Faculty Travels to India

Dr. Hanu Pappu was invited to chair a session on viruses at the 2009 International Conference on Solanaceae (SOL 2009) held in New Delhi on November 8-13, 2009. He gave an invited talk on his ongoing research on potato-virus interactions. 

Dr. Pappu also attended the 5th International Conference on Plant Pathology held in New Delhi November 10-13, and gave an invited talk on his ongoing research on biotechnological approaches for virus disease management with special emphasis on thrips-transmitted tospoviruses.  He also served as a convenor of a session on Outreach and Farmer Participation.

PhD Student Receives Award

Renuka Attanayake, PhD student with Dr. Weidong Chen, received second place award for the student oral competition at the Biannual Meeting of the North America Pulse Improvement Association (NAPIA) Oct 28-30, 2009 at Fort Collins, CO. Her presentation was entitled "Variation in fungicide sensitivity and mycelial compatibility between two field populations of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum" co-authored with Dennis Johnson, Lyndon Porter and Weidong Chen.

Image: Renuka receiving the award certificate from the Award Selection Committee chair Dr. Claire Domoney of John Innes Center of United Kingdom with NAPIA president Dr. Kevin McPhee looking on.

Faculty Mentors for Undergraduate Students

National Clean Plant Network Governing Board’s Visit Hosted by Dr. Ken Eastwell

The Governing Board members and selected invited guests made a site visit on October 21 and 22nd to the Irrigated Agricultural Research and Extension Center (IAREC), Prosser to see the laboratory and greenhouse facilities of Dr. Ken Eastwell, Professor of Plant Pathology, and one of the project directors of the National Clean Plant Network-sponsored service centers in IAREC, Prosser.  Board members that visited Prosser included members of USDA-APHIS, USDA-ARS, and Florida and Michigan state departments of agriculture. For pictures, click here.

Faculty to Serve as Senior Editor of Plant Disease

Congratulations to Dr. Lindsey du Toit, Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, for her appointment as the Senior Editor of Plant Disease beginning January 2010. Currently Dr. Debra Inglis and Dr. Xianming Chen are Senior Editors for Plant Disease and Dr. Chang-Lin Xiao is currently an Associate Editor for this journal.

Faculty Invited to Present Seminar

Dr. Lindsey du Toit was invited to give a seminar to the Department of Plant Pathology at North Carolina State University on October 19th. Her seminar was titled "Vegetable Seed Production in the Pacific Northwest: Development of Integrated Disease Management Programs". Lindsey also met with various faculty, graduate students, and postdoctorates during her time at NCSU.

WSU Today Featured Project Funded by USDA-RAMP

The project, lead by Dr. Bill Snyder of Entomology and funded by USDA-RAMP, facilitates a multi-disciplinary and multi-state research addressing various potato pests and pathogens and to help potato farmers reduce their use of insecticides in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Hanu Pappu, Chair, is a co-PI on this project. For the full article, click here.

Congratuations to Plant Path Alumni

Congratulations to our PhD graduates, Dr. Nadav Nitzan (PhD with Dr. Dennis Johnson) and Dr. Vihanga Pahalawatta (PhD with Dr. Hanu Pappu)!  Nadav joined Pimi Agro Clean Tech LTD in Israel as a Senior Researcher. Vihanga recently joined Alcorn State University in Mississippi as a tenure-track assistant professor to start a research program in plant virology. 

Graduate Student’s Research Update Published in Stakeholders’ Periodical

Congratulations to Jeremiah Dung, PhD student with Dr. Dennis Johnson! He recently published an update, co-authored by Dr. Johnson, of his ongoing research in Potato Progress, a periodical published by the Washington State Potato Commission (WSPC).  The periodical, edited by Dr. Andrew Jensen, Director of Research at the WSPC, disseminates the latest in potato research to peers and stakeholders, providing updates of the progress made in various projects funded by the commission. 

Dung, J.K.S., and D.A. Johnson. 2009. Relative Role of Infected Seed Tubers in Verticillium Wilt of Potato. Potato Progress. Volume IX, Number 12 October 9, 2009.

Dr. Johnson’s research on potato diseases has been continuously funded by WSPC. His research and extension programs addressing various important diseases of potato, and his stature as one of the leading potato researchers in the world, was recently recognized by his peers and stakeholders. He was recently conferred Life Time Membership Award by the Potato Association of America.  

“And the Oscar goes to…”: Film on Pythium Root Rot a Winner at the AgroFilm Festival

Congratulations to Dr. Tim Paulitz who served as the technical and scientific advisor, and collaborator for the two DVDs on Rhizoctonia and Pythium Root Rot of Cereals. The Pythium film was awarded top prize at the 26th International Film Festival AGROFILM (1st Prize in the Category A "Scientific and Popular Scientific Films").

Faculty delivers keynote address in South Africa

Dr. Mark Mazzola, Adjunct Professor of Plant Pathology and located in Wenatchee, was invited to present the keynote address at the Multidisciplinary Symposium on Soil Biology and Soilborne Diseases held in Stellenbosch, Western Cape Province, South Africa, 15-17 September, 2009.  Dr.  Mazzola’s  talk was entitled “Active manipulation of native soil microbial community structure and function to suppress soilborne disease development”.  In the context of this visit, Dr. Mazzola met with several graduate students for which he serves as co-promoter at Stellenbosch University. He also traveled to Mooketsi in the northeast corner of South Africa where he observed large scale efforts to maximize use of resident soil biology to enhance efficiency of tomato production systems.

Plant Pathology Personnel Recognized for their Service and Accomplishments

The entire department got together on September 21 in 343 Johnson Hall to welcome Dr. Axel Elling, our newest faculty member, and to congratulate several faculty, staff and students for their service to the department and for their professional accomplishments. For the first time, plant pathology colleagues from Research and Extension Centers joined this joyous occasion by video conferencing!  CAHNRS Dean, Dr. Dan Bernardo, joined the festivities.  All those present in Pullman were treated with chocolate and carrot cakes, arranged by the FUN Committee.

Read all about the event and view photos here. (Pictures by Dr. Murthy)

Faculty Hosts Field Tour of Christmas Tree Research Plots

The ninth International Christmas Tree Research and Extension Conference capped off its annual meeting recently with a tour of the 18 acres of Christmas tree research plots at the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center. “This is a group that involves the leading Christmas tree researchers from around the world,” said WSU plant pathologist and internationally known Christmas tree researcher Dr. Gary Chastagner, Professor of Plant Pathology, who hosted the tour.  Read the full article that appeared in WSU Today.

Plant Pathology Faculty Scored Big in the Recent Round of Specialty Crops Grants Program (SCRI)

Faculty Delivered Invited Lecture

Dr. Hanu Pappu, Chair, was invited to give a seminar in the Department of Plant Pathology, UC-Davis, Davis, CA. He presented a talk on September 28, 2009, in their weekly seminar series, on his ongoing research on thrips-transmitted tospoviruses.

2009 CAHNRS Fall Festival

Our department was well-represented at the 2009 CAHNRS Fall Festival held on September 17, 2009. The display booth was set up by our graduate students and exhibits consisted of several hands-on learning items dealing with fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes. Thank you to our student volunteers that made this a successful event!

Faculty’s Research on Christmas Trees Featured on KOMO TV

Dr. Gary Chastagner, ‘your friendly neighborhood Christmas tree expert’ and Professor of Plant Pathology located at Puyallup R and E Center, was featured in the news on Seattle area TV station, KOMO TV. The TV coverage was about the the International Christmas Tree Research and Extension Conference tour at Puyallup organized by Dr. Chastagner. For full story and video, click here.

Faculty Delivers Talks at the International Conference on Thrips and Tospoviruses, Gold Coast, Australia

Dr. Hanu Pappu, Chair, attended the IX International Conference on Thrips and Tospoviruses, held in Gold Coast, Australia Sept 1-5, 2009.
He presented two talks and four posters on his ongoing research on the biology, epidemiology, molecular biology and management of thrips and tospoviruses, and chaired a session on tospovirus epidemiology.

Faculty and Students Featured in APS Pacific Division Newsletter

The Fall 2009 addition of the APS Pacific Division Newsletter featured our faculty and students.

Welcome to the Department!

Welcome to the 2009 batch of plant pathology graduate students! We are glad to have you and we wish you all the best in your course work and research!

Faculty Visits University of Queensland

Dr. Hanu Pappu visited University of Queensland, St. Lucia Campus in Brisbane, Australia on August 31 and held discussions with scientists at the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F)on research areas of mutual interest. At the DPI&F's campus in Indooropilly, a suburb of Brisbane, he gave a seminar that included an overview of the various departmental programs and his ongoing research on viruses of vegetables and ornamentals.

Fall Picnic

The annual fall picnic was held at Sunnyside Park, hosted by Fun Committee.

More photos, click here.

Safety on Campus

The Provost has released a memo regarding safety on the WSU Campus. Please read here.

Faculty Featured on Agwired

Dr. Tim Murray, Professor of Plant Pathology was featured in Agwired about his work on stem rust Ug99. Listen to the podcast here.

Welcome to the Department!

Dr. Jodi Humann joined Dr. Brenda Schroeder’s phytobacteriology program on July 15, 2009.  Dr. Humann received a B.S. degree in Microbiology and a B.S. degree in Agricultural Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology from WSU in 1999, and her Ph.D. degree in Microbiology from Oregon State University in 2005.  Dr. Humann was a postdoctoral research associate at WSU in the Institute of Biological Chemistry with Dr. Michael Kahn prior to joining Dr. Schroeder’s program.  Dr. Humann is well versed in the molecular genetics of bacteria and will be working on developing a genetic system for the study of the mechanisms of pathogenesis of Enterobacter cloacae on onion.

Highlights from the APS annual meeting, Portland, OR

One of the biggest contigents at the recent annual meeting of the American Phytopathological Society in Portland, OR (August 1-5, 2009) was from our department.  Many of our faculty, staff and graduate students presented their research at this meeting. Dr. Tim Paulitz received the APS Fellow Award.  Dr. Dennis Johnson was recognized for his service to the Pacific Division. 2nd and 3rd place awards in the Best Student Paper Competition were bagged by our students. Our alumni social was a huge success. 
For pictures from some of these events, click below (Big thanks to shutter bugs, Renuka Attanayake, Sudeep Bag, Sarah Dossey, Sahar Eid, Bhadra Murthy, and Sudarsana Poojari):

APS meeting
Our alumni social
APS Pacific Division Student Awards Presentation
Dr. Tim Paulitz receiving the APS Fellow Award

APS Award Winners

Plant Pathology graduate students brought home several awards from the Best Student Paper Competition during the Pacific Division Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society held in Portland, OR, August 1-5.

Jeremiah Dung (PhD student with Dr. Dennis Johnson) won the second place and the 3rd place was a tie and went to Laura Costadone (MS student with Dr. Gary Grove) and Evans Njambere (PhD student with Dr. Weidong Chen). 

Grant Poole (PhD student with Dr. Tim Paulitz) and Hongyan Sheng (PhD student with Dr. Tim Murray) were recognized at this event for winning competitive travel awards.

Congratulations to the winners and all other students who took part in this competition!

APS Tree Fruit Diseases Field Trip held on July 31 and August 1

The 2009 APS Tree Fruit Diseases Field Trip was held on July 31 and August 1 prior to the annual APS meeting.  The tour was organized by Dr. Chang-Lin Xiao (WSU) and Dr. Robert Spotts (Oregon State Univ.) and was well attended with 47 participants from across the nation and some other countries.  On July 31, the group visited apple, pear, and sweet cherry orchards as well as a fruit packinghouse in the Yakima area.  Local scientists, including Mark Mazzola (USDA/ARS, Wenatchee), Tim Smith (WSU Extension, Wenatchee), David Granatstein and Chang-Lin Xiao (WSU TFREC, Wenatchee) spoke at the tour about the fruit production, orchard diseases, organic fruit production, and postharvest handling of tree fruits and storage diseases.  The group has been very impressed by the innovation and production scale of the fruit industry (both orchard and packinghouse operations) in Washington State.  On August 1, the group visited orchards in Hood River, OR and also enjoyed visiting the Bonneville Dam and Multnomah Falls on the way back to Portland (see pictures).

Faculty Awarded Honorary Lifetime Membership Award

Dr. Dennis Johnson, Professor of Plant Pathology, has been selected to receive the Honorary Lifetime Membership Award from the Potato Assocation of America (PAA).

The award was presented at the 93rd Annual Meeting in Fredericton, NB, Canada, Aug 9-13, 2009.  The award recognizes Dr. Johnson’s outstanding contributions to the potato industry and to the organization, and is the highest award bestowed upon an individual by the PAA.

Dr. Johnson has one of the most productive and highly impactful research and extension programs dealing with potato and mint diseases and several aspects pertaining to disease resistance, disease forecasting, spatial patterns of diseased plants, disease etiology, and disease management.

Dr. Johnson is highly successful in integrating his research and extension programs that contributed to a better understanding of the biology and epidemiology of several important potato diseases and resulted in practical disease management strategies. His research is highly valued and cited by his peers, and his disease management recommendations are followed and adopted by the potato growers.

Besides his research and extension activities, Dr. Johnson contributes to graduate teaching (PlP 551 Epidemiology and Management of Plant Diseases), and has been successful in attracting highly qualified graduate students into his program. 

Congratulations Dr. Johnson for this well-deserved recognition!

Western Governors University Awards Honorary Degree to WSU President Emeritus and Professor of Plant Pathology, Dr. Sam Smith

Dr. Samuel H. Smith, President Emeritus of Washington State University and a founding member of the board of Western Governors University was awarded an honorary doctoral degree at WGU's summer commencement on July 11 in Salt lake City, Utah. The keynote speaker for the online university's 17th semi-annual graduation ceremony, Dr. Smith addressed more than 1,300 graduates, family, and friends who attended in person or participated online via streaming video. See the full story in WSU Today.

News about Dr. Smith’s honorary degree was displayed in Times Square.

Congratulations to Dr. Smith!

On Solid Ground and WSU Today Feature

Research on the nutritional value of baby potatoes conducted by Dr. Roy Navarre was featured in the July 22 edition of On Solid Ground and the July 24 edition of WSU Today.

Faculty Featured in AWIS Newsletter

Dr. Lindsey du Toit and Dr. Debbie Inglis, Associate Professors of Plant Pathology and located at the NW Washington Research and Extension Center in Mt. Vernon were featured in the Spring 2009 Newsletter of the Seattle chapter of the American Women in Science (AWIS) (the article begins on the page 26).

Jessica Gigot, who received her MS with Dr. Inglis and is now working for her PhD in the WSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, wrote the article. 

Plant Pathology Faculty Recognized at the Mt. Vernon Field Day

Dr. Lindsey du Toit (shown with Dr. Steve Jones, Director of NWREC) was presented with the 2009 Kenneth Morrison Extension Award at the Annual WSU-Northwestern Washington R&E Center Field Day near Mt. Vernon on July 9, 2009.  This award, established in 1987, recognizes annually those individuals who have made significant contributions to agriculture in the State of Washington, especially in agronomic crop production and/or soil management. Congratulations Dr. du Toit!

Student Research Showcased at the Annual Mount Vernon Field Day, July 9, 2009

All three plant pathology graduate students located at the WSU-Northwestern Washington R&E Center (NWREC) were featured speakers at the 2009 annual field day near Mount Vernon.This annual event showcases to growers and industry respresentatives the ongoing research by scientists at the NWREC, including the latest information from the two plant pathology programs at the NWREC on disease management topics . The tour started at 4 pm and stopped at various research plots where our students explained their ongoing research.

Katie Reed (first from right), an undergraduate at WSU and a summer intern with Dr. Lindsey du Toit explained how she received a 'Translational Internship' from WSU Academic Programs via Dr. Kim Kidwell, Associate Dean, CAHNRS Academic Programs, to provide her with experience in research labs during her undergraduate program at WSU. During her senior year at Burlington High School in western Washington, Katie did a one-day 'Job Shadow' in Dr. Lindsey du Toit's Vegetable Seed Pathology program at the WSU Mount Vernon NWREC, where she was introduced to the field of plant pathology. Katie then followed her interest in plants to WSU, where she is pursuing a BS in Crop Science. Katie plans to follow this with an MS in plant pathology. During her freshman year at WSU, Katie worked alongside Dr. Pat Okubara, USDA ARS and adjunct professor in the department, extracting DNA from soil samples, and Dr. Lori Carris, Associate Professor and mycologist in the department, identifying fungi isolated from spinach plants. Katie's internship also has enabled her to work in Dr. Lindsey du Toit's lab in the summer of 2009, where she is evaluating the pathogenicity of isolates of Fusarium oxysporum on spinach plants with different levels of resistance to Fusarium wilt.

Welcome New Faculty

Dr. Axel Elling joined  our department on July 1, 2009 as assistant professor (molecular nematology). He obtained his Ph.D. (Genetics) from Iowa State University. Prior to joining WSU, he was a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University.

Located on Pullman campus, Dr. Elling’s research interests include molecular interactions between nematodes and their host plants and the processes that lead to successful parasitism and he is currently interested in the molecular aspects of two different pathosystems: (1) Columbia root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne chitwoodi) infection of potato and (2) Root-lesion nematode (Pratylenchus spp.) infection of wheat.

Welcome, Dr. Elling!

Student Receives Award at Ascochyta 2009

Congratulations to Ph.D. student Jane Stewart who won the Bob Henson Student Poster Competition at the recent Ascochyta 2009 Workshop held June 28 to July 2, 2009 in Pullman, WA! Jane’s presentation was entitled “Cloning and characterization of anonymous regions of Ascochyta lentis and A. fabae genomes and suitability of these regions for phylogenetic analysis of Ascochyta species”. The abstract was co-authored by fellow Plant Pathology graduate students Renuka Attanayake and Evans Njambere, Crops and Soils graduate student Tom Drader, and faculty member Tobin Peever. The abstract described research that was initiated as a laboratory project by the co-authors when they took Peever’s graduate-level fungal genetics class in 2007. The award was presented by Ascochyta 2009 organizing committee member Kevin McPhee, North Dakota State University representing Northern Pulse Growers Association which sponsored the Bob Henson Awards program.

WSU Plant Pathology Department Well Represented At The Fourth International Sudden Oak Death Science Symposium

The WSU Department of Plant Pathology and WSU Puyallup were well represented at the recent Fourth International Sudden Oak Death (SOD) Science Symposium, which was held in Santa Cruz, CA on June 15-18, 2009. The Symposium included 57 presentations and 45 posters, and had 215 attendees from eight countries and 19 states. 

Dr. Gary Chastagner, Professor of Plant Pathology and located at the WSU Puyallup R and E Center, gave an invited presentation entitled “Spread of P. ramorum from Nurseries into Waterways – Implications for Pathogen Establishment in New Areas” in the opening session. He also gave a presentation entitled “Symptoms Associated with Inoculation of Stems on Living Douglas-fir and Grand Fir Trees with Phytophthora ramorum” and a poster presentation entitled “Effect of Fungicides on the Isolation of Phytophthora ramorum From Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Rhododendron Leaf Tissue”.  Katie Coats, a Research Associate in charge of the WSU Puyallup Molecular Bioscience Lab gave an oral presentation entitled “An Update on Microsatellite Genotype Information of Phytophthora ramorum in Washington State Nurseries” and a poster presentation entitled “Effect of Surface Sterilization Treatments on the Detection and Viability of Phytophthora ramorum on Various Substrates”. Dr. Marianne Elliott, a Research Associate and WSU SOD Education Coordinator, gave a poster presentation entitled “Susceptibility, Severity, and Sporulation Potential of Phytophthora ramorum on Several Rhododendron Species and Hybrids”. Kathy Riley, a Professional Worker I, gave a poster presentation entitled “Influence of Nitrogen Fertility on the Susceptibility of Rhododendrons to Phytophthora ramorum”. Graduate student Katie McKeever (Dr. Chastagner), whose MS degree research project involves studies to determine the potential for P. ramorum to sporulate on conifers, was awarded an Integrated Hardwood Resource Management's Student Scholarship to attend the symposium.

In addition to the WSU employees who participated in the symposium, the WSU Department of Plant Pathology was one of 8 organizations that helped sponsor this event. For those wishing to access the presentations, it is anticipated that they will be posted to the symposium website by September 1st along with the accompanying audio.  For questions regarding the proceedings from this meeting, contact Katie Palmieri at Palmieri@nature.berkeley.edu.

Faculty attends US-Africa Connections Workshop

Dr. Hanu Pappu, Chair, was invited to attend the 'US-Africa Connections Workshop' in Nairobi, Kenya, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, June 18-23, 2009.  Dr. Pappu met with several scientists from countries in sub-Saharan Africa and held discussions with them to identify areas of common interests and explored potential linkages with our department.

Feature in Science Magazine

Research by Dr. Linda Thomashow, Research Geneticist with USDA-ARS and adjunct professor in the department was quoted in the June 26 issue of Science. Congratulations to Dr. Thomashow!

Workshop Held in Mt Vernon

A 2-day, hands-on, laboratory workshop titled "Propidium Monoazide Carrot Bacterial Blight Seed Assay Workshop" was held at the WSU Mount Vernon NWREC on June16-17. The workshop was organized by Lindsey du Toit (WSU), Ken Johnson (Oregon State University Dept. of Botany and Plant Pathology), Mike Derie (WSU), and Todd Temple (OSU Dept. of Botany and Plant Pathology), and was attended by pathologists from seven seed companies as well as a faculty member from OSU. The objective of the workshop was to demonstrate to seed industry stakeholders how to use a DNA-binding dye, propidium monoazide, to differentiate DNA of live vs. dead cells of the pathogen Xanthomonas hortorum pv. carotae in carrot seed samples, combined with two quantitative methods of detecting DNA of the pathogen, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and a loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) PCR assay. The workshop was part of a 2 year research project to develop a rapid, sensitive, DNA-based seed assay for the carrot bacterial blight pathogen that only amplifies DNA from live cells of the target pathogen. The research project and workshop were funded by the California Fresh Carrot Advisory Board with matching funding from Alf Christianson Seed Co.; Bejo Zaden B.V.; Nunhems USA, Inc.; Sakata Seed America, Inc.; Seminis Vegetable Seeds; and Vilmorin SA.

Participants in the workshop included:
Margreet Asma,Research Seed Pathologist at Bejo Zaden B.V. in Warmenhuizen, THE NETHERLANDS;
Traven Bentley, Plant Pathologist with Alf Christianson Seed Co. in Mount Vernon, WA;
Wendy English,Seed Health Coordinator for Sakata Seed America, Inc. based out of Salinas, CA; 
Rodolphe Germain, Plant Pathologist for VILMORIN SA in La Menitre, FRANCE;
Hubert Lybeert, Seed Pathology Research Manager for Clause Vegetable Seeds in Valence, FRANCE;
Peter Rogers, Research Pathologist for Nunhems USA in Brooks, OR;
Sagayamary Sagayaradj, Research Assistant in Molecular Breeding for Nunhems USA in Davis, CA;
Scott Sinn,Research Assistant in the Seed Health Department for Nunhems USA Inc. in Brooks, OR;
Carla van Baar,Research Assistant in Seed Pathology for Bejo Zaden B.V. in Warmenhuizen, THE NETHERLANDS;
Bo Ming Wu,Plant Pathologist/Assistant Professor at Oregon State University Madras COARC, Madras, OR.

In addition, some of the lab equipment and supplies for the workshop were loaned and/or provided at a discount by Lindsey Fletcher and Vanessa Duford from QIAGEN Inc. The participants visited beautiful Deception Pass and Mount Erie in Skagit and Island Counties after the workshop. Click here for more photos.

Lindsey du Toit Wins 2009 Kenneth J. Morrison Extension Award

Dr. Lindsey du Toit, Extension Specialist in Vegetable Seed Pathology, Mt. Vernon Research and Extension Center, has been awarded the 2009 Kenneth J. Morrison Extension Award for her numerous outstanding contributions to the improvement of Washington State's crop production.  This award, established in 1987, recognizes annually those individuals who have made significant contributions to agriculture in the State of Washington, especially in agronomic crop production and/or soil management.  The award will be formally presented to Lindsey at the field day at Mt. Vernon on July 9th.  Congratulations, Lindsey!!

A review article, "The Importance of Reporting New Host-Fungus Records for Ornamental and Regional Crops" authored by
Frank Dugan, Dean Glawe, Renuka Attanayake (PhD student with Dr. Chen) and Weidong Chen, published in the May 2009 issue of the APS on-line journal, Plant Health Progress was this month’s Editor’s pick.

Congratulations!

Tospovirus Research Highlighted in APS Journals Online Research Update

Research on thrips-transmitted tospoviruses by Sudeep Bag, Research Associate in Dr. Hanu Pappu’s lab was featured in the recent APS Journals Online Research Update.

WSU Today Feature

A featue was done on the recent PGPR (Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria) Conference held in May in the June 3 edition of WSU Today.

Department Chair Meets with Dean of the College of Ag at Alexandria University

Dr. Hanu Pappu, Department Chair, met with Dr. Morsi El Soda, Dean of College of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt and held discussions to explore areas of mutual interest for collaborations.  The College of Agriculture is one of the largest within the university and has 18 departments including Plant Pathology, Pomology, Vegetable Crops, Field Crops, Entomology, and Dairy Science.  From left, Dr. Sami El Rakshy, Assistant Professor, Department of Pomology, Hanu Pappu, Dean Dr. El Soda, and Dr. Hesham Gaber, Vice Dean.

Wheat Life Feature

Dr. Tim Murray wrote a feature entitled "The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative: what is it and why should we care?" that was published in the June issue of Wheat Life.

Faculty Visits Graduate in Cairo

Dr. Hanu Pappu, Department Chair, recently visited the US Naval Medical Research Unit of the US Department of Defense in Cairo, Egypt and met with Lieutenant Commander, Dr. Guillermo Pimentel and his group. Dr. Pimentel is the Deputy Head of the Disease Surveillance Unit at NAMRU.  He obtained his PhD from our department under the direction of Dr. Lori Carris. 

Dr.  Guillermo Pimentel manages and leads the infectious disease surveillance program from Afghanistan to Morocco and down south to central Africa, and provides training and capacity building in all aspects related to detection and surveillance of emerging infectious diseases of humans in this vast geographical region.  He coordinates and collaborates with scientists on the civilian side, especially with those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA.  Dr. Pimental credits his professional success to the graduate program in our department and the tutelage he received from his mentor and major professor, Dr. Lori Carris. 

Congratulations to Our Spring Graduates!

Laura Costadone and Jeremiah Dung completed their MS programs this spring. Laura's research projectentitled "Development and evaluation of detection-based air sampling programs for grapevie powdery mildew" was carried out under Dr. Gary Grove's supervision. Jeremiah's dissertation researon on"Relative roles of tuber- and soilborne inoculum in verticillium wilt of potato and quantification of resistance in mint" was conducted under Dr. Dennis Johnson's supervision.

Congratulations, Laura and Jeremiah!

Travel Grants Awarded

Ebrahiem Babiker, Xiaodong Bao, Sahar Eid and Dipak Sharma Poudyal received a group Graduate School travel grant. Hongyan Sheng and Grant Poole received individual grants, and Xiaodong Bao and Jeremiah Dung also received a registration grant. These grants will be used to support their travel to the upcoming Annual APS Meeting. Youn-sig Kwak received a travel grant to support his travel to International PGPR workshop. A total of 56 students submitted proposals and just 35 students were selected to receive awards.

Jane Stewart has been selected as a recipient of the John M. Barnes/William Malcolm Brown, Jr. Student Travel Award for the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society.

Congratulations to all!

Position Announcement

Associate in Research, Molecular Plant Pathology/Nematology
Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA

An Associate in Research position is open to conduct research on molecular interactions between parasitic nematodes and their host plants. Position responsibilities and duties include: maintaining nematode cultures in greenhouse; preparing nematodes for plant inoculations; design and execution of experiments; data management; facilitating lab operations. In addition to greenhouse work, laboratory techniques will involve molecular techniques (e.g., PCR; real-time PCR; DNA, RNA and protein purification; DNA cloning; gel electrophoresis; sequencing; western, Southern and northern blotting; in situ hybridizations) and plant tissue culture. Applicant must be willing to learn additional techniques and problem solve as needed for the advancement of the laboratory.

Required Qualifications: An M.S. in plant pathology, plant science, molecular genetics, nematology or a related field. A strong demonstrated background in molecular techniques, an interest in molecular plant-microbe interactions and the ability to work in a team including interdisciplinary collaborators. The successful candidate is expected to have excellent oral and written communication skills and to be able to work independently. Applicants must have excellent record keeping abilities and be able to manage multiple experimental approaches simultaneously.

Availability: November 2009 or later, start date negotiable. The position is 12 month, full-time. Initial appointment is for one year and is annually renewable depending on performance and continued funding. Salary is commensurate with experience and includes benefit package.

Application: Submit application including cover letter, statement of research interests (addressing all qualifications listed above), CV and transcripts electronically to Dr. Axel Elling (elling@wsu.edu). Send three letters of reference (direct from source) to: Dr. Axel Elling, Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, P.O. Box 646430, Pullman, WA 99164-6430, elling@wsu.edu. Screening begins October 1, 2009. Position open until filled. For more information, please visit http://plantpath.wsu.edu/people/faculty/elling.htm

EEO/AA/ADA

For full announcement, click here.

WSU Plant Pathology at Mushroom Maynia 2009

The Burke Museum of Natural History in Seattle held the 2009 edition of its mycology exposition “Mushroom Maynia” on May 2.  The Plant Pathology Department teamed up with the King County Master Gardeners to host a display on “Fungi in the Garden”, with information on the roles fungi play as decomposers, symbionts, and plant pathogens in home gardens.  Complete with fresh examples of plant diseases of local plants, the display provided information on WSU extension, education, and research programs in addition to advice for gardeners.  The photo shows Master Gardeners Marilyn Tilbury and Jane Tobin along with mycologist Dean Glawe at the display.

On Solid Ground Feature

Resesarch conducted by Dr. Timothy Murray on Ug99 was featured in the May 6 issue of On Solid Ground.

Faculty Attends Plant Virus Ecology Network Workshop

Dr. Hanu Pappu attended the second workshop of the Plant Virus Ecology Network (PVEN). The workshop was sponsored by the US National Science Foundation and hosted by the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) in Ca’ Tron di Roncade, Italy, April 21-23, 2009.  The workshop, organized by Drs. Carolyn Malmstrom, Mark Tepfer and Ulrich Melcher, brought together virologists, ecologists, and epidemiologists to discuss virus ecology, virus evolution and fitness, and the interactions between viruses and the environment.  Dr. Pappu gave an invited talk based on his ongoing research on ecological, epidemiological and molecular aspects of tospoviruses (Bunyaviridae) and plant pararetroviruses (Caulimoviridae) in natural and managed ecosystems

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The Great Debate

Students from Plant Pathology 534, Fungal Genetics, debated the origin of the potato late blight pathogen on April 28, 2009. The class was divided into two teams, one representing a “Pro-Andean” origin and the other representing a “Pro-Mexican” origin, and competed for the “Swan Cup”. The “Pro-Mexican” group were able to convince a panel of three judges (Drs. Paulitz, Carris and Rogers) through the overwhelming power of their persuasive arguments and esprit de corps.

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Visitor

Dr. N. Balakrishnan, a faculty member in the Department of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India, completed hands-on training in thrips and tospoviruses at Washington State University under the direction of Dr. Naidu Rayapati during September 1, 2008 and April 30, 2009. His training was funded by a project awarded to Dr. Rayapati by the Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program of USAID at Virginia Tech.

Universidad del Valle de Guatemala Visitor

Dr. Margarita Palmieri, Departamento de Biología, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala, visited Dr. Naidu Rayapati’s lab during March 26-April 4, 2009, to learn techniques related to the diagnosis of plant viruses in vegetables. Her short-term visit was funded by Departamento de Biología, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala.

OSU Visitor

The Vegetable Seed Pathology program at the WSU Mount Vernon NWREC welcomed Dr. Bo Ming Wu on the 28th and 29th April 2009. Dr. Wu is an Assistant Professor at the Oregon State University Madras REC where he works on diseases of a diversity of crops, including carrot seed crops, mint, onion seed crops, and grass seed crops. Dr. Wu recently completed a postdoctorate position with Dr. Krishna Subbarao at the University of California-Davis in Salinas, working on Sclerotinia minor in lettuce. Dr. Wu moved to central OR in March 2009 to take this faculty position with OSU that was previously held by Dr. Fred Crowe, who recently retired. Dr. Wu is working on a collaborative project with Dr. Lindsey du Toit's program on bacterial blight in carrot seed production.

Position Announcement

Associate in Research or Postdoctoral Research Associate, Plant Pathology
Washington State University, Department of Plant Pathology, Pullman, WA  

An Associate in Research or Postdoctoral Research Associate position is open to conduct phytobacteriology research focused on bacterial pathogens of onion and potatoes.  Position responsibilities and duties include: designing experiments, data management, presenting results at scientific meetings and preparing manuscripts for scientific journals, training and supervising temporary employees. Laboratory techniques may involve classical microbiological techniques including isolation, culturing, identification and maintenance of bacterial cultures.  Molecular techniques such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analyses including genomic DNA and plasmid isolations, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real time PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis, molecular cloning, site-directed mutagenesis and sequencing will be completed.  Individual will independently perform research activities and data analysis according to standard and specified procedures.  Person will be involved in pathogenicity studies which will involve greenhouse work.  Applicant must be willing to learn additional techniques and problem solve as needed for the advancement of the laboratory. 

Qualifications:  Required for an Associate in Research:  An MS in Plant Pathology, Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, or a related field.  Required for a Postdoctoral Research Associate: A PhD in Plant Pathology, Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, or related field.  A strong demonstrated background in molecular techniques,  an interest in plant-microbe interactions, and experience with bacteria. The successful candidate is expected to conduct research independently and have excellent written and oral communication skills.  Willing to fill at either level depending on the successful applicant's qualifications.  Applicant must be able to demonstrate careful attention to detail, excellent record keeping, and ability to organize their time effectively and ability to manage multiple experimental approaches.

Availability:  The position is temporary, 12 month, full-time. Initial appointment is for 1 year and is annually renewable and dependent upon continued funding.  Salary is commensurate with experience and includes annual leave and medical benefits.  Submit letter of application describing interests and addressing all qualifications listed above, vitae, transcripts and three letters of reference (direct from source) to: Dr. Brenda K. Schroeder,  Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, P.O. Box 646430, Pullman, WA 99164-6430, e-mail: bschroeder@wsu.edu, phone: 509-335-5805, FAX: 509-335-9581.  Screening:  June 15, 2009

EEO/AA/ADA

Visitor from Seminis Vegetable Seeds

The Vegetable Seed Pathology (VSP) program welcomed Matt May to the WSU Mount Vernon NWREC on 6th-9th April to work with Lindsey du Toit's program on a spinach Verticillium wilt project. Matt also discussed various research issues on other seedborne pathogens of vegetables that are being investigated in Lindsey's program. Matt is a Research Associate 2 at Seminis Vegetable Seeds in Woodland, CA, where he works on vegetable seed health issues.

On Solid Ground Features

Research conducted by Dr. Chang-Lin Xio on reducing fruit rot was featured in the April 1 issue of On Solid Ground.

UDSA-ARS News Feature

Reseach conducted by Drs. Pat Okubara and Ekaterini Riga was reported by the USDA, Agricultural Research Service on March 30.

Faculty honored with International IPM Excellence Award

Dr. Naidu Rayapati, a member of the Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program (IPM CRSP) funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development at Virginia Tech, received the International IPM Excellence Award at the 6th International Integrated Pest Management Symposium – Transcending Boundaries held during March 24-26, 2009, Portland, Oregon. The team award was presented to IPM CRSP “for exceptional accomplishments relating to economic benefits of IPM adoption, reducing potential human health risks, and demonstrating minimal adverse environmental effects.”** *For more information, please click here.

Visitor from Agriculture Western Australia

Dr. Roger Jones, Principal Plant Virologist, Agriculture Western Australia, Australia, visited Dr. Naidu Rayapati’s lab during March 26-28, 2009. He also met with several scientists to learn about research programs on virus diseases. Dr. Jones gave a seminar on “The role of epidemiology in the management of insect-transmitted viruses – an Australian perspective”

On Solid Ground Features

Research conducted by Dr. Dennis Johnson on late blight in potatoes was featured in the March 11 issue of On Solid Ground.

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Visitor

Dr. S.K. Manoranjitham, Assistant Professor, Department of Fruit Crops, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore-641003, India, visited Dr. Naidu Rayapati’s lab in Washington State University’s Department of Plant Pathology at the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Prosser, for a period of about 5 weeks beginning January 15-February 18, 2009, to gain hands-on experience in molecular diagnosis of vegetable viruses. Her short-term training in an advanced institution in the US was supported by a Human Resource Development project funded through the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for faculty capacity building in advanced agricultural sciences at TNAU.

Faculty to Deliver Symposium

Dr. Brenda Schroeder, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology has been selected to deliver an invited talk at the ‘Schroth Faces of the Future in Bacteriology-A Look to the Future’ Symposium to be held at this year’s annual meeting of the American Phytopathological Society in Portland, OR. Congratulations Dr. Schroeder for this recognition by our professional society!

Integrated Plant Sciences Retreat

Nathalie Walter, Biological Sciences Technician in the laboratory of Dr. Pat Okubara, wins Best Poster by a Research Staff at the 2009 Integrated Plant Sciences Retreat held February 21, 2009.

WSU Today Feature

Dr. Ekaterini Riga's reserach on nematodes was featured in the February 26 edition of WSU Today.

Auvil Scholarship Recipient

The Schroeder laboratory is pleased to announce that one of its members, Juan Pena, is the recipient of a $500 Auvil Scholarship for the spring 2009 semester.   Juan received a $1000 Auvil Scholarship during the fall 2008 semester.  This allowed Juan to begin a multilocus sequence analysis of Enterobacter cloacae.  The current scholarship will enable Juan to continue to work on this project. 

Associate Professor Promoted

Dr. Ken Eastwell, Associate Professor of Plant Pathology located at IAREC, Prosser, is promoted to Professor of Plant Pathology. His promotion will become effective July 1, 2009. 

Dr. Eastwell is one of the world’s foremost virologists with expertise in grape and tree fruit viruses. He has been successful in developing a nationally and internationally recognized virology program and brought recognition to our department, IAREC, CAHNRS and WSU.  As the director of the NRSP-5, Dr. Eastwell enhanced the effectiveness, visibility and reputation of the program and took it to the next level.  Besides his high quality research program, Dr. Eastwell has been a firm believer in addressing the needs of the growers and stakeholders and his service and outreach activities are valued and appreciated by various grower groups locally, regionally , and nationally. He has been the driving force in making the concept of National Clean Plant Network become a reality.  Dr. Eastwell’s vision for the future of plant health issues in perennial crops and his tireless efforts to bring coordination among various state and federal agencies in ensuring the sustainability of perennial crops did not go unnoticed:  IAREC, Prosser was recently selected to be the headquarters for the National Tree Fruit Network.

Congratulations Dr. Eastwell!

Faculty Gives Presentation

Dr. Lindsey du Toit was invited to give a presentation at the International Seed Health Initiative - Vegetable Technical Group meeting in Paris, France on February 3-5. Dr. du Toit spoke on "Selected Seedborne Pathogens of Spinach and Carrot", based on research her program has completed on Cladosporium variabile, Stemphylium botryosum, and Verticillium dahliae as seedborne pathogens of spinach; and Xanthomonas hortorum pv. carotae as a seedborne pathogen of carrot. The meeting was attended by about 50 vegetable pathologists and seed pathologists from France, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Spain, and the US.

Reception to Honor Dr. Murray

A celebration was held February 20 to honor Dr. Timothy Murray for serving as chair of the Department of Plant Pathology for 8 years. Thank you Dr. Murray for your service to the Department! More photos, click here.

Faculty Honored with WSU's 2009 Woman of Distiniction Award

Dr. Lori Carris, Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, has been selected to receive WSU’s 2009 Woman of Distinction Award. The award recognizes Dr. Carris’ accomplishments in academic work, career, leadership, and service, and her contributions to the personal growth and success of others, especially women, through education, research, or public or volunteer service above and beyond her expected job responsibilities.

A sample quote from one of her nomination statements…
Few members of our university community have contributed so much to make WSU a better place to work as did Dr. Carris.  Her professional contributions and service activities are not limited to her home department but are valued and appreciated throughout CAHNRS and across various colleges in WSU…

President Elson S. Floyd will present the award at the Women's Recognition Luncheon on March 11, 2009 in the Cub Ballroom.  

Dr. Carris’ dedication and commitment to helping students realize their full potential won her the Outstanding Mentor of the Year award two years ago.

Faculty Honored with 2009 CAHNRS Women’s History Recognition Award for Professional and Academic Leadership

Dr. Debbie Inglis, Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, has been selected to receive the 2009 CAHNRS Women’s History Recognition Award for Professional and Academic Leadership.

Besides having research and extension responsibilities, Dr. Inglis served as the interim director and associate dean of NWREC, Mt. Vernon for four years during which she oversaw the expansion of the laboratory facilities at the center.  She has been a great ambassador in representing the department and CAHNRS in her role as the interim director. Her leadership skills, people skills, and her forward-looking and progressive vision for the NWREC’s future were admired and applauded by all. 

Some of the comments from her nomination statement include…

“Dr. Inglis is an invaluable mentor and leader to each of us at the WSU Mount Vernon NWREC. Her tireless integrity, attention to detail, and often selfless interest in the successful development and growth of our research and extension programs have been instrumental to the team atmosphere that predominates at the NWREC. This has made it a pleasure to work at this facility, and a welcome environment for the many new employees that have joined the NWREC staff/faculty over the past four years.”

“An important characteristic that Dr. Inglis instilled as Interim Director of the NWREC is the sense of ‘ownership’ for all employees, i.e., that it is both a privilege and a responsibility to contribute to the success of individual programs and the whole NWREC…”

See WSU Today Feature.

On Solid Ground Feature

Research conducted by Dr. Lori Carris on smuts in grass was featured in the February 18 issue of CAHNRS On Solid Ground.

California Oak Mortality Task Force Newsletter Feature

Research by Dr. Gary Chastagner, Professor of Plant Pathology, WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center, on Phytophthora ramorum causal agent of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) was the Featured Article in the February 2009 issue of the California Oak Mortality Task Force (COMTF) Newsletter. COMTF is the leading national organization dealing with SOD.

Dr. Chastagner gave a presentation at a meeting held by the USDA-APHIS and WSDA for the national, regional, and state APHIS personnel to discuss regulatory issues relating to Phytophthora ramorum in Washington State.

Staff Wins the Prestigious CAHNRS Award for Excellence

Mike Derie, Scientific Assistant with Dr. Lindsey du Toit in Mt. Vernon, is selected to receive the CAHNRS Academic and Professional Excellence Award for 2009. Mike will be recognized at the annual CAHNRS Awards Banquet in Pullman on April 4th.

Congratulations, Mike!

Undergraduate Internship

Cindy Getschow just completed a month-long internship in Dr. Gary Chastagner's laboratory at WSU Puyallup.  Cindy is a native of Beavercreek, Ohio and is a freshman at Oberlin College in Ohio. She is double majoring in biology and neuroscience. During her internship she provided assistance on a number of projects relating to sudden oak death. She worked closely with Katie Coats on molecular experiments relating to the colonization of conifer woody tissues by Phytophthora ramorum. She also assisted Marianne Elliott on a project examining the susceptibility of Rhododendron spp. to this pathogen.

Student Wins Second Prize

Dan Villamor, PhD student with Dr. Ken Eastwell, won second prize in student poster competition at the Annual meeting and Trade Show of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers.  His poster reported results of his ongoing PhD research on Grapevine Yellow Speckle Viroid-1 (GYSVd-1) and Rupestris Stem Pitting Associated Virus (RSPaV) in Washington State.  The poster was co-authored by Dr.  Julie Tarara and Dr. Ken Eastwell.

Congratulations Dan!

Student Selected as APS Student Education Fellow

Olufemi J. Alabi, graduate student of Dr. Naidu Rayapati, has been selected as an “APS Student Education Fellow” by the American Phytopathological Society Committee on the Future of Plant Pathology Education to attend a national summit on “The Future of Education in Plant Pathology and Related Disciplines” to be held March 19-20, 2009, in Washington, D.C. He was invited, with a paid trip based on an award-winning essay and nomination from Dr. Rayapati, to participate in the workshop at the national summit and make contributions in shaping the future of plant pathology education.

Faculty Elected Chair of National Fruit Tree Network

Dr. Ken Eastwell, Associate Professor and a fruit tree and grape virologist, was elected Chair of the National Fruit Tree Clean Plant Network. He was also selected to represent the Pacific Northwest at the Western Section of the National Grape Clean Plant Network. The success of the program led by Dr. Eastwell was further recognized when the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center at WSU-Prosser was chosen as the head quarters for the National Fruit Tree Clean Plant Network!  The National Clean Plant Network represents a new way of improving the health of perennial specialty crops that are propagated vegetatively.

Congratulations Dr. Eastwell!

Faculty Elected Secretary

Dr. Hanu Pappu was elected Secretary of the multistate research group, 'Thrips and Iris yellow spot virus' at their recent meeting in Savannah, GA.  He will serve as Secretary (2009), Vice-Chair (2010) and as Chair (2011).  For more information, click here.

Faculty Meets with WWU Biology Club

Dr. Marion Brodhagon, Dept. of Biology at Western Washington University and Dr. Lindsey du Toit, Dept. of Plant Pathology at Washington State University, met with students from the WWU Biology Club on January 13th, 2009, to discuss careers and graduate school options in plant sciences.

Were you concerned about needle loss in your Christmas trees?

Research conducted by Dr. Gary Chastagner, professor of plant pathology, is addressing this issue head on! His ongoing research was featured in two recent industry publications. 

SCI is a Chemistry & Industry science-based publication in London and their December cover story deals with the cooperative research to identify sources of Christmas trees with superior needle retention. The focus of the story is the cooperative work Dr. Chastagner has been doing with a geneticist in Denmark to identify superior sources of Nordmann fir.
To read the article, click here.

Dr. Chastagner co-authored the cover story (with Rick Bates of Penn State University) for the American Christmas Tree Journal that describes some of the work Dr. Chastagner has been doing to identify superior sources of Canaan fir Christmas trees.  Dr. Chastagner’s program has one of the largest collections of conifers that have been tested for needle loss in the world. To read the article, click here.

Faculty Featured for Wheat Disease Recovery Plan

Dr. Timothy D. Murray was featured in the January 7 issue of On Solid Ground and the January 13 issue of WSU Today for his leadership in preparing a recovery plan should Ug99 be introduced to the United States.

Faculty Publications Ranked in the Top 8 Most-Downloaded Articles Published by APS Journals!

Reviews co-authored by Dr. Ken Eastwell and Dr. Naidu Rayapati ranked in the top 8 most downloaded publications in the 2008 Volume of Plant Disease and MPMI, respectively. Congratulations!