Assistant Research Professor

303Q ABNR Bldg
(573) 882-9421
r.revord@missouri.edu

Dr. Revord’s primary research involves moving forward with existing applied breeding programs for Chinese chestnut, pecan, and black walnut within the Agroforestry Center at the University of Missouri, Columbia. This will include the collection and assessment of data derived from existing black walnut, Chinese chestnut and pecan cultivar and progeny trials while incorporating new selections into existing programs. In concert with the Missouri Department of Conservation, Dr. Revord will lead the development of a long-term selection and breeding program to restore the native Ozark chinquapin. Emphasis will also be placed on the development of new Chinese chestnut and pecan cultivars, while continuing the development of a long-term controlled breeding program for black walnut leading to the release of new cultivated varieties with improved nut quality, yield and disease resistance characteristics for establishment in agroforestry-based planting systems. Future research includes testing and evaluation of hybrid hazelnuts.

Research Foci

  • Applied breeding programs
  • Chinese chestnut
  • Pecan
  • Black walnut
  • Hazelnut
  • Ozark chinquapin

Active Grants

  • Revord, R., (PI), Holliday, J., (co-PI) and Westbrook, J. USDA-NIFA. Accelerating Marker-Trait Association Studies in Chestnut (Castanea spp. and hybrids). Plant Breeding for Agriculture Production Program Area. 2021-2025. $563,626. 
  • Revord, R., (PI) and Coggeshall, M., (co-PI). Missouri USDA. Black walnut for kernel markets – cultivar release and modern genetics. Specialty Crop Block Grant. 2021-2023. $49,906.30. 
  • Thomas, A. (PI), Revord (co-PI), plus 11 other co-PIs. Moving American Elderberry into Mainstream Production and Processing. USDA-NIFA Specialty Crops Research Initiative. 2021-2025. Total award: $5,345,225. [$440,076 to Revord] 
  • Revord, R. (PI). MO Dept. of Conservation. Tree Improvement Program. July 2021 – June 2025. $132,000.00.
  • Revord, R.S (PI), Gold, M., Romero-Severson, J. Participatory chestnut breeding – establishing a participant network to characterize genetic diversity and ancestry of superior on-farm germplasm. USDA – Agriculture Marketing Service Specialty Crop Multi-State Program. 2020-2023. $923,155.  

Selected Publications

  • Chatwin, W., Shirely, D., Lopez, J., Sarro, J., Carlson, J., Devault, A., Pfrender, M., *Revord, R., Coggeshall, M., and Romero-Severson, J. (in press). Female flowers first: QTL mapping in eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) identifies a dominant locus for protogyny syntenic with that in Persian walnut (J. regia L.). Trees Genetics and Genomes. 19(1), p.4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-022-01580-9
  • Meier, N.A., Coggeshall, M.V., Webber, J.B., Bunting, E., Revord R.S. (in press) Genetic Variation among 54 Eastern Black Walnut (Juglans nigra L.) Cultivars for Phenological and Morphological Traits. Journal of the American Society for Horticulture Science. 147(5), pp.281-289 https://doi.org/10.21273/JASHS05242-22
  • Lombardoni, J., Honig, J., Vaiciunas, J., Revord, R., Molnar*, T. 2022. Segregation of Eastern Filbert Blight Disease Response and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Markers in Three European-American Interspecific Hybrid Hazelnut Populations. Journal of the American Society for Horticulture Science147(4), pp.196-207. https://doi.org/10.21273/JASHS05112-22 
  • Webber, J.B., Gordon, D., Rosati, A., Meier, N., Gold, M. and Revord*, R., 2022. Postharvest Spoilage Incidence and Prestorage Treatment in Chinese Chestnut and Complex Hybrid Cultivars. HortTechnology, 32(2), pp.164-171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH04981-21 
  • Revord*, R.S., Miller, G., Meier, N.A., Webber, J.B., Romero-Severson, J., Gold, M.A. and Lovell, S.T., 2022. A Roadmap for Participatory Chestnut Breeding for Nut Production in the Eastern United States. Frontiers in Plant Science, p.3057. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.735597 
  • Revord*, R.S., Nave, J.M., Miller, G., Meier, N., Webber, J.B., Gold, M.A. and Wahl, T., 2021. Descriptions of Chestnut Cultivars for Nut Production in the Eastern and Midwestern United States. HortScience, 56(11), pp.1315-1324. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI16090-21 
  • Revord, R. S., Lovell, S. T., Brown, P., Capik, J., & Molnar*, T. J. 2020. Using genotyping-by-sequencing derived SNPs to examine the genetic structure and identify a core set of Corylus americana germplasm. Tree Genetics & Genomes, 16(5), 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-020-01462-y 
  • Revord, R. S., Lovell, S. T., Capik, J. M., Mehlenbacher, S. A., Molnar*, T. J. 2020. Eastern Filbert Blight Resistance in American and Interspecific Hybrid Hazelnuts. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 145(3), 162-173. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/JASHS04732-19  

Abstracts & Presentations

  • Jablonski, B., Revord, R., Coggeshall, M., Romero-Severson, J., Bishop, B. and Bunting, E., 2022, September. First Quantitative Trait Loci Detected for Bearing Habit and Nut Characters in a ‘Sparrow’ x ‘Schessler’ Juglans nigra Mapping Population. In HORTSCIENCE (Vol. 57, No. 9, pp. S144-S144). 113 S WEST ST, STE 200, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314-2851 USA: AMER SOC HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE.
  • Webber, J.B., Revord, R., Meier, N. and Miller, G., 2022, July. A Germplasm Management Database to Support on-Farm Conservation and Genetic Improvement of Chestnut for Nut Production in the Eastern US. In 2022 ASHS Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois USA. ASHS.
  • Molnar, T., Mehlenbacher, S.A., Revord, R.S., Braun, L. Fischbach, J., Capik, J. 2022. Exciting progress breeding hybrid hazelnuts (Corylus americana x C. avellana) in the United States International Congress on Hazelnut. Corvallis, Oregon. September 2022.  
  • Revord, R.S., Molnar, T., Meier, N.A., Hlubik, D. 2022. Considering Revisions to Class-Based EFB Rating to Reflect Variation Observed for Quantitative Resistance. International Congress on Hazelnut. Corvallis, Oregon. September 2022.  
  • Revord, R.S., Meier, N.A., Coggeshall, M. 2022. A Preliminary Release Program for High Kernel Quality Black Walnut Breeding Selections. Missouri Nut Growers Association Conference. February 2022. Jefferson City, Missouri, USA. 
  • Revord, R., Coggeshall, M., Romero-Severson, J., Meier, N. and Webber, J.B., 2021, September. Eastern Black Walnut Improvement for Nut and Kernel Production. In HORTSCIENCE (Vol. 56, No. 9, pp. S215-S215). 113 S WEST ST, STE 200, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314-2851 USA: AMER SOC HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE. 
  • Revord, R., Romero-Severson, J., Gold, M., Miller, G., Meier, N. and Webber, J.B., 2021, September. Participatory Chestnut Breeding-Establishing a Participant Network to Characterize Genetic Diversity and Ancestry of on-Farm Germplasm. In HORTSCIENCE (Vol. 56, No. 9, pp. S215-S215). 113 S WEST ST, STE 200, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314-2851 USA: AMER SOC HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE. 

Explore more resources from Dr. Revord and the Center for Agroforestry team.

READ

Download UMCA’s free technical guide for establishing and maintaining chestnut orchards.

WATCH

Dr. Revord demonstrates controlled pollination for the black walnut breeding program.

LISTEN

Dr. Revord explains the Chestnut Improvement Network, a participatory breeding project for orchard nut production.

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