Jeff Dunne
Bio
- Degree Program: Ph.D., Crop Science
- Previous Degrees: B.S. Crop & Soil Science, Michigan State University; M.S. Crop & Soil Science, Michigan State University/ M.S. Advanced Analytics, North Carolina State University
- Advisors: Dr. Susana Milla-Lewis; Dr. Grady Miller
- Dissertation: Breeding for Combined Shade and Cold Tolerance in Bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) and the Identification of QTL Associated with Seed Head Traits
- Dissertation Date: 2016-06-21
Research
Research focuses on the application conventional and molecular tools to bermudagrass breeding. Specific projects include: 1) screening a set of bermudagrass genotypes for shade tolerance under field conditions and assess the effect of different management regimes on recovery under shade, 2) develop efficient screening methods to test for freezing tolerance in bermudagrass and attempt to elucidate the physiological basis for tolerance, 3) evaluate the potential use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization – time of flight (MALDI-TOF) to discriminate among accessions of bermudagrass and also to identify contaminants in golf courses and production fields, and 4) identify QTL for several phenotypic traits related to turf quality and seed yield in a hybrid bermudagrass population. In addition to this research, various analytical and predictive modeling techniques will be instituted to revise perspectives on traditional statistical analysis and data collection.