• AA Wesley Junior College in Dover, DE
• BS in Botany (1963) at Oklahoma State University
• PhD in Botany (with emphasis in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry) at OSU in 1968

• Joined USDA, ARS in 1968 at Knoxville, TN where he developed a research program in cotton fiber biology
• In 1986 he joined the faculty of the Department at the University of Arkansas as Professor and holder of the Ben J. Altheimer Chair for Cotton Research & Development

• CSES 5124 -Crop Molecular and Physiological Genetics ( PDF)

Currently the main focus of Dr. Stewart’s cotton research is concerned with:

• Identification and evaluation of genes with possible use as transgenes to enhance fungal resistance. He is also initiating a collaborative project to evaluate the effect of anti-fungal genes on mycorrhizal associations.
• Evaluation for and introgression of genetic diversity into cotton. This research is a continuation of a career-long interest in the Gossypium species, and ranges from basic taxonomy and cytogenetics, to strategies for hybridization, to development of molecular markers to follow introgression of selected traits.
• Transfer of resistance to reniform nematode from exotic germplasm into cotton.  Upland cotton germplasm does not have resistance to reniform nematode, however, Dr. Stewart and his collaborators have identified genetic resistance in diploid relatives of cotton (a tetraploid).  Efforts to transfer the resistance into upland cotton are in progress using wide hybridizations
• Gene expression related to adaptation to water-deficit stress.  This research involves molecular analysis of gene expression in response to water-deficit stress by cotton genotypes relatively tolerant to the stress compared to gene expression in susceptible genotypes.  

Link of Interest:

• Cotton Database Data Collection Site
• http://www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/searchgrin.html
• http://www.cottoninc.com/
• http://www.cotton.org/journal/
• https://xgi.ncgr.org/cpp/
• http://www.cotton.org/econ/cropinfo/cropdata/
• http://cotton.agtec.uga.edu/Cotton/index.aspx
• http://www.eeob.iastate.edu/faculty/WendelJ/home.htm

• Mac Stewart is noted for his research on fiber initiation, his contributions in ovule and embryo culture, and his publications on cotton biotechnology. 
• He co-edited the Cotton Foundation’s first reference book, Cotton Physiology, and wrote a major review of cotton biotechnology for the international audience, and is the lead editor on Handbook of Cotton Physiology (2008).
• His is recognized for the breadth of his knowledge of cotton ranging from growth and development of the plant and fruit, to taxonomy and cytogenetics, to the molecular genetics of cotton.
• He is also recognized for the contributions his numerous plant explorations (Australia, Mexico and South America) have made to cotton germplasm including 8 new species, and his strategies for enhancement of exotic germplasm.
• He was a founding member and second chair of the CSSA Div. C-8 Plant Genetic Resources.
• He has conducted several field assessments concerned with the potential for gene out-flow from transgenic cotton to native species.
• He served as a member of the International Cotton Advisory Committee’s First, and Second Expert Panel on Cotton Biotechnology.
• He is also a member of the USDA Cotton Crop Germplasm Committee.

• Fellow of both the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America.
• Recipient of both the Genetics Research Award (2000), and the Cotton Physiology Research Award (2003), the two highest awards given by the respective disciplines.
• Recipient of the international Frank N. Meyer Medal for Plant Genetic Resources (2004).
• He holds the Ben J. Altheimer Chair for Cotton Research and Development, and in 2006 he was appointed University Professor at the University of Arkansas.

Journal Publications, Book, and Book chapters (last five years)

• Stewart, J.McD. 2003. Cotton biotechnology.  Pp. 53-59.  In: Improvement of new and traditional industrial crops by induced mutations and related biotechnology.  IEAE-TECDOC-1369.
• Agudelo, P., R.T. Robbins, J. McD. Stewart, J. B. Murphy.  2004.  Glycoproteins in the gelatinous matrix of Rotylenchulus reniformis.  Nematropica 34:229-234.
• Oosterhuis, D.M. and J.McD. Stewart.  2004.  Physiological basis of yield and environmental adaptation.  Pp.   In: H.T. Nguyen and A. Blum (eds.) Physiology and biotechnology integration for plant breeding.  Marcel Dekker
• Zhang, J.-F., C.-D. Feng and J.McD. Stewart. 2004. Identification of molecular markers linked to the fertility genes for CMS-D8 in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).  Crop Science 44:1209-1217.
• Zhang J.-F., and J. McD. Stewart. 2004. Semigamy gene is associated with chlorophyll reduction in cotton. Crop Sci. 44:2054-2062.
• Agudelo, P., R.T. Robbins, J.McD. Stewart and A.L. Szalanski.  2005. Intraspecific variability of Rotylenchulus reniformis from cotton-growing regions in the United States.  J. Nematology 37:105-114.
• Agudelo, P., R.T. Robbins, K.S. Kim, and J.McD. Stewart.  2005. Histological changes in Gossypium hirsutum associated with reduced reproduction of Rotylenchulus reniformis.  J. Nematology 37:185-189.
• Agudelo, P., R.T. Robbins, J.McD. Stewart, A.A. Bell, and A.F. Robinson.  2005. Histological observations of Rotylenchulus reniformis on Gossypium longicalyx and interspecific cotton hybrids  J.  Nematology 37:444-447.
• Antoine, W., J.McD. Stewart, and B.G. de los Reyes.  2005.  The rice homolog of the sodium/ lithium tolerance gene functions as molecular chaparone in vitro. Physiologia Plantarum 125:299-310.
• Feng, C.-D., J.McD. Stewart, and J.-F. Zhang. 2005. STS markers linked to the Rf1 fertility restorer gene of cotton.  Theoretical and Applied Genetics 110:237–243.
• He, D.-H., Z.-X. Lin, X.-L. Zhang, Y.-C. Nie, X.-P. Guo, C.-D. Feng, and  J.McD. Stewart.  2005.  Mapping QTLs of traits contributing to yield and analysis of genetic effects in tetraploid cotton.  Euphytica 144:141–149.
• Hendrix, B.L., and J.McD. Stewart.  2005. Estimation of DNA content of Gossypium species.  Annals of Botany 95:789-797.
• Lin, Z., D. He, X. Zhang, Y. Nie, X. Guo, C. Feng, and J McD Stewart. 2005.  Linkage map construction and QTL for cotton fiber quality using SRAP, SSR, and RAPD. Plant Breeding 124:180-187.
• Rajguru, S.N., N. Burgos, V.K. Shivrain, and J.McD. Stewart.  2005.  Mutations in the red rice ALS gene associated with resistance to imazethapyr. Weed Science 53: 567–577.
• Taliercio, E., B.L. Hendrix, and J.McD. Stewart.  2005.  Ploidy level in developing cotton fibers and expression of genes involved in the cell cycle.  Am. J. Bot. 92:1942-1947.
• Zhang, J.-F. and J.McD. Stewart.  2005.  Linkage analysis between gametophytic restorer Rf2 gene and genetic markers in cotton.  Crop Science 45:147-156.
• Bourland, F. and J.McD. Stewart. 2006.  Registration of three Arkot S23 germplasm lines of cotton.  Crop Science 46:1409.
• Ulloa, M., J.McD. Stewart, E.A. Garcia-C., S. Godoy-A., A. Gaytan-M., and S. Acosta-N.  2006. Cotton genetic resources in the western states of Mexico: in situ conservation status and germplasm collection for ex situ preservation. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 53:653-668.
• Morsy, M.R., L. Jouve, J.F. Hausman, L. Hoffmann and J.McD. Stewart.  2007.  Oxidative and carbohydrate metabolism as abiotic stress tolerance traits in two rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes differing in chilling tolerance.  J. Plant Physiology 164:157-167.
• Wang F., J.McD. Stewart, and J-F. Zhang. 2007. Molecular markers linked to the with Rf2 restorer gene in cotton.  Genome (In press)
• Wendel J.F., C. Brubaker, I. Álvarez, R. Cronn and J. McD. Stewart. 2007.  Pp. (in press) In: A.H. Paterson.  Plant genomics. Springer, Dordritch, The Netherlands.

Background: Dr. James McD. (Mac) Stewart is a native of Tennessee and worked with the USDA at Knoxville, TN for 18 years before joining the University of Arkansas in 1986.