Research interests

• Physical, physiochemical and biochemical analysis and evaluation of pulse seeds for quality, nutrition, health and processing attributes 
• Quality improvement in pulse crops by breeding better varieties 
• Market requirements/preferences for pulse seed quality 
• Post-harvest discolouration and darkening of faba beans 
• Milling performance of desi chickpeas 
• Health benefits of pulses
• Utilisation of pulses in new food products (including functional foods)
• Taste and texture of cooked pulses (sensory analysis)
• Increasing consumption of pulses to reduce the incidence of lifestyle diseases in Australia

Background

Jenny Wood heads the pulse quality research program at the Industry & Investment NSW Tamworth Agricultural Institute. The Pulse Quality Laboratory is ISO9001 Certified providing quality screening services to numerous pulse breeders around the country and researching issues of importance to the Australian pulse industry.

Since joining NSW Agriculture* in 1995 she has managed research projects in both cereal and pulse crops. Between 1995 and 1997, she performed research to improve the quality and utilisation of Australian durum wheat, and developed methods to assess cooked spaghetti quality. In 1997, Jenny was appointed Chemist (Pulse Quality) researching post harvest and processing qualities of pulse seeds and has been the leader of several research projects. Jenny was recently awarded a GRDC travel award to tour Canadian pulse research facilities, supported by both Pulse Australia and Pulse Canada. She is associated with the release of 20 pulse cultivars from pulse breeding programs nationally (14 desi chickpea, 3 kabuli chickpea and 3 faba bean). Jenny has contributed to three chapters in an international chickpea reference book and published scientific research in numerous peer-reviewed journals. She currently supervises a PhD student (Ms Siem Siah; Charles Sturt University) researching the health benefits of phenolics from faba beans and has several other project proposals in the pipeline.

*The NSW Department of Primary Industries and its former agencies - NSW Agriculture, NSW Fisheries, State Forests of NSW and the NSW Department of Mineral Resources - became a part of Industry & Investment NSW on July 1, 2009.

Qualifications

• B.Sc. (Chem) – University of New England 1995 
• PhD – University of New England (in progress)

Current projects

• Breeding high quality desi chickpea for Australia
• Breeding high quality faba bean for Australia
• National Variety Trial (NVT) testing for chickpea, faba bean, field pea and lupin
• Development of seed shape methodology and implications of the roundness gene on chickpea quality, particularly milling performance 
• Discolouration/darkening of faba bean seeds post harvest and during storage and transport 
• The adherence of seed coat-to-cotyledon and/or cotyledon-to-cotyledon in chickpea and its impact on decortication and splitting performance during milling
• Health benefits of phenolics and other bioactive components found naturally in pulses
• Sensory attributes of desi chickpea dhal and dun field pea splits
• Development of functional food pasta

Recent Publications

Contributing author of the Winter Crop Variety Sowing Guide 2010. Industry & Investment NSW, Orange, p 69-94 [Section 4].

Knights EJ, Wood JA and Harden S (2010) A gene influencing seed shape of desi type chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Journal of Plant Breeding (in press).

Wood JA (2010) Improve your health – eat more pulses. In: Agriculture Today (March 2010). Industry & Investment NSW, Orange, p 13.

Wood JA (2009) The texture, processing and organoleptic properties of chickpea fortified spaghetti with insights to the underlying mechanisms of traditional durum pasta quality. Journal of Cereal Science 49:128-133.

Siah SD, Agboola S, Wood J and Blanchard C (2008) Polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity of faba bean cultivars grown in Australia. Cereals 2008. Proceedings of the Cereal Chemistry Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.

Wood JA and Keir CF (2008) A simple method to compare seed shape in chickpea (Cicer arietinum). Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 78:1048-1052.

Wood JA, Knights EJ and Harden S (2008) Milling performance in desi type chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): Effects of genotype, environment and seed size. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 88:108-115.

Wood JA and Grusak MA (2007) Nutritional Value of Chickpea. In: Yadav, S.S., et al (eds) Chickpea Breeding and Management. CABI, Wallingford, pp 101-142.

Muzquiz M and Wood JA (2007) Antinutritional Factors. In: Yadav, S.S., et al (eds) Chickpea Breeding and Management. CABI, Wallingford, pp 143-166.

Dusunceli F, Wood JA, Gupta A, Yadav M, and Yadav SS (2007) International Trade. In: Yadav SS et al (eds) Chickpea Breeding and Management. CABI, Wallingford, pp 562-582.

Wood JA and Harden S (2006) A method to estimate the hydration and swelling properties of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.). Journal of Food Science 71(4):E190-195.

Knights T, Ryan M, Thompson J, Hobson K, Materne M, Khan T, Clarke H, Moore K and Wood J (2005) Review of Chickpea Breeding in Australia. In: Knights, T. and Ryan, M. (eds) Proceedings of Focus 2005: Chickpeas in farming systems – a national conference on chickpeas in farming systems, Goondiwindi, 2005. Pulse Australia, Sydney, pp 20-31.

Wood JA (2004) RVA Viscosity of Chickpea Flours. The Technical Journal of Newport Scientific 1:1.

Wood JA, Knights EJ and Harden S (2002) Quality attributes of Cicer echinospermum derivatives compared with domesticated desi chickpea cultivars. In Cereals 2002: Proceedings of the 52nd Australian Cereal Chemistry Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand, pp 264-268.

Wood JA, Knights EJ (2002) Weather damage in desi chickpea. In Golden Past, Brilliant Future: Proceedings of the 51st Australian Cereal Chemistry Conference, Sydney, 2001, pp 40-42.

Wood JA, Batey IL, Hare RA, Sissons MJ (2001) A comparison of Australian and imported spaghettis. Food Australia, 53(8):349-354.

Wood JA (2000) Chickpea fortified pasta - a preliminary study. In Cereals Health and Life - technology for the new millennium: Proceedings of the 11th international Cereal & Bread Congress incorporating the 50th Australian Cereal Chemistry Conference, Surfers Paradise, pp 212-215.

Professional associations and activities

• Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Cereal Chemistry Division Member
• Australian Chickpea Quality Industry Reference Group, Founding member
• Australian Faba Bean Quality Industry Reference Group, Member
• American Association of Cereal Chemists International (AACCi), Member

Fields of Research

• 070303 Crop and Pasture Biochemistry and Physiology
• 070305 Crop and Pasture Improvement (Selection and Breeding)
• 070307 Crop and Pasture Post Harvest Technologies (incl. Transportation and Storage)
• 030101 Analytical Spectrometry
• 060106 Cellular Interactions (incl. Adhesion, Matrix, Cell Wall)
• 090803 Food Nutritional Balance
• 090899 Food Sciences not elsewhere classified 

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Pulses, edible grain legumes
• Chickpea, Cicer arietinum L.
• Faba bean, Vicia faba L.
• Seed quality improvement
• Milling, dehulling, decortication, splitting
• Hydration, cooking
• Discolouration, discoloration, darkening
• Nutritional value
• Marketing, international trading
• Innovative food products, functional foods
• Utilisation of industrial waste products from pulse processing
• Sensory analysis, taste, texture, aroma, appearance