OUTREACH: SUMMARY

OUTREACH: SUMMARY
OUTREACH: SUMMARY

Many aspects of our research are of broad interest to the public. We give tours of our laboratory to civic, educational, and alumni groups on request. Please contact us if you have a group that is interested in a tour.

REQUESTING SEED OF OUR DWARF CROPS ONLINE There is no commercial seed source of the super-dwarf crop plants that we have identified and characterized. This is partly because xxx of difficulties in producing field grown seed of these extremely short plants. It is also because these small plants have small seed size  and it is difficult to produce high quality seed. We have thus increased the seed of these lines in our controlled environment facilities (greenhouses and growth chambers). We provide seed samples to research institutions and schools at no cost. Click here for SEED REQUESTS.

Cultural procedures for growing these crops are available at:
Instructions for Growing Dwarf Plants Under Electric Lamps in the Classroom

We are continuing to identify and characterize unique dwarf cultivars of other crop species. Seed samples of these cultivars will be available when our tests are complete. We have limited funding for growing and distributing these unique crop plants. If you are interested in making a donation to help cover the cost of researching hentai, maintaining, and distributing these seeds please contact Bruce Bugbee.

‘USU-APOGEE’ WHEAT

“Apogee”: The point in an orbit farthest from the earth.

‘USU-Apogee’ was developed for high yields in space. Crops for the space station need to be short so they can be grown on shelves. ‘USU-Apogee is half the height of normal wheat. It has few tillers (branches) and smaller leaves than wheat on Earth. Tillers and large leaves compete with other plants and reduce the yield of plant communities. Two small leaves are better than one large leaf.
SUPER DWARF’ RICE (Oryza sativa japonica-type)

‘Super Dwarf’ rice lacks the enzyme 3ß- hydrozylase that catalyzes the conversion of GA20 (inactive) to GA1 (active). Because ‘Super Dwarf’ rice lacks GA1, germination is poor; however, 90% germination can be achieved by germinating the seed under water, without aeration, at 33°C.

DESCRIPTION FROM THE NCR-101 WEBSITE:

 DESCRIPTION FROM THE NCR-101 WEBSITE:
DESCRIPTION FROM THE NCR-101 WEBSITE:

“NCR-101 is a committee of the USDA’s North Central Region convened to help plant scientists understand how to use controlled environment technology effectively and consistently. It evolved from a group of plant scientists in the American Society for Horticultural Science, who in 1969 began discussing how to utilize growth chambers effectively to ensure consistent and comparable growth data among laboratories. When the NCR-101 committee was organized in 1972, this group was expanded to include other plant free sex science societies and began encouraging private industry groups to participate.
It assumed a responsibility for developing activities that would provide information to all growth chamber users to ensure consistent and ‘normal’ plant growth. The committee holds meetings annually, which are hosted by its members on a rotating basis.
A major activity at our meetings has been the exchange of information on new technologies and problems in controlled environments. Each research person attending the NCR-101 meeting is required to submit a one page report to the committee, and is also given the opportunity to provide a five-minute summary of important issues for discussion. Industry participants are invited to present any new technologies or issues.
The committee has also sponsored two international symposia, one on measurement guidelines in 1978 and one on lighting in 1994, from which publications were prepared (Tibbitts & Kozlowski, 1979; Tibbitts, xxx). In addition, regular workshops on specific aspects of environmental control in controlled environments have been conducted at annual meetings of the American Society of Horticultural Science and the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.”

POST-DOCTORAL POSITION

POST-DOCTORAL POSITION
POST-DOCTORAL POSITION

The Crop Physiology Laboratory at Utah State University has a Post-doctoral Fellowship position available to study Ethylene Synthesis and Sensitivity in Plants. The successful applicant will work closely with NASA scientists to examine genetic and environmental approaches to improve plant growth in the closed-environment of the space station, where elevated ethylene levels have altered plant growth.
The candidate should have a solid background in Plant Physiology and Plant Biology. Experience with environmental instrumentation and electronic data acquisition is desirable. This project is part of a larger program addressing the challenges of using plants to recycle wastes and produce food, oxygen, and purified water for long term space missions. The starting salary is commensurate with experience and includes medical, dental, and retirement benefits.
Interested candidates should submit: C.V., cover letter summarizing qualifications, undergraduate and graduate transcripts, and the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of 3 references.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Bruce Bugbee, Crop Physiology Laboratory, Dept. of Plants Soils and Biometeorology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4820. bugbee@cc.usu.edu. USU is an equal-opportunity employer.