Stephen Jones
Breeding Wheat for Sustainable, Perennial and Organic Systems
Washington is the second largest wheat producing state in the country. The dryland yields here are some of the highest in the world. But are these yields sustainable and what is the environmental cost of production? The goal of the winter wheat breeding program is to insure the long-term environmental and economic health of wheat farming in Washington state while producing a food crop that is safe and high in nutritional value.
Areas of graduate student research include breeding for traditional and organic farming systems, farmer participatory breeding, converting wheat to a perennial crop, evolution of wheat species, increased water and nitrogen-use efficiencies, marker-based selection and non-GMO use of wild species for wheat improvement. Tools involve classical genetics, cytogenetics, marker technologies and innovative breeding strategies.
The winter wheat breeding program has been in place since 1894 and has a proud and productive history of serving the public good. Varieties released from Washington State University account for the majority of the wheat acreage in the state. Farmers work closely with breeders to help set research priorities, and in some cases, farmers are developing their own varieties that will be uniquely adapted to their farming system.
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Contact Information
Stephen Jones, Ph.D.
Professor and Scientist
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
Washington State University
PO Box 646420
Johnson Hall 383
Pullman, WA 99164-6420
Telephone: 509-335-6198
Fax: 509-335-8674
E-mail: joness@wsu.edu
Dr. Stephen Jones received a Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture from California State University, Chico (1981), and a Masters of Science in Agriculture (1987) and a Ph.D. in Genetics (1991) from the University of California, Davis. He is currently the winter wheat breeder and a full professor. He teaches graduate courses in Advanced Transmission Genetics and the History and Ethics of Genetics. Dr. Jones serves on the Advisory Board of the Land Institute in Salina, Kansas, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Organic Seed Alliance. His research has been mentioned in Audubon, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, Bill Nye the Science Guy’s PBS show “The Eyes of Nye”, CBS News, the documentary film “Not For Sale” and other national and international news journals
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