Miss Shanice Van Haeften
Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Legume Physiology & Genetics
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Researcher biography
Shanice Van Haeften is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland. Her research harnesses cutting-edge technologies, including UAV imagery, to unravel the physiological mechanisms and genotype-by-environment interactions underpinning crop yield productivity and stability.Currently, Shanice is conducting research to accelerate the development of heat-tolerant chickpea varieties for Australian growers through novel phenotyping and genomic approaches. This work is part of the Grains Research and Development Corporation funded project "Fast tracking deployment of chickpea heat tolerance", led by Dr Millicent Smith. Driven by a passion for global food security, Shanice's research extends beyond Australian agriculture. She is committed to applying her expertise in crop improvement and environmental adaptation to international development contexts, aiming to be a part of solutions that can support the empowerment communities worldwide with sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.
Publications
Journal Articles
Van Haeften, Shanice, Smith, Daniel, Robinson, Hannah, Dudley, Caitlin, Kang, Yichen, Douglas, Colin A., Hickey, Lee T., Potgieter, Andries, Chapman, Scott and Smith, Millicent R. (2025). Unmanned aerial vehicle phenotyping of agronomic and physiological traits in mungbean. The Plant Phenome Journal, 8 (1) e70016, 1-18. doi: 10.1002/ppj2.70016
Dudley, Caitlin, Van Haeften, Shanice, Alahmad, Samir, Dinglasan, Eric, Hickey, Lee T., Robinson, Hannah, Beveridge, Christine, Udvardi, Michael, Noble, Thomas, Massel, Karen, Dun, Elizabeth A. and Smith, Millicent R. (2025). Time to flowering and flowering duration in mungbean are unrelated physiological traits with independent genetic controls. Journal Of Experimental Botany eraf222. doi: 10.1093/jxb/eraf222
Kang, Yichen, Alahmad, Samir, Haeften, Shanice V., Akinlade, Oluwaseun, Tong, Jingyang, Dinglasan, Eric, Voss‐Fels, Kai P., Potgieter, Andries B., Borrell, Andrew K., Makhoul, Manar, Obermeier, Christian, Snowdon, Rod, Mace, Emma, Jordan, David R. and Hickey, Lee T. (2024). Mapping quantitative trait loci for seminal root angle in a selected durum wheat population. The Plant Genome, 18 (1) e20490, e20490. doi: 10.1002/tpg2.20490
Kang, Yichen, Rambla, Charlotte, Haeften, Shanice V., Fu, Brendan, Akinlade, Oluwaseun, Potgieter, Andries B., Borrell, Andrew K., Mace, Emma, Jordan, David R., Alahmad, Samir and Hickey, Lee T. (2024). Seminal root angle is associated with root system architecture in durum wheat. Food and Energy Security, 13 (4) e570. doi: 10.1002/fes3.570
Van Haeften, Shanice, Campbell, Bradley C., Milic, Andelija, Addison-Smith, Elizabeth, Al Kouba, Jane, Huete, Alfredo, Beggs, Paul J. and Davies, Janet M. (2024). Environmental DNA analysis of airborne poaceae (grass) pollen reveals taxonomic diversity across seasons and climate zones. Environmental Research, 247 117983, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117983
Van Haeften, Shanice, Kang, Yichen, Dudley, Caitlin, Potgieter, Andries, Robinson, Hannah, Dinglasan, Eric, Wenham, Kylie, Noble, Thomas, Kelly, Lisa, Douglas, Colin A, Hickey, Lee and Smith, Millicent R (2024). Fusarium wilt constrains mungbean yield due to reduction in source availability. AoB Plants, 16 (2) plae021, plae021. doi: 10.1093/aobpla/plae021
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). Featured cover. Food and Energy Security, 12 (6). doi: 10.1002/fes3.516
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
Campbell, B. C., Van Haeften, S., Massel, K., Milic, A., Al Kouba, J., Addison-Smith, B., Gilding, E. K., Beggs, P. J. and Davies, J. M. (2023). Metabarcoding airborne pollen from subtropical and temperate eastern Australia over multiple years reveals pollen aerobiome diversity and complexity. Science of the Total Environment, 862 160585, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160585
Davies, Janet M., Smith, Beth Addison, Milic, Andelija, Campbell, Bradley, Van Haeften, Shanice, Burton, Pamela, Keaney, Benedict, Lampugnani, Edwin R., Vicendese, Don, Medek, Danielle, Huete, Alfredo, Erbas, Bircan, Newbigin, Edward, Katelaris, Constance H., Haberle, Simon G. and Beggs, Paul J. (2022). The AusPollen partnership project: allergenic airborne grass pollen seasonality and magnitude across temperate and subtropical eastern Australia, 2016–2020. Environmental Research, 214 113762, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113762
Milic, Andelija, Addison-Smith, Beth, Van Haeften, Shanice and Davies, Janet M. (2021). Analysis of quality control outcomes of grass pollen identification and enumeration: experience matters. Aerobiologia, 37 (4), 797-808. doi: 10.1007/s10453-021-09723-6
Van Haeften, Shanice, Milic, Andelija, Addison‐Smith, Beth, Butcher, Christopher and Davies, Janet Mary (2021). Grass Gazers: Using citizen science as a tool to facilitate practical and online science learning for secondary school students during the COVID‐19 lockdown. Ecology and Evolution, 11 (8), 3488-3500. doi: 10.1002/ece3.6948
Addison-Smith, Beth, Milic, Andelija, Dwarakanath, Divya, Simunovic, Marko, Van Haeften, Shanice, Timbrell, Victoria and Davies, Janet M. (2021). Medium-term increases in ambient grass pollen between 1994-1999 and 2016-2020 in a subtropical climate zone. Frontiers in Allergy, 2 705313. doi: 10.3389/falgy.2021.705313
Conference Papers
Davies, J., Van Haeften, S., Campbell, B., Milic, A., Addison-Smith, B., Al Kouba, J., Huete, A. and Beggs, P. (2023). The eDNA analysis of airborne grass pollen from subtropical and temperate sites reveals spatiotemporal variability in subfamily and genus diversity. Annual Hybrid Congress of the European-Academy-of-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology (EAACI), Hamburg, Germany, 9-11 June 2023. Chichester, West Sussex United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.
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.
Kang, Y., Alahmad, S., Smith, D., van Haeften, S., Rambla, C., Meer, S.V., Smith, M., Christopher, J., Chenu K, Able, J.A., Voss-Fels, K.P., Jordan, D.R., Borrell, A.K., Chapman, S., Potgieter, A.B., Wasson, A. and Hickey, L.T. (2022). Exploring the potential of using UAV phenotyping platforms to support breeding for improved root systems. 7th International Plant Phenotyping Symposium, Wageningen, Netherlands, 27-30 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thesis
Van Haeften, Shanice (2025). New insight and tools to increase yield potential and reliability in mungbean. PhD Thesis, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/609d7d0
Research Report
Carpenter, Lauren, D'Cunha, Kelly, Fillmore, Naomi, McGregor, Kari and Van Haeften, Shanice (2022). Investigating the global forces of change impacting migration: technical report. Global Change Scholars Program Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/381e753
Data Collections
Van Haeften, Shanice (2025). Mungbean UAV Prediction Methodology Dataset. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/20cffed
Van Haeften, Shanice (2024). Mungbean Fusarium Dataset. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/39782c7
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