The Impact of Karnal Bunt in the United States on University Breeding Programs

Named chair of the Department of Plant Sciences on May 1, 1996, after serving two years as interim chair. Prior to being named department chair he specialized in sunflower and minor crop production. He holds a Ph.D. in Agronomy and Plant Genetics from the University of Arizona and a masters and bachelor's degree from Montana State University.

Small grains plant breeders at North Dakota State University as well as plant breeders from the USDA and other public and private breeding programs have maintained winter nurseries in southern Arizona for several years. These winter nurseries speed up varietal development and the eventual release of new improved varieties. Southern Arizona has also been used to increase experimental lines prior to their release to North Dakota seed growers and producers.

The discovery of Karnal bunt in southern Arizona has severely impaired the breeding programs. Since no material was brought northward this spring, essentially a year's work has been lost in both the development of varieties and the increase of new varieties. In addition, the discovery of the disease will force NDSU to look for new sites where winter nurseries can be grown. New sites for a winter nurseries are yet to be determined, but will probably be outside the continental United States. The cost of the winter nursery may be several times more expensive than it was in Arizona. Because the U.S. is now listed as a country where Karnal bunt is present, some countries may not allow a winter nursery even though no Karnal bunt has been reported in North Dakota.