Maria Balota
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Location:
6321 Holland RoadSuffolk, VA 23437
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Maria Balota is a Professor with two-way appointment in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences (SPES) covering 75% research and 25% extension. She resides at the Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center (TAREC) in Suffolk, VA, where she serves as the leader of the Crop Physiology program. The foundation of her research and extension programs has evolved around peanut, sorghum, wheat and specialty crops.
- Stress physiology of field crops
- Peanut cultivar development
- High-throughput phenotyping
- Sustainable crop production
- Ph.D., Plant Physiology, University of Bucharest, Romania, 1997
- B.S., Agronomy, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Romania, 1982
Program Focus
The overall goal of my research is to provide leadership for the crop physiology applications to improve production systems' sustainability in Virginia and mid-Atlantic region. This has been accomplished through research addressing abiotic stress adaptation of field crops and development of high-throughput phenotypic methods, and participation in nationally recognized Multi-State Hatch projects, S 1069 and S 1079.
My research focusses on phenomics of the currently grown crops, with emphasis on peanut, and future crops to fit the Commonwealth environment. Employing direct and aerial measurements of the plant physiological, morphological, and agronomic characteristics, my research determined that water is undoubtedly a significant factor limiting yield in the sub-humid Virginia, where each degree Centigrade increase in temperature (5˚C increase is expected by 2080) can reduce peanut yield by 11%.
Grants and Current Research Projects:
- U.S. Agency for International Development, Peanut Innovation Lab; $843,490. Adoption of high throughput phenotyping in varietal development throughout the Groundnut Improvement Network of Africa (GINA). (2018-2027); PI.
- NIFA-SCRI; $2,664, 745. Enhanced Mid-Atlantic system sustainability through development of high-protein and stress tolerant faba bean for winter production. (2023-2027); PI.
- NIFA-AFRI; $500,000. Peanut Variety and Quality Evaluation - Harnessing Multiscale Data for Trait Prediction to Support Cultivar Release Decisions. (2023-2026); PI.
- National Peanut Board; $28,500. Effect of prohexadione calcium on peanut grown for seed production. (2024-2025); PI.
- Virginia Crop Improvement Association and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; $160,364. Dissecting phenotypic and genetic pollen viability in response to temperature stress and its effect on yield of peanut. (2022-2026); PI & Co-PI.
- University of Georgia/PIL/USAIDA; $522,266.00. Adoption of High Throughput Phenotyping (HTP) in Varietal Development Throughout the Groundnut Improvement Network of Africa (GINA). (2023-2027); PI.
2021 - present Professor, Tidewater AREC, Virginia Tech
2014 - 2021 Associate Professor, Tidewater AREC, Virginia Tech
2008 - 2014 Assitant Professor, Tidewater AREC, Virginia Tech
2000 - 2008 Postdoc/Research Scientist, Texas A&M University
1982 - 1999 Researcher, Natl. Agric. Res. & Develop. Ins, Romania
Selected Major Awards
- 2022 - Faculty Fellow, Center for Advanced Innovation in Agriculture, Virginia Tech
- 2012 - High Impact Paper Award (J. Integrative Agriculture) (shared with other 3 co-authors)
- 2011 - Recognition of Service, Crop Science Society of America
- 2000 - Scholarship – Fulbright International Educational Exchange Program, USA
- 1998 - Travel Award, European Science Foundation
- 1997 - Fellowship, The North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- 1995 - Fellowship, European Commission
Program Focus
My primary role is to develop sustainable production programs. The primary extension thrust of these programs is in utilization of the most profitable varieties by farmers and identification of profitable rotational crops. My overall Extension goal is to maintain agricultural profitability through selection and use of the highest yielding and water-use efficient varieties of peanut, faba bean, and other crops.ms:
