Plant Breeding and Pomology Our lab is devoted to developing methods to improve asexually propagated crops via non-sexual methods. We have particular interest in tissue culture and its use for generating somaclonal variation. 'Everthornless' blackberry is our most recent plant patent, awarded in December, 1995. Our laboratory has worked extensively with temperate fruit crops such as blackberries, pears, and apples as well as tropical root crops including sweet potato and cassava. We also maintain a traditional breeding program for brambles.
Chevreau, E., R.M. Skirvin, H. Abu-Qaoud, S.S. Korban, and J.G. Sullivan. 1989. Adventitious shoot regeneration from leaf tissue of three pear (Pyrus sp.) cultivars in vitro. Plant Cell Reports 7:688-691.
McPheeters, K.D. and R.M. Skirvin. 1989. Somaclonal variation among ex vitro 'Thornless Evergreen' trailing blackberries. Euphytica 42:155-162.
Hall, H.K., D. Cohen, and R.M. Skirvin. 1986. The inheritance of thornlessness from tissue culture-derived 'Thornless Evergreen' blackberry. Euphytica 35:891-898.
Hall, H.K., M.H. Quazi, and R.M. Skirvin. 1986. Isolation of a pure thornless Loganberry by meristem tip culture. Euphytica 35:1039-1044.