Matthew Clark

Matt Clark wearing a University of Minnesota polo looks up at a vine of grapes
Associate Professor
Director of Research (Minnesota Landscape Arboretum)
he/him/his
[email protected]
432 Alderman Hall and 122 HRC

1970 Folwell Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55108
United States

Education

B.A., Saint John's University, Psychology, 2003
M.S., University of Minnesota, Applied Plant Science, 2010
Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Applied Plant Science, 2014

Areas of Interest

Disease resistance, plant genetics, fruit quality

Biography

My research focuses on using both traditional and molecular plant breeding approaches to develop improved fruit cultivars for cold climate production. One key area of research is studying the genetics behind the unique resistances to common pests and diseases while improving the eating experience through exceptional texture and flavor. Our goal is to develop new apple and other fruit varieties with multiple resistances so that growers can reduce the amounts of pesticides applied in a season.

Research

My research interest is focused in a couple of key areas. I am especially interested in disease resistance in fruit crops. In apple, we aim to understand the genetics of resistance in 'Honeycrisp' to apple scab and plan to explore novel sources of resistance. On grapevine, we have studied the resistance to an insect pest called phylloxera that is economically important throughout the world. Finding solutions for growers through genetic improvement is really important to me as it impacts all three areas of sustainability: economical, environmental, and social. In addition to pests and diseases, we are committed to researching fruit quality. In particular, this means conducting research that incorporates sensory studies and metabolomics with genomics to describe the flavor and aroma compounds produced in fruit that make fruit enjoyable (and sometimes not enjoyed) by consumers.

Select Publications

  • Underhill, A. N.*, Clark, M. D., & Hirsch, C. D. Image-based phenotyping identifies QTL for cluster compactness in grape. J ASHS. [Accepted 6/14/20]  
  • Zou, C., Karn, A., Reisch, B., Nguyen, A., Sun, Y., Bao, Y., Cambell, M. S., Church, D., Williams, S., Xu, X., Ledbetter, C. A., Patel, S., Fennell, A., Glaubitz, J., Clark, M., Ware, D., Londo, J., Sun, Q., & Cadle, L. (2020). Haplotyping the Vitis collinear core genome with rhAmpSeq improves marker transferability in a diverse genus. Nature Biotechnology.
  • Underhill, A. N.*, Clark, M. D., & Hirsch, C. D. (2020). Evaluating and mapping grape color using image-based phenotyping. Plant Phenomics: 8086309. https://doi.org/10.34133/2020/8086309 
  • Maher, M. F.*, Nasti, R. A.*, Vollbrecht, M.*, Starker, C. G., Clark, M. D., & Voytas, D. F. (2019). Plant gene editing through de novo induction of meristems. Nature Biotech. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-019-0337-2 
  • Yin, L.*, Clark, M., Burkness, E., & Hutchison, W. (2019). Grape Phylloxera, Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch (Hemiptera: Phylloxeridae), on Cold-hardy Hybrid Wine Grapes (Vitis spp.): A Review of Pest Biology, Damage, and Management Practices. J. Integrated Pest Management. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmz011 
  • Rice, S., Tursumbayeva, M., Clark, M., Greenlee, D., Dharmadhikari, M., Fennell, A., & Koziel, J. A. (2019). Effects of harvest time on the aroma of white wines made from cold-hardy Brianna and Frontenac gris grapes using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry. Foods, 8(1). doi: 10.3390/foods8010029
  • Clark, M. D., Teh, S. L.*, Burkness, E., Moreira, L.*, Watson, G.*, Yin, L.*, Hutchison, W.*, & Luby, J. (2018). Quantitative trait loci identified for foliar phylloxera resistance in a hybrid grape population. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 24(3), 292-300. doi: 10.1111/ajgw.12341 
  • Michaels, T., Hoover, E., Tepe, E., Irish, L., Smith, A., & Clark, M. (2021). Introduction to Horticulture. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. https://open.lib.umn.edu/horticulture/ 
  • Sherwood, A. (Graduate Student) (Lead Author), Hokanson, S. C. (Corresponding Author), & Clark, M. D. (2021). Warrington (Ed.), Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia Bartr.) Horticulture, genetics, breeding, and conservation (vol. 49, pp. 1-34). Horticulture Reviews. 
  • Clark, M. D. (2019). Development of Cold Climate Grapes in the Upper Midwestern U.S.: The Pioneering Work of Elmer Swenson. Goldman, I. (Ed.), Plant Breeding Reviews (pp. 31-60). Hoboken, NJ: Plant Breeding Reviews. doi: doi.org/10.1002/9781119616801.ch2 [Accepted: October, 2019] 
  • Sherwood, A. (Graduate Student), Alexander, L. W., Clark, M. D., Wu, X., & Hokanson, S. (2023). Precipitation, temperature, and population structure influence genetic diversity of oakleaf hydrangea throughout its native range. J. ASHS. [Accepted: October, 2022] 
  • DeKrey, D. H., Klodd, A. E., Clark, M. D., & Blanchette, R. A. (2022). Grapevine trunk diseases of cold-hardy varieties grown in Northern Midwest vineyards coincide with canker fungi and winter injury. PLOS ONE, 17(6). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269555
  • Yin, L. (Graduate Student), Karn, A. (Post Doc), Cadle-Davidson, L., Zou, C. (Post Doc), Londo, J., Sun, Q., & Clark, M. D. (2022). Candidate resistance genes to foliar phylloxera identified at Rdv3 of hybrid grape. Hort Research. doi: 10.1093/hr/uhac027 [Accepted: November, 2021] 
  • Olson, J. (Graduate Student), Karn, A. (Post Doc), Zhou, C. (Post Doc), Cadle-Davidson, L., Reisch, B. I., & Clark, M. D. Genetic analysis for leaf variegation in hybrid grape populations (Vitis spp.) reveals two loci, Lvar1 and Lvar2. HortScience, 57(11), 1416-1423. [Accepted: August, 2022] 
  • Treiber, E. L. (Post Doc), Moreira, L. S. (Graduate Student), & Clark, M. D. (2022). Postharvest potential of cold-hardy table grapes. HortScience, 57(10), 1242-1248. 
  • Ebbenga, D. N. (Graduate Student), Burkness, E. C., Clark, M. D., & Hutchison, W. D. (2022). Impact of Adult Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Foliar Feeding Injury on Fruit Yield and Quality of a Temperate, Cold-Hardy Wine Grape, ‘Frontenac'. Frontiers Insect Science, 2. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2022.887659
  • Moreira, L. S. (Graduate Student), & Clark, M. D. (2021). Embryo rescue of cold-hardy table grapes. HortScience, 59(8), 1059-1065.