Charity Chidzanga
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher and Assistant Faba bean breeder at the Waite Campus, University of Adelaide. My work is focused on the development and commercial release of new faba bean varieties with improved nutritional characteristics suitable for use in global food and feed markets.
There is a growing interest in plant-based proteins driven by rising health consciousness, the need for sustainable food production and strategies to reduce climate change. In Australia, the plant-based protein industry is a rapidly growing opportunity estimated to be worth $6 billion by 2030. Faba bean has higher protein content than most other pulses and is recognised internationally as a promising sustainable source of high-quality plant-based proteins.
I have a particular interest in discovering target quality traits in diverse germplasm and utilising conventional plant breeding methods and modern genomic techniques to incorporate these traits into locally adapted, disease resistant plants, to develop elite faba bean varieties that are safe and suitable for the plant-based protein industry.
I gained my BSc (Hons) in Agriculture from the University of Zimbabwe, MSc Plant Sciences (Plant breeding and genetic resources) from Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands and PhD in Plant Breeding and Genetics from The University of Adelaide, Australia. I am a recipient of the prestigious NUFFIC (the Netherlands) and Australian Research Council Wheat Hub (Australia) scholarships and an alumnus of the University of California Davis African Plant Breeding Academy.
Evaluation and assessment of protein quantity and quality in faba beans
Genetic diversity is essential for the success of crop improvement programs. Efficiently identifying and incorporating genetic diversity in a breeding program enhances desirable traits resulting in high-performing varieties that can meet the needs of both growers and consumers. In this project, I aim to evaluate over 4,000 faba bean accessions for protein content and quality. The project also aims to do functional and biochemical characterisation of the faba bean proteins and flavour molecules involved in sensory perception as a means to identify and define key traits that influence the quantity and quality of faba bean proteins. This research will lead to the identification of key breeding target traits and accessions with desirable protein quantity and quality that can be incorporated into the faba bean breeding program to develop varieties with high consumer acceptance.
Improving Faba bean quality through the development of varieties with low vicine/convicine content
The use of faba bean as a sustainable plant protein source is constrained by the presence of vicine and convicine (v-c) in their cotyledons. v-c can cause favism, an acute haemolytic anaemia that can occur in 4% of the human population. Low v-c varieties prevent favism in susceptible individuals thus making faba bean a safe, high protein and relatively cheap raw material with acceptable functionality and low undesirable flavours for the emerging Australian plant-based protein food and feed industry. In this project, I aim to apply the marker assisted backcross breeding method to accelerate the development and commercialisation of elite faba bean varieties with low v-c.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2023 - ongoing Post Doctoral Reseacher University of Adelaide -
Language Competencies
Language Competency English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review Shona Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review Swahili Can speak and understand spoken -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2018 - 2022 University of Adelaide Australia PhD 2011 - 2013 Wageningen University & Research Netherlands MSc Plant Sciences 2006 - 2010 University of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe BSc Honours Agriculture -
Postgraduate Training
Date Title Institution Country 2015 - 2016 African Plant Breeding Academy University of California, Davis United States -
Research Interests
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Journals
Year Citation 2023 Mutari, B., Sibiya, J., Shayanowako, A., Chidzanga, C., Matova, P. M., & Gasura, E. (2023). Genome-wide association mapping for component traits of drought tolerance in dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). PLoS One, 18(5), e0278500-1-e0278500-31.
Scopus3 WoS1 Europe PMC22022 Chidzanga, C., Mullan, D., Roy, S., Baumann, U., & Garcia, M. (2022). Nested association mapping-based GWAS for grain yield and related traits in wheat grown under diverse Australian environments. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 135(12), 4437-4456.
Scopus9 WoS2 Europe PMC62021 Chidzanga, C., Fleury, D., Baumann, U., Mullan, D., Watanabe, S., Kalambettu, P., . . . de Oliveira Santos Garcia, M. (2021). Development of an Australian bread wheat nested association mapping population, a new genetic diversity resource for breeding under dry and hot climates. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(9), 4348-1-4348-18.
Scopus6 WoS5 Europe PMC42021 Ferguson, M. E., Tumwegamire, S., Chidzanga, C., Shah, T., Mtunda, K., Kulembeka, H., . . . Mkamilo, G. (2021). Collection, genotyping and virus elimination of cassava landraces from Tanzania and documentation of farmer knowledge. PLoS ONE, 16(8), 21 pages.
Scopus4 WoS3 Europe PMC12020 Schaart, J. G., Salentijn, E. M., Goryunova, S. V., Chidzanga, C., Esselink, D. G., Gosman, N., . . . Smulders, M. J. (2020). Exploring the alpha-gliadin locus: the 33-mer peptide with six overlapping coeliac disease epitopes in Triticum aestivum is derived from a subgroup of Aegilops tauschii.. Plant J, 106(1), 86-94.
Scopus7 WoS6 Europe PMC42017 Chidzanga, C., Muzawazi, F., Midzi, J., & Hove, T. (2017). Production and use of haploids and doubled haploid in maize breeding: A review. African Journal of Plant Breeding, 4(4), 201-213. -
Datasets
Year Citation - Chidzanga, C., Garcia, M., Baumann, U., Fleury, D., Chalmers, K., Kalambettu, P., & Watanabe, S. (n.d.). OzNAM raw phenotype and genotype data sets.
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