Overview
Background
Overview
Dr Borrell obtained bachelor and master’s degrees in Agricultural Science at The University of Melbourne, focusing on the Green Revolution genes (Rht1 and Rht2) in wheat for his thesis. He then completed a PhD at The University of Queensland on improving the efficiencies of nitrogen and water use for rice in the semi-arid tropics. Andrew was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study the impact of rice research in Asia and the US on rice production in the Australian tropics. Much of his post-doctoral research has focused on improving drought adaptation in sorghum, rice, wheat and barley.
Dr Borrell is a crop physiologist and Centre Leader of the Queensland Government’s Hermitage Research Facility, a centre of excellence for crop improvement in water-limited environments. For more than a decade, Andrew has led an international project (Australia/US) aimed at discovering key genes underpinning the stay-green drought adaptation trait in cereals, using sorghum as a model crop. Prior to this, he conducted research to better understand the physiological basis of stay-green in sorghum. Dr Borrell began his career as a rice agronomist with the Queensland Government.
Dr Borrell co-leads projects in sub-Saharan Africa and India to develop drought-adapted sorghum germplasm. In addition to drought physiology in major cereals, Andrew has supervised a research program aimed at discovering frost adaptation in winter cereals at heading stage. He has also worked extensively in South-East Asia for the past 25 years developing sustainable cropping systems, including recent research on rice production and adaptation to climate change in Vietnam. Dr Borrell has served as Secretary-General of the Asian Crop Science Association.
Availability
- Professor Andrew Borrell is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Research Interests
Producing more food with less water is one of the major challenges facing humanity. My research involves elucidating the physiological/molecular basis of drought adaptation in cereals, including the discovery of genes and gene networks that regulate adaptation, e.g. the stay-green drought adaptation trait in sorghum, wheat and barley; root architecture in sorghum, wheat and barley; early vigour in barley. Strong international collaborations to advance these areas of research include partners in USA (Texas A&M University), India (ICRISAT, IIMR), and Ethiopia (EIAR, Jimma University) with funding from GRDC, TAMU, GCP, ACIAR and BMGF. Other research interests include the efficiency with which resources (radiation, water and nitrogen) are utilized by crop plants, and developing sustainable cropping systems. This research has focused on developing novel water-saving strategies for climate-smart rice production in Australia and Asia. International partners for this research have included Indonesia (University of Mataram, Lombok), Vietnam (VAAS), and Norway (NIBIO), with funding from GRDC, ACIAR and NIBIO. Photosynthesis is another research interest, with particular focus on extending the duration of photosynthesis in C3 (wheat) and C4 (sorghum) plants. This research is funded by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis.
Works
Search Professor Andrew Borrell’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Journal Article
Mapping quantitative trait loci for seminal root angle in a selected durum wheat population
Kang, Yichen, Alahmad, Samir, Haeften, Shanice V., Akinlade, Oluwaseun, Tong, Jingyang, Dinglasan, Eric, Voss‐Fels, Kai P., Potgieter, Andries B., Borrell, Andrew K., Makhoul, Manar, Obermeier, Christian, Snowdon, Rod, Mace, Emma, Jordan, David R. and Hickey, Lee T. (2024). Mapping quantitative trait loci for seminal root angle in a selected durum wheat population. The Plant Genome ARTN e20490, e20490. doi: 10.1002/tpg2.20490
2024
Journal Article
Seminal root angle is associated with root system architecture in durum wheat
Kang, Yichen, Rambla, Charlotte, Haeften, Shanice V., Fu, Brendan, Akinlade, Oluwaseun, Potgieter, Andries B., Borrell, Andrew K., Mace, Emma, Jordan, David R., Alahmad, Samir and Hickey, Lee T. (2024). Seminal root angle is associated with root system architecture in durum wheat. Food and Energy Security, 13 (4) e570. doi: 10.1002/fes3.570
2023
Journal Article
Genetic dissection of root architecture in Ethiopian sorghum landraces
Menamo, Temesgen, Borrell, Andrew K., Mace, Emma, Jordan, David R., Tao, Yongfu, Hunt, Colleen and Kassahun, Bantte (2023). Genetic dissection of root architecture in Ethiopian sorghum landraces. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 136 (10) 209, 1-12. doi: 10.1007/s00122-023-04457-0
2023
Journal Article
Phosphorus management is key to effective deployment of root ideotypes in complex soil environments
van der Bom, Frederik J. T., Williams, Alwyn, Borrell, Andrew K., Raymond, Nelly and Bell, Michael J. (2023). Phosphorus management is key to effective deployment of root ideotypes in complex soil environments. Plant and Soil, 489 (1-2), 323-340. doi: 10.1007/s11104-023-06020-8
2023
Journal Article
Integrating stay-green and PIN-FORMED genes: PIN-FORMED genes as potential targets for designing climate-resilient cereal ideotypes
Wong, Albert Chern Sun, van Oosterom, Erik J., Godwin, Ian D. and Borrell, Andrew K. (2023). Integrating stay-green and PIN-FORMED genes: PIN-FORMED genes as potential targets for designing climate-resilient cereal ideotypes. AOB Plants, 15 (4) plad040, 1-10. doi: 10.1093/aobpla/plad040
2023
Conference Publication
Evaluating variation in stem strength in response to artificial drought stress amongst sorghum genotypes
Geetika, Geetika, Borrell, Andrew, Thornton, Erin, Hunt, Colleen, Chapman, Scott, Philp, Trevor, Fekybelu, Solomon, Potgieter, Andries, Godwin, Ian, Hammer, Graeme, Mace, Emma and Jordan, David (2023). Evaluating variation in stem strength in response to artificial drought stress amongst sorghum genotypes. Global Sorghum Conference Sorghum in the 21st Century, Montpellier, France, 5-9 June 2023.
2023
Journal Article
Balancing pre- and post-anthesis growth to maximise water-limited yield in cereals
Borrell, Andrew K., Christopher, John T., Kelly, Alison, Collins, Brian and Chenu, Karine (2023). Balancing pre- and post-anthesis growth to maximise water-limited yield in cereals. Field Crops Research, 296 108919, 1-19. doi: 10.1016/j.fcr.2023.108919
2023
Conference Publication
Evaluating variation in stem strength in response to artificial drought stress amongst sorghum genotypes
Geetika, Geetika, Borrell, Andrew, Thornton, Erin, Reed, Sean, Hunt, Colleen, Chapman, Scott, Philp, Trevor, Fekybelu, Solomon, Potgieter, Andries, Godwin, Ian, Hammer, Graeme, Mace, Emma and Jordan, David (2023). Evaluating variation in stem strength in response to artificial drought stress amongst sorghum genotypes. Australian Summer Grains Conference, Gold Coast, QLD Australia, 13-15 March 2023.
2023
Book Chapter
Climate change impacts on agriculture: challenges and options to reduce emissions through climate-neutral and resilient farming systems
Nagothu, Udaya Sekhar, Borrell, Andrew and Tesfai, Mehreteab (2023). Climate change impacts on agriculture: challenges and options to reduce emissions through climate-neutral and resilient farming systems. Climate neutral and resilient farming systems: practical solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation. (pp. 1-23) edited by Udaya Sekhar Nagothu. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003273172-1
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
Maximising water-limited yield in cereals by balancing pre- and post-anthesis growth
Borrell, Andrew, Christopher, Jack, Kelly, Alison, Collins, Brian and Chenu, Karine (2022). Maximising water-limited yield in cereals by balancing pre- and post-anthesis growth. Australian Agronomy Conference, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia, 18-22 September 2022.
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
QTL identified for stay-green in a multi-reference nested association mapping population of wheat exhibit context dependent expression and parent-specific alleles
Christopher, Mandy, Paccapelo, Valeria, Kelly, Alison, Macdonald, Bethany, Hickey, Lee, Richard, Cécile, Verbyla, Ari, Chenu, Karine, Borrell, Andrew, Amin, Asad and Christopher, Jack (2021). QTL identified for stay-green in a multi-reference nested association mapping population of wheat exhibit context dependent expression and parent-specific alleles. Field Crops Research, 270 108181, 108181. doi: 10.1016/j.fcr.2021.108181
2021
Conference Publication
Discovering the genetic blueprint for designing drought-adapted crops
Wong, Albert Chern Sun, Godwin, Ian D., van Oosterom, Erik J. and Borrell, Andrew K. (2021). Discovering the genetic blueprint for designing drought-adapted crops. Plant Biology Worldwide Summit 2021, Virtual, 19 - 23 July 2021. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.7277031
2021
Journal Article
Hotter, drier, CRISPR: the latest edit on climate change
Massel, Karen, Lam, Yasmine, Wong, Albert C. S., Hickey, Lee T., Borrell, Andrew K. and Godwin, Ian D. (2021). Hotter, drier, CRISPR: the latest edit on climate change. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 134 (6), 1691-1709. doi: 10.1007/s00122-020-03764-0
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
Genetic diversity of Ethiopian sorghum reveals signatures of climatic adaptation
Menamo, T., Kassahun, B., Borrell, A. K., Jordan, D. R., Tao, Y., Hunt, C. and Mace, E. (2020). Genetic diversity of Ethiopian sorghum reveals signatures of climatic adaptation. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 134 (2), 731-742. doi: 10.1007/s00122-020-03727-5
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Andrew Borrell is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Genetic control of stomatal conductance in sorghum and its effects on drought adaptation
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Jordan, Professor Emma Mace, Dr Erik Van Oosterom, Dr Alex Wu
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Doctor Philosophy
Harnessing natural genetic variation and genome engineering to optimise barley root systems
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Godwin, Dr Karen Massel, Dr Peter Crisp, Professor Lee Hickey, Dr Hannah Robinson
Completed supervision
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Manipulation of plant architecture genes in sorghum to manage drought adaptation
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Godwin, Dr Erik Van Oosterom
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
New insights into designer root systems for durum wheat improvement
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Jordan, Professor Emma Mace, Associate Professor Andries Potgieter, Dr Samir Alahmad, Professor Lee Hickey
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Building Blocks for Designer Ideotypes: Dissecting Plant Architecture Genes using CRISPR/Cas9
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Erik Van Oosterom, Professor Lee Hickey, Dr Karen Massel, Professor Ian Godwin
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2023
Master Philosophy
Investigating the genetics and value of root traits to support yield in barley
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Godwin, Dr Samir Alahmad, Professor Lee Hickey
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Hyperspectral sensing methods and genome-wide association studies to improve photosynthetic capacity in sorghum
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Graeme Hammer, Dr Alex Wu, Associate Professor Andries Potgieter, Dr Barbara George-Jaeggli
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating root traits for drought adaptation in barley: an insight into the genetics influencing root system architecture
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Alison Kelly, Professor Lee Hickey
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
Breeding wheat for drought adaptation: Development of selection tools for root architectural traits
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Lee Hickey, Associate Professor Karine Chenu
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Andrew Borrell directly for media enquiries about:
- Climate-smart crops
- Discovering genes for drought adaptation in cereals
- Drought adaptation in crops
- Root architecture in crops
- Science and food security
- Stay-green trait
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