• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Texas A&M Forest Service
  • Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Research
  • Texas A&M College of Agrculture and Life Sciences
Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
  • Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • Directions
    • History
    • Mission & Vision
    • Support Soil & Crop Sciences
  • Academics
    • Undergraduate Programs
    • Graduate Programs
    • Distance Education
  • Research
  • Extension
  • People
    • Faculty
      • Faculty Alphabetically
      • Faculty by Locations
      • Faculty by Specialty
      • Adjunct Faculty
      • Emeritus
    • Staff
    • Extension Program Specialist / Research Scientist
    • Graduate Students
  • Jobs
    • Internships andStudent worker positions
    • Jobs – All Degrees
    • Jobs – Bachelor’s Degree
    • Jobs – Master’s Degree
    • Jobs – Ph.D.
    • Faculty Positions within Soil and Crop Sciences-TAMU
    • Support Soil & Crop Sciences
  • Media
    • Aggie Agenda
    • Departmental News
    • Plant Breeding Bulletin
    • Seminar Videos
    • Soil and Crop Sciences Videos
    • Social Media
      • Facebook page
      • Flickr photos
      • Twitter
      • Youtube videos
  • Contact
  • Links

← All People

Burson, Byron
Byron Burson
USDA-ARS
Office:
College Station, Texas
Email:
b-burson@tamu.edu
Phone:
979-260-9300
Resume/CV

Specialty:Grass Genetics

Research activities are focused on the breeding of perennial, warm-season grass species for the eventual development of improved germplasm and cultivars to be used for forage and bioenergy purposes.  Because most of these grasses are apomictic and cytologically complex, this research includes investigating the cytogenetics and reproductive biology of the germplasm used in the breeding program as well as interspecific hybrids produced in the program.  This includes: determining the cytogenetic behavior of complex polyploid grass species and hybrids; establishing phylogenetic relationships among different species in agamic complexes; identifying and circumventing incompatibility barriers that prevent hybridization between distantly related species; determining the method of reproduction of various grasses, including apomictic mechanisms; and using this fundamental information to develop novel breeding approaches to develop true breeding apomictic cultivars.  Recent research activities have included using molecular tools to identify hybrids, map economically important genes, and determine and characterize the genetic diversity within different species.  Much of this research has been conducted in collaboration with the perennial grass breeder in the Department of Soil & Crop Sciences.

People

  • Faculty
    • Faculty Alphabetically
    • Faculty by Locations
    • Faculty by Specialty
    • Adjunct Faculty
    • Emeritus
  • Staff
  • Extension Program Specialist / Research Scientist
  • All Personnel Alphabetically
  • Compact with Texans
  • Privacy and Security
  • Accessibility Policy
  • State Link Policy
  • Statewide Search
  • Veterans Benefits
  • Military Families
  • Risk, Fraud & Misconduct Hotline
  • Texas Homeland Security
  • Texas Veterans Portal
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Open Records/Public Information
Texas A&M University System Member