Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

All Outputs (75)

Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.) for food and nutritional security: synthesis of past research and future direction (2019)
Journal Article
Tanzi, A. S., Eagleton, G. E., Ho, W. K., Wong, Q. N., Mayes, S., & Massawe, F. (2019). Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.) for food and nutritional security: synthesis of past research and future direction. Planta, 250(3), 911–931. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-019-03141-2

Reliance on a handful of “major” crops has led to decreased diversity in crop species, agricultural systems and human diets. To reverse this trend, we need to encourage the greater use of minor, “orphan”, underutilised species. These could contribute... Read More about Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.) for food and nutritional security: synthesis of past research and future direction.

Prospects of orphan crops in climate change (2019)
Journal Article
Mabhaudhi, T., Chimonyo, V. G. P., Hlahla, S., Massawe, F., Mayes, S., Nhamo, L., & Modi, A. T. (2019). Prospects of orphan crops in climate change. Planta, 250(3), 695-708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-019-03129-y

Main conclusion Orphan crops can contribute to building resilience of marginal cropping systems as a climate chnage adaptation strategy. Orphan crops play an important role in global food and nutrition security, and may have potential to contribute t... Read More about Prospects of orphan crops in climate change.

Development and interaction between plant architecture and yield-related traits in winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.) (2019)
Journal Article
Tanzi, A. S., Ho, W. K., Massawe, F., & Mayes, S. (2019). Development and interaction between plant architecture and yield-related traits in winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.). Euphytica, 215(2), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-019-2359-8

Winged bean (P. tetragonolobus (L.) DC.) is a leguminous crop that could contribute towards food security in tropical areas, but whose growth and development is still poorly understood. In order to develop improved individuals for increased green pod... Read More about Development and interaction between plant architecture and yield-related traits in winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.).

Bambara Groundnut is a Climate-Resilient Crop: How Could a Drought-Tolerant and Nutritious Legume Improve Community Resilience in the Face of Climate Change? (2019)
Book Chapter
Feldman, A., Ho, W. K., Massawe, F., & Mayes, S. (2019). Bambara Groundnut is a Climate-Resilient Crop: How Could a Drought-Tolerant and Nutritious Legume Improve Community Resilience in the Face of Climate Change?. In Sustainable Solutions for Food Security: Combating Climate Change by Adaptation (150-167). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77878-5_8

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.; www.bamyield.org) is a crop similar in morphology and growth habit to groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). It was also historically largely displaced by groundnut upon the latter’s introduction to sub-Sah... Read More about Bambara Groundnut is a Climate-Resilient Crop: How Could a Drought-Tolerant and Nutritious Legume Improve Community Resilience in the Face of Climate Change?.

Crop Diversification Through a Wider Use of Underutilised Crops: A Strategy to Ensure Food and Nutrition Security in the Face of Climate Change (2019)
Book Chapter
Mustafa, M. A., Mayes, S., & Massawe, F. (2019). Crop Diversification Through a Wider Use of Underutilised Crops: A Strategy to Ensure Food and Nutrition Security in the Face of Climate Change. In Sustainable Solutions for Food Security: Combating Climate Change by Adaptation (125-149). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77878-5_7

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019. Global dependence on only a few crops for food and non-food uses is risky due to the multifaceted challenges that crop production faces. One such challenge is climate change and its effects on food production. E... Read More about Crop Diversification Through a Wider Use of Underutilised Crops: A Strategy to Ensure Food and Nutrition Security in the Face of Climate Change.

The draft genomes of five agriculturally important African orphan crops (2018)
Journal Article
Chang, Y., Liu, H., Liu, M., Liao, X., Sahu, S. K., Fu, Y., …Liu, X. (2019). The draft genomes of five agriculturally important African orphan crops. GigaScience, 8(3), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giy152

Background: Continuous growth of the world population is expected to double the worldwide demand for food by 2050. Eighty-eight percent of countries current face a serious burden of malnutrition, especially in Africa and South and South-East Asia. Ab... Read More about The draft genomes of five agriculturally important African orphan crops.

Putative regulatory candidate genes for QTL linked to fruit traits in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) (2018)
Journal Article
Ting, N., Mayes, S., Massawe, F., Sambanthamurthi, R., Jansen, J., Shahrul Rabiah Syed Alwee, S., …Singh, R. (2018). Putative regulatory candidate genes for QTL linked to fruit traits in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). Euphytica, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-018-2296-y

Palm oil is among the most important vegetable oils, contributing to a quarter of the world’s oils and fats market. The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) fruitlets, which are the source of palm oil, vary from 8eight to 20 g in weight. Palm oil conte... Read More about Putative regulatory candidate genes for QTL linked to fruit traits in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.).

Plant Rabs and the role in fruit ripening (2018)
Journal Article
Lawson, T., Mayes, S., Lycett, G. W., & Chin, C. F. (2018). Plant Rabs and the role in fruit ripening. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews, 34(2), 181-197. https://doi.org/10.1080/02648725.2018.1482092

Fruit ripening is a complex developmental process that involves the synthesis and modification of the cell wall leading up to the formation of an edible fruit. During the period of fruit ripening, new cell wall polymers and enzymes are synthesized an... Read More about Plant Rabs and the role in fruit ripening.

Evaluation of methods and marker systems in genomic selection of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) (2017)
Journal Article
Kwong, Q. B., Teh, C. K., Ong, A. L., Chew, F. T., Mayes, S., Kulaveerasingam, H., …Harikrishna, J. A. (2017). Evaluation of methods and marker systems in genomic selection of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). BMC Genetics, 18(1), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12863-017-0576-5

Background Genomic selection (GS) uses genome-wide markers as an attempt to accelerate genetic gain in breeding programs of both animals and plants. This approach is particularly useful for perennial crops such as oil palm, which have long breedin... Read More about Evaluation of methods and marker systems in genomic selection of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.).

High density SNP and DArT-based genetic linkage maps of two closely related oil palm populations (2017)
Journal Article
Gan, S. T., Wong, W. C., Wong, C. K., Soh, A. C., Kilian, A., Low, E. L., …Mayes, S. (in press). High density SNP and DArT-based genetic linkage maps of two closely related oil palm populations. Journal of Applied Genetics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13353-017-0420-7

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is an outbreeding perennial tree crop with long breeding cycles, typically 12 years. Molecular marker technologies can greatly improve the breeding efficiency of oil palm. This study reports the first use of the DAr... Read More about High density SNP and DArT-based genetic linkage maps of two closely related oil palm populations.

Microsatellite analysis of populations of the endangered tree Gomortega keule suggests pre-Columbian differentiation (2017)
Journal Article
Munoz-Concha, D., Davey, M. R., Ribas, G., & Mayes, S. (in press). Microsatellite analysis of populations of the endangered tree Gomortega keule suggests pre-Columbian differentiation. New Zealand Journal of Botany, 55(3), https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.2017.1343737

Temperate forests have been affected extensively by human activities, resulting in land cover changes and population fragmentation. However, these anthropogenic effects can be superimposed onto the natural history of species, making it difficult to d... Read More about Microsatellite analysis of populations of the endangered tree Gomortega keule suggests pre-Columbian differentiation.

Differential gene expression at different stages of mesocarp development in high- and low-yielding oil palm (2017)
Journal Article
Wong, Y. C., Teh, H. F., Mebus, K., Ooi, T. E. K., Kwong, Q. B., Koo, K. L., …Kulaveerasingam, H. (2017). Differential gene expression at different stages of mesocarp development in high- and low-yielding oil palm. BMC Genomics, 18(1), Article 470. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-017-3855-7

Background The oil yield trait of oil palm is expected to involve multiple genes, environmental influences and interactions. Many of the underlying mechanisms that contribute to oil yield are still poorly understood. In this study, we used a micro... Read More about Differential gene expression at different stages of mesocarp development in high- and low-yielding oil palm.

Characterizing haploinsufficiency of SHELL gene to improve fruit form prediction in introgressive hybrids of oil palm (2017)
Journal Article
Teh, C. K., Muaz, S. D., Tangaya, P., Fong, P., Ong, A. L., Mayes, S., …Appleton, D. R. (in press). Characterizing haploinsufficiency of SHELL gene to improve fruit form prediction in introgressive hybrids of oil palm. Scientific Reports, 7(1), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03225-7

The fundamental trait in selective breeding of oil palm (Eleais guineensis Jacq.) is the shell thickness surrounding the kernel. The monogenic shell thickness is inversely correlated to mesocarp thickness, where the crude palm oil accumulates. Commer... Read More about Characterizing haploinsufficiency of SHELL gene to improve fruit form prediction in introgressive hybrids of oil palm.

Genomic selection in commercial perennial crops: applicability and improvement in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) (2017)
Journal Article
Kwong, Q. B., Ong, A. L., Teh, C. K., Chew, F. T., Tammi, M., Mayes, S., …Appleton, D. R. (in press). Genomic selection in commercial perennial crops: applicability and improvement in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). Scientific Reports, 7, Article 2872. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-02602-6

Genomic selection (GS) uses genome-wide markers to select individuals with the desired overall combination of breeding traits. A total of 1,218 individuals from a commercial population of Ulu Remis x AVROS (UR x AVROS) were genotyped using the OP20... Read More about Genomic selection in commercial perennial crops: applicability and improvement in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.).

A transcriptomic comparison of two Bambara groundnut landraces under dehydration stress (2017)
Journal Article
Khan, F., Chai, H. H., Ajmera, I., Hodgman, C., Mayes, S., & Lu, C. (2017). A transcriptomic comparison of two Bambara groundnut landraces under dehydration stress. Genes, 8(4), Article 121. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes8040121

The ability to grow crops under low-water conditions is a significant advantage in relation to global food security. Bambara groundnut is an underutilised crop grown by subsistence farmers in Africa and is known to survive in regions of water deficit... Read More about A transcriptomic comparison of two Bambara groundnut landraces under dehydration stress.

Development of gene?based SSR markers in winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.) for diversity assessment (2017)
Journal Article
Wong, Q., Tanzi, A., Ho, W., Malla, S., Blythe, M., Karunaratne, A., …Mayes, S. (2017). Development of gene‐based SSR markers in winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.) for diversity assessment. Genes, 8(3), Article 100. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes8030100

Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) is an herbaceous multipurpose legume grown in hot and humid countries as a pulse, vegetable (leaves and pods), or root tuber crop depending on local consumption preferences. In addition to its different nutri... Read More about Development of gene?based SSR markers in winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.) for diversity assessment.

A cross-species gene expression marker-based genetic map and QTL analysis in bambara groundnut (2017)
Journal Article
Chai, H., Ho, W., Graham, N., May, S., Massawe, F., & Mayes, S. (2017). A cross-species gene expression marker-based genetic map and QTL analysis in bambara groundnut. Genes, 8(3), https://doi.org/10.3390/genes8020084

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) is an underutilised legume crop, which has long been recognised as a protein-rich and drought-tolerant crop, used extensively in Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of the study was to identify quantitative t... Read More about A cross-species gene expression marker-based genetic map and QTL analysis in bambara groundnut.

Integrating genetic maps in bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.] and their syntenic relationships among closely related legumes (2017)
Journal Article
Ho, W. K., Chai, H. H., Kendabie, P., Ahmad, N. S., Jani, J., Massawe, F., …Mayes, S. (2017). Integrating genetic maps in bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.] and their syntenic relationships among closely related legumes. BMC Genomics, 18, Article 192. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-016-3393-8

Background Bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.] is an indigenous legume crop grown mainly in subsistence and small-scale agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa for its nutritious seeds and its tolerance to drought and poor soils. Given that... Read More about Integrating genetic maps in bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.] and their syntenic relationships among closely related legumes.

Identifying seedling root architectural traits associated with yield and yield components in wheat (2017)
Journal Article
Xie, Q., Fernando, K., Mayes, S., & Sparkes, D. L. (in press). Identifying seedling root architectural traits associated with yield and yield components in wheat. Annals of Botany, 119(7), https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcx001

Background and Aims: Plant roots growing underground are critical for soil resource acquisition, anchorage and plant-environment interactions. In wheat (Triticum aestivum), however, the target root traits to improve yield potential still remain large... Read More about Identifying seedling root architectural traits associated with yield and yield components in wheat.

Image-based 3D canopy reconstruction to determine potential productivity in complex multi-species crop systems (2017)
Journal Article
Burgess, A. J., Retkute, R., Pound, M. P., Mayes, S., & Murchie, E. H. (2017). Image-based 3D canopy reconstruction to determine potential productivity in complex multi-species crop systems. Annals of Botany, 119(4), 517-532. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcw242

Background and Aims: Intercropping systems contain two or more species simultaneously in close proximity. Due to contrasting features of the component crops, quantification of the light environment and photosynthetic productivity is extremely difficu... Read More about Image-based 3D canopy reconstruction to determine potential productivity in complex multi-species crop systems.