Since the beginning of agriculture, some 10,000 years ago,
humans have molded the diversity of crop plants around them to suit their
diverse needs for food and beverage, feed, clothing and other numerous uses.
Starting with the process of domestication, crop biodiversity results from
the fascinating interactions among humans, plants, and their environment.
My research and teaching program is focused on elucidating the evolutionary
processes that have shaped evolution of crop plants under cultivation. I focus
particularly on Phaseolus beans because they are such an important part of
the human diet, especially in developing countries, and provide many health
benefits.
Other crops of interest in my lab are additional crops from the Americas such as peppers (Capsicum), wild maize (teosinte), amaranth, and agaves. These provide a comparative dimension to studies of crop evolution because they encompass a wide range of reproductive systems, life histories, and human uses.
On the more applied level, I look at the consequences of our findings for plant breeding. One of my main activities is a participation in the ABC-KT project (i.e., African Bean Consortium, funded by the Kirkhouse Trust), which seeks to develop a marker-assisted selection capability in East African bean breeding programs.
Contact information:
Paul Gepts
University of California, Davis
Department of Plant Sciences / MS1
Section of Crop & Ecosystem Sciences
1 Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616-8780
Tel office: +1-530-752-7743
Tel lab: +1-530-752-9982
Fax: +1-530-752-4361
plgepts at ucdavis dot edu