Whitney Phillips
WP
Former Horticulture - MS
Bio
- Degree Program: M.S., Horticulture Science
- Previous Degrees: B.S. Horticulture Science, NC State University; B.S. Plant and Soil Science, NC State University
- Advisor: Dr. Tom Ranney
- Thesis: Reproductive Biology, Tissue Culture, and Taxonomy of Selected Nursery Crops.
- Thesis Date: 2016-05-02
Research
My research includes three different projects in Ornamental Plant Breeding. First, I am studying the fertility and reproductive behavior of triploid Pyrus calleryana in attempt to develop a seedless, non-invasive plant. Other important aspects for selecting a tree for the industry include having desirable flowers, form and fireblight resistance. The second project is utilizing somatic embryogenesis to segregate tissue chimeras in Prunus serrulata and develop a regeneration procedure for a cultivar with purple foliage that does not revert back to having green foliage. Lastly, I am performing a taxonomic revision of Fothergilla spp.