Our program studies diseases of vegetable crops, focusing on population genetics, detection, and disease management.

Application of modern genomic techniques to analysis of pathogen populations allows us to characterize genotypic variation, infer dispersal patterns throughout the state, and understand pathogen evolution on a small time scale. We are currently developing protocols for in-field detection assays of bacterial and oomycete pathogens and for aerial detection of several oomycete species.

Previous work has included development of various techniques for detection of plant pathogens in soil, irrigation water, and plant tissue, effect of cover crops on disease suppression, and the impact of expression of specific plant and pathogen genes on disease resistance.

We are also involved in education and outreach at Cornell University’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York through the Summer Research Scholars Program and Elementary Science Outreach Program.