Research interests:

Cereals are among of the most important crops in Mediterranean area. Lack of water and nitrogen together with salinity limits their productivity. Genetic improvement contributes with better adapted varieties to these environmental limitations. For that reason it is necessary to exploit the genetic variability of these crops, looking for traits and protocols that help to detect phenotypic adaptation to different stresses, as well as to better understand the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved.

Current research projects:

European Projects: “Breeding to Optimize Chinese Agriculture” (OPTICHINA), FP7 EC Cooperation (2011-2014), “Adaptation to Climate Change of the Mediterranean Agricultural Systems” (ACLIMAS). EuropeAid/131046/C/ACT/Multi. Sustainable Water Integrated Management (SWIM) – Demonstration Projects. European Commission (2012-2014).

Spanish Projects: “Fenotipeado de Precisión a Gran Escala en Trigo Duro: Bases Fisiológicas y Herramientas de Seleccion” AGL2013-44147-R (2014-2017). Grupo de Investigación Consolidado: “Ecofisiología de cultivos mediterráneos”. SGR2014-00628. AGAUR, Generalitat de Catalunya (2014-2016). Colaboración España – China en investigación sobre cereales mejor adaptados al cambio climático Acciones Complementarias Internacionales (ACI). Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (2011-2014).

Recent publications:

Serret M.D., Trillas M.I., Matas J., Araus J.L. 1996. Development of photoautotrophy and Photoinhibition of Gardenia jasminoides plantlets during micropropagation. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 45: 1-16

Serret, M.D., Trillas, M., Matas, J., Araus, J.L 1997. The effect of different closure types, light, and sucrose concentrations on carbon isotope composition and growth of Gardenia jasminoides plantlets during micropropagation and subsequent acclimation ex vitro. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 47:217-230.

Serret, M.D., Trillas, M.I. 2000. Effects of light and sucrose levels on the anatomy, ultrastructure, and photosynthesis of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis leaflets cultured in vitro. International Journal of Plant Science 161: 181-189

Araus, J.L., Slafer, G.A., Royo, C., Serret, M.D. 2008. Breeding for Yield Potential and Stress Adaptation in Cereals. Critical Reviews in Plant Science, 27:1–36.

Yousfi, S., Serret, M. D.,and Araus, J. L. 2009. Shoot δ15N gives a better reflection than ion concentration or Δ13C of genotypic differences in the response of durum wheat to salinity. Functional Plant Biology 36, 1–12.

Yousfi, S., Serret, M.D., Voltas, J., Araus, J.L. 2010. Effect of salinity and water stress during the reproductive stage on growth, ion concentrations, Δ13C and δ15N of durum wheat and related amphiploids. Journal of Experimental Botany 61, 3529–3542.

Araus, J.L.,Serret, M.D.,Edmeades, G.O. 2012. Phenotyping maize for adaptation to drought. Frontiers in Physiology. D.O.I. 10.3389/FPHYS.2012.00305

Elazab, A.,Molero, G.,Serret, M.D.,Araus, J.L. 2012. Root traïts and d13C and d18O of durum wheat under different water regimes. Functional Plant Biology 39, 379-393.

Yousfi, S., Serret, M.D., Araus, J.L. 2013 Comparative response of δ13C, δ18O and δ15N in durum wheat exposed to salinity at the vegetative and reproductive stages. Plant Cell &Environment, 36, 1214-1227.

Fernández, E., Thaw, S., Brown, T.A.,Arroyo-Pardo, E., Buxó, R.,Serret, M.D., Araus, J.L.(2013) DNA DNA analysis in charred grains of naked wheat from several archaeological sites in Spain. Journal of Archaeological Sciences 40,659-670.

Araus, J.L., Cabrera-Bosquet, Ll., Serret, M.D., Bort, J., Nieto-Taladriz, M.T. 2013. Comparativetive performance of δ13C, δ18O and δ15N for phenotyping durum wheat adaptation to a dryland environment. Functional Plant Biology 40, 595-608.

Lopes, M.S.,Iglesia-Turiño, S.,Cabrera-Bosquet, L.,Serret, M.D.,Bort, J.,Febrero, A.,Araus, J.L. 2011 Molecular and physiological mechanisms associated with root exposition to mercury in barley. Metallomics, 5(9) 1305-1315.

Sanchez-Bragado, R.,Elazab, A.,Zhou, B.,Serret, M.D. ,Bort, J.,Nieto-Taladriz, M.T.,Araus, J.L. 2013 Contribution of the ear and the flag leaf to grain filling in durum wheat inferred from the carbon isotope signature: genotypic and growing conditions effects. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology D.O.I.: D.O.I. 10.1111/JIPB.12106.

Zhou B., Sanz-Saez, A., Elazab, A., Shen, T., Sanchez-Bragado, R., Bort, J., Serret M.D., Araus, .J.L. 2014. Physiological Traits Related to the Recent Increase in Yield Potential of Winter Wheat from Henan Province, China. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 56 (5): 492-504.

Sánchez-Bragado, R., Elazab, A., Zhou, B., Serret, M.D, Bort, J., Nieto-Taladriz, M.T., Araus, J.L. 2014. Contribution of the ear and the flag leaf to grain filling in durum wheat inferred from the carbon isotope signature: Genotypic and growing conditions effects. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 56 (5): 444-454.

Del Pozo, A., Matus, I., Serret, M.D., Araus, J.L. 2014 Agronomic and physiological traits associated with the breeding advance of Chilean wheats under high-productive Mediterranean conditions. Environmental and Experimental Botany 103 180-189.

Jauregui, I., Aroca, R., Garnica, M., Zamarreño, A.M., Garcia-Mina, J.M.,  Serret, M.D > Parry, M., Irigoyen, J.J., Aranjuelo, I. 2015. Nitrogen assimilation and transpiration, key processes conditioning responsiveness of wheat to elevated [CO2] and temperature. Physiologia Plantarum doi:10.1111/ppl.12345.

Khaled, A., Bort, J., Zhou, B., Serret, M.D., Nieto-Taládriz, M.T., Araus, J.L. 2015. The combined use of vegetation indices and stable isotopes to predict durum wheat grain yield under contrasting water conditions. Agricultural Water Management 158, 196-208.

Yousfi, S., Márquez, J.A., Betti, M., Araus, J.L., Serret, M.D.2015. Gene expression and physiological responses to salinity and water stress of contrasting durum wheat genotypes. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology doi: 10.1111/jipb.12359