Vincent Brazelton

Program: Plant and Microbial Biosciences

Current advisor: Christopher N. Topp, PhD

Undergraduate university: Tuskegee University, 2013

Enrollment year: 2021

Research summary
Root Ideotypes For Urban and Low Input Agricultural Systems: An example in Collards

The goal of this project is to improve drought resilience in collard greens by identifying and breeding for essential root system features. In Aim 1, we will characterize root system diversity in heirloom collard cultivars in order to create a complete phenotypic information base. Specifically, we will evaluate root features associated with drought tolerance (Aim 1.1) and select cultivars with improved root systems compared to the standard cultivar, Georgia. From these, we will pick parental lines that thrive in drought circumstances for further genetic mapping (Aim 1.2).

In Aim 2, we will create an F1 mapping population by crossing parents with different features such as lateral root length, convex hull volume, and root-to-shoot biomass. These F1 hybrids will subsequently be grown in the field to assess their drought stress response (Aim 2.1). This work will contribute to breeding collard varieties that are better suited to water-scarce environments, supporting sustainable agriculture in the wake of global climate change.

Graduate publications