Research Interests
Cropping intensification in SE Asia
This research has been funded from ACIAR since 1992 when we examined rice variety improvement program in Thailand and Laos. Subsequent phases have included rice improvement strategy; breeding strategies for rainfed lowland rice in Laos and Cambodia; as well as low temperature problems in Laos and Australia.These phases involved characterization of the physical environment, genotype responses to adverse conditions such as drought, low temperature and low soil fertility, comparison of different selection strategies, and development of direct seeding. In subesquent work we have examined agronomic management in lowland rice-based cropping systems in Laos and Cambodia with a focus on introducing non-rice crops such as maize, soybean and mungbean into the croping system.Our current ACIAR project (2014-18) is focused on mechanization and value adding for diversification of lowland cropping systems in Lao PDR and Cambodia.
Cold tolerance in rice
A RIRDC funded rice project 'Cold tolerant traits and QTLs for improved efficiency of rice breeding program' has commenced in late 2012 where we examine low temperature tolerance in rice, mostly targeting the NSW rice industry. The major objective of the project is to improve understanding of cold tolerance in terms of underlying physiological mechanisms and the molecular basis (genomics) of traits involved in the maintenance of cold tolerance.