Assistant Professor Cereal Pathology Extension and Research Lab web site: Paul Lab

Photo above: Pierce Paul was awarded the 2008 William Boright Hewitt and Maybelle Ellen Ball Hewitt Award by the American Phytopathological Society.  This honor is awarded to a scientist within five years of their PhD degree who has made an outstanding, innovative contribution directed toward the control of plant disease.

View highlight piece featuring the Fusarium head blight risk assessment tool (pdf)

Research Interests

My general interest is epidemiology and integrated management of plant diseases, with emphasis on understanding the basic biology and ecology of plant pathogens and the use of this information to develop disease management tools for practical application. I am particularly interested in the use of statistical and computer models to describe plant disease dynamics in the field and the use of these models to make disease management decisions based on risk assessment and disease prediction.

An understanding of the basic biology and ecology of plant pathogens is indispensable for effective disease management through disease prediction and risk assessment. Basic research has to be an ongoing process if we are to understand the effects of changing weather patterns, shifts in pathogen populations, genetic manipulation of crops, and changes in cropping practices on the appearance of new and resurgence of existing plant diseases. I use statistical and computer models to describe the effects and anticipate possible consequences of these changes on disease development and crop yield. I would like to take advantage of modern statistical techniques, sophisticated computer technology, large weather database, and fast and efficient information delivery systems to development and use prediction and risk assessment models as decision-making tools in integrated disease management programs.

Selected Publications

Beuerlein, J. E., Minyo Jr, R. J., Paul, P. A., and Sneller, C. H. 2008. Ohio Wheat Performance Trials, 2008. Horticulture and Crop Science Series 228.

Paul, P. A., Beuerlein, J. E., Loux, M. M., Lentz, E. M., Hammond, R. B., and Mullen, R. W. 2008. Improving Wheat Profits in Ohio. The Ohio State University/OSU Extension Bulletin 938.

Paul, P. A., Lipps, P. E., Hershman, D., McMullen, M., Draper, M., and Madden, L. V. 2008. Efficacy of triazole-based fungicides for Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol control in wheat: A multivariate meta-analysis. Phytopathology 98:999-1011.

Broders, K., Lipps, P. E., Paul, P. A., and Dorrance, A. E. 2007. Characterization of Pythium spp. associated with corn and soybean seed and seedling disease in Ohio. Plant Disease 91:727-735.

Broders, K., Lipps, P. E., Paul, P. A., and Dorrance, A. E. 2007. Evaluation of Fusarium graminearum associated with corn and soybean seed and seedling disease in Ohio. Plant Disease 91:1155-1160.

Madden, L. V., Paul, P. A., and Lipps, P. E. 2007. Consideration of nonparametric approaches for assessing genotype-by-environment (G × E) interaction with disease severity data. Plant Disease 91:891-900.

Nita, M., De Wolf, E., Madden, L. V., Paul, P. A., Shaner, G., Adhikari, T., Ali, S., Stein, J., and Osborne, L. 2006. Effect of corn residue level on disease intensity of Fusarium head blight (FHB) and on deoxynivalenol (DON) concentration: A multi-year field study. Phytopathology 96: S85.

Paul, P. A., Lipps, P. E., De Wolf, E., Shaner, J. L., Buechley, G., Adhikari, T., Ali, S., Stein, J., Osborne, L., and Madden, L. V. 2007. A distributed lag analysis of the relationship between Gibberella zeae inoculum density on wheat spikes and weather variables. Phytopathology 97:1608-1624.

Paul, P. A., Lipps, P. E., Hershman, D., McMullen, M., Draper, M., and Madden, L. V. 2007. A quantitative review of tebuconazole effect on Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol content in wheat. Phytopathology 97:211-220.

Paul, P. A., Lipps, P. E., Madden, L. V., Hershman, D., McMullen, M., Draper, M., and Milus, E. 2006. A quantitative review of tebuconazole effect on Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol content in wheat. Phytopathology 97:211-220.

Paul, P. A., Lipps, P. E., and Madden, L. V. 2006. Meta-analysis of regression coefficients for the relationship between Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol content of wheat. Phytopathology 96: 951-961.

Paul, P. A., Madden, L. V., Lipps, P. E., De Wolf, E., Shaner, G., Buechley, G., Adhikari, T., Ali, S., Stein, J., and Osborne, L. 2006. Modeling the abundance of propagules of Gibberella zeae within wheat canopies. Phytopathology 96: S91.

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Contact Information

Pierce A. Paul

Department of Plant Pathology
The Ohio State University
Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center
1680 Madison Avenue
Wooster, Ohio 44691-4096

Phone: (330) 202-3555; (330) 263-3838
Fax: (330) 263-3841
Email: paul.661@osu.edu