BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Waite Campus - ECPv6.15.11//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Waite Campus X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.thewaite.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Waite Campus REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Australia/Adelaide BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1030 TZOFFSETTO:+0930 TZNAME:ACST DTSTART:20250405T163000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0930 TZOFFSETTO:+1030 TZNAME:ACDT DTSTART:20251004T163000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1030 TZOFFSETTO:+0930 TZNAME:ACST DTSTART:20260404T163000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0930 TZOFFSETTO:+1030 TZNAME:ACDT DTSTART:20261003T163000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1030 TZOFFSETTO:+0930 TZNAME:ACST DTSTART:20270403T163000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0930 TZOFFSETTO:+1030 TZNAME:ACDT DTSTART:20271002T163000 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Adelaide:20260903T100000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Adelaide:20260903T110000 DTSTAMP:20261023T073432 CREATED:20260728T141232Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260728T141458Z UID:31090-1788429600-1788433200@www.thewaite.org SUMMARY:WRI Seminar Series: Professor Kerry Wilkinson\, SAFW\, Adelaide University DESCRIPTION:Professor Kerry Wilkinson\, SAFW\, Adelaide University\n \nDate: Thursday\, 03 September; 10-11 am\,  SARDI Auditorium \nTitle: Waiter\, there’s a black soldier fly in my wine! \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abstract: Professor Kerry Wilkinson is an engaging wine educator and a world-renowned wine scientist. For nearly two decades\, she has led a multi-disciplinary program of research on ‘smoke taint’\, building the wine industry’s capacity to predict\, mitigate and respond to risk associated with vineyard smoke exposure. As an ARC Industry Fellow\, she explores winemaking applications of membrane filtration\, but she also leads insect-related research\, concerning consumer acceptance of insects as food\, feed and pet food. Her WRI seminar will present recent findings from these three key programs of research.    \nBio: Professor Kerry Wilkinson holds several roles at Adelaide University. As Professor of Oenology\, she leads a program of research spanning projects concerning the chemistry of grapes and wine: fromOvercoming the impacts of vineyard exposure to smoketoUnlocking the potential for winemaking applications of membrane filtration(with funding from the Australian Research Council’s Linkage and Industry Fellowship schemes\, Wine Australia and industry). As an Academic Lead\, she helps establish research initiatives such as theAdvancement of Australian Lifestyle Wines(an industry-led CRC Project to innovate the production and marketing of no-and low-alcohol (NOLO) wines)\, theAgriFutures Insect Industry Program of Research(targeted RD&E activities to foster the sustainable growth of the emerging Australia insect industry)\, and theARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production(a research program co-designed with industry to provide integrated solutions to new and old winemaking challenges). Professor Wilkinson welcomes enquiries from industry\, academia\, or prospective research staff or students (Honours\, Masters and PhD) who are interested in the research programs detailed below.   \nFollowed by morning tea \nhttps://adelaide.zoom.us/j/88324941961?pwd=iBEvCU8wU2bKbEa3JaDzLIDGOZtEkj.1 \nWebinar ID: 883 2494 1961\, Passcode:429141 URL:https://www.thewaite.org/event/wri-seminar-series-professor-kerry-wilkinson-safw-adelaide-university/ LOCATION:Plant Research Centre Auditorium\, South Australia\, Australia CATEGORIES:WRI END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Adelaide:20260908T110000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Adelaide:20260908T120000 DTSTAMP:20261023T073432 CREATED:20260824T112717Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260824T114952Z UID:31323-1788865200-1788868800@www.thewaite.org SUMMARY:Research Seminar: Oilseed Breeding\, Food Science and Product Development in Pakistan DESCRIPTION:Date: Tuesday\, 08 September; 11-12\,  SARDI Auditorium \nResearch Seminar: Oilseed Breeding\, Food Science and Product Development in Pakistan \nPresenters: \n\nDr Hafiz Saad Bin Mustafa\, Oilseeds Research Institute\, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI)\, Faisalabad\, Pakistan\nDr Zaheer Ahmed\, Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics\, University of Agriculture\, Faisalabad (UAF)\, Pakistan\nDr Ahmad Din\, National Institute of Food Science & Technology (NIFSAT)\, University of Agriculture\, Faisalabad (UAF)\, Pakistan\n\nDate: Tuesday\, 8 September\, 11:00 amVenue: SARDI Plant Research Centre Auditorium \nAbout the seminar:This seminar will feature three presentations (15 min each) providing snapshots of the research programs led by these scientists at AARI and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF). The presentations will cover a broad range of topics\, from the genetics and breeding of oilseed crops to food additives\, processing and product development in Pakistan. \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr Hafiz Saad Bin Mustafa \nAbstract: Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI)\, Faisalabad\, is Pakistan’s largest multidisciplinary agricultural research organization\, comprising 26 research institutes and 85 research stations across diverse agro-ecological zones. AARI conducts research on more than 50 field crops\, vegetables\, fruits\, and allied agricultural disciplines\, with a strong focus on developing climate-resilient\, high-yielding\, and resource-efficient production technologies. Since its establishment\, the institute has developed more than 714 crop varieties\, many of which are widely cultivated across Pakistan\, making a significant contribution to national food security\, agricultural productivity\, and sustainable development. This presentation highlights AARI’s research portfolio\, major achievements in crop improvement\, biotechnology\, natural resource management\, and agricultural innovation\, while outlining opportunities for international collaboration in germplasm exchange\, joint research\, capacity building\, student and scientist exchange\, and technology transfer. The presentation aims to foster long-term strategic partnerships between AARI and Australian universities and research organizations to address shared agricultural challenges under changing climatic conditions. \nBiography: Hafiz Saad Bin Mustafa is a Principal Scientist (Plant Breeding & Genetics) at the Oilseeds Research Institute\, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI)\, Faisalabad\, Pakistan. He has over 15 years of experience in oilseed crop improvement\, specializing in canola\, mustard\, soybean\, sesame\, sunflower\, linseed\, and camelina. His research focuses on developing climate-resilient\, high-yielding\, and stress-tolerant cultivars. He has contributed to the development of 22 improved oilseed varieties\, authored more than 75 scientific publications\, and successfully led and participated in several nationally funded research projects. He has established research collaborations with leading institutions in Australia\, China\, Indonesia\, Iran\, the Middle East\, and Central Asia\, promoting germplasm exchange\, capacity building\, and joint agricultural research. He currently leads soybean improvement and diversification research at AARI\, with particular emphasis on climate adaptation and enhancing Pakistan’s edible oil security. He is also convener of AARI External Linkages Cell. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr Zaheer Ahmed \nAbstract: Dr. Zaheer Ahmed is Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics and Biotechnology Chair at the US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security (CAS-AFS)\, University of Agriculture\, Faisalabad\, Pakistan\, and Scientific Director of the Soybean Genetics and Seed Supply Chain Center (SGSSCC). His research integrates plant breeding\, molecular genetics\, biotechnology\, genome editing\, and modern breeding technologies to develop climate-resilient\, high-yielding\, and widely adapted crop germplasm. \nDr. Ahmed leads a comprehensive soybean improvement program in Pakistan and has screened\, characterized\, and evaluated more than 5\,000 soybean accessions across 17 locations\, leading to the development of heat-tolerant (>45°C)\, salinity- and drought-tolerant\, short-duration\, determinate\, photoperiod-insensitive\, and high-yielding germplasm. His program has produced multiple registered soybean lines\, with elite materials progressing through national yield trials\, while supporting soybean expansion through farmer demonstrations\, seed-system development\, farmer–industry linkages\, and policy engagement. \nHis broader expertise encompasses conventional and molecular breeding\, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing\, genomic selection\, functional genomics\, bioinformatics\, germplasm conservation\, and climate-smart agriculture. He is also developing GM and genome-edited germplasm in soybean\, potato\, tomato\, and chili. \nDr. Ahmed received his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Guelph\, Canada\, followed by an NSERC-funded postdoctoral fellowship at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. He has extensive academic\, research\, technology-development\, and international collaboration experience and is a member of the Missouri Soybean Center at the University of Missouri. His achievements include the Green Technology Award (2025)\, numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications\, and the development of innovative crop germplasm and breeding technologies. \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr Ahmad Din \nAbstract: Some introductions of Dr. Ahmad Din and the National Institute of Food Science & Technology (NIFSAT)\, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF)\, Pakistan including international linkages. The ongoing research projects and completed R&D work as key achievements on food value addition\, postharvest management\, food processing\, product development\, and the translation of research into practical applications (commercialization) for Pakistan’s food sector. Contribution of Dr. Ahmad Din for the supervision and mentoring of MPhil and PhD scholars\, facilitating research on innovative food products\, processing technologies\, nutritional quality\, functional ingredients\, and value-added food systems. Looking ahead\, significant opportunities exist for collaborative research with national and international universities\, research organizations\, food industries\, and development partners in areas including advanced postharvest technologies\, sustainable processing\, functional foods\, food loss reduction\, commercialization\, and joint postgraduate research. International collaboration\, including potential partnerships with related stakeholders\, for promotion of joint publications\, technology development\, researcher mobility\, student training\, and long-term academic–industry partnerships. \nKeywords: Fruits and Vegetables; Value Addition Projects; Postharvest Technology; MPhil & PhD Students    Projects; Future Collaboration Opportunities URL:https://www.thewaite.org/event/research-seminar-oilseed-breeding-food-science-and-product-development-in-pakistan/ LOCATION:Plant Research Centre Auditorium\, South Australia\, Australia CATEGORIES:Visiting Speaker Seminars,WRI END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Adelaide:20260922T100000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Adelaide:20260922T110000 DTSTAMP:20261023T073432 CREATED:20260824T111441Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260824T111536Z UID:31311-1790071200-1790074800@www.thewaite.org SUMMARY:Seminar: Eight Years in the Roots of Wheat: Long-Term Selection of Microbial Communities Driven by the Plant and Soil Water DESCRIPTION:Dr. Timothy Paulitz\n\n\n\nResearch Plant Pathologist – USDA-ARS Wheat Health\, Genetics and Quality Research Unit; Pullman\, Washington \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Date: Tuesday\, 22 September; 10-11 am\,  SARDI Auditorium \nTitle: Eight Years in the Roots of Wheat: Long- Term Selection of Microbial Communities Driven by the Plant and Soil Water \nAbstract: In this seminar\, I will summarize a 50 year journey of our research group in understanding the mechanisms of disease suppression and present advances. The USDA-ARS unit in Pullman was originally called the Root Disease and Biological Control Research Unit\, led by R. James Cook starting in the late 1970s.  This group did pioneering work on take- all suppressive soils and elucidating the molecular\, genetics and biochemical mechanisms of suppressive Pseudomonas spp. that produced antifungal metabolites phenazine and phloroglucinol. But over the last 20 years\, we have gained a greater insight into the ecology of these bacteria in the dryland Pacific Northwest. This led to a long-term trial at Lind\, WA\, a low rainfall wheat-fallow zone\, where we monitored the microbiome of wheat roots for 8 years in dryland and irrigated plots.  We sampled multiple times in the season and looked at the bacterial microbiome with 16S amplicon sequencing in the bulk soil\, rhizosphere and root.  We found that the abundance of individual bacteria were modulated by soil moisture\, plant growth stage & length of wheat monoculture. Taxa exhibited seasonal dynamics and periodicity\, and population trends were reproducible across multiple years. Over the 8-year study\, certain genera became more prevalent in the root under irrigated or dryland conditions. One discovery was the prevalence of actinobacteria in the root.  Over three years\, we isolated a collection of over 1\,000 actinobacteria.  The collection was dominated by Streptomyces\, Kribbella\, Amycolatopis and Promicromonospora. We did genomic sequencing and functional analysis of a subset\, and many showed antifungal activity and growth promotion.  We are presently looking at the ability of selected strains to protect wheat and alfalfa against water stress. \nBio: In this seminar\, I will summarize a 50 year journey of our research group in understanding the mechanisms of disease suppression and present advances. The USDA-ARS unit in Pullman was originally called the Root Disease and Biological Control Research Unit\, led by R. James Cook starting in the late 1970s.  This group did pioneering work on take- all suppressive soils and elucidating the molecular\, genetics and biochemical mechanisms of suppressive Pseudomonas spp. that produced antifungal metabolites phenazine and phloroglucinol. But over the last 20 years\, we have gained a greater insight into the ecology of these bacteria in the dryland Pacific Northwest. This led to a long-term trial at Lind\, WA\, a low rainfall wheat-fallow zone\, where we monitored the microbiome of wheat roots for 8 years in dryland and irrigated plots.  We sampled multiple times in the season and looked at the bacterial microbiome with 16S amplicon sequencing in the bulk soil\, rhizosphere and root.  We found that the abundance of individual bacteria were modulated by soil moisture\, plant growth stage & length of wheat monoculture. Taxa exhibited seasonal dynamics and periodicity\, and population trends were reproducible across multiple years. Over the 8-year study\, certain genera became more prevalent in the root under irrigated or dryland conditions. One discovery was the prevalence of actinobacteria in the root.  Over three years\, we isolated a collection of over 1\,000 actinobacteria.  The collection was dominated by Streptomyces\, Kribbella\, Amycolatopis and Promicromonospora. We did genomic sequencing and functional analysis of a subset\, and many showed antifungal activity and growth promotion.  We are presently looking at the ability of selected strains to protect wheat and alfalfa against water stress. URL:https://www.thewaite.org/event/seminar-eight-years-in-the-roots-of-wheat-long-term-selection-of-microbial-communities-driven-by-the-plant-and-soil-water/ LOCATION:Plant Research Centre Auditorium\, South Australia\, Australia CATEGORIES:Visiting Speaker Seminars,WRI END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Adelaide:20260924T100000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Adelaide:20260924T110000 DTSTAMP:20261023T073432 CREATED:20260714T064312Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260714T064314Z UID:31006-1790244000-1790247600@www.thewaite.org SUMMARY:WRI Seminar Series: Dr David G. Schmale III\, Fulbright AUKUS Scholar; Professor and Director\, Translational Plant Sciences Center Virginia Tech University DESCRIPTION:Dr David G. Schmale III\, Ph.D.\, Fulbright AUKUS Scholar\, Professor and Director\, Translational Plant Sciences Center\, Virginia Tech University\n \nDate: Thursday\, 24 September 10-11 am\,  SARDI Auditorium \nTitle: Atmospheric Incursions of Plant Pathogens: From Leaf Surfaces to Continental Transport \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abstract: The atmospheric transport of plant pathogens unfolds across a continuum of scales\, linking microscale release processes at leaf surfaces to long-distance movement across regions and continents. Together\, these processes underpin atmospheric incursions\, where pathogens cross borders unannounced and often undetected. At the smallest scale\, dispersal begins with liberation from surfaces and escape through the laminar boundary layer. High-speed imaging reveals that raindrop impacts generate vortex-like flows that entrain leaf rust spores into the air\, while jumping droplet condensation and cascading “billiard ball” interactions amplify spore release across leaf surfaces. At the farm scale\, transport is governed by turbulent flow within the surface boundary layer\, shaping dispersal across agricultural landscapes. Release–recapture studies show how fungal spores move from field-scale sources under natural conditions\, while work on genetically engineered switchgrass demonstrates how pollen disperses beyond field boundaries\, raising challenges for disease management and gene flow. At regional and continental scales\, pathogens become entrained in the planetary boundary layer and free atmosphere\, where structured airflows organize movement over hundreds to thousands of kilometers. These highways in the sky connect distant regions through coherent transport pathways\, including atmospheric bridges linking Australia and New Zealand. Advances in sensing and sampling are enabling new insights into pathogen movement across scales. Integrating these observations with atmospheric transport models provides a pathway toward predictive frameworks capable of detecting\, forecasting\, and responding to biological threats before they arrive. \nBio: Dr. David Schmale is a Professor and Director of the Translational Plant Sciences Center at Virginia Tech. He received his B.S. from the University of California\, Davis\, and his Ph.D. from Cornell University. Dr. Schmale joined the former Department of Plant Pathology\, Physiology\, and Weed Science as an Assistant Professor in 2006\, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2011\, and to Full Professor in 2016. He was named one of Popular Science’s Brilliant Ten in 2013\, and his work was featured in Scientific American in 2017. That article was later selected for the “Top 21 Wild Ideas in Science that Just Might Save the Planet and Us.” Dr. Schmale is the recipient of the 2026-2027 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) Award. This is his second Fulbright\, following a previous Fulbright in New Zealand in 2020. Working with five host institutions across Australia and the United Kingdom\, he is collaborating with researchers to improve the prediction\, detection\, and response to atmospheric incursions of invasive crop threats using advances in aerobiology\, geospatial sensing\, genomics\, and atmospheric modeling. Dr. Schmale has secured over 100 grants from agencies including NSF\, USDA\, NASA\, and DARPA totaling more than $24 million\, with approximately $10 million supporting his research program. His scholarly output includes over 120 peer-reviewed manuscripts\, one Annual Review article\, two book chapters\, and three papers in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). He has delivered invited lectures and keynote addresses in 13 countries outside the United States\, including Australia\, Austria\, Brazil\, the Czech Republic\, England\, France\, Germany\, Ireland\, Italy\, the Netherlands (Saba Island)\, New Zealand\, Scotland\, and Spain. \nLab Website: https://www.schmalelab.spes.vt.edu/ \nEmail: dschmale@vt.edu \nLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dschmale/ \nInstagram: @SchmaleLab \n  \nhttps://adelaide.zoom.us/j/88324941961?pwd=iBEvCU8wU2bKbEa3JaDzLIDGOZtEkj.1 \nWebinar ID: 883 2494 1961\, Passcode:429141 \n  \nFollowed by morning tea URL:https://www.thewaite.org/event/wri-seminar-series-dr-david-g-schmale-iii-fulbright-aukus-scholar-professor-and-director-translational-plant-sciences-center-virginia-tech-university/ LOCATION:Plant Research Centre Auditorium\, South Australia\, Australia CATEGORIES:SARDI,Visiting Speaker Seminars,WRI END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR