Program Areas:
Physiology and Ecology

Traditional strengths have been documenting and understanding the physiology of crops at the leaf, whole plant and crop canopy level, particularly in response to global climate change factors and other environmental factors, and to develop computer simulations of crop growth, development, and yield in response to various environmental factors. Significant contributions include documenting crop responses to rising carbon dioxide and climate change factors and development of crop simulation growth models for grain legumes that incorporate physiological mechanisms and allow hypothetical responses to climate change, crop management and genetic improvement. Current strengths are outstanding national and international reputations for crop systems modeling and research programs for assessing the effects of atmospheric carbon dioxide and anticipated global climate change on crop production.