Bhagirath Chauhan

Nutritional profile of plants and seeds

Projects, based in Brisbane, available for Hons, Masters and PhD students. These projects will evaluate the nutritional profile of emerging (useful) plant species.

Influence of Environmental Stress on the Efficacy of Herbicides against Weeds

Description: The performance of post-emergence herbicides, including glyphosate, in controlling crop weeds can exhibit variations due to intricate interactions between herbicide application rates, weed species, and environmental factors. Generally, post-emergence herbicides prove to be less effective against weeds exposed to high temperatures or drought-induced stress. These environmental stressors tend to influence the herbicides' absorption, translocation, and metabolism. Given the increasing dependence on herbicides for weed management, it becomes imperative to assess the effectiveness of commonly used herbicides, such as glyphosate, in combatting weeds facing environmental stressors. This knowledge can significantly contribute to the formulation of effective weed control strategies in Australia. The primary goal of this research program is to evaluate the impact of drought and temperature on the performance of commonly utilized herbicides in weed control.

Outcomes: Engaging in this research project will enable students to acquire valuable skills in experimental design, chemical safety, plant physiology, and data analysis. The study's findings will provide valuable insights into the interplay between herbicides and environmental conditions, thereby facilitating the development of guidelines beneficial to growers.

Ideal for: This project is suitable for students pursuing or interested in fields such as plant physiology, weed science, climate change, agriculture, environmental science, and statistics. If you have an interest in this project or similar endeavours, please don't hesitate to reach out to us to explore how your skills and interests can be applied.

Supervisor: Professor Bhagirath Chauhan (QAAFI and AGFS), Dr. Gulshan Mahajan (QAAFI)

Location: Gatton Research Farm

Suitable for: MSc (Course work) and MPhil

Duration: Feb 2024 to Nov 2024; Feb 2025 to Nov 2025

Developing Herbicide Resistant Pigeonpea and Mung Bean

Description: Pigeonpea and Mung Bean have great potential as legume rotation crops in cereal farming systems in subtropical Australia. Due to the high demand in the international market, Australian growers have shown interest in cultivating both of these species. Weeds are one of the most important biotic factors that can adversely affect legumes as options for controlling broadleaf weeds in the crop are very limited. Up to 90% yield losses have been reported in pigeonpea due to weed infestations and to a lesser extent mung bean.

The development and use of herbicide-resistant pigeonpea and mung bean could be an effective way of controlling weeds in this crop. This can also result in reduced herbicide usage in the pigeonpea/mung bean cropping system. However, such products are not available commercially. Therefore, this project will evaluate herbicide resistance mechanisms in these legumes.

Outcomes: In this project, the student will conduct an Ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) experiment to mutagenize seed from pigeonpea (long duration crop) and mung bean (short duration crop) at the labs in St Lucia (UQ). The mutant populations will then be screened for herbicide resistance via seedling assays and field trials (to be conducted at Gatton). The student will develop important skills in experimental design, chemical safety, plant physiology, phenotyping and data analysis. If time permits, bioinformatic analysis to understand the resistance mechanism may occur.

Suitable for: We are seeking a student who is studying or is interested in plant physiology, weed science, statistics and agriculture. A readiness to learn plant molecular genetics is also appreciated. If you are interested in this or similar projects, contact us to explore where your skills and interests can be applied.

Supervisors: Professor Bhagirath Chauhan, Dr Bradley Campbell & Dr Guoquan Liu

The Biology and Impact of Annual Ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) in Queensland

Introduction: Annual ryegrass has become a significant concern in Australian agriculture, inflicting an annual cost of approximately $93 million on grain growers due to crop yield losses and the resources expended on management efforts. While its historical stronghold has been in the southern regions of Australia, recent observations have sounded the alarm regarding its encroachment into Queensland, thus posing a looming threat to the state's agricultural productivity. Our team has documented its unwelcome presence in Norwin, Queensland.

The distinctive climatic conditions of Queensland, characterized by milder winters compared to their southern counterparts, may lead to variations in the ecology and biology of annual ryegrass populations within the state. Furthermore, given the potential introduction of these populations from other states, it is plausible that they have developed resistance to commonly used herbicides. The rapid proliferation of annual ryegrass and the ominous presence of herbicide-resistant strains demand our immediate and unwavering attention to thoroughly unravel the ecological and biological complexities and devise effective management strategies tailored to Queensland's unique circumstances.

Objectives: The primary objective of this proposal is to conduct comprehensive research on annual ryegrass populations in Queensland, with the aim of evaluating their ecology, biology, and management options. By gaining an understanding of the unique characteristics of Queensland populations and their potential resistance to herbicides, we intend to develop effective strategies to prevent the proliferation of this weed in the region.

Ideal for: This project is well-suited for students pursuing or interested in fields such as plant physiology, weed science, and climate change. If you are interested in this project or similar endeavours, please feel free to reach out to us to explore how your skills and interests can be applied.

Supervisor: Professor Bhagirath Chauhan (QAAFI and AGFS) and Dr. Gulshan Mahajan (QAAFI). We may ask an industry supervisor.

Location: Gatton Research Farm

Suitable for: MSc (Course work) and MPhil

Duration: Feb 2024 to Nov 2024; Feb 2025 to Nov 2025