Plant Stress and Physiology
Advancing technologies to address threats to vegetable production in Texas and beyond
Conventional and modern methods for resilient vegetable production in Texas
Vegetable production in Texas is threatened by high pressure of endemic or new pests and diseases that severely limit production and quality. The vegetable-breeding program is combining conventional breeding and modern molecular methods to develop high-yield, heat-tolerant, disease- and pest-resistant, high-quality tomato and spinach cultivars for the region.
Program faculty and staff
Dr. Carlos Avila
Associate Professor, Principle Investigator
Dr. Carlos Avila joined Texas A&M AgriLife Research-Weslaco Center and the Department of Horticultural Sciences as Assistant Professor in 2014 and promoted to Associate Professor in 2020. His tomato and spinach breeding program is developing cultivars adapted to Texas conditions. His germplasm is characterized for heat tolerance, resistance to pest/diseases, and improved quality. In addition, he conducts applied research on molecular breeding, high-throughput phenotyping, production systems, and fundamental research on vegetable physiological processes, biochemical pathways and molecular plant- pest-pathogen interactions. He has received over $2 million to support several diverse and integrated research projects.
