Emeritus Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology
Biochemistry, Plant Physiology,
Research
Dr. Blevins’ career focused on macro/micronutrient concentrations in leaves of tall fescue during fall, winter, and spring. Leaf concentrations of phloem mobile elements drop during late fall and winter and this may indicate that they are being re-mobilized. One objective of the research is to determine if remobilized macronutrients are stored in roots over winter, and another specific objective is to determine if the plant is storing nitrogen during winter in the form of vegetative storage proteins. In another project, plants with a certain C4 photosynthetic pathways are being tested for their responses to manganese nutritional levels. C4 plants that use Mn-activated NAD-malic enzyme to release CO2 in bundle sheath cells may require 25X more Mn than other C4 plants and all C3 plants.