| Topics for thesis or dissertation research are determined through consultation with the student's adviser and graduate advisory committee. Research may have a commodity focus (e.g. floriculture, landscape, nursery, pomology, turf, vegetable crops, viticulture), but should also have a discipline (e.g. plant physiology, environmental and soil sciences, plant genetics, plant biochemistry, landscape design/planning) emphasis. Areas of specialization and strength in the Department include environmental stresses, plant breeding/germplasm biodiversity/conservation, greenhouse crop production, irrigation management, postharvest physiology/senescence, plant antioxidants/ free radical scavenging, dietary intervention /cancer prevention, root elicitation /bioactive compounds, rhizosphere biology, plant secondary metabolism, sustainable design /planning, and tissue culture, among others. There is ample opportunity to obtain multidisciplinary research training encompassing collaboration with programs in biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology, plant biotechnology, plant physiology, natural resources, storm-water engineering and construction management. |
