GENEVA, NY- Norman F
Weeflen was promoted to full
professor in the Department of
Horticultural Sciences at
Cornell University at the New
York State Agricultural
Experiment Station in Geneva,
NY.
"Weeden is an excellent coop
erator and a leader as we enter
the era of biainformatics," said
Hugh C. Price, chairman of the
horticultural department. "He
has pioneered the development
of genetic mapping for peas and
apples, which has broad applica
tion in plant science. He has
shown how molecular biology
can be used to expand our
understanding of the plant
genome."
Weeden was an early adopter
of molecular techniques to devel
op genetic maps of horticultural
crops. Tbday he is a recognized
specialist in the use of plant
genetics. The current focus of
this research is the use of mole
cular markers to tag genes in a
number of cultivated species for
marker-assisted selection pur
poses. A highly saturated genet
ic map for pea has been devel
oped under Weeden's leader
ship. Markers have been identi
fied for genes that confer or con-
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tribute to the resistance to seven
viral or fungal diseases affecting
peas. Weeden is chair of the
Linkage Map Committee of the
Risum Genetics Association that
coordinates mapping efforts in
peas worldwide.
"I am honored to have
received this promotion," said
Weeden, "and very appreciative
toward Cornell and the faculty
that they find my work useful
and interesting." Weeden fur
ther explains that plant genetics
is a hot field in biotechnology.
Through-DNA analysis, one can
manipulate simple inherited
characteristics to help under
stand more complex ones. He
has done most of this work
studying peas "because peas
represent a good model system
for what I am trying to investi
gate, plus they are easy to grow
and cross," he said.
The work Weeden is perform
ing is of great use to commercial
growers in developing more effi
cient crop breeding practices.
One of the most important pro
jects is to develop pea varieties
tolerant to common root rot,
which is caused by a fungus and
considered a significant problem
in the Northeast. If crops are not
properly rotated, the fungus
-enure
“i nCC
>,6.9%
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Weeden Received Promotion
'till Feb '99*
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becomes abundant in the soil
and will kill pea plants before
they produce seed. It is extreme
ly hard to directly screen for the
various genes that influence tol
erance and susceptibility, but by
"tagging: these genes with easily
scored DNA markers, one can
make crosses, select for the
markers, and develop new vari
eties with a high lever of toler
ance.
Weeden has co-invented a
machine for DNA extraction a
machine that breeders can use
on their own to prepare DNA
samples. The machine takes 96
samples at a time and crushes
them in less than five minutes
using electromagnetic force. The
resulting extracts, after dilu
tion, are ready for PCR, where
specific genes are multiplied so
that their presence can be easily
detected by chemical screening.
Five laboratories around the
world are testing the machine.
Norman Weeden was gradu
ated with a bachelor's degree
from Stanford University in
1969, with a masters in biology
from Humboldt State University
in 1973, and a doctorate in
genetics from the University of
California at Davis in 1981. He
came to Cornell University as an
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assistant professor in 1982 and
was promoted to associate pro
fessor in 1988.
Weeden is a member of the
American Society for
Horticultural Science, the
American Gehetics Association,
the Botanical Society of
America, and the Society for the
Study of Evolution. He has
Residents Learn
About Water Quality
HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. -
Two recent workshons educated
citizens in Hunterdon and
Warren counties using forest
buffers to protect water quality.
Sponsored by the North
Jersey Resource Conservation &
Development Council (RC&D)
and the Musconetcong
Watershed Association, the sep
arate workshops each carried
the same agenda and speakers.
Designed to inform landown
ers and municipal officials bout
the benefits of establishing
buffers along rivers and
streams, the workshops
explained how using a zone of
trees and other vegetation, or
riparian forest buffers, can
reduce or prevent soil erosion,
nutrient runoff, and improve
stream health and wildlife habi
tat.
Fred Kelly, water quality spe
cialist with the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service,
described how riparian buffers
enhance water quality by main
taining the cooler water temper-
Lanctstar Fanning, Saturday, April 18,1996-C3
served as associate editor for the
Pisum Genetics Association
since 1992 and associate editor
of "The Journal of Heredity”
since 1987. His numerous publi
cations discuss the development
and applications of DNA and
molecular markers, among other
topics.
atures needed for optimum trout
production with the shade from
streamside forests.
Acting as a buffer, Kelly
explained how the vegetation
also absorbs nutrient runoff
such as nitrates and phospho
rus, along with sediment from
agricultural fields, before they
can enter the waterflow.
Kelly also discussed funding
opportunities available to estab
lish buffers. USDA cost-share
programs that help landowners
establish conservation practices
on their property include the
Environmental Quality Incen
tives Program and Wildlife
Habitat Incentives Program.
Matt Hall, project specialist
with the North Jersey RC&D
reviewed the Musconetcong
Buffer Inventory that he pre
pared two years ago, as well as
the demonstration tree planting
where volunteers planted 3,000
trees to establish a riparian
buffer on a three-acre site owned
by the Divison of Fish, Game &
Wildlife last spring.
Donna Drewes, coordinator
for the North Jersey RC&D
stressed the importance of
municipal officials understand
ing the need for riparian forest
buffers to maintain the water
quality in all communities.
Drewes gave examples of ordi
nances that have been passed
requiring buffers to be planted
alongside new housing develop
ments, noting that land use
planning and regulations need
to have preservation and protec
tion strategies to maintain the
overall health of rivers and
streams.
Carole Stober, a Lebanon
Township resident who attended
a workshop, owns about 900 feet
of river frontage alone the
Spruce Run Brook. As a master
gardener and a water steward
with the South Branch
Watershed Association, she is
intersted in keeping her town
ship green.
"I am worried about new peo
ple coming in and not under
standing about water quality,"
Stober said at the conclusion of
the workshop.
A LESSON
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LANCASTER
FARMING’S
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