Dr. Lowell Ewart Professor Emeritus Plant and Soil Sciences Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824-1325 Fax: 517/353-0890 Email:

Education:

B.A., Horticulture, Purdue University, 1953

M.S., Horticulture, Plant Breeding, Penn State, 1957

Ph.D., Horticulture, Plant Breeding, Penn State, 1963

Industry Experience:

Director of Flower Seed Research and Cultivar Development, Joseph Harris Co. Inc., 1959-1972

Flower Seed Department Head and Member Board of Directors, Joseph Harris Co. Inc., 1972-1977.

Research Interests:

Plant Breeding and Genetics of Herbaceous Ornamental Crops

We have been investigating the breeding and various genic characteristics in Begonia, Dianthus, Impatiens, Kalanchoe, Pelargonium, Rosa, Salvia, and Zinnia. The research has involved interspecific crosses directed towards new crop development, color inheritance and sterility systems for seed production use.

Plant Breeding and Genetics of Bulbing Onions

This research in collaboration with other investigators from the Crop and Soil Sciences, Botany and Plant Pathology, and Entomology Departments has been directed to the development of new cultivars and the genetics of disease and insect resistance and the value added importance of flavor.

Trialing of New Bedding Plant Cultivars

This project involves the evaluation of seed and vegetative produced cultivars. This includes samples sent in by commercial concerns, as well as, All-America Selections flower seed samples. The MSU location is the only official AAS trial site in Michigan. This effort provides an insight to new developments which are important in the education of students interested in bedding plant production, the gardening public, and to the bedding plant producers of our very important bedding plant industry.

Selected Recent Publications:

• Ewart, LC 1993.  New bedding plants. In: J Janick and J Simon (eds), New Crops, J Wiley and Sons Inc., NY. pp. 604-608.

• Acquoah, G, JW Saunders and LC Ewart 1992. Homeotic floral mutations. In: J. Janick (ed), Plant Breeding Reviews, Vol 9, J Wiley and Sons Inc., NY. pp. 63-99.

• Bacher, JW, S Pan and LC Ewart 1990. Inheritance of resistance to Fusarium oxysporum T. sp. cepa in cultivated onions. Proceedings 1989 National Onion Research Conference.

• Cowen, RDK and LC Ewart 1990. nheritance of a male sterile, apetalous inflorescence in zinnia elegans. Acta Hort 272:37-40.

• Perkins III, RT and LC Ewart 1990. Genetic male sterility in Petunia. Acta Hort 272:47-51.