Molecular DNA markers have become widely used in all areas of genetic
research. The objectives of this thesis were to develop polymorphic markers in sunflower
and utilize the markers for genetic and candidate gene analyses. Amplified fragment
length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to estimate genetic similarities and
assess the...
Although the concept of breeding crops for organic agricultural systems has been around for decades, few studies have been reported for vegetable crops to quantify and compare how conventional and organic systems differ in their selection pressures on genotypes advancing through the breeding cycle; especially research utilizing modern sequencing capabilities....
Durum wheat cultivars for North-Eastern Oregon have to be competitive
in terms of their yield potential with soft white winter wheat cultivars and meet
strict quality requirements of the milling industry. Combining the high yield
potential of fall planted durum wheat cultivars which have an acceptable level of
winter hardiness...
A higher level of efficiency in the production of doubled-haploids must be achieved if
this procedure is to be beneficial in plant improvement. Of equal importance is the
development of protocols, which are not genotypic specific and result in progeny that represent
a random sample of gametes from the parental...
Podosphaera macularis, causal agent of hop powdery mildew, is known to produce cleistothecia (syn. chasmothecia) in eastern North America and Europe, but ascocarps are not reported from the Pacific Northwestern region of North America. Reasons for the apparent absence of cleistothecia in the Pacific Northwest are unknown. We established that...
A micropropagation system was developed for hazelnut cultivars and
rootstocks. Culture establishment was affected by explant source, explant collecting
season, and type of explant. The highest frequency of culture initiation and lowest
tissue oxidation and contamination were obtained from internodes with single axillary
buds from grafted greenhouse-grown plants early in...
This thesis consists of five chapters: a general introduction, two manuscripts, a collection of published lesson plans, and a general conclusion. The works collected herein are united by the common theme of practical applications in plant breeding. The first manuscript reports a study performed on five malting barley lines grown...
In the midst of double-digit growth in market demand for organic products, there is a lag in the growth of certified organic production in the United States. This thesis investigated the motivations and barriers farmers face when making the transition to organic agriculture. Three distinct organic farmer typologies were identified:...
The effects of erect leaf canopies on enhancing grain yield in wheat is not
understood. The main objective of this study was to understand the effect of leaf
angle on grain yield by comparing randomly derived-lines from crosses of erect
and droopy leaf spring wheats. Nine traits associated with canopy...