Time in Taiwan elevates Aussie's mungbean research

University of Queensland PhD student, Shanice Van Haeften, has returned from a month stint at the World Vegetable Centre as a Crawford Fund Student Award winner.

It was Ms Van Haeften's first time at an international research facility.

The timing proved fortuitous, coinciding with the juncture in her PhD journey, where she was actively contemplating her career path post-graduation.

"This opportunity was a rich learning experience that allowed me to be exposed to diverse perspectives, methodologies and collaborative approaches that has significantly impacted and enhanced my current and future research endeavours," Ms Van Haeften said.

"I was able to engage with many amazing researchers that I hope to collaborate with in the future."

THE focus on mungbeans however, was not exactly on the schedule.

"Undertaking research on mungbean was not initially a plan and was actually by chance," Ms Van Haeften said.

"When I was initially wanting to pursue a PhD project, I knew that the key thing I was looking for was a project that would allow me to undertake research in Myanmar, which is where my family is from.

"I worked with my supervisors to find a project that would enable me to do this and they developed an amazing project opportunity that connected to the International Mungbean Improvement Network, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR).

"Being part of this project has allowed me to work on developing solutions to support mungbean improvement for growers not only in Australia but also across Asia and Africa.

"From this twist of fate I have really learnt about the immense opportunity of this unassuming sub-tropical legume across Australian and global agricultural systems."

MS Van Haeften works with the National Mungbean Improvement Program at the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, which allows her to share research with the program and think of ways her developed methodologies could be incorporated.

"For instance, how can the UAV phenotyping methodology established during my PhD program be applied to facilitate large-scale phenotyping of detailed physiological traits in their breeding material, specifically focusing on attributes related to drought or disease tolerance?" she said.

"Additionally, I actively participate in key stakeholder meetings, including events such as the Australian Mungbean Association general meeting and field days.

"These gatherings provide an excellent platform for me to disseminate my research findings and engage directly with growers and other industry stakeholders.

"This direct interaction enables me to share the practical implications of my work and facilitates a valuable exchange of ideas and feedback."

MS Van Haeften said the potential for mungbean in Australia was significant.

"Mungbean is as a high-value summer legume, offering an average return of $1100 per tonne to growers," she said.

"This financial incentive, approximately three times the price of wheat, makes mungbean an attractive option for farmers seeking a rotation option.

"They also serve as one of the few available summer legume rotation crops in Queensland and Northern NSW regions, providing farmers with a valuable option to diversify the farming system and optimise land usage throughout the year.

"The short-duration of mungbean further enhances their appeal. As a legume crop, mungbean has the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, contributing to improved soil quality.

"This characteristic makes mungbean an environmentally sustainable and attractive choice for growers concerned about soil health.

"Currently, over the last five years mungbean production has been around 90,000 tonnes, 90 per cent of which is exported.

"However, with increasing demand for Australian mungbean from overseas markets as well as the growing plant protein market within Australia, there is a significant opportunity to increase mungbean production."

THE research environment in Taiwan was a switch from her large scale field experiments in Australia.

She made use of the World Vegetable Centre's Phenospex platform and other infrastructure, including significant glasshouse space.

"The centre also made a significant focus to showcase their diversity and impact of their research that they have undertaken previously through their central gardens located in the middle of their institute and their demonstration garden," Ms Van Haeften said.

"There was also a significant focus on the institute on capacity building and having interns within WorldVeg from countries across the world.

"It was evident that the instate really emphasised the importance of training and upskilling early and mid-career researchers from external institutions."

The sense of community was another stand-out for her with social events and daily communal lunches with researchers, staff and students contributing to a cohesive atmosphere.

"During my time visiting Taiwan, I developed an amazing network of students and researchers from countries across the world who have inspired me tremendously from learning about their research and career aspirations," she said.

There are lasting memories for Ms Van Haeften from her time in Taiwan, particularly surrounding the agricultural practices and differences to Australia.

"The mosaic of smallholder farmers cultivating an array of fruits and vegetables, some unfamiliar to me, painted a vivid picture of agricultural diversity," she said.

"The groups of women planting and managing their fields by hand early in the mornings.

"All of these experiences showcase the unique production system in Taiwan that dramatically differs from Australian farming systems."

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