tell us a lot about the relationships among those species. We also hope to learn which chromosome segments influence genomic stability, which may help to answer why Brassica genomes are generally quite unstable compared to other plant species. Our long-term goal is to create the Brassica equivalent of bread wheat – a hexaploid with improved productivity and wider adaptation than its ancestral species.




Marine Systems

John Statton working with scientists at Kings Park, has discovered the way in which seagrasses grow in different environments. Unlike any other plant, seagrass roots seek out marine sediments so dense and foul that any other plant would simply turn up their toes and die. For a seagrass plant, dense, heavy soil is just what they need to anchor roots to withstand wild storms. The discovery will now help to understand how sediment density influences restoration of seagrass in marine environments in WA.

John Statton

Natural Terrestrial Systems

Kings Park

Kingsley Dixon is proposing to set up some long-term monitoring plots to investigate species stability at Mt Benia (the UWA land near Jurien). The work will

be in conjunction with Peter Poschlod who will send two students each year from Regensburg to do the relevees.

Kingsley has also discovered a new genus record Trithuria from the reserve. It has wonderful populations and is a really great find because this is the genus recently found to be one of the oldest ancestors of the angiosperms. There were tens of thousands of plants, so it just goes to show what is still lurking there.

Renee Tuckett is working with some of the top evolutionary biologists at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in the UK and Kings Park, to unlock the mysterious workings of a group of local native plants that evolved at the time of the dinosaurs. Their research has found that the tiny embryo in the seed of these tiny swamp plants is like no other and may open the pathway to understanding early origins of seeds.

Renee Tuckett




Diverse swamp plants and seed

Russell Barrett, working with scientists at Kings Park, has unlocked a pandora's box of plant species new to science. Finding one new species is exciting, but in the last 4 years Russell, with botanist brother Matthew, have discovered an astonishing diversity with over 100 new species of native sedge (grass-like plants).

Russell Barrett (photo credit: Gillian Craig)

Vegetation Rehabilitation

Matthias Boer’s research focuses on the ecology and management of fire-prone landscapes. As of June 2010, Matthias will leave Plant Biology to join Cemagref in Aix-en-Provence, France.

HIs research often aims at quantifying process-pattern relationships. He wants to understand the mechanisms that drive spatiotemporal pattern formation in ecological systems as well as the role or significance of those patterns for the functioning of the system. Fire has a lot to offer in this context!

Over the last year, Matthias has worked on several studies:

With Rohan Sadler, analysing a 50 year fire history of the Warren Region in SW-WA to quantify the impact of prescribed burning on the incidence and extent of wildfires. The corresponding paper is probably the first quantification of the effectiveness of prescribed burning in mitigating regional wildfire hazard based on empirical data.

With colleagues from CSIRO and several other universities, developing a model to evaluate the benefit of prescribed burning for reduction of fire-related carbon emissions from temperate forests in Australia.

With Rohan Sadler and Paul Johnston (School of Physics) exploring the sensitivity of a model from statistical physics (i.e the Drossel and Schwabl forest fire model) to changes in the neighbourhood rule that controls spatial




interactions among neighbouring grid cells in the model system. The Drossel and Schwabl model has been widely used as a template for the modeling of scale invariant patterns in nature. Using simulation modelling we demonstrated that the formation of scale invariant fire sizes by the model is conditional on a neighbourhood rule that is incompatible with known processes of fire propagation. Our results challenge earlier claims that attributed the scaling of fire sizes to self-organisation.

With Rohan Sadler, collecting height profiles of plant biomass to calibrate airborne LiDAR and hyperspectral imagery at the Worsley bauxite mine near Boddington. The pre-fire field campaign and image acquisition went according to plan, but a combination of unfavourable weather and safety regulations at the mine have delayed the prescribed burn and post-fire campaigns till next year.

Ryan Burrows and Matthias Boer

Family NewsSheng Chen and his wife Shaylee, have a new baby girl called Hannah, born on the 26th October. She weighed 3.05kg and was 51cm long.

Baby Hanna with sister Alexia

Kwongan FoundationThe Kwongan Foundation for the Conservation of Australian Native Plants was established in March 2006.

The objectives are to:

* implement the gathering and sharing of knowledge about our unique flora

* enable planning on a long-term basis for conservation of these plant species

* attract world-class researchers to WA

* facilitate conservation objectives of the community, industry and Government




* help provide a secure basis for the State's tourist industry

* discover many valuable compounds for medicine and industry

* involve community groups helping with this challenge

The Foundation provides essential income to support promising young researchers in this urgent field of community need

All this cannot be achieved without your valuable support. All donations make a measurable difference. Please consider a contribution (tax deductible) to the Foundation. All donations of $5000 and above will entitle you to become a Patron of the Kwongan Foundation.

For more information please contact Prof Hans Lambers [email protected]

Contact InformationPlease email articles for the next E-Bulletin to the Plant Biology Administrative [email protected]

PLEASE LET US KNOW ANY CHANGES TO YOUR ADDRESS OR EMAIL DETAILSDo you have something interesting to share? Please let us know.

If you would like further information on any of the articles, please contact the Plant Biology Administrative Assistant [email protected] or phone 6488 2206.

Alumni

All Alumni are invited to share their success stories with Plant Biology Staff and Students. Please email information [email protected] look forward to hearing from our Alumni!


mailto:[email protected]



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