Maria Balota

Assistant Professor Virginia Tech Tidewater AREC 6321 Holland Road Suffolk, Virginia USA 23437 Phone: (757) 657-6450 ext. 407 Fax: (757) 657-9333 E-Mail: mbalota at vt.edu

Education| Research Interests| Extension Interests| Awards| Experience| Selected Publications

Education

• Ph.D. Plant Physiology, University of Bucharest, Romania, 1997
• B.S. Agronomy, Agricultural University of Bucharest, Romania, 1982

Research Interests

Provide an interface between basic laboratory and applied field research in the area of crop physiology and plant response to environmental stresses: water, heat, cold, nutrient, irradiation, salinity. Areas of research include research on photosynthesis, quantum efficiency, respiration, and growth and development of peanut and other crops, and development of new eco-physiological methods for improved variety selection, i.e., remotely sensed infra-red temperature. Dr. Balota is currently seeking faculty fellow collaborators and qualified graduate students to participate in research activities.

Extension Interests

Dr. Balota's primary responsibility is to provide leadership in the peanut variety quality evaluation. Emphasis is placed on development of small plot tests of commercial varieties and advanced breeding lines throughout Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Dr. Balota maintains a close working relationship with Virginia Cooperative Extension agents, peanut farmers, and professional peanut personnel through extension publications and production meetings.

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Awards

• Fulbright, 2000
• European Science Foundation - Biophysics of photosynthesis, 1998
• NATO (through DAAD, Bonn), 1997
• European Science Foundation - Whole plant physiology, 1995
• European Commission, 1999
• International Centre of Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT), 1992

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Experience

• Research Scientist, Texas A&M University, AgriLife Research at Amarillo (under direction of Dr. William Payne), 2001-2008
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Texas A&M University, AgriLife Research at Amarillo (under direction of Dr. M. Lazar and W. Payne), 2000-2001
• Researcher, Research Institute for Cereals and Industrial Crops at Fundulea, Romania, 1984-2000
• Agricultural Engineer, State Farm at Dragalina, Romania, 1982-1984

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Selected Publications

1. Balota, M., T.R. Peters, W.A. Payne, and S.R. Evett. 2008. Morphological and physiological traits related with canopy temperature depression in three-closely related wheat lines. Crop Sci.48:1897-1910.
2. Balota, M., W.A. Payne, D. Rosenow, and W.L. Rooney. 2008. Gas exchange and transpiration ratio in sorghum. In press - Crop Sci.
3. Balota, M., W.A. Payne, S.R. Evett, and M.D. Lazar. 2007. Canopy temperature depression sampling to assess grain yield variation and genotypic differentiation in winter wheat. Crop Sci.47:1518-1529.
4. Balota, M., C.M. Rush, W.A. Payne, and M.D. Lazar. 2005. The effect of Take-all disease on gas-exchange rates and biomass in two winter wheat lines with differential drought response. Plant Soil 275:337-348.
5. Ting-lu, F., M. Balota, J.C. Rudd, and W.A. Payne. 2005. Canopy temperature depression as a potential selection criterion for drought resistance in wheat. Agric. Sci. China 4(10): 793-800.
6. Balota, M., S. Cristescu, W.A. Payne, S. te Lintel Hekkeret, L.J.J. Laarhoven, and F.J.M. Harren. 2004. Ethylene production of two wheat cultivars exposed to desiccation, heat, high irradiance, and Paraquat-induced oxidation. Crop Sci., 44:812-818.
7. Payne, W.A., M. Balota, and D. Rosenow. 2003. Sorghum diversity for germination and elongation under cool conditions. Int. Sorghum Millet Newsletter, 44:76-83.
8. Balota, M., and H.K. Lichtenthaler. 1999. Red chlorophyll fluorescence as an ecophysiological method to assess the behaviour of wheat genotypes under drought and heat. Cereal Res. Commun. 27, 179-187.
9. Balota, M. 1999. Chlorophyll fluorescence and CO2 assimilation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under water limitation. (In Romanian). Probl. Genetica Teor. Aplic. 31 (1-2): 13-22.
10. Balota, M. 1999. Chlorophyll fluorescence and CO2 assimilation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under severe water limitation. (In Romanian). Probl. Genetica Teor. Aplic. 31 (1-2): 23-34.
11. Balota, M., G. Ittu, and N.N. Saulescu. 1996. Excised - leaf water status in Romanian and foreign wheat cultivars: II. Genotypic differences. Romanian Agric. Res., 4:63-70.
12. Balota, M., and M. Terbea.1995. Evaluation of membrane thermostability as a heat tolerance trait: I. Maize seedlings. Romanian Agric. Res. 2: 45-50.
13. Balota, M. 1995. Evaluation of membrane thermostability as a heat tolerance trait: II. Sunflower seedlings, Romanian Agric. Res. 2: 51-54.
14. Balota, M. 1995. Excised - leaf water status in Romanian and foreign wheat cultivars: I. Phenological and environmental effects on excised-leaf water loss. Romanian Agric. Res. 3: 69-76.
15. Balota, M., and N.N. Saulescu. 1994. Membrane thermostability of some Romanian winter wheat genotypes. Romanian Agric. Res. 1: 37-40.
16. Reynolds, M.P., M. Balota, M.J.B. Delgado, I. Amani and R.A. Fischer. 1994. Physiological and Morphological Traits Associated with Spring Wheat Yield Under Hot, Irrigated Conditions. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 21: 717-730.
17. Terbea, M., O. Cosmin, and M. Balota. 1994. Thermic and hydric stress tolerance in Romanian maize hybrids. Romanian Agric. Res. 1: 41-44.
18. Balota, M., I. Amani, M.P. Reynolds, and E. Acevedo. 1993. Evaluation of membrane thermostability and canopy temperature depression as screening tools for heat tolerance in wheat. Wheat Special Report 20: 1-26. CIMMYT, Mexico, DF.

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