Participants
Jeff White

Jeff White
Plant Physiologist; Co-Chair, ICASA
USDA Agricultural Research Service
Maricopa, AZ USA

Jeff White is a plant physiologist (Ph. D., Botany, U.C. Berkeley) who emphasizes quantitative analysis of growth and development at whole plant scales, focusing on agricultural systems. For over 20 years, he worked at international three centers of the CGIAR, CIAT (Colombia), CIP (Peru) and CIMMYT (Mexico). In 2003, he joined USDA-ARS to study potential impacts of global change on agriculture. His research often employs ecophysiological models as tools to integrate knowledge and provide quantitatively testable hypotheses. This work includes seeking more accurate representation of cultivar differences in models, including quantitatively predicting crop performance based on known crop genotypes. Linking gene-based models to geographic information offers the prospect of targeting specific cultivars or management strategies to different regions while considering potential impacts of climate risk or global climate change. Recognizing that accurate assessment and application of models requires access to large, reliable sets of data, he has also promoted increased interchange of data among agricultural research groups, including development of robust information management systems, data interchange standards, and clear intellectual property guidelines. He is currently co-leader of ICASA, the International Consortium for Agricultural Systems Applications, which seeks to promote more efficient use of system tools in agriculture. For relaxation, he enjoys hiking, kayaking, gardening and cooking.