Research

I am currently working on a project funded by Horticultural LINK to look at the establishment, seasonality and machine harvestability of 40 different blueberry varieties across five locations in the UK. Fruit quality composition (fruit size, colour, pH, juice content and sensory characteristics) are being examined so that cultivars with the most appropriate qualities can be identified for the UK fresh and processing markets

To date there is no publically available linkage map for tetraploid blueberry that has good coverage of co-dominant genetic markers that are specifically targeted towards identifying fruit quality attributes defined as important targets by UK consumers of both fresh and processed blueberry fruit.

By linking the phenotype to genotype a genetic framework for future crop improvement using marker assisted breeding will be established and this should greatly increase the speed and precision of blueberry breeding. Project collaboration with the Specialty Crop Research Initiative-funded project with partners based across America.

Past research

  • University of Strathclyde PhD in Plant Genetics 2006-2009
    PhD project: “Marker assisted breeding for sensory characteristics in red raspberry (Rubus idaeus)”.
  • Research Assistant at SCRI working on an EU project entitled. ‘Single nucleotide polymorphisms for study of biodiversity of climate adaptation in trees’ 2005-2006.
  • University of Abertay BSc (Hons) in Medical Biotechnology (First Class) 2003-2005.

Publications

Journals

Books

  • McCallum, S.; Simpson, C.; Graham, J. (2018) QTL mapping and marker assisted breeding in Rubus spp, In: Graham, J. & Brennan, R. (eds.) Raspberry: Breeding, Challenges and Advances. Springer International Publishing, Cham, 121-144
  • McCallum, S.; Graham, J. (2014) Vaccinium spp., blueberry., In: George, R.A.T. & Fox, R.T.V. (eds.). Diseases of Temperate Horticultural Plants, CABI, UK, 5, pp 84-103.

Reports

  • McCallum, S.; Woodhead, M.; Brennan, R.M.; Graham, J. (2011) Developing molecular tools for the British blueberry industry., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2010, pp29-31.

Conference papers

  • Cullen, D.W.; McCallum, S.; Paterson, A.; Hedley, P.E.; Simpson, C.G.; Milne L.; Graham, J. (2013) Fruit quality in red raspberry., Plant and Animal Genome XXI, San Diego, CA, USA, 12-16 January 2013.
  • Bidani, A.; Hummer, K.; Rowland, L.J.; McCallum, S.; Bassil, N. (2013) An economical molecular tool for genetic identity confirmation in blueberry., ASHS Symposium, California, 22-25 July 2013.
  • McCallum, S.; Cullen, D.W.; Hedley, P.; Simpson, C.; Hancock, R.D.; Milne, L.; Hackett, C.A.; Graham J. (2013) Control of fruit quality traits in red raspberry, a review from James Hutton Institute., Fruits and Roots: A Celebration and Forward look, East Malling Research, Kent, 6-7 November 2013.
  • Messner C.; Paterson, A.; McCallum, S.; Graham, J.; Hancock, R.D. (2012) Genetic and environmental drivers of fruit composition in relation to sensory quality in blueberry., 1st Agriscience Chemical Biology Postgraduate Symposium, London, 1-2 November 2012.
  • Messner C.; Paterson, A.; McCallum, S.; Graham, J.; Hancock, R.D. (2012) Genetic and environmental drivers of fruit composition in relation to sensory quality in blueberry., SEB Annual Main Meeting 2012, Salzburg, Austria, 29 June – 2 July 2012.
  • Itle, R.A.; McCallum, S.; Graham, J.; Olmstead, J.; Collante, W.; Bassil, N.; Brown, A.; Buck, E.; Finn, C.; Hancock, J.; Rowland, L.J. (2012) QTL mapping in an F1 tetraploid blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)., ASHS Symposium, Florida, USA, 31 July – 3 August 2012.
  • Bassil, N.; Hummer, K.; Olmstead, J.; Itle, R.A.; Brown, A.; Buck, E.; Wiedow C.; McCallum, S.; Graham, J.; Finn, C.; Hancock, J.; Main, D.; Alkharouf, N.; Moehs CP.; Sullivan C.; Curzon A.; Rowland, L.J. (2012) Blueberry genetic and genomic resources., ISHS 2nd International Fruit Biotech Meeting, New Zealand, March 2012.
  • Kassim, A.; Hackett, C.A.; McCallum, S.; Woodhead, M.; Paterson, A.; Graham, J. (2011) Environmental and seasonal influences on red raspberry anthocyanins and QTL identification for marker assisted breeding., Berry Garden Conference.
  • Hancock, J.; Finn, C.; Wheeler, E.; Graham, J.; McCallum, S.; Olmstead, J.; Branch, B.; Bassil, N.; Rowland, L.J. (2010) Chilling requirement cold hardiness and fruiting characteristics of a Draper x Jewel population planted at multiple sites., Proceedings of the North American Blueberry Research and Extension Workers Conference (NABREW), Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA, 25-28 July 2010.
  • Rowland, L.J.; Alkharouf, N.; Bassil, N.V.; Beers, L.; Bell, D.J.; Buck, E.; Drummond, F.A.; Finn, C.E.; Graham, J.; Hancock, J.; McCallum, S.; Olmstead, J.W. (2010) Generating genomic tools for blueberry improvement., Proceedings of the North American Blueberry Research and Extension Workers Conference (NABREW), Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA, 25-28 July 2010.

Conference posters

  • Mateos, B.; McCallum, S.; Graham, J. (2022) Soft fruit genetics, event
  • Cullen, D.W.; McCallum, S.; Paterson, A.; Hedley, P.E.; Simpson, C.G.; Milne L.; Graham, J. (2013) Fruit quality in red raspberry (W308)., Plant and Animal Genome XXI, San Diego, CA, USA, 12-16 January 2013, p163.
  • Woodhead, M.; Williamson, S.; Weir, A.; Smith, K.; Jennings, N.; McCallum, S.; Hackett, C.A.; Hedley, P.E.; Bayer, M.M.; Graham, J. (2011) Identification of cane splitting QTLs in raspberry., Scottish Society for Crop Research, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, 9 March 2011. (Poster)
  • McCallum, S.; Graham, J.; Hackett, C.A.; Hancock, R.D.; McKenzie, B.M.; Hallett, P.D.; Jorgensen, L.; Gordon, S.; Woodhead, M.; Brennan, R.M.; Rowland, L.J.; Bassil, N.; Olmstead, J.; Buck, E.; Hancock, J. (2010) Investigating the suitability of blueberry germplasm for UK production and developing tools for long-term breeding., Proceedings of the North American Blueberry Research and Extension Workers Conference (NABREW), Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA, 25-28 July 2010. (Poster)