Seven scientists are members of the Corn Research Area Committee (RAC) they will be working to develop predictive modeling tools for Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB) and Gray Leaf Spot (GLS). The Corn RAC established the following objectives for 2020 – 2021 research efforts for the National Predictive Modeling Tool Initiative (NPMTI):
- Objective 1: To establish the association between inoculum intensity, disease development and weather in small plot trials.
- Objective 2: To establish the association between initial inoculum, disease development and weather in commercial corn fields.
Researchers
Researchers listed below are participating in support of the Corn RAC objectives. As noted, it is a collaborative effort.
Tom Allen, PhD – Extension Plant Pathologist, Mississippi State University
Specialty area: row crop plant pathology
Dr. Allen also participates on the Cotton Research Area Committee.
Dr. Allen will support the Corn RAC objectives as follows:
1) The small plot experiments of Objective 1 will be established at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, MS. A second set of trials will be conducted at the Northeast Mississippi Research and Extension Center near Verona, MS with the cooperation of Dr. Justin McCoy.
2) 25 fields will be selected for the experiment described under Objective 2.
Kaitlyn Bissonnette, PhD – Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist, University of Missouri
Specialty area: management of diseases of corn, soybeans, cotton and wheat
Dr. Bissonnette also participates on the Cotton Research Area Committee.
Dr. Bissonnette will support the Corn RAC objectives as follows:
1) Small plot experiments described in Objective 1 will be established at Bradford Research Farm (near Columbia, MO) and Greenley Research Farm (near Novelty, MO).
2) Regional Extension experts and the Missouri Corn Growers Association will be consulted to select 25 fields to complete the experiments described in Objective 2.
3) In addition to the experiments conducted at the University of Missouri, the data collected will be used to work with PIs in the other six participating states to organize, process, mine, and analyze weather, disease, and spore density data to quantify associations among measured responses, and eventually, test and validate GLS risk assessment models.
Pierce Paul, PhD – Professor, Cereal Pathology and Epidemiology, The Ohio State University
Specialty area: cereal crops integrated disease management (emphasis on wheat, corn and barley).
Dr. Paul also participates on the Wheat Research Area Committee.
Dr. Paul will support the Corn RAC objectives as follows:
1) The small plot experiments described in Objective 1 will be established at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center Snyder (near Wooster, OH) and at the Western (near South Charleston, OH) Agricultural Research farms.
2) County Extension Agents and the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association will be consulted to select the 25 fields for the experiment described under Objective 2.
Paul “Trey” Price, PhD – Associate Professor, Plant Pathology and Physiology, Louisiana State University
Specialty area: disease management in corn, cotton, grain sorghum, rice, soybean, wheat, and other crops focusing on fungicide efficacy and host plant resistance.
Dr. Price also participates on the Cotton Research Area Committee.
Dr. Price will support the Corn RAC objectives as follows:
1) Two field trials will be conducted at Macon Ridge Research Station near Winnsboro, LA in areas where many years of continuous corn and reduced tillage practices have occurred to support Objective 1.
2) To support Objective 2, approximately 50 corn fields in major production areas of Louisiana will be sampled during the season to detect the presence of pathogens (GLS and NCLB) and via PCR.
Alison Robertson, PhD – Professor & Extension Field Pathologist, Iowa State University
Specialty area: management of diseases of field crops, with focus on corn and soybeans.
Dr. Robertson is chair of the Corn Research Area Committee.
Dr. Robertson will support the Corn RAC objectives as follows:
1) Small plot experiments as outlined under Objective 1 will be established at the Iowa State University (ISU) Southeast Research Farm, near Crawfordsville and the ISU Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy Farm, near Boone.
2) ISU Extension and Outreach Field Agronomists will be consulted to select, sample and assess 25 commercial corn fields across Iowa for the experiment described under Objective 2. Researchers will then collect, ship and/or process corn residue and aerosol samples, monitor for GLS and NCLB development, and monitor growing conditions following established protocols.
Damon Smith, PhD – Associate Professor & Extension Specialist, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Specialty area: biology, epidemiology, and management of field crop diseases.
Dr. Smith is co-chair of the Corn Research Area Committee.
Dr. Smith will support the Corn RAC objectives as follows:
1) University of Wisconsin cooperators will assist in the implementation of experiments and collection of data to address all objectives of the proposal.
2) Wisconsin cooperators will also lead effort in the development of qPCR protocols and delivering those protocols to other researchers on the team.
3) University of Wisconsin cooperators will contribute data to the larger group assist in the development of disease prediction models relevant for this national project.
Kiersten Wise, PhD – Extension Professor in Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky
Specialty area: applied research programs in disease management of corn, sorghum and forages.
Dr. Wise will support the Corn RAC objectives as follows:
1) Small plot experiments in Objective 1 will be established at the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center in Princeton, KY. Two different fields and planting dates will be used to replicate locations.
2) Collaborations with County Agents will be established to locate 25 commercial corn fields across Kentucky for the experiment described under Objective 2. At each of the 25 sites, researchers will collect, ship and/or process corn residue and aerosol samples, monitor GLS and NCLB development, and monitor growing conditions following established protocols.