**Open Communication and Transparency**
Our group strives to create a diverse, inclusive, accepting, and welcoming environment for everyone we interact with. As wild rice has ecological, cultural, and agricultural significance here in Minnesota, we encourage open communication and transparency between diverse parties with different perspectives. So please, if you have any questions about who we are and what we do, do not hesitate to ask us!
About Us
We are a breeding, genetics, and conservation research program in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota led by Dr. Jennifer Kimball. Our work centers on wild rice (Zizania palustris) as a cultivated crop as well as a natural resource in the state of Minnesota.
Our research program focuses on 1) investigating the genetic and physiological bases of quantitative traits in wild rice and 2) evaluating and monitoring the genetic diversity and changing environment of natural stands of wild rice in Minnesota to ensure their protection and preservation. To find out more, click here.
Our breeding program aims to improve the sustainability and growth of the Minnesota cultivated wild rice industry (http://www.mnwildrice.org/) and its growers through the development of new and improved varieties. We are currently focused on improving shattering tolerance as well as disease resistance.
We recently published a review paper about the conservation, breeding, and genetics of northern wild rice.
