Her passion for plant breeding leads to new insights into crops disease resistance

For Su Myat Noe, defending her doctoral thesis was a milestone and an enjoyable experience.

“The opponent, the examination committee, my supervisors and people from the department were all there. I felt that I was not alone,” she says.

She especially appreciated the discussions that followed her presentation.

“It was a good dialogue with both the opponent and the examination committee. It was actually pretty fun.”

From Myanmar to SLU

Su Myat Noe's interest in plant breeding began in Myanmar, where she studied agricultural science and developed a fascination for sustainable crop improvement.

“I believe plant breeding is one of the most sustainable approaches. Instead of relying heavily on chemicals, we can develop varieties that are naturally resistant to diseases,” she says.

After completing her studies, Su Myat Noe worked for five years as an assistant scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and two years as a programme officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

A scholarship (European Master Program in Plant Breeding - emPLANT+) brought her to SLU to study plant biology and sustainable production. Here, she met her future supervisor, Aakash Chawade, and found a research group whose work closely matched her growing interest in quantitative resistance breeding.

The data speaks

Su Myat Noe studies the genetic basis of disease resistance in spring barley populations. By connecting disease responses to specific DNA regions, she hopes to provide breeders with tools to develop more resilient crops.

One of the highlights of her research has been discovering clear links between genetics and plant performance.

“When I saw that a specific DNA region was responsible for a certain phenotype, I was very excited. The data never lie. Whenever I got that kind of result, I felt that all the hard work was worth it,” she says.

Her findings could help breeders identify resistant plants more efficiently and support the development of stronger spring barley varieties in the future.

Solving experimental challenges

Like many research projects, Su Myat Noe's work required adapting methods to different experimental conditions.

A key challenge was analysing highly diverse spring barley material, including gene bank accessions and advanced breeding lines, and interpreting their disease responses as a whole.

Much of the work was also carried out in collaboration with partners in greenhouse environments that required different approaches compared with the controlled facilities at SLU. 

“What worked in the controlled facilities at SLU did not always work in the greenhouse,” she explains.

“Sometimes we aimed for the plants to become infected, but they did not. Other times, infection occurred when we did not want it.”

The team gradually refined and adjusted their protocols until they found a working approach.

What comes next?

Su Myat Noe is already focusing on her next steps. A scientific article based on her research has been submitted and is currently under review, and she is planning a review paper on disease resistance breeding in spring barley.

She hopes to continue her research career.

“I am really interested in staying in academia,” she says.

Looking back on her journey, Su Myat Noe shares a message for current master's and doctoral students.

“In research there will be failures and successes, but we do not need to give up. There is always a solution, you just have to find it.”

She emphasises that researchers never work entirely on their own.

“We have supervisors, departments and a research community that are ready to help and support us. By sharing knowledge and experience, we can overcome challenges together.”

The thesis: Genome-wide analysis of quantitative disease resistance in spring barley

Su Myat Noe takes part in the SLU Grogrund projects Low cost genomic selection, Better barley and Breeding for disease resistant crops.