Overview
Background
Dr Barbara George-Jaeggli is a Senior Research Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation. She has a Master of Science degree in Biology from ETH in Zürich and a PhD in Crop Physiology from UQ. The main objective of her research is to improve the profitability and sustainability of dry-land agriculture by increasing cereal crop productivity per unit input. Dr George-Jaeggli is part of a multi-disciplinary sorghum crop improvement group based at the Hermitage Research Facility in Warwick who have assembled extensive genotyping and phenotyping resources. Sorghum is valued for its high productivity under hot and dry conditions and is an important summer grain in the broad-acre cropping regions of north-eastern Australia and a staple food crop for millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr George-Jaeggli’s team uses sorghum as a model to study the genetics and physiology of complex cereal traits, such as drought adaptation, canopy radiation use efficiency, photosynthetic capacity and yield. They have developed tools to measure these traits across thousands of field-grown breeders’ plots using proximal sensing platforms. Barbara George-Jaeggli is currently also the Centre Leader of Hermitage Research Facility.
Availability
- Dr Barbara George-Jaeggli is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Masters (Coursework), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zürich
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Improving photosynthetic capacity to push through the yield ceiling
Cereal yields have previously mainly been improved through an increase in harvest index (the ratio of grain to total biomass of a plant). This relationship is approaching a biological limit and further improvements in yield will have to come from increasing the overall growth efficiency of crops, e.g. through improving photosynthesis. Sorghum is a perfect model to study genes that are involved in photosynthetic capacity as it has a relatively simple (and sequenced) genome, but the crop is very diverse. Dr George-Jaeggli is involved in a large research effort combining high-throughput phenotyping methods (including proximal and remote sensing and imaging technologies on mobile platforms and UAVs) and genomics to find genes involved in increased photosynthetic capacity. This work forms part of the efforts of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis to lift crop yields of major food crops to alleviate food shortages.
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Maximising grain yields through optimised agronomy
Thanks to public and private investment in genetics, growers in Australia have access to sorghum, maize and wheat hybrids with great yield potential. Dr George-Jaeggli is part of a team of researchers in Queensland and Northern New South Wales who combine on-farm agronomy trials and crop modelling to provide growers with the tools to match hybrids with optimum agronomic practices for their particular environments to ensure they are reaping the benefits of the improved genetics.
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Increased cereal yields in water-limited environments
The dry-land cereal grain production systems of north-eastern Australia are often affected by water limitation, especially towards the end of the growing season when sub-soil moisture stores run out. Dr George-Jaeggli has been combining molecular genetics, genomics and crop physiological experimentation to dissect complex traits such as stay-green and plant height that are beneficial for yield in water-limited environments.
Research impacts
Dr George-Jaeggli's work contributes to the development of new cereal cultivars with greater yield potential, especially in water-limited environments. She has significantly contributed to the unravelling of the mechanisms behind the stay-green trait in sorghum. This knowledge helps to drought-proof crops in Queensland and around the globe and contributes to food security.
Works
Search Professor Barbara George-Jaeggli’s works on UQ eSpace
Featured
2019
Journal Article
Field crop phenomics: enabling breeding for radiation use efficiency and biomass in cereal crops
Furbank, Robert T., Jimenez‐Berni, Jose A., George‐Jaeggli, Barbara, Potgieter, Andries B. and Deery, David M. (2019). Field crop phenomics: enabling breeding for radiation use efficiency and biomass in cereal crops. New Phytologist, 223 (4) nph.15817, 1714-1727. doi: 10.1111/nph.15817
Featured
2017
Journal Article
Multi-spectral imaging from an unmanned aerial vehicle enables the assessment of seasonal leaf area dynamics of sorghum breeding lines
Potgieter, Andries B., George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Chapman, Scott C., Laws, Kenneth, Cadavid, Luz A. Suarez, Wixted, Jemima, Watson, James, Eldridge, Mark, Jordan, David R. and Hammer, Graeme L. (2017). Multi-spectral imaging from an unmanned aerial vehicle enables the assessment of seasonal leaf area dynamics of sorghum breeding lines. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8 1532. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01532
Featured
2017
Journal Article
Bigger is not always better: reducing leaf area helps stay-green sorghum use soil water more slowly
George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Mortlock, Miranda Yolanda and Borrell, Andrew Kenneth (2017). Bigger is not always better: reducing leaf area helps stay-green sorghum use soil water more slowly. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 138, 119-129. doi: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2017.03.002
2014
Journal Article
Drought adaptation of stay-green cereals is associated with canopy development, leaf anatomy, root growth and water uptake
Borrell, Andrew K., Mullet, John E., George-Jaeggli, Barbara, van Oosterom, Erik J., Hammer, Graeme L., Klein, Patricia E. and Jordan, David R. (2014). Drought adaptation of stay-green cereals is associated with canopy development, leaf anatomy, root growth and water uptake. Journal of Experimental Botany, 65 (21), 6261-6263. doi: 10.1093/jxb/eru232
2024
Journal Article
Comprehensive analysis on investigating water-saving potentials of irrigated cotton in semi-arid area in China
Zhi, Xiaoyu, George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Han, Yingchun, Chen, Qiaomin, Zhang, Shijie, Feng, Lu, Lei, Yaping, Li, Xiaofei, Wang, Guoping, Wang, Zhanbiao, Xiong, Shiwu, Xin, Minghua, Jiao, Yahui, Ma, Yunzhen, Li, Yabing and Yang, Beifang (2024). Comprehensive analysis on investigating water-saving potentials of irrigated cotton in semi-arid area in China. Agricultural Water Management, 301 108960, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108960
2023
Conference Publication
Advances in the study of biochemical, morphological and physiological traits of wheat and sorghum crops in australia using hyperspectral data and machine learning
Potgieter, A. B., Camino, C., Poblete, T., Zhi, X., Reynolds-Massey-Reed, S., Zhao, Y., Belwalkar, A., Ruizhu, J., George-Jaeggli, B., Chapman, S., Jordan, D., Wu, A., Hammer, G. L. and J, Zarco-Tejada P. (2023). Advances in the study of biochemical, morphological and physiological traits of wheat and sorghum crops in australia using hyperspectral data and machine learning. 2023 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Pasadena, CA USA, 16-21 July 2023. Piscataway, NJ USA: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. doi: 10.1109/igarss52108.2023.10282230
2022
Journal Article
Genetic modification of PIN genes induces causal mechanisms of stay-green drought adaptation phenotype
Borrell, Andrew K., Wong, Albert C. S., George-Jaeggli, Barbara, van Oosterom, Erik J., Mace, Emma S., Godwin, Ian D., Liu, Guoquan, Mullet, John E., Klein, Patricia E., Hammer, Graeme L., McLean, Greg, Hunt, Colleen and Jordan, David R. (2022). Genetic modification of PIN genes induces causal mechanisms of stay-green drought adaptation phenotype. Journal of Experimental Botany, 73 (19), 6711-6726. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac336
2022
Journal Article
Genetic basis of sorghum leaf width and its potential as a surrogate for transpiration efficiency
Zhi, Xiaoyu, Hammer, Graeme, Borrell, Andrew, Tao, Yongfu, Wu, Alex, Hunt, Colleen, van Oosterom, Erik, Massey-Reed, Sean Reynolds, Cruickshank, Alan, Potgieter, Andries B., Jordan, David, Mace, Emma and George-Jaeggli, Barbara (2022). Genetic basis of sorghum leaf width and its potential as a surrogate for transpiration efficiency. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 135 (9), 3057-3071. doi: 10.1007/s00122-022-04167-z
2022
Journal Article
Coordination of stomata and vein patterns with leaf width underpins water-use efficiency in a C4 crop
Pan, Ling, George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Borrell, Andrew, Jordan, David, Koller, Fiona, Al-Salman, Yazen, Ghannoum, Oula and Cano, Francisco J. (2022). Coordination of stomata and vein patterns with leaf width underpins water-use efficiency in a C4 crop. Plant Cell and Environment, 45 (6), 1612-1630. doi: 10.1111/pce.14225
2022
Journal Article
Estimating photosynthetic attributes from high-throughput canopy hyperspectral sensing in sorghum
Zhi, Xiaoyu, Massey-Reed, Sean Reynolds, Wu, Alex, Potgieter, Andries, Borrell, Andrew, Hunt, Colleen, Jordan, David, Zhao, Yan, Chapman, Scott, Hammer, Graeme and George-Jaeggli, Barbara (2022). Estimating photosynthetic attributes from high-throughput canopy hyperspectral sensing in sorghum. Plant Phenomics, 2022 9768502, 1-18. doi: 10.34133/2022/9768502
2022
Conference Publication
Exploiting the variability and heritability of leaf angle in sorghum to design optimal canopies for different target environments
George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Wu, Alex, McLean, Greg, Zhi, Xiaoyu, Reynolds Massey-Reed, Sean, Jordan, David and Hammer, Graeme (2022). Exploiting the variability and heritability of leaf angle in sorghum to design optimal canopies for different target environments. System Solutions for Complex Problems 20th Australian Agronomy Conference, Toowoomba, QLD Australia, 18-22 September 2022. Toowoomba, QLD Australia: Australian Society of Agronomy.
2022
Conference Publication
A high-throughput phenotyping pipeline for rapid evaluation of morphological and physiological crop traits across large fields
Das, Sumanta, Massey-Reed, Sean Reynolds, Mahuika, Jenny, Watson, James, Cordova, Celso, Otto, Loren, Zhao, Yan, Chapman, Scott, George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Jordan, David, Hammer, Graeme L. and Potgieter, Andries B. (2022). A high-throughput phenotyping pipeline for rapid evaluation of morphological and physiological crop traits across large fields. IGARSS 2022 - 2022 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 17-22 July 2022. Piscataway, NJ, United States: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers . doi: 10.1109/IGARSS46834.2022.9884530
2022
Other Outputs
PlantPhenomics-D-21-00046_PhenotypicData
Zhi, Xiaoyu and George-Jaeggli, Barbara (2022). PlantPhenomics-D-21-00046_PhenotypicData. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/acbe0df
2021
Journal Article
Genetic control of leaf angle in sorghum and its effect on light interception
Zhi, Xiaoyu, Tao, Yongfu, Jordan, David, Borrell, Andrew, Hunt, Colleen, Cruickshank, Alan, Potgieter, Andries, Wu, Alex, Hammer, Graeme, George-Jaeggli, Barbara and Mace, Emma (2021). Genetic control of leaf angle in sorghum and its effect on light interception. Journal of Experimental Botany, 73 (3) erab467, 801-816. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erab467
2021
Journal Article
Detecting sorghum plant and head features from multispectral UAV imagery
Zhao, Yan, Zheng, Bangyou, Chapman, Scott C., Laws, Kenneth, George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Hammer, Graeme L., Jordan, David R. and Potgieter, Andries B. (2021). Detecting sorghum plant and head features from multispectral UAV imagery. Plant Phenomics, 2021 9874650, 9874650-14. doi: 10.34133/2021/9874650
2021
Journal Article
Tall 3-dwarfs: oxymoron or opportunity to increase grain yield in sorghum?
George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Lefèvre-Arbogast, Sophie, Hunt, Colleen, Cruickshank, Alan and Jordan, David R. (2021). Tall 3-dwarfs: oxymoron or opportunity to increase grain yield in sorghum?. Planta, 253 (5) 110, 110. doi: 10.1007/s00425-021-03629-w
2021
Book Chapter
Sorghum
Borrell, Andrew, van Oosterom, Erik, George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Rodriguez, Daniel, Eyre, Joe, Jordan, David J., Mace, Emma, Singh, Vijaya, Vadez, Vincent, Bell, Mike, Godwin, Ian, Cruickshank, Alan, Tao, Yongfu and Hammer, Graeme (2021). Sorghum. Crop physiology: case histories for major crops. (pp. 196-221) edited by Victor O. Sadras and Daniel F. Calderini. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-819194-1.00005-0
2020
Journal Article
High-throughput phenotyping of dynamic canopy traits associated with stay-green in grain sorghum
Liedtke, J. D., Hunt, C. H., George-Jaeggli, B., Laws, K., Watson, J., Potgieter, A. B., Cruickshank, A. and Jordan, D. R. (2020). High-throughput phenotyping of dynamic canopy traits associated with stay-green in grain sorghum. Plant Phenomics, 2020 4635153, 1-10. doi: 10.34133/2020/4635153
2020
Journal Article
Genetic diversity of C4 photosynthesis pathway genes in Sorghum bicolor (L.)
Tao, Yongfu, George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Bouteillé-Pallas, Marie, Tai, Shuaishuai, Cruickshank, Alan, Jordan, David and Mace, Emma (2020). Genetic diversity of C4 photosynthesis pathway genes in Sorghum bicolor (L.). Genes, 11 (7) 806, 806-15. doi: 10.3390/genes11070806
2020
Conference Publication
How do crops balance water supply and demand when water is limiting?
Borrell, Andrew, George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Oosterom, Erik van, Hammer, Graeme, Mace, Emma, Godwin, Ian, Liu, Guoquan, Wong, Albert, Matiwos, Temesgen, Bantte, Kassahun, Christopher, Jack, Hickey, Lee, Richard, Cecile, Robinson, Hannah and Jordan, David (2020). How do crops balance water supply and demand when water is limiting?. The Third International Tropical Agriculture Conference TropAg 2019 , Brisbane, QLD Australia, 11–13 November 2019. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI. doi: 10.3390/proceedings2019036208
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Barbara George-Jaeggli is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Completed supervision
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Hyperspectral sensing methods and genome-wide association studies to improve photosynthetic capacity in sorghum
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Andrew Borrell, Professor Graeme Hammer, Dr Alex Wu, Associate Professor Andries Potgieter
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2017
Master Philosophy
Role of Leaf Photosynthesis and Stomatal Conductance in determining the Genotypic Variation in Whole-Plant Transpiration Efficiency (TE) in Sorghum
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Graeme Hammer, Dr Erik Van Oosterom
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Barbara George-Jaeggli directly for media enquiries about:
- agriculture
- agronomy
- crop physiology
- crops
- drought
- dry-land agriculture
- field experimentation
- food security
- hermitage research facility
- Photosynthesis
- plant science
- queensland
- regional
- remote sensing
- rural
- science
- sorghum
- STEMM
- sustainable food production
- water limitation
- wheat
- women in agriculture
- women in science
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