Millicent Smith is a plant physiologist with expertise in the source-sink dynamics of grain crops. Her research is focused on understanding the physiological mechanisms that underpin yield stability and grain quality in pulses and cereals. Millicent is particularly interested in applying innovative phenotyping technologies from leaf to crop scales to accelerate selection in crop improvement programs. Her research funded by the Australian grains industry on high-value grain crop mungbean, is focused on developing UAV-based phenotyping platforms to dissect key physiological traits underpinning yield development. Millicent has a dual continuing appointment as a Senior Lecturer in Crop Physiology within the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability and as a CI in the Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation where she is building a research team focused on the improvement of grain legumes. Millicent is passionate about training the next generation of plant scientists and applies innovative teaching approaches to large undergraduate and specialised Masters courses.
Journal Article: Developing virtual field trips for agriculture
Krishnasamy, Suresh, Smith, Millicent R., Narayan, Edward, Abdul Aziz, Ammar and Hoffman, Eleanor W. (2023). Developing virtual field trips for agriculture. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 31 (3), 3-19. doi: 10.30722/ijisme.31.03.001
Journal Article: Coherent Terahertz laser feedback interferometry for hydration sensing in leaves
Kashyap, Mayuri, Torniainen, Jari, Bertling, Karl, Kundu, Urbi, Singh, Khushboo, Donose, Bogdan, Gillespie, Tim, Lim, Yah Leng, Indjin, Dragan, Li, Lian He, Linfield, Edmund, Davies, Giles, Dean, Paul, Smith, Millicent, Chapman, Scott, Bandyopadhyay, Aparajita, Sengupta, Amartya and Rakic, Aleksandar (2023). Coherent Terahertz laser feedback interferometry for hydration sensing in leaves. Optics Express, 31 (15), 23877-23888. doi: 10.1364/oe.490217
Journal Article: Building a better Mungbean: breeding for reproductive resilience in a changing climate
Van Haeften, Shanice, Dudley, Caitlin, Kang, Yichen, Smith, Daniel, Nair, Ramakrishnan M., Douglas, Colin A., Potgieter, Andries, Robinson, Hannah, Hickey, Lee T. and Smith, Millicent R. (2023). Building a better Mungbean: breeding for reproductive resilience in a changing climate. Food and Energy Security, 12 (6) e467. doi: 10.1002/fes3.467
Fast tracking deployment of chickpea heat tolerance
(2024–2028) GRDC - PROC-9176886 - Fast tracking deployment of chickpea heat tolerance to develop chickpea varieties with improved high temperature tolerance
(2023–2025) Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
(2023–2024) Pacific Fund
Innovative phenotyping technologies to harness genetic diversity in tropical crops
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the molecular and physiological basis of flowering behaviour in mungbean
Doctor Philosophy
New tools and insight to breed high yielding mungbean varieties with synchronous flowering
Doctor Philosophy
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
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
Developing virtual field trips for agriculture
Krishnasamy, Suresh, Smith, Millicent R., Narayan, Edward, Abdul Aziz, Ammar and Hoffman, Eleanor W. (2023). Developing virtual field trips for agriculture. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 31 (3), 3-19. doi: 10.30722/ijisme.31.03.001
Coherent Terahertz laser feedback interferometry for hydration sensing in leaves
Kashyap, Mayuri, Torniainen, Jari, Bertling, Karl, Kundu, Urbi, Singh, Khushboo, Donose, Bogdan, Gillespie, Tim, Lim, Yah Leng, Indjin, Dragan, Li, Lian He, Linfield, Edmund, Davies, Giles, Dean, Paul, Smith, Millicent, Chapman, Scott, Bandyopadhyay, Aparajita, Sengupta, Amartya and Rakic, Aleksandar (2023). Coherent Terahertz laser feedback interferometry for hydration sensing in leaves. Optics Express, 31 (15), 23877-23888. doi: 10.1364/oe.490217
Building a better Mungbean: breeding for reproductive resilience in a changing climate
Van Haeften, Shanice, Dudley, Caitlin, Kang, Yichen, Smith, Daniel, Nair, Ramakrishnan M., Douglas, Colin A., Potgieter, Andries, Robinson, Hannah, Hickey, Lee T. and Smith, Millicent R. (2023). Building a better Mungbean: breeding for reproductive resilience in a changing climate. Food and Energy Security, 12 (6) e467. doi: 10.1002/fes3.467
Quantifying physiological determinants of potential yield in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek)
Geetika, Geetika, Hammer, Graeme, Smith, Millicent, Singh, Vijaya, Collins, Marisa, Mellor, Vincent, Wenham, Kylie and Rachaputi, Rao C.N. (2022). Quantifying physiological determinants of potential yield in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek). Field Crops Research, 287 108648, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.fcr.2022.108648
Barmukh, Rutwik, Roorkiwal, Manish, Dixit, Girish P., Bajaj, Prasad, Kholova, Jana, Smith, Millicent R., Chitikineni, Annapurna, Bharadwaj, Chellapilla, Sheshshayee, M. S., Rathore, Abhishek, Tripathi, Shailesh, Yasin, Mohammad, Vijayakumar, Adiveppa G., Sagurthi, Someswar Rao, Siddique, Kadambot H. M. and Varshney, Rajeev K. (2022). Characterization of 'QTL-hotspot' introgression lines reveals physiological mechanisms and candidate genes associated with drought adaptation in chickpea. Journal of Experimental Botany, 73 (22), 7255-7272. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac348
Designing chickpea for a hotter drier world
Akinlade, Oluwaseun J., Voss-Fels, Kai, Costilla, Roy, Kholova, Jana, Choudhary, Sunita, Varshney, Rajeev K., Hickey, Lee T. and Smith, Millicent R. (2022). Designing chickpea for a hotter drier world. Euphytica, 218 (7) 100. doi: 10.1007/s10681-022-03048-2
Canopy and reproductive development in mungbean (Vigna radiata)
Geetika, Geetika, Collins, Marisa, Singh, Vijaya, Hammer, Graeme, Mellor, Vincent, Smith, Millicent and Rachaputi, Rao C. N. (2022). Canopy and reproductive development in mungbean (Vigna radiata). Crop and Pasture Science, 73 (10), 1142-1155. doi: 10.1071/cp21209
Merchant, Andrew, Smith, Millicent and Windt, Carel (2022). In situ pod growth rate reveals contrasting diurnal sensitivity to water deficit in Phaseolus vulgaris. Journal of Experimental Botany, 73 (11), 3774-3786. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac097
Effect of Drought and Low P on Yield and Nutritional Content in Common Bean
Smith, Millicent R., Dinglasan, Eric, Veneklaas, Erik, Polania, Jose, Rao, Idupulapati M., Beebe, Stephen E. and Merchant, Andrew (2022). Effect of Drought and Low P on Yield and Nutritional Content in Common Bean. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13 814325, 1-14. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.814325
Investigating nutrient supply effects on plant growth and seed nutrient content in common bean
Smith, Millicent R., Reis Hodecker, Barbara Elias, Fuentes, David and Merchant, Andrew (2022). Investigating nutrient supply effects on plant growth and seed nutrient content in common bean. Plants, 11 (6) 737, 737. doi: 10.3390/plants11060737
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
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
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
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
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
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
Phenotyping innovations to develop mungbean crops for the future
Smith, Millicent (2023). Phenotyping innovations to develop mungbean crops for the future. Australian Pulse Conference, Toowoomba, QLD Australia, 21-23 March 2023.
Breeding technologies to develop summer pulse crops
Hickey, Lee and Smith, Millicent (2023). Breeding technologies to develop summer pulse crops. Australian Summer Grains Conference, Gold Coast, QLD Australia, 13-15 March 2023.
Physiological insight to improve mungbean productivity
Smith, Millicent, Van Haeften, Shanice, Dudley, Caitlin, Kohl, Theresa, Douglas, Colin, Ryan, Merrill, Potgieter, Andries, Chapman, Scott, Robinson, Hannah, Dinglasan, Eric and Hickey, Lee (2023). Physiological insight to improve mungbean productivity. Australian Summer Grains Conference, Gold Coast, QLD Australia, 13-15 March 2023.
Understanding the genetics of mungbean senescence behaviour using longitudinal UAV data
Van Haeften, Shanice, Kang, Yichen, Douglas, Colin, Dudley, Caitlin, Ryan, Merrill, Smith, Millicent, Chapman, Scott, Robinson, Hannah, Potgieter, Andries and Hickey, Lee (2023). Understanding the genetics of mungbean senescence behaviour using longitudinal UAV data. Australian Summer Grains Conference, Gold Coast, QLD Australia, 13-15 March 2023.
Campbell, Bradley, Godwin, Ian, Mace, Emma, Sukal, Amit, Waqainabete, Logo, Restall, Jemma and Smith, Millicent (2022). Ensuring the future of taro. TropAg International Agriculture Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 31 October - 2 November 2022.
Haplotype-based GWAS and genomic prediction as a path to increase genetic gain in chickpea
Akinlade, Oluwaseun, Voss-Fels, Kai, Dinglasan, Eric, Robinson, Hannah, Smith, Millicent, Varshney, Rajeev and Hickey, Lee (2022). Haplotype-based GWAS and genomic prediction as a path to increase genetic gain in chickpea. TropAg International Agriculture Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 31 October-2 November 2022.
Phenotyping innovations to develop climate resilient taro
Smith, Millicent, Campbell, Bradley, Restall, Jemma, Chapman, Scott, Godwin, Ian, Sukal, Amit and Guzzon, Filippo (2022). Phenotyping innovations to develop climate resilient taro. TropAg International Agriculture Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 31 October - 2 November 2022.
Physiological insight to improve mungbean productivity
Smith, Millicent, Van Haeften, Shanice, Dudley, Caitlin, Douglas, Colin, Ryan, Merrill, Potgieter, Andries, Robinson, Hannah and Hickey, Lee (2022). Physiological insight to improve mungbean productivity. TropAg International Agriculture Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 31 October - 2 November 2022.
Quantifying physiological determinants of potential yield in mungbean
Geetika, Geetika, Brumley, Douglas, Hammer, Graeme, Smith, Millicent, Singh, Vijaya, Collins, Marisa, Mellor, Vincent, Wenham, Kylie and Rachaputi, RCN (2022). Quantifying physiological determinants of potential yield in mungbean. TropAg International Agriculture Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 31 October-2 November 2022.
The use of multi-spectral sensing technologies from a UAV to enhance mungbean productivity
Van Haeften, Shanice, Dudley, Caitlin, Douglas, Colin, Ryan, Merrill, Robinson, Hannah, Hickey, Lee, Smith, Millicent and Potgieter, Andries (2022). The use of multi-spectral sensing technologies from a UAV to enhance mungbean productivity. TropAg International Agriculture Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 31 October-2 November 2022.
Haplotype-based GWAS and genomic prediction: path to increase genetic gain in chickpea
Akinlade, Oluwaseun, Dinglasan, Eric, Voss-Fels, Kai, Robinson, Hannah, Varshney, Rajeev, Smith, Millicent and Hickey, Lee (2022). Haplotype-based GWAS and genomic prediction: path to increase genetic gain in chickpea. 8th Plant Genomics and Gene Editing Congress: Asia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 12-13 October 2022.
Phenotyping innovations to harness genetic diversity for climate resilience
Smith, Millicent, Campbell, Bradley, Restall, Jemma, Dudley, Caitlin, Van Haeften, Shanice, Godwin, Ian, Chapman, Scott, Sukal, Amit, Robinson, Hannah, Ryan, Merrill, Potgieter, Andries and Hickey, Lee (2022). Phenotyping innovations to harness genetic diversity for climate resilience. International Plant Phenotyping Symposium, Wageningen, Netherlands, 27-30 September 2022.
Understanding the genetics of mungbean canopy development using longitudinal UAV data
Van Haeften, Shanice, Kang, Yichen, Douglas, Colin, Dudley, Caitlin, Ryan, Merrill, Smith, Millicent, Chapman, Scott, Robinson, Hannah, Potgieter, Andries and Hickey, Lee (2022). Understanding the genetics of mungbean canopy development using longitudinal UAV data. International Plant Phenotyping Symposium, Wageningen, Netherlands, 27-30 September 2022.
Developing virtual field trips for Agriculture
Suresh Krishnasamy, Smith, Millicent R., Narayan, Edward, Abdul Aziz, Ammar and Hoffman, Eleanor W. (2022). Developing virtual field trips for Agriculture. The Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Perth, WA Australia, 28-30 September 2022. Sydney, Australia: The University of Sydney.
Evaluating genomic prediction models for key traits using a chickpea MAGIC population
Akinlade, Oluwaseun, Voss-Fels, Kai, Dinglasan, Eric, Robinson, Hannah, Smith, Millicent, Varshney, Rajeev and Hickey, Lee (2022). Evaluating genomic prediction models for key traits using a chickpea MAGIC population. Queensland Legume Symposium, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 22 July 2022.
New technologies to accelerate mungbean improvement
Van Haeften, Shanice, Dudley, Caitlin, Douglas, Colin, Udvardi, Michael, Massel, Karen, Beveridge, Christine, Robinson, Hannah, Hickey, Lee, Potgieter, Andries and Smith, Millicent (2022). New technologies to accelerate mungbean improvement. Queensland Legume Symposium, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 22 July 2022.
Smith, Millicent, Robinson, Hannah and Powell, Owen (2022). ON the Pulse. Protein Futures, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 15 June 2022.
Predicting a path to increase genetic gain in chickpea
Akinlade, Oluwaseun, Voss-Fels, Kai, Costilla, Roy, Kholova, Jana, Choudhary, Sunita, Varshney, Rajeev, Smith, Millicent and Hickey, Lee (2022). Predicting a path to increase genetic gain in chickpea. Australasian Plant Breeding Conference, Gold Coast, QLD Australia, 9-11 May 2022.
UAV-based technologies to reveal the secrets of mungbean yield
Van Haeften, Shanice, Hickey, Lee, Douglas, Colin, Smith, Millicent, Robinson, Hannah and Potgieter, Andries (2022). UAV-based technologies to reveal the secrets of mungbean yield. Australasian Plant Breeding Conference, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 9-11 May 2022.
Mungbean responses to elevated day- and night-time temperatures
Williams, Alwyn, Wenham, Kylie, Smith, Millicent, Rachaputi, R. C. N. and Collins, Marisa (2022). Mungbean responses to elevated day- and night-time temperatures. System Solutions for Complex Problems, Toowoomba, QLD Australia, 18-22 September 2022. Toowoomba, QLD Australia: Australian Society of Agronomy.
Improving mungbean productivity
Van Haeften, Shanice, Kang, Yichen, Douglas, Colin, Potgieter, Andries, Voss-Fels, Kai, Hickey, Lee and Smith, Millicent (2021). Improving mungbean productivity. Australian Society of Plant Scientists Conference, Brisbane/Hybrid, 25 November 2021.
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.
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.
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.
Hickey, Lee, Van Haeften, Shanice and Smith, Millicent (2023). Mungbean UAV imagery. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/62fc842
Mungbean phenology and yield data
Hickey, Lee, Van Haeften, Shanice and Smith, Millicent (2023). Mungbean phenology and yield data. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/0fd1ff2
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.
Fast tracking deployment of chickpea heat tolerance
(2024–2028) GRDC - PROC-9176886 - Fast tracking deployment of chickpea heat tolerance to develop chickpea varieties with improved high temperature tolerance
(2023–2025) Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
(2023–2024) Pacific Fund
ON the Pulse - benchmarking protein quality for chickpea
(2023–2024) UQ Knowledge Exchange & Translation Fund
Digging deeper to improve yield stability
(2022–2026) ARC Linkage Projects
(2021–2025) Australia & Pacific Science Foundation
International Mungbean Improvement Network 2 (ACIAR-funded sub-contract with World Vegetable Center)
(2021–2025) Mungbean Improvement Network
Accelerated breeding of drought-adapted crops
(2021–2022) Universities Australia - Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme
Optimising mungbean yields - mungbean physiology
(2018–2024) Grains Research & Development Corporation
Innovative phenotyping technologies to harness genetic diversity in tropical crops
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Exploring the molecular and physiological basis of flowering behaviour in mungbean
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
New tools and insight to breed high yielding mungbean varieties with synchronous flowering
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Advancing genetic knowledge and breeding tools to improve chickpea (Cicer arierinm L.)
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Nitrogen use dynamics in high protein gene edited sorghum
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Investigating root-shoot dynamics to improve water-use efficiency of barley
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Evaluating Diverse Taro (Colocasia) Germplasm to Enhance Food Security and Climate Resilience in the Pacific Islands
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Contrasting the phosphorus responsiveness of winter pulses and cereals - the role of nitrogen and crop phenology
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Physiological determinants of potential yield in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek)
(2022) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors: