Dr Millicent Smith

Senior Lecturer in Crop Physiology

School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability
Faculty of Science

Overview

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.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sydney
  • Bachelor (Honours), University of Sydney

Publications

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

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Grants

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Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

View all Supervision

Publications

Book Chapter

  • 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

  • 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

Journal Article

Conference Publication

  • Smith, Millicent (2023). Phenotyping innovations to develop mungbean crops for the future. Australian Pulse Conference, Toowoomba, QLD Australia, 21-23 March 2023.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Other Outputs

  • Hickey, Lee, Van Haeften, Shanice and Smith, Millicent (2023). Mungbean UAV imagery. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/62fc842

  • Hickey, Lee, Van Haeften, Shanice and Smith, Millicent (2023). Mungbean phenology and yield data. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/0fd1ff2

  • 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.

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Completed Supervision