Assistant Professor
Dry Edible Bean Breeding Specialist

Panhandle Research and Extension Center, 4502 Avenue I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361
Phone: 308-632-0556; Fax: 308-632-1365
E-mail: currea2@unl.edu

EDUCATION

  • Ph.D. in plant breeding and genetics, with a minor in statistics, from North Dakota State University, 2000
  • Master's Degree, University of Puerto Rico, 1996
  • Bachelor's Degree, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, 1984

RESEARCH/EXTENSION INTERESTS/BACKGROUND:

Breeding of dry bean varieties to select plants that are resistant to rust, white mold, common bacteria blight, and root rots; that have desirable qualities related to water efficiency and minimum tillage systems; and that have a more upright architecture, allowing direct harvesting.
At NDSU he worked as a graduate research fellowship in the six-row barley breeding project. While pursuing his master's degree at the University of Puerto Rico, he identified a marker that has been used extensively to introgress BGYMV resistance in dry and snap beans. He also worked on markers for tagging resistance to Macrophomina and common bacterial blight, and collaberated on a research project to develop an RAPD linkage map of disease resistance alleles and QTL in dry bean. Prior to that, as a research assistant in the breeding and genetics program at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture at Cali, Colombia, his work resulted in the release of six small and medium-seeded common dry bean cultivars possessing multiple-disease resistance in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Mexico. He received a bachelor of science degree from Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Prior to joining the staff at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in April 2005, Carlos spent nearly two years in Nepal, leading a project to develop high-quality varieties of maize that will grow on hillsides, to help alleviate malnutrition in that country. Prior to Nepal, he worked as a research associate scientist at the International Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) in Mexico, where he developed new subtropical varieties and hybrids of corn.

PUBLICATIONS:

Refereed:

  • Srinivasan, G., C.A. Urrea, H. Cordova, K. Pixley, S. Castellanos, and R. Lopez. 2005. Progress through modified recurrent selection in two intermediate-maturity, white-grained, subtropical maize populations developed at CIMMYT. Maydica (submitted).
  • Urrea, C.A., R.D. Horsley, B.J. Steffenson, and P.B. Schwarz. 2005. Agronomic characteristics, malt quality, and disease resistance of Barley germplasm lines with partial Fusarium head blight resistance. Crop. Sci. (in press)
  • Urrea, C.A., R.D. Horsley, and B.J. Steffenson. 2002. Heritability of Fusarium head blight resistance and deoxynivalenol accumulation from barley accession CIho 4196. Crop Sci. 42:1404-1408.
  • Urrea, C.A., R.D. Horsley, B.J. Steffenson, and J.D. Franckowiak. 2002. Registration of 6NDRFG-1 six-rowed barley germplasm line with partial Fusarium head blight resistance. Crop Sci. 42:675.
  • Urrea, C.A., P. Miklas, and J.S. Beaver. 1999. Inheritance of resistance to common bacterial blight in four tepary bean lines. J. Amer. Hort. Sci. 124:24-27.
  • Miklas, P., V. Stone, C.A. Urrea, E. Johnson, and J.S. Beaver. 1998. Inheritance and QTL analysis of field resistance to ashy stem blight in common bean. Crop. Sci 38:916-921.
  • Miklas, P., V. Stone, C.A. Urrea, and J.S. Beaver. 1997. Specific genomic regions in common bean condition resistance to multiple pathogens. HortScience 32(3):451.
  • Urrea, C.A., P.N. Miklas, J .S. Beaver, and R.H. Riley. 1996. A codominant randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker useful for indirect selection of bean golden mosaic virus resistance in common bean. J. Amer. Hort. Sci. 121(6):1035-1039.
  • Singh, S.P., and C.A. Urrea. 1996. Inheritance of triangular and ovate flower bracteoles in common bean. J. Hered. 87(4):329-330.
  • Singh, S.P., and C.A. Urrea. 1995. Inter- and intraracial hybridization and selection for seed yield in early generations of common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. Euphytica 81: 131-137
  • Singh, S.P., and C.A. Urrea. 1994. Selection for seed yield and other traits among early generations of intra- and interracial populations of the common bean. Rev. Brasil. Genet. 17.3,:299-303.
  • Urrea, C.A., and S.P. Singh. 1994. Comparison of mass, F2-derived family, and single-seed-descent selection methods in an interracial population of common bean. Can. J. Plant Sci. 74 :461-464.
  • Singh, S.P., A. Molina, C.A. Urrea, and A. Gutierrez. 1993. Use of interracial hybridization in breeding the race Durango common bean. Can. J. Plant Sci. 73:785-793.
  • Singh, S.P., C.A. Urrea, A. Molina, and A. Gutierrez. 1992. Performance of small-seeded common bean from the second selection cycle and multiple-cross-intra and interracial populations. Can. J. Plant. Sci. 72:735-741.
  • Singh, S.P., J.A. Gutierrez, C.A. Urrea, A. Molina and C. Cajiao. 1992. Location-Specific and across location selection for yield in populations of common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. Plant Breeding 109:320-328.
  • Singh, S.P., J.A. Gutierrez, A. Molina, C. Urrea, and P. Gepts. 1991. Genetic diversity in cultivated common bean: II.Marker based analysis of morphological and agronomic traits. Crop Sci. 31:23-29.
  • Singh, S.P., M.A. Pastor Corrales, A. Molina, C.A. Urrea and C. Cajiao. 1991. Independent, alternate and simultaneous selection for resistance to anthracnose and angular leaf spot and effects on seed yield in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Plant Breeding 106:312-318.
  • Singh, S.P., R. Lepiz, J.A. Gutierrez, C.A. Urrea, A. Molina, and H. Teran. 1990. Yield testing of early generation populations of common bean. Crop Sci. 30:874-878.
  • Singh, S.P., C.A. Urrea, J.A. Gutierrez and J. Garcia. 1989. Selection for yield at two fertilizer levels in small seeded commom bean. Can J. Plant Sci. 69:1011-1017.
  • Urrea, C.A., J.E.Ortega, and J.A.Escobar. 1985. Respuesta de 4 cuatro variedades de fre­jol (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) a niveles y fuentes de fesforo en dos profundidades de aplicacien y a deficit de agua en suelos ecidos. Acta Agronemica 35:47-60.