Research Project: Genetic Improvement of Lettuce, Spinach, Celery, Melon, and Related Species

Location: Crop Improvement and Protection Research

Publications (Clicking on the reprint icon will take you to the publication reprint.)

Genome-wide association study of salt tolerance at the seed germination stage in lettuce - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Das, M.K., Park, S., Adhikari, N.D., Mou, B. 2024. Genome-wide association study of salt tolerance at the seed germination stage in lettuce. PLoS ONE. 19(10). Article e0308818. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308818.

Host cell wall composition and localized microenvironment implicated in resistance to basal stem degradation by lettuce drop (Sclerotinia minor) - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Simko, I., Mamo, B.E., Foster, C.E., Adhikari, N.D., Subbarao, K.V. 2024. Host cell wall composition and localized microenvironment implicated in resistance to basal stem degradation by lettuce drop (Sclerotinia minor). BMC Plant Biology. 24. Article 717. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-05399-5.

Assessing contents of sugars, vitamins, and nutrients in baby leaf lettuce from hyperspectral data with machine learning models - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Eshkabilov, S., Simko, I. 2024. Assessing contents of sugars, vitamins, and nutrients in baby leaf lettuce from hyperspectral data with machine learning models. Agriculture. 14(6). Article 834. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14060834.

Genetic dissection of diverse seed coat patterns in cowpea through a comprehensive GWAS approach - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Xiong, H., Chen, Y., Ravelombola, W., Mou, B., Sun, X., Zhang, Q., Xiao, Y., Tian, Y., Luo, Q., Alatawi, I., Chiwina, K.E., Alkabkabi, H.M., Shi, A. 2024. Genetic dissection of diverse seed coat patterns in cowpea through a comprehensive GWAS approach. Plants. 13(9). Article 1275. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13091275.

Status, gaps and perspectives of powdery mildew resistance research and breeding in cucurbits - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Lebeda, A., Kristkova, E., Mieslerova, B., Dhillon, N.P.S., McCreight, J.D. 2024. Status, gaps and perspectives of powdery mildew resistance research and breeding in cucurbits. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences. 43(4):211-290. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352689.2024.2315710.

Evaluation of lettuce germplasm for resistance to impatiens necrotic spot virus - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Richardson, K.L., Nayak, S., Hasegawa, D.K., Eriksen, R.L. 2024. Evaluation of lettuce germplasm for resistance to impatiens necrotic spot virus. Euphytica. 220. Article 33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-023-03285-z.

Proanthocyanidins: Key for resistance to Globisporangium (formerly Pythium) seed rot of pea - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Ewing, E.E., Weeden, N.F., Simko, I. 2024. Proanthocyanidins: Key for resistance to Globisporangium (formerly Pythium) seed rot of pea. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. 149(1):37-49. https://doi.org/10.21273/JASHS05340-23.

Phenotypic characterization, plant growth and development, genome methylation, and mineral elements composition of neotetraploid lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Simko, I., Zhao, R.B. 2023. Phenotypic characterization, plant growth and development, genome methylation, and mineral elements composition of neotetraploid lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Frontiers in Plant Science. 14. Article 1296660. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1296660.

Development and validation of a mid-density DArTag-based genotyping platform for lettuce (Lactuca sativa) - (Abstract Only)
Ling, M., Sapkota, M., Tang, X., Eriksen, R.L., Mou, B., Richardson, K.L., Simko, I., Beil, C., Sheehan, M. 2024. Development and validation of a mid-density DArTag-based genotyping platform for lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Plant and Animal Genome Conference, January 16, 2024, San Diego, California.

Heat-tolerant lettuce germplasm (Lactuca sativa L.) identified in romaine and butterhead types for warmer plantings - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Sandoya, G., Lafta, A., Mou, B. 2024. Heat-tolerant lettuce germplasm (Lactuca sativa L.) identified in romaine and butterhead types for warmer plantings. HortScience. 59(2):151-163. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17368-23.

Phytochemical and agronomic characterization of high-flavonoid lettuce lines grown under field conditions - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Cho, E., Gurdon, C., Zhao, R.B., Peng, H., Pouley, A., Raskin, I., Simko, I. 2023. Phytochemical and agronomic characterization of high-flavonoid lettuce lines grown under field conditions. Plants. 12(19). Article 3467. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12193467.

Genetic architecture of salt tolerance in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) at seedling stage using a whole genome resequencing approach - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Ravelombola, W., Dong, L., Barickman, T.C., Xiong, H., Manley, A., Cason, J., Pham, H., Zia, B., Mou, B., Shi, A. 2023. Genetic architecture of salt tolerance in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) at seedling stage using a whole genome resequencing approach. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 24(20). Article 15281. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242015281.

Breeding lettuce for resistance against Sclerotinia minor - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Simko, I., Subbarao, K.V., Hayes, R.J. 2023. Breeding lettuce for resistance against Sclerotinia minor. HortScience. 58(12):1526–1532. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17399-23.

A genome-wide association study reveals region associated with seed protein content in cowpea - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Chen, Y., Xiong, H., Ravelombola, W., Bhattarai, G., Barickman, C., Alatawi, I., Phiri, T.M., Chiwina, K., Mou, B., Tallury, S., Shi, A. 2023. A genome-wide association study reveals region associated with seed protein content in cowpea. Plants. 12(14). Article 2705. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142705.