Mission:
The Wooster, OH Location comprises three Research Management Units: Application Technology, Corn and Soybean and Soft Wheat Quality, all served by a Location Support Staff. Application Technology Unit missions are basic research and development on: new/improved application technology to protect horticultural, landscape and field crops from damage by pests and adverse environmental conditions, while safeguarding ground-water/environmental quality and food/worker safety; improvement of nursery/greenhouse production systems, enhancing profitability and reducing pesticide usage; and on minor-use crop label expansion (IR-4). Corn and Soybean Unit goals are to reduce crop losses due to corn viruses and develop soybean germplasm adapted to highly productive and drought-prone environments. Soft Wheat Quality Unit missions are to: 1) Evaluate quality of soft wheat breeding lines and cultivars from eastern U.S. to ensure maintenance and/or improvement of milling/baking quality, and 2) conduct research on physics and chemistry of wheat and flour, with particular reference to quality and to development of new/improved tests for measuring and predicting quality.