Overview
Background
Dr Millicent Smith is a Senior Lecturer in Crop Physiology at The University of Queensland. Her research is focused on understanding the physiological mechanisms that underpin yield stability and quality in grain legumes. Millicent works closely with breeders, both in Australia and overseas, to develop improved knowledge on abiotic stress adaptation and tools to accelerate genetic gain. Dr Smith leads a national research project funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation focused on deploying novel phenotyping and genomics approaches to fast-track the development of new chickpea varieties that display lower yield loss in response to high temperature. Millicent is passionate about training the next generation of plant scientists. She leads a growing research team of postdoctoral scientists, postgraduate and undergraduate research students and has been awarded for her innovative teaching approaches applied to large undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Availability
- Dr Millicent Smith is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours), University of Sydney
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sydney
Works
Search Professor Millicent Smith’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Conference Publication
Exploring variation in key traits to improve mungbean productivity
Van Haeften, Shanice, Kang, Yichen, Douglas, Colin, Potgieter, Andries, Voss-Fels, Kai, Hickey, Lee and Smith, Millicent (2021). Exploring variation in key traits to improve mungbean productivity. Bean Improvement Co-operative & North American Pulse Improvement Association Biennial Meeting, Virtual, 2-3 November 2021.
2021
Journal Article
Need for speed: manipulating plant growth to accelerate breeding cycles
Bhatta, Madhav, Sandro, Pablo, Smith, Millicent R., Delaney, Oscar, Voss-Fels, Kai P., Gutierrez, Lucia and Hickey, Lee T. (2021). Need for speed: manipulating plant growth to accelerate breeding cycles. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 60 101986, 101986. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2020.101986
2021
Book Chapter
Common bean
Smith, Millicent R. and Rao, Idupulapati M. (2021). Common bean. Crop physiology case histories for major crops. (pp. 384-406) London, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819194-1.00012-8
2019
Journal Article
Chemical and isotopic markers detect water deficit and its influence on nutrient allocation in Phaseolus vulgaris
Smith, Millicent R., Fuentes, David and Merchant, Andrew (2019). Chemical and isotopic markers detect water deficit and its influence on nutrient allocation in Phaseolus vulgaris. Physiologia Plantarum, 167 (3), 391-403. doi: 10.1111/ppl.12899
2019
Conference Publication
Development of mobile sensors for estimation of grain qualities and contaminants to enhance nutrition and safety of grain-products in developing countries; current status
Kholova, Jana, Chandalavada, Keerthi, Vadez, Vincent, Choudhary, Sunita, M., Govindaraj , Bagade, Prasanth, Smith, Millicent, Lindsay, Regan, Gerth, Stefan, Claussen, Joelle, Palmer, William, Matheka, Athanas, Cobb, Joshua N. and NG, Enghwa (2019). Development of mobile sensors for estimation of grain qualities and contaminants to enhance nutrition and safety of grain-products in developing countries; current status. International Conference on Near Infrared Spectroscopy , Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 15-20 September 2019.
2019
Journal Article
Field drought conditions impact yield but not nutritional quality of the seed in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
Smith, Millicent R., Veneklaas, Erik, Polania, Jose, Rao, Idupulapati M., Beebe, Stephen E. and Merchant, Andrew (2019). Field drought conditions impact yield but not nutritional quality of the seed in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). PLoS ONE, 14 (6). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217099
2019
Conference Publication
Dissection of Physiological and Molecular Mechanisms of Drought Tolerance in Chickpea
Smith, Millicent, Kholova, Jana, Roorkiwal, Manish, Barmukh, Rutwik, Thudi, Mahendar and Varshney, Rajeev (2019). Dissection of Physiological and Molecular Mechanisms of Drought Tolerance in Chickpea. Plant & Animal Genome Conference XXVII, San Diego, CA, United States, 12-16 January 2019.
2018
Journal Article
Source-sink relationships in crop plants and their Influence on yield development and nutritional quality
Smith, Millicent R., Rao, Idupulapati M. and Merchant, Andrew (2018). Source-sink relationships in crop plants and their Influence on yield development and nutritional quality. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01889
2018
Journal Article
Limitations to using phloem sap to assess tree water and nutrient status
Smith, Millicent R. and Merchant, A. (2018). Limitations to using phloem sap to assess tree water and nutrient status. Tree Physiology, 39 (2), 332-339. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpy132
2018
Other Outputs
Novel techniques to improve yield quantity and quality in common bean
Smith, Millicent (2018). Novel techniques to improve yield quantity and quality in common bean. PhD Thesis, Faculty of Agriculture and the Environment, The University of Sydney.
2018
Book Chapter
Metabolic adaptation and allocation of metabolites to phloem transport and regulation under stress
Dumschott, Kathryn, Merchant, Andrew and Smith, Millicent (2018). Metabolic adaptation and allocation of metabolites to phloem transport and regulation under stress. Metabolic adaptations in plants during abiotic stress. (pp. 21-26) edited by Akula Ramakrishna and Sarvajeet Singh Gill. Boca Raton, FL, United States: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/b22206-2
2016
Journal Article
Carbon isotope composition of carbohydrates and polyols in leaf and phloem sap of Phaseolus vulgaris L. influences predictions of plant water use efficiency
Smith, Millicent, Wild, Birgit, Richter, Andreas, Simonin, Kevin and Merchant, Andrew (2016). Carbon isotope composition of carbohydrates and polyols in leaf and phloem sap of Phaseolus vulgaris L. influences predictions of plant water use efficiency. Plant and Cell Physiology, 57 (8), 1756-1766. doi: 10.1093/pcp/pcw099
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Millicent Smith is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
New insight and tools to increase yield potential and reliability in mungbean
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Lee Hickey, Associate Professor Andries Potgieter, Dr Hannah Robinson
-
Master Philosophy
Understanding G × E Interactions for Yield and Protein Content in Australian Chickpea: From Phenotyping to Genetic Analysis
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Bradley Campbell, Associate Professor Daniel Cozzolino
-
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the molecular and physiological basis of flowering behaviour in mungbean
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Elizabeth Dun, Professor Christine Beveridge, Professor Lee Hickey, Dr Karen Massel, Professor Michael Udvardi
-
Master Philosophy
Innovative phenotyping technologies to harness genetic diversity in tropical crops
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Bradley Campbell, Associate Professor Daniel Cozzolino
-
Master Philosophy
Understanding G × E Interactions for Yield and Protein Content in Australian Chickpea: From Phenotyping to Genetic Analysis
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Bradley Campbell, Associate Professor Daniel Cozzolino
-
Doctor Philosophy
Beat the heat: adapting chickpea to a hotter world
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Lee Hickey, Associate Professor Karine Chenu
-
Doctor Philosophy
Innovative phenotyping technologies to harness genetic diversity in tropical crops
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Bradley Campbell, Dr Hannah Robinson, Associate Professor Daniel Cozzolino, Dr Owen Powell, Professor Michael Udvardi
-
Doctor Philosophy
New insight and tools to increase yield potential and reliability in mungbean
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Lee Hickey, Associate Professor Andries Potgieter, Dr Hannah Robinson
-
Doctor Philosophy
Contrasting the phosphorus responsiveness of winter pulses and cereals - the role of nitrogen and crop phenology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Michael Bell, Dr Tim McLaren
-
Doctor Philosophy
Nitrogen use dynamics in high protein gene edited sorghum
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Karen Massel, Dr Peter Crisp, Professor Ian Godwin
-
Doctor Philosophy
Assessing plant growth and utilisation of phosphorus fertiliser with contrasting placement strategies and soil fertility
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Michael Bell, Dr Tim McLaren
-
Doctor Philosophy
Contrasting the phosphorus responsiveness of winter pulses and cereals - the role of nitrogen and crop phenology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Michael Bell, Dr Tim McLaren
-
Doctor Philosophy
Evaluating Diverse Taro (Colocasia) Germplasm to Enhance Food Security and Climate Resilience in the Pacific Islands
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Scott Chapman, Professor Ian Godwin, Dr Eric Dinglasan, Dr Bradley Campbell
-
Doctor Philosophy
AI-accelerated breeding of high-protein mungbean
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Lee Hickey, Dr Eric Dinglasan, Professor Ben Hayes
-
Doctor Philosophy
Physiological traits and environmental characterisation to improve yield stability in barley
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Lee Hickey, Dr Samir Alahmad, Dr Alan Severini, Associate Professor Karine Chenu
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating root-shoot dynamics to improve water-use efficiency of barley
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Alex Wu, Associate Professor Karine Chenu, Dr Hannah Robinson, Dr Dongxue Zhao, Professor Lee Hickey
Completed supervision
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Advancing genetic knowledge and breeding tools to improve chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Eric Dinglasan, Dr Hannah Robinson, Dr Kai Voss-Fels, Professor Lee Hickey
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Physiological determinants of potential yield in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek)
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Graeme Hammer, Dr Vijaya Singh
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Millicent Smith directly for media enquiries about:
- climate change and crop improvement
- crop science
- plant based protein
- tropical crops
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