A PhD student is using her background in engineering to look at how the orientation and morphology of leaves and stems in different wheat varieties impacts the plants’ heat tolerance.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Maria Ruz is based at the University of Sydney, Narrabri working on a GRDC national project – part of the pre-breeding phase – that uses breeding lines developed from bread wheat varieties and ancestral species from all over the world.
About 20 lines were selected for their contrasting ability to maintain yield under high temperatures and were planted in three different locations in Australia. Maria, along with two other PhD students, has been collecting data from these trials to complete their projects with the support of several crop agencies and universities.
In particular, Mrs Ruz has focused on identifying plant traits that can help them to maintain cooler canopy temperatures – for example, the angles of leaves and the reflective properties of leaf surfaces.
She monitors the canopy environment to determine the crop energy balance, as well as its interaction with different varieties and records the temperature, wind speed and humidity along the crop canopy profile.
“Last year, I collected data from weather stations and we also used infrared sensors and thermal imaging to monitor the temperature in the top and within the canopy so that we can determine how variation in canopy structure influences the temperature profile,” Mrs Ruz said.
“There are differences in the structure of the canopy and some of these traits like wax on leaves can change with high temperatures, which may influence the heat load of the crop.
“Another aim is to see how different environments and high temperature scenarios influence the same wheat varieties and their traits, which will be complex.”
The ability of plants to deal with heat stress has a huge impact on potential yield of new wheat varieties.
The trial is running in Narrabri, Normanville (Victoria) and Northam (Western Australia), to ensure researchers have a good range of data.
Mrs Ruz who worked in University of Cordoba in Spain moved to Australia with her husband Dr Carlos Trapero who works with the CSIRO as a cotton researcher.
The heat tolerance trial is a great opportunity to put her engineering skills to the test while learning about wheat production and the grains industry.