Plant Pathology

Overview

Plant pathologists study fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, and other microbes that cause diseases of plants. Plant pathology focuses on understanding how hosts, pathogens, and environments interact to cause plant diseases and on understanding how to control plant diseases.

Areas of graduate study in plant pathology range from a basic understanding of host-microbe interactions to applying control practices for disease management. Plant pathology is a prosperous area for basic biological research as well as an integral part of maintaining sustainable, environmentally friendly agricultural production systems.

Opportunities for Study

Programs in plant pathology lead to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Assistantships and fellowships are available. Course work and thesis research are designed to meet the objectives of the student. Research may be laboratory or field oriented and range from molecular aspects of host-microbe interactions to host population improvement for disease resistance.

Some areas currently emphasized in plant pathology include:

• diseases of soybean and maize
• breeding for disease resistance in corn, sweet corn, soybean, and small grains
• molecular biology of nematodes; viral, fungal, and bacterial pathogens (see photo of bacterial ooze, top); and host resistance;
• taxonomy and serology of plant pathogenic viruses;
• biology, ecology, and control of soybean cyst nematode;
• taxonomy and systematics of Ascomycetes and Fungi Imperfecti;
• biological control of soil-borne pathogens; and
• plant disease diagnosis and general extension plant pathology.

Career Opportunities

Employment of M.S. and Ph.D. graduates has been excellent. Recent graduates have accepted positions in industry, universities, government agencies, and international organizations at competitive starting salaries.

Faculty Researching Plant Pathology

Specific areas of study are listed below by faculty member. More extensive information on these research programs is readily available from faculty web pages or through personal contact with faculty members.

Name	Specializations
Mohammad Babadoost	extension plant disease management & epidemiology, mycology, seed pathology
Cleora J. D'Arcy	general plant virology, luteoviruses (BYD), virus-vector relationships, serology
Les L. Domier	molecular biology of cereal viruses, mechanisms of tolerance (resistance) to viral diseases
Darin M. Eastburn	control of vegetable crop diseases, soil-bourne fungal pathogens, biological control
Dale I. Edwards	extension nematology, soybean cyst nematode, IPM of field crops
Stephan K. Farrand	molecular biology of Agrobacterium tumefactions
Glen L. Hartman	soybean plant pathology and disease resistance
Harold E. Kauffman	international agriculture, bacteriology, host resistance
Kris N. Lambert	molecular plant nematology and biochemistry
Terry L. Niblack	nematology
Gregory R. Noel	biology, ecology, and control of soybean cyst nematode
Jerald K. Pataky	epidemiology and control of diseases of sweet corn, host resistance
Wayne L. Pedersen	crop management practices and diseases, genetics of host-parasite interactions, seed treatments
Donald G. White	diseases of corn, host resistance
Youfu "Frank" Zhao	bacterial plant pathogens and diseases