DORMANCY
Dormancy enables trees and other plants to synchronize their growth with the annual seasons. Understanding how it works can help develop trees that are better adapted and more productive in the long growing season of the southern US.
Our Goal
Understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms that control dormancy in trees.
How are we doing this?
We are studying the genome of natural mutants that have lost the ability to go into dormancy, to identify what changed in their DNA.
What is next?
With information about which specific mutations change dormancy requirements, we can genetically improve trees by using CRISPR and other biotechnologies, to make them more suitable to grow for long periods in the southern US.
Who funds this work?
This project is funded through the USDA McIntire-Stennis Program, and other sources including the University of Florida.