Karl Glover

Karl D. Glover is a Professor in the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science at South Dakota State University (SDSU). His research focuses on improving hard red spring wheat (HRSW) through breeding and genetics, emphasizing agronomic traits, disease resistance, and end-use quality. Approximately 75% of HRSW acres in South Dakota utilize cultivars from his breeding program, which aims to enhance grower profitability through genetic advancements.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Agronomy/Plant Breeding, Kansas State University (2000)
• M.S. in Agronomy, South Dakota State University (1996)
• B.S. in Agronomy, South Dakota State University (1994)

Research Interests: Glover’s work centers on wheat breeding, disease resistance (e.g., Fusarium head blight, bacterial leaf streak), and improving yield and quality traits. He has released multiple HRSW varieties, including 'Surpass', 'Boost', 'Focus', and 'Prevail', which are protected by Plant Variety Protections. His studies utilize genomic tools, QTL mapping, and pathogen diagnostics to address challenges in wheat cultivation.

Key Contributions: He chairs the National Wheat Improvement Committee and the US Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative. His publications span disease resistance mechanisms, genomic selection, and pathogen population studies. Recent work includes diagnosing new wheat diseases and advancing high-throughput phenotyping techniques.

Awards:

• Plant Variety Protections for multiple HRSW cultivars

Labs/Teams: Glover collaborates with the SDSU HRSW breeding program and the Seed Technology Lab, advancing applied research in wheat improvement and seed quality.