Ph.D., Plant Sciences, 2002, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND

The Forage Improvement Division's grass genomic and small grain breeding program is mainly focused on development and applications of molecular marks for genetic improvement of forage grass and small grain species. Markers of choice are simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). Molecular markers have been used for genome and comparative mapping, phylogeny and population genetics, association and QTL analysis.

Cool-season perennial grasses have great potential for the southern Great Plains. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is a major cool-season forage grass widely grown throughout the temperate regions of the world. Field persistence, drought tolerance, and improved forage qualities are the demands for the improvement of fescues. Saha's target is to develop desired cultivars using the available molecular tools especially molecular markers.

Several small grains crops are very important in the southern Great Plains. The lab's crop priority list will be rye, triticale, wheat and oat. Dry and hot weather during planting, cold temperature at growth, and low soil pH are the major limitations for small grains. The target is to develop cultivars resistant to the above-mentioned stresses. Molecular genetic techniques, along with the traditional plant-breeding methods, will be applied for the genetic improved of small grain cultivars.