Education:
Ph.D., Applied Plant Sciences, University of Minnesota, 2004
M.S., Horticultural Science, University of Minnesota, 1999
B.S., Horticulture, Michigan State University, 1996

Research:

Environmental Stress Tolerance

Being sessile organisms, plants are often subjected to suboptimal or supraoptimal environmental conditions, including temperature, light intensity and water availability.  My lab is interested in developing plants with increased tolerance to environmental stresses, particularly temperature stress.  This includes using model systems to understand the mechanisms plants use to tolerate stressful environments, and applying this knowledge for the improvement of horticultural crops. 

Increasing Efficiency of Greenhouse Crop Production

Greenhouse growers produce literally hundreds of different crops simultaneously.  These crops typically need to be scheduled to flower within a narrow time window for holiday or spring sales.  I am interested in understanding how light and temperature impact crop growth and development and how manipulation of these environmental variables can be used to increase precision of crop scheduling and maximize crop production efficiency. 
 

Recent Publications:
 

• Warner R.W. and J.E. Erwin. Prolonged high temperature exposure differentially reduces growth and flowering of twelve Viola × wittrockiana Gams. cvs. Sci. Hort. In press

• Warner, R.W. and J.E. Erwin (2005). Naturally occurring variation in high temperature induced floral bud abortion across Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. Plant Cell Environ. 28:1255-1266. 

• Warner, R.W. and J.E. Erwin (2005). Prolonged high temperature exposure and daily light integral impact growth and flowering of five herbaceous ornamental species. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 130:319-325.

• Warner, R.M. and J.E. Erwin (2003). Effect of photoperiod and daily light integral on flowering of five Hibiscus sp. Scientia Hortic. 97:341-351.

• Warner, R.M and J.E. Erwin (2003). Effect of plant growth retardants on hibiscus species stem elongation. HortTechnology 12:293-296.

• Erwin, J.E., R.M. Warner and A.G.Smith (2002). Vernalization, photoperiod and GA3 interact to affect flowering of Japanese radish (Raphanus sativus Chinese Radish Jumbo Scarlet). Physiol. Plant. 115:298-302.

• Erwin, J.E. and R.M. Warner (2002). Determination of photoperiodic response group and effect of supplemental irradiance on flowering of several bedding plant species. Acta Hortic. 580:95-99.

• Warner, R.M. and J.E. Erwin (2002). Estimation of total canopy photosynthetic capacity of roses grown under two canopy management systems. Acta Hortic. 580:89-93.

• Warner, R.M. and J.E Erwin (2002). Photosynthetic responses of heat-tolerant and heat-sensitive cultivars of Impatiens hawkeri and Viola x wittrockiana to high-temperature exposures. Acta Hortic. 580:215-219.

• Warner, R.M. and J.E. Erwin (2001). Variation in floral induction requirements of Hibiscus sp. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 126:262-268.
   

Book Chapters

• Warner, R. (2004). Lighting greenhouse cut flowers, p. 89-92. In:P. Fisher and E Runkle (eds.).
  Lighting up profits: understanding greenhouse lighting. Meister Media Worldwide, Willoughby, Ohio.

• Erwin, J, N. Mattson and R. Warner (2004). Light effects on annual bedding plants, p.62-
  71. In:P. Fisher and E Runkle (eds.). Lighting up profits: understanding greenhouse
  lighting. Meister Media Worldwide, Willoughby, Ohio.

• Warner, R.M. and J.E. Erwin (2001). Temperature. p.10-17. In: M.L. Gaston, P.S. Konjoian et al. (eds. Tips on regulating growth of floriculture crops. O.F.A. Services, Inc. Columbus, Ohio.

• Erwin, J.E. and R.M. Warner (1999). Temperature. p.69-82. In: C.A.Buck , S.A. Carver et al. (eds.). Tips on growing bedding plants. 4th ed. O.F.A. Services, Inc. Columbus, Ohio.