N. Richard Knowles

Areas of Interest

• Potato agronomy, physiology, and variety development

Educational Background

• Ph.D., Horticulture, Washington State University
• M.S., Horticulture, Michigan State University
• B.Sc. (honours), Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario

Work Experience

• Professor of Plant Science, Dept. of Agriculture, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
• Assistant Professor of Plant Science, Dept. of Plant Science, University of British Columbia

Teaching Responsibilities

• HORT 509/510 Graduate Seminar (2018/19)
• Lecture modules in – Hort 416/516, Adv Hort Crop Physiology; Hort 425, Trends in Horticulture (capstone); Hort 490/590, Potato Science; Hort 320, Olericulture
• Horticulture and Molecular Plant Sciences Graduate Programs

Program Personnel

• G.N.M. Kumar, Associate Research Professor
• Lisa O. Knowles, Assistant Research Professor
• Nora Fuller, Ag. Research Tech. 3
• Graham D. Ellis (PhD candidate, Horticulture, 2015-2019)
• Cody J. Dean (MS, Horticulture, 2015-2018)
• Rudy Garza, Farmer III (Othello)

Selected Publications

(*corresponding author)

Dean, CJ, Knowles LO and NR Knowles*.  2018.  Auxin modulates gibberellin-induced effects on growth, yield, and raw product recovery for frozen processing in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).  Am J Pot Res 95: 622-641.

Kumar, GNM, Knowles LO and NR Knowles*.  2017.  Zebra chip disease enhances respiration and oxidative stress of potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.).  Planta 246:625-639.

Herman DJ, LO Knowles and NR Knowles*.  2017.  Heat stress affects carbohydrate metabolism during cold-induced sweetening of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).  Planta 245:563-582.

Herman DJ, LO Knowles and NR Knowles*.  2016.  Low oxygen storage modulates invertase activity to attenuate cold-induced sweetening and loss of process quality in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).  Postharvest Biol Tech 121:106-117.

Knowles LO and NR Knowles*.  2016.  Optimizing tuber set and size distribution for potato seed (Solanum tuberosum L) expressing varying degrees of apical dominance.  J Plant Growth Regul 35:574-585.  DOI: 10.1007/s00344-015-9562-1.

Kumar, GNM, Knowles LO and NR Knowles*.  2015.  Zebra chip disease decreases tuber (Solanum tuberosum L.) protein content by attenuating protease inhibitor levels and increasing protease activities.  Planta 242:1153-1166.

Blauer, JM, Knowles, LO and NR Knowles*.  2013.  Evidence that tuber respiration is the pacemaker of physiological aging in seed potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.).  J Plant Growth Regul 32:708-720.

Knowles, L.O. and N.R. Knowles*.  2012.  Toxicity and metabolism of exogenous α,β-unsaturated carbonyls in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers.  J Ag Food Chem 60: 11173-11181.

Weeda, SM, Kumar, GNM, and NR Knowles.  2010.  Correlative changes in proteases and protease inhibitors during mobilization of protein from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) seed-tubers.  Functional Plant Biology 37:32-42.