2011 Vavilov-Frankel Fellowship winners announced

Thi Thu Huyen Bui

Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.)) is a traditional legume food crop in Vietnam as in much of Asia. One of the most serious diseases threatening its cultivation in Vietnam is mungbean yellow mosaic disease (MYMD), which causes yield losses of 20-70%. Chemical control of the disease is not practical and poses high risks to the environment. Therefore, the identification of sources of resistance and the development and use of resistant varieties could offer a more effective and sustainable way to manage the disease. 

Thi Thu Huyen Bui’s research will be a first attempt to identify the virus species and strains causing MYMD in Vietnam and to compare them to those from other countries. It is also the starting point for identifying MYMD resistance in the Vietnamese mungbean collection and the subsequent development of virus-resistant breeding lines. Huyen expects her research to make a significant contribution toward the selection and development of improved MYMD-resistant mungbean lines, ultimately benefiting the small-scale farmers and consumers in Vietnam through the sustainable and environment-friendly cultivation of resistant varieties.
 
Huyen will carry out her research at AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center, at its HQ in Taiwan and Regional Center for South Asia/India, and also at the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, Queensland Government, Warwick, Queensland, Australia. Her fellowship is supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation in Australia.