Dr. Dennis T. Ray
University Distinguished Professor, Chair of the Division of Horticultural and Crop Science

Forbes Building, Room 415
Division office, Room 309A
Phone: (520) 621-7612
(520) 626-6967 Division office
Email: dtray@u.arizona.edu

 

Visit these web-sites to learn more about Dr. Ray and his research

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
Background and Interests
 
Dennis Ray received his Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Arizona in 1981. He also received his Bachelors and Masters degree in Zoology from the University of Arizona. Dr. Ray teaches two Natural Sciences courses: Plants and Our World, and Genetics: Concepts and Ethics, as well as Plant Sciences courses including Plant Genetics, Core Concepts in Plant Biology and a Senior Capstone course. His research interests include the genetics of crop plants and the domestication of new crops. His major research interests involve the evaluation of the genetic diversity found within the germplasm of new and/or under utilized crops suitable for cultivation in arid and semiarid environments. This work involves the enhancement of germplasm, as well as research designed to elucidate the basic biology of these little known groups of plants. An example is guayule, a potential domestic source of natural rubber, with which we are not only increasing rubber yields, but also studying its rather complicated reproductive biology. Dr. Ray has received many awards and has been recognized for his research and outstanding teaching ability. Recent awards include, the Honors College, Five Star Faculty Award, 2003, for Outstanding Teaching and being elected a Fellow (2002) in the American Society for Horticultural Sciences. He has also been on the \Editorial Boards of several publications including, the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science and Industrial Crops and Products. (Please see below for a list of select publications)

 
Publications
 

Jorge, M. H. A., M. E. Veatch-Blohm and D. T. Ray. 2007. Quality of guayule seed separated by physical attributes. Industrial Crops and Products 25: 55-62.

Veatch-Blohm, M. E., D.T. Ray, and A. Gehrels. 2007. Night temperature, rubber production, and carbon exchange in guayule. Industrial Crops and Products 25:34-43.

Ray, D. T., Veatch-Blohm, M. E., Teetor, V. H., Walsh, B., 2007. Upper and lower heritability estimates in guayule based on mode of reproduction. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 132: 213-218.

Dierig, D. A. and D. T. Ray. 2007. Challenges in developing new plant species for industrial uses. HortScience (accepted 2006).

Schloman, W. W., Jr., V. H. Teetor and D. T. Ray. 2006. Protein levels affect the cure efficiency and allergenic potential of polyisoprene latices. Rubber Chemistry and Technology 79: 631-640.

Jorge, M. H. A., Veatch-Blohm, M. E. Ray, D. T. and Foster, M. A. 2006. Guayule seed germination under different conditioning treatments. Industrial Crops and Products 24: 60–65.

Veatch-Blohm, M. E., D. T. Ray and W. B. McCloskey. 2006. Water-stress induced changes in resin and rubber concentration and distribution in greenhouse grown guayule. Agron. J. 98:766-773).

Cornish, K, C. M. McMahan, C. H. Pearson, D. T. Ray and D. K. Shintani. 2005. Biotechnological development of domestic rubber producing crops. Rubber World 233:40-44.

Ray, D. T., T. A. Coffelt and D. A. Dierig. 2005. Breeding guayule for commercial production. Industrial Crops and Products 22: 15-25.

Coffelt, T. A., D. T. Ray, F. S. Nakayama and D. A. Dierig. 2005. Genotypic and environmental effects on guayule (Parthenium argentatum) latex and growth. Industrial Crops and Products 22: 95-99.

Veatch, M. E., D. T. Ray, C. J. D. Mau and K. Cornish. 2005. Growth, rubber and resin evaluation of two-year-old transgenic guayule. Industrial Crops and Products 22: 65-74.

Jorge, M. H. A. and D. T. Ray. 2005. Germination characterization of guayule seed by morphology, mass and X-ray analysis. Industrial Crops and Products 22: 59-63.

Veatch-Blohm, M. E. and D. T. Ray. 2005. Water stress effects on rubber concentration and rubber distribution in guayule. In M. J. Pascual-Villalobos, F. S. Nakayama, C. A. Bailey, E. Correal and W. W. Schloman, Jr. (Eds.) Industrial Crops and Rural Development, p. 607-617.

Dierig, D. A., P. M. Tomasi, A. M. Salywon, G. H. Dahlquist, T. A. Isbell and D. T. Ray. 2005. Breeding strategies for improving Lesquerella fendleri (Brassicaceae). In M. J. Pascual-Villalobos, F. S. Nakayama, C. A. Bailey, E. Correal and W. W. Schloman, Jr. (Eds.) Industrial Crops and Rural Development, p. 689-697.

McMahan, C. M., K. Cornish, R. G. McCoy, III., J. L. Brichta, S. Wilson, T. A. Coffelt, F. S. Nakayama and D. T. Ray. 2005. Post-harvest storage conditions on guayule latex quality from agronomic trials. In M. J. Pascual-Villalobos, F. S. Nakayama, C. A. Bailey, E. Correal and W. W. Schloman, Jr. (Eds.) Industrial Crops and Rural Development, p. 575-596.

Ray, D. T. 2004. Natural Rubber. Encyclopedia of Plant and Crop Science, Crops and Industrial Uses Section, Marcel Dekker, Inc., pages 778-780.

Dierig, D. A, M. A. Foster, T. A. Isbell and D. T. Ray. 2004. Lesquerella Potential for Commercialization. Encyclopedia of Plant and Crop Science, Crops and Industrial Uses Section, Marcel Dekker, Inc., pages 656-658.

Ray, D. T., T. A. Coffelt and D. A. Dierig. Breeding guayule for commercial production. Industrial Crops and Products (accepted May 4, 2004).

Keys, R. N., D. T. Ray and D. A. Dierig. 2002. Characterization of Apomicitc Potential in Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray, Asteraceae) In Vivo and In Vitro. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 127:404-408.

Dierig, D. A., P. M. Tomasi and D. T. Ray. 2001. Inheritance of male sterility in Lesquerella fendleri. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 126: 728-743.

Stumpf, D. K, D. T. Ray and W. W. Schloman, Jr. 2001. Identification of a contact allergen in guayule latex and formulated guayule latex products. Journal American Oil Chemists' Society 78: 217-218.

Dierig, D. A., D. T. Ray, T. A. Coffelt, F. S. Nakayama, G. S. Leake and G. Lorenz. 2001. Heritability of height, width, resin, rubber, and latex in guayule (Parthenium argentatum). Industrial Crops and Products 13:229-238.

Ray, D. T., D. A. Dierig, A. E. Thompson and T. A. Coffelt. 1999. Registration of Six Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) Germplasms with High Yielding Ability. Crop Science 39: 300.

Estilai, A. and D. T. Ray. 1991. Genetics, cytogenetics, and breeding of guayule, p. 47-92. In: J. W. Whitworth and E. E. Whitehead (eds.) Guayule Natural Rubber. Office of Arid Lands, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.

Thompson, A. E. and D. T. Ray. 1989. Breeding guayule. In Janick, J. (ed.) Plant Breeding Reviews 6:93-165.
Awards
 

University Distinguished Professor, for exceptional contributions to undergraduate education at The University of Arizona

Provost General Education Teaching Award, 2000-2001.

Faculty Teaching Award, College of Agriculture, 1998 - 1999.

Outstanding Researcher Award, 1995, The Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops

Vice President, American Society for Horticultural Science, Education Division, 2007-2009

Editor-in-Chief, Industrial Crops and Products, 2006-2009

       
 
 


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