Professor
Department of Horticulture
106 Horticulture Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-1100

Phone: 515-294-0035
Fax: 515-294-0730
Email: domoto@iastate.edu

Research Focus

Dr. Domoto's area of research is in pomology. His research interest focuses on apple rootstock/scion relationships, and fruit adaptation and culture. He has been an active cooperator in the regional research project NC-140 "Rootstock and Interstem Effects on Pome- and Stone-Fruit Trees" http://www.nc140.org/ since 1976. Current objectives under which Dr. Domoto collaborates include: evaluating the field performance of pome- and stone-fruit rootstocks in various environments and under different management systems with respect precocity, cropping efficiency, tree size control, anchorage, and stress tolerance; and understanding the developmental and abiotic stress physiology of rootstock/scion interactions in pome- and stone-fruit trees. His particular interest is in the low temperature tolerance of apple rootstocks.

Dr. Domoto is the project leader of the "Food Crops" Plan of Work project. Under this project, his research focuses on cultivar adaptation and culture of fruit trees, and he collaborates with Dr. Gail Nonnecke on grape cultivar evaluations and cultural practices. Dr. Domoto is also involved in Persian walnut breeding for cold hardiness, and received a U.S. plant patent for a walnut tree named 'Domoto' (PP12898 P2) in 2002. The walnut has been trademarked and is being marketed as 'Stark Northern Prize'. Dr. Domoto cooperates with faculty in Plant Pathology and Entomology on orchard integrated pest management studies.

Extension Program

As the state Extension specialist for fruit crops, Dr. Domoto works closely with the Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, the Iowa Wine Growers Association, the Iowa Nut Growers Association, and Area Extension Horticulture field specialists in program planning for conferences, workshops, field days and tours. Fruit research plots have served as the focal point for many field days and tours. With the recent interest in growing grapes as an alternative crop, Dr. Domoto has developed the ISU Viticulture Home Page to provide prospective and established growers in Iowa with computer accessible, regionally applicable, timely information on grape culture.

Patents

• Domoto, P.A. 2002. Walnut tree named 'Domoto'. United States Plant Patent No. U.S. PP12898 P2.
• Persian walnut patent

Selected Publications

Refereed Publications 

• Marini, R.P., J.L. Anderson, B.H. Barritt, G.R. Brown, J. Cline, W.P. Cowgill, Jr., P.A. Domoto, D.C. Ferree, J. Garner, G.M. Greene, C Hampson, P. Hirst, M.M. Kashad, E. Mielke, C.A. Mullins, M. Parker, R.L. Perry, J.P. Prive, G.L. Reighard, T. Robinson, C.R. Rom, T. Roper, J.R. Schupp, E. Stover, and R. Unrath. 2000. Performance of 'Gala' apple on four semi-dwarf rootstocks: A five-year summary of the 1994 NC-140 semi-dwarf rootstock trial. J. Amer. Pom. Soc. 54(2):84-91.
• Marini, R.P., J.L. Anderson, B.H. Barritt, G.R. Brown, J. Cline, W.P. Cowgill, Jr., P.A. Domoto, D.C. Ferree, J. Garner, G.M. Greene, C Hampson, P. Hirst, M.M. Kashad, E. Mielke, C.A. Mullins, M. Parker, R.L. Perry, J.P. Prive, G.L. Reighard, T. Robinson, C.R. Rom, T. Roper, J.R. Schupp, E. Stover, and R. Unrath. 2000. Performance of 'Gala' apple on 18 dwarf rootstocks: A five-year summary of the 1994 NC-140 dwarf rootstock trial. J. Amer. Pom. Soc. 54(2):92-107.
• Autio, W.R., J.L. Anderson, J.A. Barden, G.R. Brown, R.M. Crassweller, P.A. Domoto, A. Erb, D.C. Ferree, A. Gaus, P.M. Hirst, C.A. Mullins, and J.R. Schupp. 2001. Performance of 'Golden Delicious', 'Jonagold', 'Empire', and 'Rome Beauty' apple trees on five rootstocks over ten years in the 1990 NC-140 cultivar/rootstock trial. J. Amer. Pomol. Soc. 55:131-137.
• Autio, W.R., J.L. Anderson, J.A. Barden, G.R. Brown, R.M. Crassweller, P.A. Domoto, A. Erb, D.C. Ferree, A. Gaus, P.M. Hirst, C.A. Mullins, and J.R. Schupp. 2001. Location affects performance of 'Golden Delicious', 'Jonagold', 'Empire', and 'Rome Beauty' apple trees on five rootstocks over ten years in the 1990 NC-140 cultivar/rootstock trial. J. Amer. Pomol. Soc. 55:138-145.
• Domoto, P.A., W.R. Autio, G.R. Brown, D.C. Ferree, P.M. Hirst, C.A. Mullins, and J.R. Schupp. 2001. Blackheart injury in 'Golden Delicious', 'Jonagold', 'Empire', and 'Rome Beauty' apple trees on five rootstocks in the 1990 NC-140 cultivar/rootstock trial. J. Amer. Pomol. Soc. 55:146-153.
• Hirst, P.M., W.R. Autio, W.R., J.A. Barden, G.R. Brown, R.M. Crassweller, P.A. Domoto, and Schupp. 2001. Performance of trees in the 1990 NC-140 apple cultivar/rootstock planting: Additional cultivars and rootstocks. J. Amer. Pomol. Soc. 55:178-184.
• Domoto, P.A. 2002. Walnut tree named 'Domoto'. United States Plant Patent No.: US PP12898 P2
• Robinson, T., L. Anderson, A. Azarenko, B. Barritt, T. Baugher, G. Brown, G. Couvillon, W. Cowgill, R. Crassweller, P. Domoto, C. Embree, A. Fennell, E. Garcia, A. Gaus, R. Granger, G. Greene, P. Hirst, E. Hoover, S. Johnson, M. Kushad, R. Moran, C. Mullins, S. Myers, R. Perry, C. Rom, J. Schupp, K. Taylor, M. Warmund, J. Warner, and D. Wolfe. 2003. Performance of Cornell-Geneva apple rootstocks with 'Liberty' as the scion in NC-140 trials across North America. Acta Hort. 622:521-530.

Extension Publications

• FG 601 Annual Fruit/Vegetable Progress Report http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/FG601.pdf
• PM 453 Fruit Cultivars for Iowa.
• PM 672b Iowa Commercial Fruit Production – Planning and Managing a New Commercial Apple Orchard.
• PM 780 Pruning and Training Fruit Trees.
• PM 1078 Harvesting and Storing Apples. http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1078.pdf
• PM 1083 Why Fruit Trees Fail to Bear.
• PM 1282 Iowa Commercial Tree Fruit Spray Guide http://www.extension.iastate.edu/pubs/PM1282/homepage.html
• PM 1282a Midwest Tree Fruit Pest Management Handbook.
• PM 1375 Iowa Commercial Small Fruit & Grape Spray Guide.
• PM 1788 Growing Fruit in Iowa.

Research