Professor

Lab web sites:

Fruit Pathology Resources - http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/fruitpathology (Current site)

Ellis Lab (Coming Soon)

Areas of Special Interest

Diseases of fruit crops; primarily apples, peaches, strawberries, raspberries and grapes. Development and implementation of Integrated Disease Management programs for the fruit crops grown in Ohio. I am also interested in epidemiology of fruit crop diseases and disease forecasting.

Who am I?

I was born in Seattle, Washington while my father was stationed there in the Navy. Because my father was in the Navy, we moved a great deal. I went to grade school in California, Hawaii, Texas and Illinois. We settled in Illinois, where I graduated from high school in 1967. I attended Eastern Illinois University where I obtained my B.S. in Education and my M.S. in Botany. While working on my Master's degree, I developed an intense appreciation for plants. As I continued my graduate education at the University of Illinois, I viewed the science of Plant Pathology as a specialization within the science of botany. To me, Plant Pathology is the study of plant health or plant "medicine." After receiving my Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at the University of Illinois in 1976, I accepted a position at the University of Puerto Rico where I taught introductory Plant Pathology and conducted seed pathology research on grain legumes, such as beans, pigeon peas, cow peas and soybeans. I left Puerto Rico and accepted my current position as fruit pathologist at The Ohio State University in 1979. At Ohio State, I conduct research on the epidemiology and control of fruit crop diseases. I also work very closely with fruit growers and other people in the fruit industry to deliver up- to-date information on disease management for fruit crops.

Teaching Interests

I teach half of the Plant Pathology Course 615.01 (Diseases of Fruit and Vegetable Crops). I teach the fruit disease portion of this course and Dr. Sally Miller teaches the vegetable portion. I also teach the chemical control section of one of our team taught courses, Plant Disease Management (Plant Pathology 603). I also enjoy working with and advising graduate students and serve as the Graduate Studies Chair.

Research Area

Much of my research is directed toward developing various components of integrated disease management programs for Ohio fruit crops. Most of the research involves studies on the epidemiology, etiology and ecology of the major fungal pathogens on strawberries, grapes and apples. On strawberries, much of the research has focused on epidemiology and control of the major fruit rot diseases (gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea; anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum acutatum; and leather rot, caused by Phytophthora cactorum). Working with graduate students and my colleague Dr. Larry Madden, we have developed disease predictive models for all of these fruit rot diseases. Also of major interest are the effects of various cultural practices on disease development and spread. On grapes, we have developed predictive models for black rot, caused by Guignardia bidwellii and downy mildew, caused by Plasmopora viticola. We also conduct annual evaluations to determine the efficacy of experimental and nonregistered fungicides for controlling the major fungal pathogens on Ohio's fruit crops.

Extension/Outreach Activities

In addition to responsibilities in research and teaching, I am a State Extension Specialist with Ohio State University Extension. It is my duty to provide the most reliable and current information available on diagnosis and control of fruit crop diseases to Ohio fruit growers and other interested clientele. There are two major groups of clientele; commercial fruit producers and backyard fruit growers and gardeners. I have implemented educational programs to address the needs of each group. A separate series of bulletins and fact sheets have been prepared for each group and educational programs have been designed and implemented to address their specific needs. A major emphasis has been placed on the development and implementation of integrated disease management programs for the various fruit crops grown in Ohio. Helping fruit growers in Ohio to effectively control their major disease problems is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job.

Selected Publications

• Ellis, M. A., Madden, L. V., and Wilson, L. L. 1984. Evaluation of an electronic apple scab predictor for scheduling fungicides with curative activity. Plant Disease 68:1055- 1057.

• Grove, G. G., Madden, L. V., Ellis, M. A., and Schmitthenner, A. F. 1985. Influence of temperature and wetness duration on infection of immature strawberry fruit by Phytophthora cactorum. Phytopathology 75:165-169.

• Ellis, M. A., Ferree, D. C., and Madden, L. V. 1986. Evaluation of metalaxyl and captafol soil drenches, composted hardwood bark soil amendments, and graft union placement on control of apple collar rot. Plant Disease 70:24-26.

• Lalancette, N., Ellis, M. A., and Madden, L. V. 1988. Development of an infection efficiency model for Plasmopara viticola on American grape based on temperature and duration of leaf wetness. Phytopathology 78:794-800.

• Wilson, L. L., Madden, L. V., and Ellis, M. A. 1990. Influence of temperature and wetness duration on infection of immature and mature strawberry fruit by Colletotrichum acutatum. Phytopathology 80:111-116.

• Funt, R. C., Ellis, M. A., and Madden, L. V. 1990. Economic analysis of protectant and disease-forecast-based curative fungicide spray programs for control of apple scab and grape black rot in Ohio. Plant Disease 74:638-642.

• Madden, L. V., Ellis, M. A., and Wilson, L. L. 1993. Field spread of anthracnose fruit rot of strawberry in relation to ground cover and Ambient Weather Conditions. Please Disease 77:861-867.

• Sosa-Alvarez, M., Madden, L. V., and Ellis, M. A. 1995. Effects of Temperature and Wetness Duration on Sporulation of Botrytis cinerea on Strawberry Leaf Residues. Plant Disease 79:609-615.

• King, W.T., Madden, L.V., Ellis, M.A., and Wilson, L.L. 1997. Effects of temperature on sporulation of Latent period of Colletotrichum spp. infecting strawberry fruit. Plant Disease 81:77-85.

• Ellis, M.A., Ferree, D.C., Funt, R.C., and Madden, L.V. 1998. Effects of an apple scab-resistant cultivar on use patterns of inorganic and organic fungicides and economics of disease control. Plant Disease 82:428-433.

• Erincik, O., Madden, L.V., Scheerens, J.C., and Ellis, M.A. 1998. Evaluation of foliar applications of calcium chloride for control of Botrytis fruit rot on strawberry and effects on strawberry fruit quality. Advances in Strawberry Research 17:7-17.

• Ellis, M.A., Wilcox, W.F., and Madden, L.V. 1998. Efficacy of metalaxyl, Fosetyl-Aluminum and straw mulch for control of strawberry leather rot, caused by Phytophthora cactorum. Plant Disease 82:329-333.

• Ntahimpera, N., Wilson, L.L., Ellis, M.A., and Madden, L.V. 1999. Comparison of Rain Effects on Splash Dispersal of Three Colletotrichum Species infecting Strawberry. Phytopathology 89:555-603.

Contact Information

Michael A. Ellis

OARDC-Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University

224 Selby Hall

1680 Madison Avenue

Wooster, OH 44691

Phone: (330) 263-3849

FAX: (330) 263-3841

Email: ellis.7@osu.edu