Research Interests

The goal of the UGA Small Grains Breeding and Genetics program is to integrate classical and modern technologies to conduct breeding and research efforts in order to develop improved wheat cultivars/germplasm adapted to Georgia and the US Southeast (SE) regions in order to meet the wheat/small grains producers and industry. While the large majority of the breeding effort is classical, novel techniques such as genomic selection and marker-assisted breeding tools are being intensively used and developed.  Another of my goals is to train students, the next new generation of scientists, to be familiar with knowledge of both classical and modern methods in breeding, genetics, genomics and related sciences, and ready to apply this knowledge to be successful scientists in these areas of expertise including plant breeding, genetics and genomics.

• Breeding wheat for high yield potential, durable disease resistance, and abiotic stress tolerance in partnership with the UGA and regional collaborators including Georgia/SE producers and industry (UGRAF, GSD, etc.)
• Utilizing genomic selection for variety development in partnership with SunGrains (http://www.agronomy.lsu.edu/sungrains/)
• Developing scab resistant wheat varieties for the mid-south region of the U.S. (USDA-ARS: U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative)
• Screening barley germplasm for Georgia/SE
• Screening Oats germplasm in collaboration with the SunGrains breeders for Georgia/SE