Horticultural Sciences

Horticultural Sciences

Dr. Rebecca L. Darnell

Professor Emeritus

Mailing Address:
Fifield Hall
2550 Hull Road
PO Box 110690
Gainesville, Florida 32611

E-mail: rld@ufl.edu

Areas of Research
- Woody plant physiology
- Nitrogen/iron uptake and assimilation

Teaching Responsibilities
- HOS 4304 – Horticultural Physiology
- HOS 4341 – Advanced Horticultural Physiology
- HOS 4933 – Professional Development

Educational Background
- Ph.D., Plant Physiology, University of California, Davis (1986)
- M.S., Horticulture, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (1982)
- B.S., Horticulture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (1980)

Honors and Awards
- Fellow, American Society for Horticultural Science, 2011
- North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Teacher Fellow, 2006.
- Teacher of the Year, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2005.

Program Personnel
- Moshe Doron, Biological Scientist

Selected Publications

Authors	Year	Title / Description	Publication
Fang, Y., J. Williamson, R. Darnell, Y. Li, and G. Liu.	2017	Nitrogen uptake and allocation at different growth stages of young southern highbush blueberry plants.	HortScience 52:905-909.
Nunez, G., C.L. Harmon, J.W. Olmstead, and R.L. Darnell.	2016	Root-level inoculation with iron-reducing microorganisms does not enhance iron uptake by southern highbush blueberry plants.	Rhizosphere http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rhisph.2016.09.001.
Casamali, B., J. Williamson, A. Kovaleski, S. Sargent, and R. Darnell.	2016	Mechanical harvesting and postharvest storage of two southern highbush blueberry cultivars grafted onto Vaccinium arboreum rootstocks.	HortScience 51:1503-1510.
Casamali, B., R.L. Darnell, A.P. Kovaleski, J.W. Olmstead, and J.W. Williamson	2016	Negetative and reproductive traits of two southern highbush blueberry cultivars grafted onto Vaccinium arboreum rootstocks.	HortScience 51:880-886.
Nunez, G.H., H.P. Rodriguez-Armenta, R.L. Darnell, and J.W. Olmstead	2016	Towards marker assisted breeding for root architecture traits in southern highbush blueberry.	J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 141:414-424.
Nunez, G., C.L. Harmon, J.W. Olmstead, and R.L. Darnell	2016	Root-level inoculation with iron-reducing microorganisms does not enhance iron uptake by southern highbush blueberry plants.	Rhizosphere doi:10.1016/j.rhisph.2016.09.001.
Nunez, G. H., A. P. Kovaleski, B. Casamali, and R. L. Darnell	2016	Can science and genetics literacy affect student perception of genetically modified organisms?	AgBioForum 19:1-10.
Darnell, R.L., B. Casamali, and J.G. Williamson	2015	Nutrient assimilation in southern highbush blueberry and implications for the field.	HortTech 25:460-463.
Nunez, G.H., J.W. Olmstead, and R.L. Darnell	2015	Rhizosphere acidification is not part of the strategy I iron deficiency response of Vaccinium arboreum and the southern highbush blueberry.	HortScience 50:1064-1069.
Kovaleski, A., R.L. Darnell, B. Casamali, and J.G. Williamson	2015	Effects of timing and intensity of summer pruning on reproductive traits of two southern highbush blueberry cultivars.	HortScience 50:1486-1491.
Kovaleski, A., J. Williamson, B. Casamali, and R.L. Darnell	2015	Effects of timing and intensity of summer pruning on vegetative traits of two southern highbush blueberry cultivars.	HortScience 50:68-73.
Kovaleski, A., J. Williamson, J.Olmstead, and R.L.Darnell	2015	Inflorescence bud initiation, development, and bloom in two southern highbush blueberry cultivars.	J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 140:38-44.
Nunez, G., A. Kovaleski, and R. L. Darnell	2014	Formal education can affect students’ perception of organic produce.	Horttechnology 24:64-70.
Darnell, R.L., N. Cruz-Huerta, J.G. Williamson	2013	Night temperature and source-sink effects on growth, leaf carbon exchange rate, and carbohydrate accumulation in bell pepper ovaries.	J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 138:331-337.
Darnell, R.L., N. Cruz-Huerta, J.G. Williamson	2012	Night temperature and source-sink effects on overall growth, cell number and cell size in bell pepper ovaries.	Ann. Bot. 110:987-994.
Darnell, R.L. and N. Cruz-Huerta	2011	Nitrate and iron uptake and assimilation in cultivated and wild Vaccinium species.	Inter. J. Fruit Sci. 11:136-150.
Cruz-Huerta, N., J. G. Williamson, and R. L. Darnell	2011	Low night temperature increases ovary size in sweet pepper cultivars.	HortScience 46:396-401.