Winning research helps rich and poor
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Thousands of arabidopsis
plants grown in a greenhouse help Kashchandra G. Raghothama monitor
the plant's utilization of phosphorus. Photo by Tom Campbell
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By Steve Tally
Most agricultural scientists focus either on problems in industrialized
nations, such as the United States, or on problems in developing nations.
But problems surrounding the plant nutrient phosphorus occur in both
industrialized and developing nations and that's why the research of
Purdue's Kashchandra G. Raghothama, professor of horticulture, is so
significant.
Raghothama's laboratory was the first to isolate and characterize the
genes responsible for phosphorus uptake. As a result of his research
on this basic plant nutrient, Raghothama has received the 2002 Agricultural
Research Award from the Purdue College of Agriculture.
William R. Woodson, associate dean of the College of Agriculture and
director of the Office of Agricultural Research Programs, says Raghothama's
insights into the genetic basis of phosphorus use in plants have been
a major contribution to agriculture, both in Indiana and internationally.
"This work has led to a number of strategies to improve phosphorus
efficiency in crop plants, and researchers around the world are making
use of his discoveries," Woodson says. "Dr. Raghothama's research
is of tremendous importance to crop productivity around the globe."
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