The objective of our research program is to develop high yielding, high quality, flue-cured and burley tobacco cultivars with sufficient disease resistance for productive tobacco production worldwide. A comprehensive research program has been developed combining laboratory and plant pathology techniques with extensive field testing. The search for major genes using molecular markers, selection of doubled haploid segregants possessing multiple traits of interest, and intensive disease nursery screening for multiple pathogens are major components of the research program. In addition, investigation of negative agronomic effects associated with disease resistance genes is another important part of the research program. The investigation of additional male sterile cytoplasm sources is an important step in reducing the genetic vulnerability of the crop and improving the efficiency of hybrid seed production. Chemistry analysis, low converter selection, agronomic performance and seed development traits are evaluated for all our breeding lines and commercial hybrids.