Julian Heyes

Research Leader, post-harvest

Julian obtained his doctorate in Plant Physiology in 1984 from the University of Oxford.  He lectured for four years (1985-1989) at the University of Zimbabwe in all areas of Plant Physiology before returning to New Zealand to join the post-harvest group of what became the NZ Institute for Crop and Food Research (CFR). 

He is now Research Leader for a group of post-harvest scientists that includes physiologists, biochemists and molecular biologists.  They work on fundamental aspects of the regulation of cell and tissue physiology during vegetable and flower senescence and fruit ripening.  In addition they work with industry bodies to improve post-harvest handling of vegetables and cut flowers.  Julian is the CFR representative on ‘PhAction’, a global post-harvest forum, which has led his research group to develop formal links with other post-harvest scientists throughout the Asia-Pacific region.  He is the immediate Past President of the NZ Society of Plant Physiologists.

Two major programmes dominate Julian’s research at present: he is a sub-programme leader in ‘Vital Vegetables’, a significant collaboration with the Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, Australia, which began in 2003.  This work is focussed on generating high-health vegetable products for consumers.  Julian is the CFR Administrator for Nutrigenomics New Zealand, co-ordinating the CFR input to this exciting four-way partnership and responsible for liaison with FRST on the programme.

Refereed papers in the last five years include:

Pun, U.K., Rowarth, J.S., Barnes, M.F. and Heyes, J.A. 2001.  The role of ethanol or acetaldehyde in the biosynthesis of ethylene in carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) cv. Yellow Candy.    Postharvest Biology and Technology 21(2): 235-239.

Pun, U.K., Rowarth, J.S., Barnes, M.F., Heyes, J.A, Rowe, R.N. and Dawson, C.O. 2001. The influence of exogenous acetaldehyde solution on the vase life of two carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) cultivars in the absence or presence of exogenous ethylene.  Plant Growth Regulation 34: 267-272.

Maurel, C., Javot, H., Lauvergeat, V., Gerbeau, P., Tournaire, C., Santoni, V. and Heyes, J.  2001.  Molecular physiology of aquaporins in plants.  International Review of Cytology 215, 105-148.

O''Donoghue, E.M., Somerfield, S.D. and Heyes, J.A. 2002.  Organization of cell walls in Sandersonia aurantiaca floral tissue.  Journal of Experimental Botany 53: 513-523.

Eason, J., Pinkney, T., Heyes, J., Brash, D. and Bycroft, B. 2002.  The effect of storage temperature and harvest bud maturity on bud opening and vase life of Paeonia lactiflora cultivars.  New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science 30(1): 61-67.

Heyes, J.A. 2002.  Parsley: Postharvest quality maintenance guidelines.  In K.C. Gross, C-Y Wang, M. Saltveit (eds) 2002. The Commercial Storage of Fruits, Vegetables, and Florist and Nursery Crops. U.S. Department of Agriculture ‘Agriculture Handbook 66’, http://www.ba.ars.usda.gov/hb66/102parsley.pdf  (revised draft April, 2004).

O''Donoghue, E.M., Somerfield, S.D. and Heyes, J.A. 2002.  Vase solutions containing sucrose result in changes to sandersonia (Sandersonia aurantiaca) flowers.  Postharvest Biology and Technology 26(3): 285-294.

Javot, H., Lauvergeat, V., Santoni, V., Martin-Laurent, F.,  Guclu,  J, Vinh, J., Heyes, J., Franck, K.I., Schaffner, A.R., Bouchez, D. and Maurel, C. 2003.  Role of a single aquaporin isoform in root water uptake. The Plant Cell 15: 509-522.

Coupe, S.A., Sinclair, B.K., Watson, L.M., Heyes, J.A. and Eason, J.R. 2003  Identification of dehydration-responsive cysteine proteases during postharvest senescence of broccoli florets.  Journal of Experimental Botany 54: 1045-1056.

Heyes, J.A., 2003.  Post-harvest Action: the global post-harvest forum.  Acta Horticulturae 628: 55-61.

Heyes, J.A. and Clark, C. 2003. Magnetic resonance imaging of water flow through asparagus.  Functional Plant Biology 30 (11) : 1089-1095..

McKenzie, M., Greer, L.A., Heyes, J.A., Hurst, P.L. 2004 Sugar metabolism and compartmentation in broccoli and asparagus during controlled atmosphere storage. Postharvest Biology & Technology 32: 45-56.