Katherine Drake Stowe
Former Crop Science - PhD
Bio
- Degree Program: Ph.D., Crop Science
- Previous Degrees: B.S., Chemistry, North Carolina State University; M.S., Crop Science, Plant Breeding, North Carolina State University
- Advisor: Dr. Ramsey Lewis
- Dissertation: Investigating the Genetic Control of Soil-Borne Pathogen Resistance and the Yellow Burley Phenotype in Nicotiana tabacum L.
- Dissertation Date: 2016-06-23
- Thesis: Genetic Approaches to Reduce Production Costs and Chemical Applications of Flue-Cured Tobacco.
- Thesis Date: 2012-03-21
Research
My Ph.D. research combines traditional breeding methods with molecular approaches, and the use of next-generation sequencing to assist in the creation of improved tobacco cultivars for North Carolina growers, and farmers across the US. My projects focus on classifying and improving disease resistance in modern tobacco cultivars. Project one involves investigating the effect a genomic region introgressed from N. rustica has on-field black shank resistance, its correlated effects on yield and quality, and the mechanism and durability of this resistance. Project two involves mapping disease resistance QTL in a K346 recombinant inbred line population.