C. Reed Funk

Professor Emeritus Department of Plant Biology and Pathology Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 76 Lipman Drive New Brunswick, NJ 08901 732-932-9480

Research Interests:

The aim of my research program is to develop superior cultivars of several cool season turfgrasses. Since 1962, the program has been one of the world's most extensive turfgrass breeding programs. We developed the first successful method of producing Kentucky bluegrass cultivars by means of intraspecific hybridization of apomictic parents. The program has accumulated one of the most valuable collections of Poa and Festuca germplasm in North America.

Our discovery that endophyte fungi are associated with many instances of enhanced performance in perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, hard fescue and many other turfgrasses has led to an intensive interest in this area of research. In addition to our continued breeding efforts, we are involved in the collection and selection of these beneficial endophytes in order to expand the host range.