Overview
Background
Dr Samir Alahmad is an early career plant breeder, geneticist and plant physiologist within the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation at the University of Queensland. He graduated with a PhD degree in 2019 from the University of Queensland. His main focus is dissecting the genetics of complex traits that contribute to enhanced yield. In particular, his research is focused on better understanding the genetics of drought adaptive traits such as root system architecture and canopy development. He worked on two GRDC-funded projects that aimed to develop elite durum and bread wheat varieties with optimal root system architecture for improved yield. Dr Alahmad also focuses on integrating breeding technologies and high throughput UAV remote sensing technologies to better understand crop response to drought stress. His primary focus is to understand how spectral reflectance indices can be used to speed up the development of new resilient varieties with enhanced genetic gain. Dr Samir Alahmad's interests are quantitative genetics, population genetics, genomic selection, GWAS, and UAV phenotyping.
Availability
- Dr Samir Alahmad is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Agriculture, Damascus University
- Masters (Research) of Agriculture, Damascus University
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Winter cereals pre-breeding and genetics
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Investigating the value of root traits and canopy development in improving resilience and yield of cereal crops
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Developing elite lines with designed root system architecture for future climates
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Adapting wheat to drought and crown rot conditions
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Using UAV sensor technology to provide new means of evaluating plant root performance
Research impacts
Novel aproach aimed at reducing yield losses under drought and crown rot conditions by optimising root system architecture and enhancing plant access to water in deep soils as well as imporving other water use efficiency traits such as canopy structure. Details of this work could be found https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/15/5260. In adition, identification and management of crown rot disease for winter cereals are sumarised in "Taking the stock of what we know about crown rot disease in Australia".
Rooty and GRDC projects aimed at development of elite bread and durum wheats with modified root systems (different root ideotypes) targeting different enviromnets and soil types are esential for placing a value on these below ground traits. Information on the best root-environment-combination is crucial to defining breeding targets for Australian wheat breeding programs and delivering benefits to farmers and growers globaly and here in Australia. To get more details about these projects, read GRDC press release here
Recently, I commenced a second postdoctoral research project (3 years) funded by an ARC-linkage grant which focuses on the use of cutting-edge breeding technologies to explore and harness variation in root systems and canopy development. The aim of this project is to accelerate the development of stable, productive barley varieties for future Australian farms.
Works
Search Professor Samir Alahmad’s works on UQ eSpace
Featured
2024
Journal Article
Root angle, phosphorus, and water: interactions and effects on durum wheat genotype performance in drought-prone environments
van der Bom, Frederik J. T., Williams, Alwyn, Raymond, Nelly S., Alahmad, Samir, Hickey, Lee T., Singh, Vijaya and Bell, Michael J. (2024). Root angle, phosphorus, and water: interactions and effects on durum wheat genotype performance in drought-prone environments. Plant and Soil, 500 (1-2), 69-89. doi: 10.1007/s11104-023-05966-z
2023
Other Outputs
UAV imagery for bread and durum wheat intro-selection lines selected for root traits
Hickey, Lee and Alahmad, Samir (2023). UAV imagery for bread and durum wheat intro-selection lines selected for root traits. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/24ee7f8
2023
Other Outputs
Whole-genome marker profiles for bread wheat intro-selection lines
Hickey, Lee and Alahmad, Samir (2023). Whole-genome marker profiles for bread wheat intro-selection lines. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/3c1bbae
2023
Other Outputs
Whole-genome marker profiles for durum wheat intro-selection lines
Hickey, Lee, Kang, Yichen and Alahmad, Samir (2023). Whole-genome marker profiles for durum wheat intro-selection lines. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/8b3af41
2023
Other Outputs
Field-based root phenotype data for bread wheat intro-selection lines - raw and pre-processed data
Hickey, Lee, Kang, Yichen and Alahmad, Samir (2023). Field-based root phenotype data for bread wheat intro-selection lines - raw and pre-processed data. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/9c3b35d
2023
Other Outputs
Field-based root phenotype data for durum wheat intro-selection lines - raw and pre-processed data
Hickey, Lee, Kang, Yichen and Alahmad, Samir (2023). Field-based root phenotype data for durum wheat intro-selection lines - raw and pre-processed data. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/92c3c86
Featured
2022
Journal Article
A multi-reference parent nested-association mapping population to dissect the genetics of quantitative traits in durum wheat
Alahmad, Samir, Kang, Yichen, Dinglasan, Eric, Jambuthenne, Dilani, Robinson, Hannah, Tao, Yongfu, Able, Jason A., Christopher, Jack, Voss-Fels, Kai P., Bassi, Filippo M. and Hickey, Lee T. (2022). A multi-reference parent nested-association mapping population to dissect the genetics of quantitative traits in durum wheat. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 70 (5), 1471-1485. doi: 10.1007/s10722-022-01515-2
2022
Journal Article
Speed vernalization to accelerate generation advance in winter cereal crops
Cha, Jin-Kyung, O’Connor, Kathryn, Alahmad, Samir, Lee, Jong-Hee, Dinglasan, Eric, Park, Hyeonjin, Lee, So-Myeong, Hirsz, Dominique, Kwon, Soon-Wook, Kwon, Youngho, Kim, Kyeong-Min, Ko, Jong-Min, Hickey, Lee T., Shin, Dongjin and Dixon, Laura E. (2022). Speed vernalization to accelerate generation advance in winter cereal crops. Molecular Plant, 15 (8), 1300-1309. doi: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.06.012
2022
Other Outputs
Can we improve the roots of durum wheat to maximise yield?
Hickey, Lee , Wasson, Anton , Kang, Yichen and Alahmad, Samir (2022). Can we improve the roots of durum wheat to maximise yield? . Center for Crop Science - Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane.
2022
Journal Article
Mining the Vavilov wheat diversity panel for new sources of adult plant resistance to stripe rust
Jambuthenne, Dilani T., Riaz, Adnan, Athiyannan, Naveenkumar, Alahmad, Samir, Ng, Wei Ling, Ziems, Laura, Afanasenko, Olga, Periyannan, Sambasivam K., Aitken, Elizabeth, Platz, Greg, Godwin, Ian, Voss-Fels, Kai P., Dinglasan, Eric and Hickey, Lee T. (2022). Mining the Vavilov wheat diversity panel for new sources of adult plant resistance to stripe rust. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 135 (4), 1355-1373. doi: 10.1007/s00122-022-04037-8
Featured
2022
Journal Article
A toolkit to rapidly modify root systems through single plant selection
Rambla, Charlotte, Van Der Meer, Sarah, Voss-Fels, Kai P., Makhoul, Manar, Obermeier, Christian, Snowdon, Rod, Ober, Eric S., Watt, Michelle, Alahmad, Samir and Hickey, Lee T. (2022). A toolkit to rapidly modify root systems through single plant selection. Plant Methods, 18 (1) 2, 2. doi: 10.1186/s13007-021-00834-2
2022
Journal Article
Dissecting the genetics of early vigour to design drought-adapted wheat
Vukasovic, Stjepan, Alahmad, Samir, Christopher, Jack, Snowdon, Rod J., Stahl, Andreas and Hickey, Lee T. (2022). Dissecting the genetics of early vigour to design drought-adapted wheat. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12 754439, 754439. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.754439
2022
Book Chapter
Accelerating breeding cycles
Alahmad, Samir, Rambla, Charlotte, Voss-Fels, Kai P. and Hickey, Lee T. (2022). Accelerating breeding cycles. Wheat improvement. (pp. 557-571) Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-90673-3_30
2021
Journal Article
Wheat root systems as a breeding target for climate resilience
Ober, Eric S., Alahmad, Samir, Cockram, James, Forestan, Cristian, Hickey, Lee T., Kant, Josefine, Maccaferri, Marco, Marr, Emily, Milner, Matthew, Pinto, Francisco, Rambla, Charlotte, Reynolds, Matthew, Salvi, Silvio, Sciara, Giuseppe, Snowdon, Rod J., Thomelin, Pauline, Tuberosa, Roberto, Uauy, Cristobal, Voss-Fels, Kai P., Wallington, Emma and Watt, Michelle (2021). Wheat root systems as a breeding target for climate resilience. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 134 (6), 1645-1662. doi: 10.1007/s00122-021-03819-w
2020
Journal Article
Adaptive traits to improve Durum wheat yield in drought and crown rot environments
Alahmad, Samir, Kang, Yichen, Dinglasan, Eric, Mazzucotelli, Elisabetta, Voss-Fels, Kai P., Able, Jason A., Christopher, Jack, Bassi, Filippo M. and Hickey, Lee T. (2020). Adaptive traits to improve Durum wheat yield in drought and crown rot environments. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21 (15) 5260, 1-17. doi: 10.3390/ijms21155260
2019
Other Outputs
Accelerating the development of durum wheat adapted to drought and crown rot conditions
Alahmad, Samir (2019). Accelerating the development of durum wheat adapted to drought and crown rot conditions. PhD Thesis, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2019.553
2019
Journal Article
A major root architecture QTL responding to water limitation in Durum Wheat
Alahmad, Samir, El Hassouni, Khaoula, Bassi, Filippo M., Dinglasan, Eric, Youssef, Chvan, Quarry, Georgia, Aksoy, Alpaslan, Mazzucotelli, Elisabetta, Juhasz, Angela, Able, Jason A., Christopher, Jack, Voss-Fels, Kai P. and Hickey, Lee T. (2019). A major root architecture QTL responding to water limitation in Durum Wheat. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10 436, 436. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00436
Featured
2018
Journal Article
Root system architecture and its association with yield under different water regimes in Durum wheat
El Hassouni, K., Alahmad, S., Belkadi, B., Filali-Maltouf, A., Hickey, L. T. and Bassi, F. M. (2018). Root system architecture and its association with yield under different water regimes in Durum wheat. Crop Science, 58 (6), 2331-2346. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2018.01.0076
Featured
2018
Journal Article
Speed breeding for multiple quantitative traits in durum wheat
Alahmad, Samir, Dinglasan, Eric, Leung, Kung Ming, Riaz, Adnan, Derbal, Nora, Voss-Fels, Kai P., Able, Jason A., Bassi, Filippo M., Christopher, Jack and Hickey, Lee T. (2018). Speed breeding for multiple quantitative traits in durum wheat. Plant Methods, 14 (1) 36, 36. doi: 10.1186/s13007-018-0302-y
2018
Journal Article
Crown rot of wheat in Australia: Fusarium pseudograminearum taxonomy, population biology and disease management
Alahmad, S., Simpfendorfer, S., Bentley, A. R. and Hickey, L. T. (2018). Crown rot of wheat in Australia: Fusarium pseudograminearum taxonomy, population biology and disease management. Australasian Plant Pathology, 47 (3), 285-299. doi: 10.1007/s13313-018-0554-z
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Samir Alahmad is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Expanding the barley breeding toolkit to support the development of leaf rust-resistant cultivars
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Lee Hickey, Dr Hannah Robinson, Dr Yasmine Lam
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Doctor Philosophy
Physiological traits and environmental characterisation to improve yield stability in barley
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Lee Hickey, Dr Millicent Smith, Dr Alan Severini, Associate Professor Karine Chenu
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
New insights into designer root systems for durum wheat improvement
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Andrew Borrell, Professor David Jordan, Professor Emma Mace, Associate Professor Andries Potgieter, Professor Lee Hickey
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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 Andrew Borrell, Professor Ian Godwin, Professor Lee Hickey
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Development of phenotyping and selection tools to support breeding of future wheat varieties with improved root systems
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Kai Voss-Fels, Professor Lee Hickey
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Samir Alahmad directly for media enquiries about:
- Breeding technologies
- Drought addaptation
- Plant Physiology
- Quantitative Genetics
- UAV phenotyping
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