New Technology

 

 

Before retirement, my professional life focused predominantly on managing farms and ranches worldwide; however, because of my academic training, I simultaneously became an industry leader in applying DNA technology to beef cattle selection. I hold a Ph.D. in Animal Genetics and Physiology from the University of Florida. After my retirement, I naturally became interested in using DNA technology in daylily hybridizing. I collaborated with Jamie Gossard of Heavenly Gardens and Dr. Ken Quesenberry of the University of Florida in exploring the potential of using Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) to convert germinating daylily seedlings to tetraploid. I was the lead researcher on this project. While the project was only exploratory and a procedure to consistently apply it has yet to be developed, it resulted in two fully converted, outstanding tetraploids. One, a beautiful pattern, has been registered as Dr Q, named for Dr Quesenberry of the University of Utah. Dr. Q is both pod and pollen fertile and sets seeds easily and is an ADS-registered Tetraploid plant registered with diploid parents. It is now available. The other plant, a robust-eyed daylily, will be released in the fall of 2024. Watch for additional information as we further explore this and other new technologies.