Peter R. Atsatt, Ph.D.

Peter R. Atsatt, Ph.D.

Retired from lab research, I continue to develop the hypothesis that terrestrial fungi express a conserved intracellular protoplast phase as part of their endophytic life cycle within plants. 

My interest in fungi evolved from a plant question: how and why numerous plant lineages independently evolved the ability to parasitize other plants via similar tumor-like structures called haustoria. 

I considered the possibility that a common genetic denominator might be symbiotic microbes that facilitate their own transmission by influencing haustoria formation. However, ultrastructural studies failed to locate candidate microbes within the tumor-like tissues.

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Jim Verner

Jim Verner

After graduating from the University of Arizona, Jim obtained a graduate degree in International Business at Thunderbird School of Global Management. Living and working abroad (Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East), Jim managed international fertilizer companies and experienced agricultural practices in a wide variety of climates and soils in both conventional and organic production. 

He specializes in ways to control plant stress and to overcome salinity  problems, and has written a number of articles for agricultural magazines and made special presentations to fertilizer producers and conventions on these topics.   He has also spoken to government and private landscaping groups, regional water authorities, and urban farmers on the environmental benefits and water saving  advantages of organics.  Jim is fluent in Spanish.

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Luther Burbank

Luther Burbank

Luther Burbank was an American botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in agricultural science. He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 55-year career. Burbank's developments included those of fruits, flowers, grains, grasses, and vegetables. He developed a spineless cactus and the plumcot.

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Edward B. Voorhees, D.Sc.

Agricultural chemist; agt. U.S. Dept. Agr. for Irrigation in New Jersey since 1896; prof. agriculture, Rutgers Coll., since 1890; supt. N. J. Agrl. Coll. farm since 1896; Republican. Born June 22, 1856, at Mine Brook, N. J., son of John and Sarah (Dilley) Voorhees. Pres. since 1901, N.J. state Bd. Agrl. Received Nichols Research Medal for best paper containing results of chemical research reported to Am. Chem. Soc. Journal, in 1902; for paper on Dentrification.

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David Clement Deaver

David Clement Deaver

David Clement Deaver was born in Ohio and came to Nebraska when a young man, and to Omaha in 1887. He was one of the founders of the populist party and was prominent in it up to the time they affiliated with the democratic party in 1900 ; he was chairman of its national committee and two terms chairman of the state central committee ; was its candidate for congress from this district in 1892 and steward at the Deaf Institute at Omaha for four years.

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John C. Graffio

John Graffio

John Graffio, creator of this website, is currently building an experimental research farm in Arizona featuring nopal cactus (opuntia ficus indica) and other arid crops in order to demonstrate that low water use crops can feed both people and livestock.

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