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Directory by Research Area
- Biology and Epidemiology of Foliar Pathogens
- Molecular and Cellular Plant-Microbe Interactions
- Soil Microbial Ecology and Root Pathogens
- Plant Disease Management
Biology and Epidemiology of Foliar Pathogens
Epidemiology, etiology and ecology of fungal plant pathogens of fruit crops; disease forecasting systems; disease management practices for tree fruits and small fruits; disease-predictive models for black rot and downy mildew of grapes and gray mold, leather rot and anthracnose of strawberry; incorporation of these into computerized, field-based predictive instruments capable of forecasting the probability and/or occurrence of these diseases and thus improving fungicide application timing and minimizing pesticide use; evaluation of fungicides for disease management on fruit crops.
Plant disease epidemiology, pathogen ecology, disease modeling and statistical analysis, and crop loss assessment. Research is primarily aimed at fungal diseases of fruit crops and diseases to determine the influence of climate and environment on disease dynamics, and to develop disease management strategies based on epidemiological theory and experimentation. Recent research: use of mathematical and statistical modeling to understand the temporal and spatial dynamics of disease epidemics and forecast the risk of disease outbreaks; determining the mechanisms of rain splash dispersal of fungal spores; quantification and prediction of crop losses in relation to disease intensity and pathogen density; sampling for disease incidence, including the development of new statistical methods for predicting sample sizes; and predicting the invasion and persistence of introduced nonindigenous pathogen species.
Development of sustainable, integrated management approaches for diseases of vegetable crops; ecology and transmission of bacterial and phytoplasmal diseases. Recent research includes detection and management of bacterial pathogens of tomato seedlings during transplant operations and evaluation of race distribution of the pathogen causing bacterial spot of peppers and tomatoes; development of methods for detection and characterization of aster yellows phytoplasma strains in lettuce; and development of highly specific molecular markers for detection and quantitation of a microorganism inducing resistance to foliar pathogens.
Biology, epidemiology, and integrated management of corn and wheat diseases. Current research focuses on determining the influence of surface residue on development of Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat; determining the strength and importance of a within-field source of inoculum (surface residue) for FHB development under conditions of high background (air-blown) inoculum levels; determining how the role of surface residue on the development of FHB is influenced by year-to-year variation in weather conditions; determining the role of weather-related factors on FHB inoculum buildup and dissemination within wheat canopy; developing integrated disease management strategies for FHB; and documenting the effect of disease resistance and fungicide use on FHB, powdery mildew, and Stagonospora blotch of wheat. Research interests also include validation and refinement of a disease forecasting system for FHB of wheat; characterization of the resistance of commonly-cultivated corn hybrids to northern corn leaf blight (NCLB); determination of the race structure of the NCLB pathogen in Ohio; and development of risk-based management decision-making tools for some of the most important foliar diseases of corn (gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight) and wheat (Stagonospora blotch and powdery mildew).
Molecular and Cellular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Elucidation of the physiological and chemical basis of the systemic interactions among pine trees, pathogens and phytophagous insects; employment of proteomics to study the genes expressed in both localized and systemic induced resistance responses in pines to fungal canker pathogens. Collaborations: Daniel Herms (OSU Entomology), Donald Cipollini (Wright State University).
Bacterial pathogens of plants; molecular biology of plant bacteria interactions; molecular genetics of pathogenicity in Pantoea stewartii, synthesis of bacterial polysaccharides, type-III (Hrp) secretion systems, and prokaryotic gene regulation. Collaborations: Klaus Geider (Max Planck, Heidelburg), Isaac Barash (Tel Aviv U, Israel), Shulamit Manulis (Volcani Centre, ARO, Israel), Peg Redinbaugh (Plant Path, OSU), Erich Grotewold (Plant Biol, OSU).
Molecular, cellular and genetic characterization of the cell-to-cell and intracellular signaling processes that regulate deployment of soybean defense responses, role of HR cell death in activating two forms of defense priming, called elicitation competence and distal defense potentiation; RNAi gene silencing for functional analysis of soybean defense and defense signaling genes, use of metabolomic approaches for the discovery of novel plant natural products that activate defense priming.
Fungal biology and parasitology with an emphasis on using modern tools and techniques in molecular biology, genomics, and proteomics to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of virulence.
Identification and characterization of the molecular and genetic mechanisms for maize resistance to viral diseases; examination of virus distribution, replication and movement in susceptible and resistant maize germplasm; identification, mapping, isolation and characterization of maize virus resistance genes; characterization of virus gene function and population structure; and, development of virus-based vectors for gene silencing and expression.
Dr. Feng Qu will join the Department of Plant Pathology as Assistant Professor in October 2008. His area of interest is molecular plant virology, plant antiviral defenses, including RNA silencing and Resistance gene-mediated defense; interactions between different plant gene products (eg. DCLs, AGOs, and RDRs); and engineering virus resistance in crop plants by enhancing antiviral RNA silencing.
Molecular and Genomics of Plant-Microbe Interactions
The main focus of our research is to understand the mechanism of plant-pathogen interactions, and the signal transduction pathways leading to the induction of disease resistance responses. Both genetic and genomic approaches are being used in the program. We are currently using rice as the model plant since it is one of the most important food crops in the world, its genome is the smallest one among cereals and the genome sequence is publicly available. We are also interested in generation of novel genomics tools and resources for functional analysis of the rice and maize genomes. Lab URL: http://plantpath.osu.edu/~wang/.
Soil Microbial Ecology and Root Pathogens
Integrated management of fungal turfgrass pathogens with emphasis on biological control, microbial ecology, and molecular biology of turfgrass-microbe interactions. Recent research is focused on understanding the complex nature of microbial characteristics of sand and soil-based systems used by the turfgrass industry, the development of IPM strategies for managing major turfgrass diseases, and the impact of organic matter topdressings and incorporation on disease suppression, fungicide use and turf health and quality.
Effects of soil type and management regime, fertility, and mycorrhizal inoculants on native mycorrhizal communities, tree resistance to drought stress and patterns of within tree carbon allocation, with special emphasis on allocation to defense mechanisms against pathogens and insects. Our model system for this research is paper birch in a simulated urban environment. Collaboration: Daniel Herms (Entomology, Ohio State).
Soil borne diseases are responsible for more yield losses in soybeans than all other types of diseases combined in Ohio. Numerous oomycete and fungal pathogens infect and colonize soybean roots across the state. Soybean cyst nematode is also increasing in many fields in the state and several populations have adapted the primary source of resistance, PI88788. This lab's primary focus is to develop integrated pathogen management strategies that are both effective but also will be easily adopted by the soybean industry. Our first goal is to identify the soil borne pathogens involved in the various production regions in the state, identify sources of resistance to these pathogens, and characterize the resistance both from the aspect of where the resistance loci occur in the soybean genome but also the mechanisms that influence the resistance response.
Soil microbial ecology as it relates to plant health, especially biological control of plant diseases. Recent fundamental research focuses on the molecular characterization of the diversity and population dynamics of plant-associated microbes, especially Pseudomonas and Bacillus spp. that suppress fungal root pathogens. Real-time PCR and T-RFLP analyses are used to evaluate changes in diverse microbial populations associated with changes in root physiology and disease state. The lab's applied research projects aim to develop novel biopesticides, especially for organic production. Collaborative projects involve faculty from OSU's Organic Food, Farming, Education and Research (OFFER) program and OCAMM, as well as scientists at other universities.
Development of sustainable, integrated management approaches for diseases of vegetable crops; ecology and transmission of bacterial and phytoplasmal diseases; molecular detection and characterization of plant pathogens and biocontrol agents. Recent research includes development of specific PCR primers and assays for detection and monitoring of Trichoderma hamatum 382 in soil and planting mixes; assessment of the role of compost amendments in reducing severity of fungal and bacterial disease of tomato; and characterization of Rhizoctonia solani isolates from radish and assessment of their aggressiveness on radish and sensitivity to fungicides.
Plant Disease Management
Management of diseases in commercial turfgrass systems, particularly sand- and soil-based putting greens. Recent research has emphasized evaluation of fungicides for management of turf diseases and the use of organic matter topdressings to promote turf health and quality.
Development of improved management systems for diseases in soybean production. Recent research includes evaluation of soybean populations and cultivars for resistance to Phytophthora sojoe and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum; evaluation of the efficacy of seed treatments for Rhizoctonia solani and Phytophthora sojoe; evaluation of fungicides for management of soybean rust and impact on yield as well as other cultural practices and their impact on disease development.
Development of disease control methodologies for fruit crops. Research emphasis is directed toward development of disease control methodologies that integrate cultural practices, biological control and chemical control; epidemiology, etiology and ecology of fungal pathogens of fruit crops, particularly strawberries, grapes and apples.
Fate and behavior of foliar fungicides applied to horticultural crops. Research interests include assessment of the uniformity of fungicide coverage within floral canopies in greenhouses or tree canopies in nurseries. Residue studies involve traditional uses of fluorescent tracers in conjunction with new techniques such as high resolution, cold field emission scanning electron microscope and energy diversive x-ray analyzer call cold field emission electron beam analysis (CFESEM). This technology is used to discover the relationships between coverage and improved efficacy at the cuticular level, including the ecology of the leaf surface.
Diseases of ornamentals and landscape plants; plant virology; disease resistance, particularly virus resistance in plants; plant health management issues for commercial operations; Hosta Virus X, Tobacco Mosaic Virus, tobamoviruses and other diseases of importance to the ornamental/landscape industry.
Management of diseases associated with vegetable crops in both field and greenhouse production systems. Research has recently focused on the use of molecular technologies to develop improved plant disease diagnostics; etiology and epidemiology of bacterial spot, speck and canker on peppers and tomatoes; development of alternative disease management strategies for organic vegetable production.
Development of economically sound integrated management programs for corn and wheat diseases, based on quantitative assessment of the risk of occurrence of these diseases. Current research efforts focus on integrating cultivar resistance and maturity, planting date, residue management, fungicide application, and early disease risk assessment for management of Fusarium head blight of wheat; screening wheat breeding lines for resistance to Fusarium head blight, powdery mildew, and Stagonospora blotch; evaluating fungicides for efficacy against powdery mildew, Stagonospora blotch, leaf rust, and Fusarium head blight of wheat; and validating a disease forecasting system for Fusarium head blight of wheat.
Biology and management of diseases that limit productivity of forage crops, particularly alfalfa, with primary emphasis given to fungal diseases. Recent research has focused on Sclerotinia crown and stem rot, a disease which has caused extensive economic losses in Ohio and in temperate regions worldwide.
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