Thomas Björkman

My research covers the range from discovering basic biological principles, to direct application in commercial settings. I study the effects of environmental stimuli on growth and development, particularly as applied to vegetable production. Current work in flowering includes discovering how temperature regulates the transition from inflorescence to flower in broccoli using the tools of functional genomics. I also have a strong interest in improving agricultural production through better integration, including work on cover crops that fill management goals for vegetable producers. Cover crops have physiological processes with valuable management benefits that complement the needs of vegetable growers. I am leading two multi-state research and extension teams. One seeks to make summer cover crops a standard practice on organic vegetable farms in the Great Lakes region. The other will establish a year-round Eastern broccoli industry by developing commercial varieties from existing germplasm that tolerates our growing conditions, developing grower networks in six Eastern locations that can collectively provide year-round harvest, and developing a distribution network to serve major Eastern markets.