Bud Markhart (Deceased)

Organic Horticulture
Professor
Department of Horticultural Science
 

Education

• Ph.D. Duke University, 1978
• M.S. Duke University, 1976

Awards

• 2010 CFANS Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Award
• 2009 Horace T. Morse-Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Teaching
• 1996 COAFES Undergraduate Distinguished Teaching Award

Research Interests

Dr. Markhart teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in environmental physiology, plant propagation, and organic production. His research focuses on the acclimation and adaptation of plants to a hostile fluctuation environment, and organic production systems for northern climates. Current research projects involve the development of low-temperature-tolerant root systems designed to increase productivity under heavy mulch or cover crops; the use of high tunnels to extend the production system for organic production of fruits; and investigating the effect of water and temperature stress on the levels of anticancinogenic compounds in cabbage and water cress.

Dr. Markhart serves on the board of directors of the Minnesota Food Association and the Minnesota Horticulture Society. He is also an advisor to the Dream for Wild Health. In addition to a number of publications on water and temperature relations in plants, Dr. Markhart wrote several computer programs for teaching water relations, patented a new tissue extraction press, and developed a novel approach to measure soil matric potential.

An avid organic gardener, Dr. Markhart writes the Sustainable Gardener column for the Northern Gardener Magazine, is a member of the Plant Biological Sciences graduate faculty, a member of the Sustainable Agriculture Minor faculty, and an advisor to the Student Organic Farm.

Teaching/Advising Responsibilities

• Hort 2031 – Organic Food: How to Grow It, Where to Buy It, Can it Feed the World?
• Hort 3131/5131 – Student Organic Farm Planning Class
• Hort 3005 – Growth Regulation of Horticultural Plants
• Hort 1000 – Plant Propagation
• Agri 1001 – Honors Colloqium; The Green Revolution, Did it Fullfill its Promises
• Hort/Agron 8305 – Ecological Physiology of Managed and Natural Ecosystems
• Biology 1203 – Organismal Adaptation and Diversity
• Hort 4072 – Growing Plants Organically; What It Means To Be "Green"
• Hort 1004 – Building Your Horticulture Learning Community
• Grad 8101 – Preparing Future Faculty
• CFANS 3101H – The Legacy of the Green Revolution
• Hort 4000, 4000H – International Experiences in Horticulture: Comparison of EU and US Organics from Production to Consumption Spring 2006

References

Castonguay, Y. and A.H. Markhart, III. 1992. Leaf gas exchange in water-stressed common bean and tepary bean Crop Sci. 32:980-986.

Sanders, P.L. and A.H. Markhart, III. 1992. Root system control of leaf water status in water stressed Phaseolus vulgaris. J. Exp. Bot. 43:1563-1587.

Udomprasert, N. PL Li, DW Davis, AH Markhart, III 1995. Effect of root temperatures on leaf gas exchange and growth at high air temperature in Phaseolus acutifolius and Phaseolus vulgaris Crop Sci. 35:486-489.

Udomprasert, N. PL Li, DW Davis, AH Markhart, III 1995. Root cytokinin level in relation to heat tolerance of Phaseolus acutifolius and Phaseolus vulgaris. Crop Sci. 35:496-501.

Lin, T.Y. and A. H. Markhart, III 1996. Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray is more heat tolerant than P. vulgaris L. in the absence of water stress. Crop Sci. 36:110- 114.

Kwon, S., P.L. Sanders, A.H. Markhart, III 1997. Water relations, fatty acid adjustments, and desaturase gene expression during chilling acclimation in canola. ISHS Proceedings, editors .F. Abou-Hadid and R.Jones. Acta Horticulturae 434:237-240.

Singer, S.M., W.A. El Tohamy, A.F. Abou Hadid, A. H. Markhart, III, P. H. Li, 1996. Chilling and water stress injury in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) seedlings is reduced by pretreatment with CaCl2, Mefluidide, KCl and Mg Cl2. Egypt J. Hort. 23:77-87.

Fennel, A. and A.H. Markhart, III 1998. Rapid acclimation of root hydraulic conductance to low temperatures. J. Exp Bot. 49:879-884.

Sanders, P.L. and A.H. Markhart, 2000. Root system functions during chilling temperatures: Injury and acclimation. Chapter for Book Crop Responses and Adaptation to Temperature Stress, editor A.S. Basra.

Erickson, A. and Markhart, A. 2001. Flower production, fruit set, and physiology of bell pepper during elevated temperature and vapor pressure deficit. J. Amer.Soc.Hort.Sci. 26(6):  697-702.

Erickson, AN, Markhart, AH. 2002 Flower developmental stage and organ sensitivity of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) to elevated temperature. Plant-cell-environ. Vol.  25 (1) p. 123-130.

Lee, H. C., D. W. Chiou, W. H. Chen, A. H. Markhart, Y. H. Chen and T. Y. Lin. 2004. Dynamics of cell growth and endoreduplication during orchid flower development. Plant Sci. 166: 659-667.

Burkhouse, P and AH Markhart, III.  2005. Sweet corn transplants and vinegar in organic production.  Greenbook  2005: 14-16.  Published by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Markhart III, A.H.2006 Organic Educational Opportunities at the University of Minnesota: The role of the student organic farm.  Hort Technology 16(3):443-445.

Ashling, J., C. Tchida, A. Markhart, P. Porter. 2006 Origin of Cornercopia, the University of Minnesota Student Organic Farm. J of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition. (In Press)

Patent #: 110.0224.0101: Methods for Increasing One or More Glucosinolates in a Plant with Gary Gardner, Jerry Cohen, Gerard,  and Lynette Wong

Contact

If you have any questions about this professor or his work, please contact mart1794@umn.edu.