THE RESEARCH JOURNEY OF SUSTAINABLE ROSES

THE RESEARCH JOURNEY OF SUSTAINABLE ROSES

Dr. David Byrne

Professor & Basye Endowed Chair in Rose Genetics Department 

Texas A&M University

 

On today's show, we take a look at where we've been and where we are going with research on sustainable roses with one of the world's leading experts Dr. David Byrne.

 

ABOUT DR. BYRNE

 

David Byrne, a Professor in Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University, currently holds the Basye Endowed Chair in Rose Genetics. Since 1983, he has run the Stone Fruit Breeding Program and has developed over 20 medium- to low-chill peaches and nectarines which has expanded the cultivar choice for this adaptation zone to include both subacid and traditional acid flavors, a range of flesh colors (white, yellow/orange and red), and donut type fruit. In the early 1990s, working with Dr. Robert Basye, a rose breeder and retired Professor of Mathematics, he began the Rose Breeding and Genetics Program which was enhanced by the donation of the breeding stock from the Father of the Miniature Rose, Ralph Moore.

 

He along with his colleague, Dr. Oscar Riera-Lizarazu breeds to develop well-adapted sustainable garden roses (resistant to RRD, black spot, cercospora, and heat tolerant).

 

He led the “Combating Rose Rosette Disease” SCRI project, worked with the SCRI “RosBREED 2” project on black spot resistance, leads the ‘Tools for Genomics-Assisted Breeding in Polyploids’ and the “Developing Sustainable Rose Landscapes” projects, and chairs the National Clean Plant Network for Roses. Ongoing projects involve the development and integration of computational breeding tools to effectively utilize genomic information in polyploid crops.

 

His collaborative work with private rose breeders to develop advanced breeding tools to introgress disease resistance and other traits will lead to a more rapid conversion of the commercial rose germplasm into a disease resistant background. Over the past decade, he has mentored 20 graduate students, published about 60 articles, given about 140 talks, and released 23 Prunus and 6 Rosa cultivars.

 

ROSE CHAT TEAM:

 

Executive Producer & On-Air Personality:

Chris VanCleave - www.RedneckRosarian.com

Creator of the Rose Chat Podcast. Mr. VanCleave is a nationally known rosarian, television personality, speaker and advocate for the rose.

 

Content Creator & On-Air Personality:
Teresa Byington - www.TheGardenDiary.com

Co-Host Teresa Byington promotes roses as an integral part of the landscape, as a Consulting Rosarian, Master Gardener, writer, and speaker.

 

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