Bhaskar Bondada

Research

I am a grapevine physiologist with interests in both basic and applied research geared up to address the industry goals. My particular area of research is integrative plant physiology and plant anatomy, basically utilizing the knowledge of structure-function relationships to improve vine health and fruit quality. More specifically, our lab investigates ampelography and cultivar identification, water relations of grapevine and berry, developmental anatomy of grape berry, physiological and structural adaptations to water stress, and hydraulic architecture of grapevine and berry. We investigate the above research goals using light, confocal and electron microscopy in combination with contemporary approaches adopted to study the physiology of the plants.

Current Projects

• Causes and symptomatology of grape berry shrivel
• Anatomical basis of 2,4-D damage
• Extended ripening and berry composition
• Histology of grape berry
• Ecophysiology of water stress (drought)

Teaching

My teaching activities include recruiting students, advising students interested in viticulture and enology, and teaching classes encompassing viticulture, horticulture, and biology.

• Biol 319: Plant Physiology
• Hort 251: Plant Propagation
• Hort 313: Viticulture and Small Fruits
• Hort 409: Seminars in Viticulture and Enology
• Hort 413/513: Advanced Viticulture
• VE 488: Anatomy and Physiology of Grapevines and Berries

Graduate Students

• Susan Hill, MS, Horticulture (part-time student): Identification of different cultivars and clones using techniques of ampelography  (in progress).
• Xiaoyue Wang, MS, Horticulture: Understanding and applying physiological and anatomical adjustments of grapevine to identify drought resistant cultivars for sustaining grape production in drought conditions (graduated Spring 2012).
• Sushan Ru, MS, Horticulture: A mechanistic view of grapevine vigor: xylem anatomy, hydraulics, and reproductive growth (graduated Spring 2011).

Selected Publications

Bondada, B. and J. Shutthanandan. 2012. Understanding differential responses of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) leaf and fruit to water stress and recovery following rewatering.  American Journal of Plant Science 3:1232-1240.

Bondada, B. and M. Keller. 2012. Not all shrivels are created equal – morpho-anatomical and compositional characteristics vary among different shrivel forms that develop during ripening of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berries.  American Journal of Plant Science 3: 879-898. (Cover article, see sidebar – right).  

Bondada, B. and M. Keller. 2012.  Morpho-anatomical symptomatology and osmotic behavior of grape berry shrivel.  Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 137:20-30.

Bondada, B. 2012. Technical Advance: Novel, Simple, Fast, and Safe Approaches to Visualizing Fine Cellular Structures in Free-hand Sections of Stem, Leaf, and Fruit Using Optical Microscopy.  Current Botany 3:11-22.

Bondada, B.  2011. Anomalies in structure, growth characteristics, and nutritional composition as induced by 2, 4-D drift phytotoxicity in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) leaves and clusters.  Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 136:165-176. This article is the cover story for this journal, please see the cover image and website for more details:http://journal.ashspublications.org/current.dtl

Bondada, B.  2011. Micromorpho-anatomical examination of 2, 4-D phytotoxicity in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) leaves.  Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 30:185-198. This article is the cover story for this journal; please see sidebar, above right. 

Bondada, B., C. Sams, D. Deyton, and J. Cummins. 2009. Viscosity-temperature relationships of soybean oil emulsions and their implications for oil retention by apple and peach leaves.  J. Horti. Sci. Biotech. 84:17-22.

Bondada, B.R., C.E. Sams, D.E. Deyton, and J.C. Cummins. 2007. Oil emulsions enhance transcuticular movement of Captan in apple leaves.  Crop Protection 26:691-696.

Bondada, B.R., P.D. Petracek, J.P. Syvertsen, and L.G. Albrigo. 2006. Cuticular penetration characteristics of urea in citrus leaves.  J. Horti. Sci. Biotech. 81:219-224.

Keller, M., J.P. Smith, and B.R. Bondada. 2006. Ripening grape berries remain hydraulically connected to the shoot.  J. Exp. Bot. 57: 2577-2587.  This paper was the cover story for this journal, please visit the website for more details: http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/content/vol57/issue11/index.dtl

Bondada, B.R., C. Tu, and L.Q. Ma. 2006. Surface micro-morphology of Chinese Brake Fern (Pteris vittata L.). Brittonia: 58:217-228. 

Bondada, B.R., M.A. Matthews, and K. Shackel. 2005. Functional xylem exists in post veraison grape berry.  J. Exp. Bot. 56: 2949-2957.

Bondada, B.R. and J.P. Syvertsen. 2005. Concurrent changes in net CO₂assimilation and chloroplast ultrastructure in nitrogen deficient citrus leaves. Environ. Exp. Bot. 54:41-48.