Maria Antonia Henriquez, Ph.D.

Image Maria Antonia Henriquez
Research Scientist - Cereal, Oilseed and Pulse Pathology

Plant pathologist for Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) and leaf spot diseases in wheat.

Current research and/or projects

​​​​I am leading and/or collaborating in several projects involving multidisciplinary teams focused on pathology, breeding, agronomy, genetics and genomics of important traits in wheat.

  • 4DWheat: Diversity, Domestication, Discovery, Delivery
  • Mitigating Emerging Threats to Wheat  
  • An integrated approach for enhancing Fusarium head blight resistance
  • A pre-breeding platform for Canadian wheat improvement
  • Novel FHB resistance genes
  • Genetics and Improvement of FHB
  • Agronomy Cluster - Soybean and Corn Cropping Systems Integrated Crop Agronomy Cluster
  • Wheat Cluster Activities: CWRS Eastern Prairies: Breeding field ready Canada Western Red Spring cultivars for the Eastern Prairies, Developing Canadian Western Red Spring Wheat Varieties for Northern Areas, Breeding Improved Canada Western Amber Durum Cultivars, CWRS Western Prairies for drought and heat stress, Breeding improved CPS_red cultivars, Development of Canada Prairie Spring - Red (CPSR) Cultivars for Western Canada, Development of Field-Ready Cultivars of Canada Western Soft White Spring (CWSWS) Wheat
  • Public-Private Wheat Disease
  • Toward a Prairie Biovigilance Network
  • Crop sequences and FHB in western Canada
  • The population structure of Fusarium pathogens of small grain cereals, their distribution and relationship to mycotoxins

Research and/or project statements

My research program strives to find innovative and sustainable technologies to enhance genetic resistance and management strategies for Fusarium head blight (FHB) and leaf spot diseases in wheat. In addition, I manage a large  wheat FHB nursery, and screen cultivars proposed for registration, wheat germplasm, mapping populations, and provides data for all collaborators across Canada and abroad. I also research the occurrence, pathogenicity and genetic population structure of Fusarium head blight (FHB) and leaf spot pathogens in  wheat in Manitoba. 

Education and awards

EDUCATION

 Ph.D. Plant Pathology.

 M.Sc. Plant Breeding.

 B.Sc. Agronomy.

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • Visiting Fellowship in Canadian Government Laboratories Program. May 2011-May 2014
  • Douglas L. Campbell Graduate Fellowship. University of Manitoba. 2007-2009.
  • University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF). University of Manitoba. 2007-2009.
  • International Graduate Student Scholarship (IGSS). University of Manitoba. January - December 2007.  
  • International Graduate Student Entrance Scholarship (IGSES). University of Manitoba. January -  December, 2006.
  • ORPA (Outstanding Research Publication Award) 2002. 
  • Postgraduate scholarship for obtaining the highest GPA of all graduates at the National University of Colombia (Palmira) in the year 2000.
  • Graduation with honours for achieving the highest GPA of all Agronomy's graduates at the National University of Colombia (Palmira) in the year 2000.
  • Laureate Thesis Award for the undergraduate thesis “Genetic diversity of Phaeoisariopsis griseola (sacc.) Ferraris using molecular markers”. National University of Colombia (Palmira).

 

International experience and/or work

Collaborative research projects with colleagues in many countries including United States, United Kingdom, Mexico and Norway.

Key publications

  1. S. Sura, M.A. Henriquez, S. Walkowiak, D.A. Kaminski, A. Kirk, M.W. Sumarah, N. Kepeshchuk, J. Carlson, P. de Rocquigny and H. Derksen, “NX-Toxins from Fusarium graminearum isolates in western Canada”, Poster Presentation, World Mycotoxin Forum, 14th Conference, Antwerp, Belgium, Oct 9-11, 2023.

    2023 - View publication details

  2. S. Sura, M.A. Henriquez, S. Walkowiak, D.A. Kaminski, A. Kirk, M.W. Sumarah, N. Kepeshchuk, J. Carlson, P. de Rocquigny and H. Derksen, “NX-Toxins from Fusarium graminearum isolates in western Canada”, Poster Presentation, World Mycotoxin Forum, 14th Conference, Antwerp, Belgium, Oct 9-11, 2023.

    2023 - View publication details

  3. 71st Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics,

    2023 - View publication details

  4. Srinivas Sura, Micaela Gray, Jules Carlson, Xiben Wang, Maria Antonia Henriquez, Analytical method for multimycotoxin analysis in cereal grains using an Orbitrap Tribrid Mass Spectrometer, Poster Presentation, American Society of Mass Spectrometry, held in Houston, TX, USA, Jun 4-8, 2023.

    2023 - View publication details

  5. http://umanitoba.ca/agricultural-food-sciences/sites/agricultural-food-sciences/files/2022-11/MOHR%20-%20POSTER%20ABSTRACT.pdf

    2022 - View publication details

  6. Cloutier S, Fedak G, Fatima F, Bartaula S, McCallum B, Henriquez MA, Blackwell B, Aboukhaddour R, Foster A, Hiebert C, Humphreys G, McCartney C, Pozniak C, You F (2022) Tapping into wild relatives to improve wheat. ProciNorte Disease Task Force Webinars - Wheat & Grapes: Mitigating the effects brought on by climate change, Sept 13 & 15, Virtual (oral – invited)

    2022 - View publication details

  7. Cloutier S, Fedak G, Fatima F, Bartaula S, McCallum B, Henriquez MA, Blackwell B, Aboukhaddour R, Foster A, Hiebert C, Humphreys G, Mccartney C, Pozniak C, You F (2022) Wheat Pre-breeding: the struggle(s) and potential. Proc. 37th Plant Sciences Graduate Students’ Symposium 2022, March 4-5, Virtual (oral)

    2022 - View publication details

  8. Cloutier S, Fedak G, Fatima F, Bartaula S, McCallum B, Henriquez MA, Blackwell B, Aboukhaddour R, Foster A, Hiebert C, Humphreys G, McCartney C, Pozniak C, You F (2021) The challenges and promises of pre-breeding. Can Soc Plant Biol – Eastern Regional Meeting. Virtual, Nov 27 (oral keynote plenary)

    2021 - View publication details

  9. 3. Cao W, Humphreys G, Kang-Choi M, Langille L, Cloutier S, Xue A, Blackwell B, Henriquez M-A, and Yan W (2020) Evaluation for new sources of Fusarium head blight resistance in hexaploid and tetraploid wheat. Virtual poster presentation and abstract presented at 2020 Nat. FHB Forum (Virtual) 7-11 Dec. 2020.

    2020 - View publication details

  10. Dovell C, Ryabova D, Badea A, Graf R, Randhawa H, Spaner D, Hucl P, Henriquez MA,*Foroud NA. Development of mutant wheat populations under selection pressure for Fusarium head blight resistance. 41st Annual Meeting of the Plant Pathology Society of Alberta. On-line meeting, November 4-5, 2020.

    2020 - View publication details

  11. Dhariwal, R., Henriquez, M.A., Hiebert, C., McCartney, C.A., Randhawa, H.S. (2020). Mapping of major fusarium head blight resistance from canadian wheat cv. Aac tenacious. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, [online] 21(12), 1-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms21124497

    2020 - View publication details

  12. Wenguang Cao, Gavin Humphreys, Minkyung Kang-Choi, Linda Langille, Sylvie Cloutier, Allen Xue, Barbara Blackwell and Maria Antonia Henriquez (2020) Evaluation for new sources of Fusarium head blight resistance in hexaploid and tetraploid wheat Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Fusarium Head Blight. Banff, Canada March 23-26 2020

    2020 - View publication details

  13. Kim, Y.M., Henriquez, M.A., McLaren, D.L., Conner, R.L., Chang, K.F., Hwang, S.F., Gossen, B.D., and Strelkov, S.E. (2019) Fusarium species affecting field pea, dry bean and soybean in Manitoba. In Program and Abstracts. The 2019 Bean Improvement Cooperative and North American Pulse Improvement Association Biennial Meetings. November 6-8, 2019, Fargo, ND. Page 62.

    2019 - View publication details

  14. Humphreys G, Cao W, Kalikililo A, Langille L, Henriquez MA, Blackwell B, Fedak G, Cloutier S (2019) Uncovering useful variability for agronomics and disease resistance within a diverse wheat collection. Proc 1st International Wheat Congress, Saskatoon, July 21-27, P 447 (poster)

    2019 - View publication details

  15. Berraies, S., Cuthbert, R., Knox, R.E., Bokore, F., Ruan, Y., Xiao Fu, B., Henriquez, M.A., Burt, A., Kumar, S., Pozniak, C., N’Diaye, A., Sangha, J., and Meyer, B. 2019. Challenges of trait complexes in spring wheat breeding. 1st International Wheat Congress Saskatoon, Canada, July 21-26, 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

  16. Zhang, W., Yu, B., Hsueh, M., Sidebottom, C., Gao, P., Polley, B., Baumann, A., Lokuruge, P., Konkin, D., Knox, R., Pozniak, C., Cuthbert, R., Ruan, Y., McCallum, B., Henriquez, M.A., K Boyle, K., Fobert, P., and Sharpe, A. 2019. Canadian wheat-nam (cannam): a powerful resource for the wheat research community. 1st International Wheat Congress, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, July 21-26, 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

  17. Zhang, W., Ruan, Y., Knox, R.E., Berraies, S., Campbell, H.L., Ragupathy, R., Boyle, K., Polley, B., Henriquez, M.A., Burt, A., Kumar, S., Cuthbert, R.D., Fobert, P.R., Buerstmayr, H., and DePauw, R. 2019. Genome wide association analysis to characterize Fusarium head blight resistance in durum wheat. 1st International Wheat Congress, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, July 21-26, 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

  18. Berraies, S., Cuthbert, R., Knox, R.E., Ruan, Y., Henriquez, M.A., Burt, A., Kumar, S., Pozniak, C., N’Diaye, A. 2019. Quantitative trait loci associated with resistance to fusarium head blight in a CDC hughes x AAC concord derived wheat population. 1st International Wheat Congress Saskatoon, Canada, July 21-26, 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

  19. Brar, G.S., Brûlé-Babel, A.L., Ruan, Y., Henriquez, M.A., Pozniak, C.J., Kutcher, H.R., and Hucl, P.J. 2019. Genetic factors affecting Fusarium head blight resistance improvement and linkage drag from introgression of exotic sumai 3 alleles (including FHB1, FHB2, and FHB5) in hard red spring wheat. 1st International Wheat Congress, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, July 21-26, 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

  20. Fatima F, Edwards T, Hiebert C, McCartney C, McCallum B, Henriquez MA, Humphreys G, Cao W, Fedak G, You FM, Cloutier S (2019) Diversity analysis of wheat and wild relatives using the wheat 90K Infinium array. Proc 1st International Wheat Congress, Saskatoon, July 21-27, P217 (poster)

    2019 - View publication details

Research facility

Route 100, Unit 100-101
Morden, MB R6M 1Y5
Canada

Affiliations

  • Member, Prairie Grain Development Committee: Wheat, Rye & Triticale Recommending Committee (PRCWRT )
  • Chair of the Fusarium head blight (FHB) Sub-committee in Disease Evaluation Team for the PRCWRT
  • Member, Canadian Phytopathological Society
  • Member International Cooperation Committee, Canadian Phytopathological Society
  • Financial Advisory Committee of the Canadian Phytopathological Society.
  • Member of the International Bioeconomy Forum AAFC Plant Health Advisory Group
  • Member of the North American Wheat Alliance (NAWA)
  • Member of the Food and Feed Safety Working Group
  • Adjunct Professor in the Department of Plant Science - University of Manitoba.

Language

English

Other languages

Spanish