2026 Donald R. Ort: Plant Science and Agronomy Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Plant Science and Agronomy	92	239	223	84	78	283	41955

Research.com Recognitions

2026 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in United States Leader Award
2022 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in United States Leader Award
2017 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
2009 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Overview

What is he best known for?

The fields of study he is best known for:

Photosynthesis
Enzyme
Ecology

Donald R. Ort mostly deals with Photosynthesis, Botany, Carbon dioxide, Agronomy and Crop yield. His Photosynthesis study integrates concerns from other disciplines, such as Canopy and Growing season. His Botany study combines topics from a wide range of disciplines, such as Gene and Animal science.

Donald R. Ort combines subjects such as Acclimatization and Respiration with his study of Carbon dioxide. His Agronomy research includes elements of Primary production, Ecosystem and Water content. The Crop yield study combines topics in areas such as Biomass, Agriculture, Climate change and Photosynthetic efficiency.

His most cited work include:

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide: plants FACE the future (1282 citations)
Food for Thought: Lower-Than-Expected Crop Yield Stimulation with Rising CO2 Concentrations (1144 citations)
Comparing photosynthetic and photovoltaic efficiencies and recognizing the potential for improvement. (1011 citations)

What are the main themes of his work throughout his whole career to date?

His scientific interests lie mostly in Photosynthesis, Agronomy, Botany, Biochemistry and Photosystem II. His Photosynthesis research incorporates elements of Canopy, Carbon dioxide and Horticulture. Agronomy and Water content are commonly linked in his work.

His Botany course of study focuses on Animal science and Carboxylation. He usually deals with Photosystem II and limits it to topics linked to Photochemistry and Plastoquinone and Cytochrome b6f complex. Donald R. Ort has researched Crop yield in several fields, including Agriculture and Climate change.

He most often published in these fields:

Photosynthesis (81.61%)
Agronomy (39.13%)
Botany (34.45%)

What were the highlights of his more recent work (between 2016-2021)?

Photosynthesis (81.61%)
Agronomy (39.13%)
Canopy (24.41%)

In recent papers he was focusing on the following fields of study:

Photosynthesis, Agronomy, Canopy, Crop and Photosynthetic efficiency are his primary areas of study. The subject of his Photosynthesis research is within the realm of Botany. His biological study spans a wide range of topics, including Carbon dioxide, Agriculture, Vapour Pressure Deficit and Photosystem II.

Donald R. Ort has included themes like Biomass, Heat wave, Atmospheric sciences and Solar angle in his Canopy study. His Crop research is multidisciplinary, incorporating elements of Carbon gain, Climate change and C4 photosynthesis. His Photosynthetic efficiency research includes themes of Biophysics and Process engineering.

Between 2016 and 2021, his most popular works were:

Synthetic glycolate metabolism pathways stimulate crop growth and productivity in the field (203 citations)
Photosystem II Subunit S overexpression increases the efficiency of water use in a field-grown crop. (90 citations)
The Impacts of Fluctuating Light on Crop Performance. (74 citations)

In his most recent research, the most cited papers focused on:

Enzyme
Photosynthesis
Gene

Donald R. Ort mostly deals with Photosynthesis, Canopy, Botany, Agronomy and Crop. His Photosynthesis research incorporates elements of Chloroplast and Crop yield. His studies deal with areas such as Photosynthetic efficiency and C4 photosynthesis as well as Canopy.

His work in Botany covers topics such as Horticulture which are related to areas like Photosynthetic acclimation, RuBisCO, Nicotiana tabacum and Sink. The concepts of his Agronomy study are interwoven with issues in Heat wave and Photosystem II. His Crop research integrates issues from Carbon gain, Atmospheric sciences and Solar angle.

Best Publications

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide: plants FACE the future

Stephen P. Long;Elizabeth A. Ainsworth;Alistair Rogers;Alistair Rogers;Donald R. Ort

2137
Citations
Improving Photosynthetic Efficiency for Greater Yield

Xin Guang Zhu;Xin Guang Zhu;Stephen P. Long;Donald R. Ort

2131
Citations
Climate Impacts on Agriculture: Implications for Crop Production

Jerry L. Hatfield;Kenneth J. Boote;B. A. Kimball;Lewis A. Ziska

2012
Citations
Can improvement in photosynthesis increase crop yields

Stephen P. Long;Xin Guang Zhu;Shawna L. Naidu;Donald R. Ort

1985
Citations
Food for Thought: Lower-Than-Expected Crop Yield Stimulation with Rising CO2 Concentrations

Stephen P. Long;Elizabeth A. Ainsworth;Elizabeth A. Ainsworth;Andrew D. B. Leakey;Josef Nösberger

1959
Citations
Comparing photosynthetic and photovoltaic efficiencies and recognizing the potential for improvement.

Robert E. Blankenship;David M. Tiede;James Barber;James Barber;Gary W. Brudvig

1893
Citations
Elevated CO2 effects on plant carbon, nitrogen, and water relations: six important lessons from FACE

Andrew D. B. Leakey;Elizabeth A. Ainsworth;Elizabeth A. Ainsworth;Carl J. Bernacchi;Carl J. Bernacchi;Alistair Rogers;Alistair Rogers

1857
Citations
What is the maximum efficiency with which photosynthesis can convert solar energy into biomass

Xin Guang Zhu;Stephen P. Long;Donald R. Ort;Donald R. Ort

1453
Citations
Impacts of chilling temperatures on photosynthesis in warm-climate plants

Damian J. Allen;Donald R. Ort

1407
Citations
Redesigning photosynthesis to sustainably meet global food and bioenergy demand

Donald R. Ort;Donald R. Ort;Sabeeha S. Merchant;Jean Alric;Alice Barkan

1103
Citations
Oxygenic photosynthesis: the light reactions.

Donald R. Ort;Charles F. Yocum

901
Citations
Photosynthesis, Productivity, and Yield of Maize Are Not Affected by Open-Air Elevation of CO2 Concentration in the Absence of Drought

Andrew D.B. Leakey;Martin Uribelarrea;Elizabeth A. Ainsworth;Shawna L. Naidu

686
Citations
Biotic stress globally downregulates photosynthesis genes.

Damla D. Bilgin;Jorge A. Zavala;Jin Zhu;Steven J. Clough;Steven J. Clough

663
Citations
Synthetic glycolate metabolism pathways stimulate crop growth and productivity in the field

Paul F. South;Paul F. South;Amanda P. Cavanagh;Helen W. Liu;Donald R. Ort

644
Citations
A photoprotective role for O2 as an alternative electron sink in photosynthesis

Donald R Ort;Neil R Baker

626
Citations
Genome of the long-living sacred lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.)

Ray Ming;Ray Ming;Robert VanBuren;Yanling Liu;Mei Yang

517
Citations
More than taking the heat: crops and global change.

Stephen P Long;Donald R Ort

479
Citations
When There Is Too Much Light

Donald R. Ort

473
Citations
The Costs of Photorespiration to Food Production Now and in the Future

Berkley J. Walker;Berkley J. Walker;Andy VanLoocke;Carl J. Bernacchi;Carl J. Bernacchi;Donald R. Ort;Donald R. Ort

453
Citations
The slow reversibility of photosystem II thermal energy dissipation on transfer from high to low light may cause large losses in carbon gain by crop canopies: a theoretical analysis

Xin Guang Zhu;Donald R. Ort;John Whitmarsh;John Whitmarsh;Stephen P. Long

413
Citations
Optimizing Antenna Size to Maximize Photosynthetic Efficiency

Donald R. Ort;Xinguang Zhu;Anastasios Melis

384
Citations
Chlorophyll a fluorescence induction kinetics in leaves predicted from a model describing each discrete step of excitation energy and electron transfer associated with Photosystem II

Xin-Guang Zhu;Govindjee;Neil R. Baker;Eric deSturler

374
Citations
Thylakoid membrane responses to moderately high leaf temperature in Pima cotton

S. M. Schrader;R. R. Wise;W. F. Wacholtz;Donald Richard Ort

364
Citations