W5147: Managing Plant Microbe Interactions in Soil to Promote Sustainable Agriculture

(Multistate Research Project)

Status: Active

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[12/01/2023] [02/18/2025]

Date of Annual Report: 12/01/2023

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 12/01/2023 - 12/02/2023
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2022 - 09/30/2023

Participants

Jenifer McBeath, School of Natural Resources and Extension, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK;
James Borneman, Dept. Plant Pathology, UC Riverside, CA;
J. Ole Becker, Dept. Nematology, UC Riverside, CA;
Antoon Ploeg, Dept. Nematology, UC Riverside, CA;
Jiue-in Yang, Dept. Nematology, UC Riverside, CA;
Emma Gachomo, Dept. Microbiology and Plant Pathology, UC Riverside, CA;
Johan Leveau, Dept. Plant Pathology, UC Davis, CA;
Timothy Paulitz, USDA-ARS, Washington State University, Pullman, WA;
Maren Friesen, Dept. Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA;
Jianjun (Jay) Hao, School of Food and Agriculture, The University of Maine, ME;
Harsh Bais, Dept. Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE;
Bode Olukolu, Dept. Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN;
Tessie Wilkerson, Dept. Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, Delta Res. and Extn. Center, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, MS;
Gretchen Sassenrath, Southeast Research and Extension, Kansas State University, Parsons, KS;
Pratibha Sharma, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, Cornell University, Geneva, NY;
James (Jim) Farrar, Statewide UCIPM Program, UC Davis, CA; Chris Little, Dept. Plant Pathology, Manhattan, KS;
Tika Adhikari, Dept. Entomology and Plant Pathology, NC State University, Raleigh, NC;
James White, Dept. Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ;
Mike Kolomiets, Dept. Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University.

Brief Summary of Minutes

The annual Multistate W5147 meeting was held on December 1, 2023, at the Multidisciplinary Research Building, University of California, Riverside, CA. It was the first in-person get-together after the Covid pandemic. Tim Paulitz and James Borneman organized the meeting. Antoon Ploeg arranged a one-hour guided tour of the UCR Botanical Garden in the early afternoon. In addition to 10 attendees at UCR, 10 participated via Zoom.

Tim Paulitz opened the meeting at 8:30 AM. He thanked those members who participated in the renewal proposal writing that was approved for another 5 years as W5147.

After the attendees introduced themselves, each presenter had about 15 minutes to talk about their project, followed by questions and often lively discussion by the audience.

Jennifer McBeath reported disease observations on Rhodiola rosea (Arctic Root), a medicinal succulent plant, and Paeonia (Peony), perennials with showy blossoms and use in traditional Chinese medicine.

Jim Farrar presented a "roadmap for sustainable pest management" developed by a workgroup of California's DPR, CalEPA, and CDFA.

Johan Leveau reported that combinations of Collimonas strains with Bacillus biocontrol products resulted in a booster protection effect against Fusarium wilt.

James Borneman proposed research identifying critical factors for Hyalorbilia to parasitize sugarbeet cyst nematodes in different soils.

Antoon Ploeg showed that the peach root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne floridensis) can infest and multiply on several crops resistant to incognita.

Harsh Bais discussed whether plants recruit beneficial microbes by baiting them to roots and which regions are colonized.

James White talked about the ability of plants to attract, internalize, and utilize beneficial microbes as a nutrient source (Rhizophagy Cycle).

Chris Little reported about charcoal rot (Macrophomina phaseolina) in soybean production and attempts to mitigate the fungal disease with different crop management systems.

Maren Friesen described her peaola investigations (intercropping of peas and canola) that significantly increased productivity.

Tessie Wilkerson evaluated commercial and new USDA cotton cultivars for resistance against reniform and root-knot nematodes.

Pratibha Sharma talked about crop residue management on Cercospora leaf spot (C. beticola) on table beets.

Bode Olukolu presented his comparisons of sequencing methods.

Mike Kolomiets showed Trichoderma virens secretes a highly effective elicitor that induces systemic disease resistance in cotton.

Jiue-in Yang discussed the importance of IPM in Taiwan after a regulatory-initiated 50% pesticide cut. Her lab found several entomopathogenic fungi that effectively parasitize nematode eggs.

Emma Gachomo found in carrot greenhouse trials temporary indirect effects of mefenoxam on non-target fungal diversity.

Jay Hao talked about attempts to optimize potato production in the presence of Verticillium and nematodes with lobster meal, metam sodium soil fumigation, and crop rotation.

Tika Adhikari reported trials with molasses and mustard meal as carbon sources for anaerobic soil disinfection (ASD) in strawberries.

Tim Paulitz talked about the effects of rotation crops on soil communities of the following crops, the microbiome of camelina, and the use of artificial intelligence for nematode identification.

The meeting was concluded at about 5 PM.

The group met at the festive-decorated downtown Riverside to enjoy dinner and camaraderie.

Submitted by Ole Becker

Accomplishments

Objective 1 To identify and characterize new biological agents, microbial community structure and function, naturally suppressive soils, cultural practices, and organic amendments that provide management of diseases caused by soilborne plant pathogens. CA- Several sugarbeet cyst nematode-suppressive soils were discovered and analyzed in sugarbeet and broccoli fields in southern and coastal California, respectively. The lab and greenhouse studies suggest that members of the clade Hyalorbilia oviparasitica (syn. Brachyphoris oviparasitica, Dactylella oviparasitica) were the causal organisms. Several Hyalorbilia strains were obtained from young Heterodera schachtii females using enrichment and double-baiting cultivation techniques. Both strains suppressed H. schachtii populations by more than 80% in soil-based assays. They are genetically different from our standard strain, Hyalorbilia DoUCR50. We demonstrated that detecting indigenous populations of members of the H. oviparasitica clade can be used to predict cyst nematode suppression in Imperial Valley sugarbeet field soils. CA- The goal of this research is to create more effective and sustainable strategies to manage cyst nematodes. Towards this goal, we have identified a group of fungi that dramatically reduces the population densities of cyst nematodes. This group is called the Hyalorbilia oviparasitica Clade, which was formerly called Dactylella oviparasitica. In this reported period, we demonstrated that we could predict which fields would suppress cyst nematode populations by quantifying the amount of these fungi in soil before a crop was planted. We expect that this will lead to the development of new cropping decision models that will enable growers to create and maintain soils that suppress H. schachtii, which we anticipate will lead to higher crop yields and profitability for the growers. This work was published in this reporting period. CA-  The goal of this research is to create more effective and sustainable strategies to manage citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, which is a citrus disease causing enormous damage in the US and across the planet. We have examined Huanglongbing (HLB) Survivor and Non-Survivor trees in Florida over the last seven years. Survivor trees are those that have a very slow rate of disease. In this reporting period, we have identified one key root-associated bacterium that correlates with this phenotype, along with the RNA transcripts from this bacterium that correlates with this phenotype. We expect that this will lead to the development of effective treatments for citrus HLB disease, which we anticipate will lead to higher crop yields and profitability for the growers. CA- An endophyte KRS015, isolated from the seed of Verticillium wilt-resistant Gossypium hirsutum cultivar, was identified as Bacillus subtilis by morphological, phylogenetic, physiological and biochemical analyses. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by KRS015 or its cell-free fermentation extract had significant antagonistic effects on various pathogenic fungi including V. dahliae. KRS015 reduced Verticillium wilt and colonization of V. dahliae in treated cotton seedlings significantly, and the disease reduction rate was ~62%. KRS015 also promoted plant growth. These results suggest that KRS015 is a potential agent for controlling Verticillium wilt and promoting growth of cotton. MT- Across the United States northern Great Plains (USNGP), Fusarium pseudograminearum, a fungus causing root crown rot, and Bromus tectorum (L), also known as cheatgrass or downy brome, are significant burdens threatening the economic and environmental sustainability of small grain production systems. These two species form a multi-trophic pest complex and few studies have systematically assessed the interconnected relationships and joint management of these agricultural pests. Our work seeks to unravel the complex multitrophic interactions associated with this disease complex. Current efforts are focused on characterizing the rhizosphere microbiome of wheat grown in competition of B. tectorum, with and without Fusarium infection. MT- A new project is underway to elucidate the effects of Fusarium infection on the rhizosphere microbiome and competitive ability of Canada thistle. Understanding how this pathogen interacts with Canada thistle and the rhizosphere microbial community is important for assessing the effect of fusarium on the competitive ability of Canada thistle. NY- Characterizing the microbiome associated with table beet. Bacteria and fungi in plant-associated microbiomes are involved in many aspects of plant health. Host-microbiome interactions have been shown to moderate tolerance to multiple biotic and abiotic stressors, prompting interest in utilizing beneficial bacteria and fungi to manage plant diseases and improve crop production. To achieve these goals, an in-depth knowledge of the identity and distribution of plant-associated microbial communities is essential. Table beet is an important crop in New York, where it is grown on large broadacre fields and small diversified farms. Increasing demand for organically grown table beet and additional options to conventional fungicides for disease control has motivated interest in the microbiomes associated with table beet. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere and phyllosphere microbiome and identify core taxa. In 2021 and 2022, microbiome samples from nine table beet fields were collected from the rhizosphere and phyllosphere. Twice during each growing season, five adjacent plants were sampled at each of five locations within each field. Bulk soil samples were also collected at each location. Shoot tissue from five seedlings was collected for each early-season sample. Late-season foliar samples were separated into the epiphytic and endophytic microbiome. Fungal and bacterial DNA was amplified separately, sequenced, and the DADA2 pipeline was used to filter reads and assign taxonomy. Most of the differences in the bacterial and fungal communities were associated with sample type, with additional variation explained by field. Ordination of Bray-Curtis distances showed that rhizosphere soil communities were similar to bulk soil communities, and both separated from the phyllosphere microbiomes. Bulk soil and rhizosphere microbiomes also had higher alpha diversity than phyllosphere microbiomes. Only bacteria and fungi in the leaf epiphyte community were present in over 90% of samples and had higher relative abundance compared to the bulk soil community, and therefore considered within the core microbiome. The core microbiome included members of the bacterial genera Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Massilia, and members of the fungal genera Alternaria, Epicoccum, and Cladosporium. Overall, this study identified a small number of core bacteria and fungi that were consistently present in the table beet microbiome despite geographic and temporal variation. NY- Impact of azoxystrobin and Rhizoctonia solani on soil and rhizosphere microbiomes of table beet. In-furrow fungicides are broadly used in agriculture to control soilborne diseases, but the effect of this practice on the soil and rhizosphere microbiome is largely unknown. Both fungicides and pathogen growth in the soil present a disturbance to microbial communities and may affect crop health and resilience by altering important microbial interactions within the rhizosphere and soil environment. Table beet production in New York relies on azoxystrobin applied in-furrow to control the fungal pathogen, Rhizoctonia solani, which causes damping off and root rot. Field trials were conducted in each of two years (2021 and 2022) to evaluate the effect of both in-furrow azoxystrobin application and post-emergent R. solani inoculation on microbial communities in bulk soil and the table beet rhizosphere. Soil samples were collected during the 2 to 4 leaf stage and at root maturity from plots receiving one of four treatments: in-furrow azoxystrobin, post-emergent inoculum, in-furrow azoxystrobin plus post-emergent inoculum, or nontreated. Rhizoctonia disease incidence and severity was collected during the growing season and at harvest. Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer region from rhizosphere and bulk soil samples and community diversity and composition analysis revealed that treatments had no effect on alpha or beta diversity of the microbial communities. Sample type (rhizosphere and bulk soil) was the main driver of community composition. The most abundant bacterial and fungal phyla were Proteobacteria and Ascomycota. While relative abundance in the bacterial community was unaffected by either treatment, sample type, or sampling time, relative abundance of the fungal class Saccharomycetes was increased in the table beet rhizosphere. Alpha diversity was negatively correlated with disease incidence and severity in 2021, but not in 2022. Overall, there were few consistent relationships in both 2021 and 2022 between disease incidence and severity and abundance of microbial taxa. The abundance of Acidobacteria and Bacteroidota was negatively correlated with R. solani abundance, and both phyla were enriched in the table beet rhizosphere. The identification of these and other microbial taxa associated with plots that had low disease incidence and severity may lead to further investigations for microbiome-mediated management of R. solani and other soilborne plant pathogens. NY- Effects of table beet residue management on the microbiome associated with table beet. A small plot replicated trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of selected residue management strategies, including plowing, flaming, urea, and lime application, for Cercospora leaf spot control in table beet. Treatments were applied to infested residue in fall and disease intensity was evaluated throughout summer. Samples to evaluate the microbiome in the phyllosphere, rhizosphere and bulk soil were also taken from each treatment. The second year of this trial was conducted in 2023. Results from this trial are being combined across years and data analysis is pending. OR – Soil microbiome variation in potato cropping systems. We described regional variability in a dataset consisting of over 1300 potato soil microbiomes from nine U.S. field sites. We found that soil microbial communities tend to cluster based on their geographic origin. Field site alone accounted for more than 54% and 60% of the variance in bacterial and eukaryotic community structure, respectively. We also found that pH, organic matter, percent total and organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, and nitrate, phosphate and potassium concentrations explained much of the variation observed in bacterial and eukaryotic communities at the continental scale. The results indicate that biological soil health indicators vary at smaller scales (e.g., regional-, local-, field-scales). Identification of and recommendations for use of specific biological indicators of soil health will likely need to occur at regional or local levels. TN- Using an inexpensive quantitative reduced representation sequencing of metagenomes, we aim to characterize host-associated metagenome of crops at the population level. The cost-efficient approach allows for investigation multipartite and multitrophic interactions in order to identify the core metagenomic community that has co-evolved with the crop. We aim to identify known and novel disease-suppressing microbes under low and high pathogen pressure under field conditions. VA • Collected boxwood and soil samples from four cultivars with different levels of resistance to boxwood blight at two nurseries - one in Virginia and the other in Oregon and extracted their DNA for metagenomic analyses. <ul> <li>Surveyed 17 nurseries across the country to document boxwood production shift to less susceptible cultivars since the first report of boxwood blight in North Carolina and Connecticut in 2011.</li> <li>Reviewed and summarized the studies on boxwood cultivar resistance breeding to date, and published it in Plant Health Progress to further promote the adoption of more resistant cultivars and build health into boxwood crops and plantings.</li> <li>Researched and published one paper on the blight pathogen adaption to different hosts - boxwood, pachysandra and sweet box.</li> <li>Sequenced and analyzed 16S and ITS amplicon data, wrote and published three papers on boxwood bacterial and fungal communities and identified beneficial groups and species.</li> </ul> WA- Nematode communities can reveal soil health. Nematodes are the most numerous soil invertebrate and occupy all trophic levels in the food web, from fungal and bacterial feeders to herbivores to predators. Potato and wheat field soils were sampled across eastern Washington and Oregon, including soils that have never been cropped. Over 30 genera and trophic levels were identified based on nematode morphology and mouth parts. Analysis showed that cropped soils, which are more disturbed, are dominated by bacterial and fungal feeders, as compared to native non-cropped soils. These results show that nematode analysis may be used as another indication of soil health for growers. WA- Previous crops of canola may shift the microbiome of the following wheat crop. Rotation crops often give a yield increase to the following wheat crop, due to breaking of diseases cycles, nitrogen fixation and other benefits. However, a yield decrease in spring wheat after winter canola has been observed in intermediate and low precipitation areas, and water and nutrients were ruled out as factors. The microbiome of spring wheat was sampled following winter canola, winter triticale, winter wheat and spring barley. Spring wheat after canola had significantly less arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and higher levels of the pathogen Waitea circinata. Canola is one of the few non-mycorrhizal plant families, and may deplete these beneficial, symbiotic fungi. This information is important for growers to consider in their cropping systems plans. WA- Bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of camelina can promote growth. Camelina, a member of the Brassicaceae family, is a potential low-input bioenergy crop that can be grown in rotation with wheat in dryland areas. However, nothing is known about the microbial communities on the roots, and how this may influence crop performance and nutrient uptake. A collection of over 3000 bacterial strains was made from the roots of camelina grown in 33 different locations in eastern Washington and Montana. The strains were tested for growth promotion in the lab and greenhouse, and several promising growth-promoting strains were identified, including isolates of Pseudomonas. In conjunction with a microbiome analysis, key components of the camelina bacterial community that may play a role in increasing nutrient uptake, pathogen resistance and drought tolerance in this biofuel crop were identified. WA- Streptomyces are key members of the microbiome of wheat roots. Streptomyces are abundant in association with plants and are known for their ability to promote drought tolerance and produce antibiotics that inhibit a wide range of pathogens. To assess the role of these bacteria in the protection of cereal crops, a large collection of Streptomyces isolates was made including over 115 from the rhizosphere and 201 from the endosphere of wheat collected from irrigated and dryland plots at various stages of maturity in Lind, Washington from 2021 to 2023. The isolates are being characterized phenotypically and phylogenetically by multilocus sequence analysis for their ability to suppress fungal root pathogens and to ameliorate drought stress in crops grown under a variety of soil moisture conditions. The results of these analyses are expected to provide new tools to maintain crop productivity under conditions of increasing biotic and abiotic stress mediated by climate change. WA- We characterized the nitrogenase diversity at Cook farm LTAR and found diverse nitrogen-fixing bacteria present on both the no-till and business as usual sides of the site, with some distinct taxa in each. We sampled neighboring prairie and agricultural sites for nifH characterization to determine how cultivation impacts these communities. We also conducted a microbiome manipulation experiment with prairie and ag soils across a N gradient and are characterizing N-fixing communities. This knowledge will give insight into the nitrogen-fixing bacteria present in agroecosystems as well as how management impacts these microbes. WA- We characterized the peaola microbiome and found no differences in bulk soil under monocrops and intercrop. The rhizosphere microbiome was distinct for pea and canola, and many but not all of these differences persisted when intercropped. Intercropping also had some distinct taxa not consistently found under either monocrop. This information will be used to help understand how microbes impact intercropping success. WA We conducted a microbiome manipulation of wild vs domesticated chickpea in the field, and found surprisingly that domesticated plants were more responsive to microbes. We are currently sequencing these microbes to give insight into whether this effect is due to known mutualists. WA- We completed a multiyear data collection effort in switchgrass and found complex ecological drivers of the root associated microbiome. We also characterized root exudates and found that neighboring plants altered exudate chemistry, which could be important for plant-microbe interactions in diversified cropping systems. WA- We continued mining antimicrobial NCR peptide genes in wild North American clover genomes, and refined our gene calls. We are finding hundreds of distinct and novel NCR sequences, which could be useful as sources of resistance to diverse pathogens. WA- We conducted mesocosm experiments investigating the electrochemical signatures of soil microbial communities and found that polarization and carbon source both play a role. This will be important for developing novel soil sensors for microbial function. Objective 2  To understand how microbial populations and microbial gene expression are regulated by the biological (plants and microbes) and physical environment and how they influence disease. DE- Research has focused on lytic and lysogenic viruses (phages) that infect soybean bradyrhizobia (Bradyrhizobium spp.), a group of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria that nodulate soybean roots and circumvent both the need for fossil fuel-derived nitrogen fertilizers and associated ground and surface water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.  The overall arching goal is to understand how these phages shape the host bacterium’s symbiotic effectiveness (evolution) and ultimately soybean yields.  Specific goals include: <ol> <li>elucidate phage replication parameters when infecting various bradyrhizobial hosts,</li> <li>genomic DNA sequencing of host bradyrhizobia and associated phages and subsequent bioinformatic and pangenome analyses,</li> <li>identify genome-to-phenome connections within/between host bacteria and phages, and</li> <li>develop strategies to sustainably enhance soybean yields.</li> </ol> MT- Ongoing work is focused on understanding genetic mechanisms in barley and environmental factors that are involved in recruitment of the rhizosphere microbiome. Current efforts are focused on evaluating the rhizosphere microbiome composition to gain insight into key microorganisms and specific genes responsible for enabling plants to resist abiotic stress. NY Differentiating inoculum sources for Cercospora leaf spot epidemics in table beet. Cercospora beticola (cause of Cercospora leaf spot of table beet) is the most important disease affecting foliar health in table beet. Despite the importance of this disease, little is known of the dominant inoculum sources for CLS epidemics. Potential inoculum sources include infested seed, alternative weed and crop hosts, infested residue, and soil. However, despite C. beticola populations being heterothallic and that sexual recombination is likely (through population genetic analyses), the sexual morph and hence a potential source of long-distance dispersal is unknown.  This knowledge will improve the design of effective disease management strategies. To address this question, a table beet field was established in an isolated location without a history of table beet (or alternative crop hosts). Specific genotypes of C. beticola were inoculated (MAT 1-1, and MAT1-2) in a transect perpendicular to the crop rows, and compared to a noninoculated area. CLS severity was quantified at regular intervals at specific distances from the inoculum source and samples were taken at the end of the season for isolation and genotype characterization. Data from two years is being compiled and analyzed. OR – Powdery scab suppressive activity of field soils. We developed a greenhouse bioassay to classify soils as suppressive or conducive to powdery scab. To date, two greenhouse bioassays have been conducted and ten field soils have been evaluated for powder scab suppressive activity. Based on Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea (Sss) root infection, there was variation in powdery scab suppressive activity among the field soils that were assayed. While some of that disease suppressive activity appeared to be due to soil physical properties (i.e., disease suppressive activity was eliminated when raw soils were “diluted” with potting media), three soils were identified with suppressive activity that appeared to be associated with microbial activity (i.e., disease suppressive activity remained after raw soils were “diluted” with potting media and were eliminated by autoclaving). Future research is planned to characterize the microbial taxa linked to the suppression of powdery scab and identify indicator species associated with powdery scab suppression. We also plan to identify the soil physical and chemical properties that correlate with shifts in microbial communities associated with disease suppression and examine if salinity affects the soil microbial community and powdery scab incidence or severity. TN- We aim to understand the modulation of plant traits, disease resistance in particular, by members of the host-associated metagenomic community. This information can be applied to breeding resistance to complex disease while accounting for microbes that modulate host the host defense response pathway and that positively and negatively interact with pathogens. We are also identifying potential biocontrols and underlying multipartite interactions that might explain the often-observed variability in efficacy. By understanding these interactions at a systems level, we hope to predict biocontrol efficacy and identify a blend of microbes to maintain stable efficacy. On the long-term, breeding strategies can select alleles/genetic backgrounds that actively recruit and enrich for beneficial/disease-suppressing microbes from the environment. WA- Phenazines play a key role in the health and sustainability of dryland wheat. Wheat grown without irrigation in the low-precipitation zone of the Columbia Plateau of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) selects for phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA)-producing Pseudomonas spp. that comprise 1 to 10% of the culturable bacteria on wheat roots. Analysis of the microbiome of dryland wheat and continue to show that PCA-producing Pseudomonas spp. suppress a wide range of soilborne fungal pathogens, including Gaeumannomyces, Fusarium, and Rhizoctonia. They produce biofilms, which help soil particles stick together, thus preventing erosion; they enhance the reactivity and mobility of Fe derived from soil minerals, thus increasing the quantities of bioavailable iron to the plants; and they strongly induce resistance to foliar pathogens. These findings show that PCA producing pseudomonads are one of the most important groups of bacteria in soil microbiome contributing to the health and sustainability of dryland wheat. WA- Phenotyping to detect early effects of pathogen infection on tomato before symptom development. Tomato seedlings were used as a model plant to determine the early impact of infection by the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) on growth. In less than 24 hours after application of Pst to leaves at a dose of log 7 CFU per mL, phenotyping via 3D laser scanning triangulation and RGB, fluorescence, and VNIR hyperspectral imaging detected significant changes in the physiology and morphology of the leaves, even though no symptoms were visible. Within hours of Pst inoculation, the leaf area and density of leaves and stems decreased significantly because leaves were unable to fully expand, and the photosynthetic activity of the leaves significantly declined. Phenotyping tools are playing an increasing role in identifying how biotic and abiotic stresses affect plant growth prior to the appearance of any visible damage or symptoms, facilitating early intervention to alleviate the stress. Objective 3 Implement sustainable management strategies for soilborne pathogens that are biologically based and are compatible with soil health management practices. CA- A metagenomics study demonstrated that land-use practices differentially affect the composition of the soil microbiomes. This study included native undisturbed soil, soil from a field in transition from pasture to organic agriculture and soil from an intense agricultural production system. The work also demonstrated that disease suppression is tied to the presence of specific groups of bacterial and fungal communities. This work is an important step toward the understanding of how natural soil succession patterns and associated factors affect the soil microbial structures and how these key ecological drivers lead to the development of sustainable farming systems in coastal California by enriching specific microbiomes to limit plant disease and increase crop production. NY- Efficacy of fungicides for Cercospora leaf spot control in table beet, 2023. The experiment was conducted at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York. The crop was planted on 31 May using a Monosem planter at the rate of 17 seeds/ft with 30-in. row spacing. Fertilizer (300 lb/A 10-5-10 + 2 lb/A Boron) was banded at planting following incorporation of 300 lb/A of the same fertilizer one day earlier. For weed management, the herbicides Dual Magnum (0.67 pt/A) + Nortron (30 fl oz/A) were applied directly after planting. Treatments (n = 12) were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications, including a nontreated control. The trial was irrigated using solid set sprinklers for optimal plant growth and disease development. Plots consisted of 10-ft sections of two adjacent rows, with a nontreated buffer of 5-ft between plots within rows. Two nontreated rows separated adjacent plots. Fungicides were applied using a CO2-pressurized backpack sprayer (26.4 gal/A; psi = 30), with three TeeJet 8002VS flat fan nozzles spaced 19 in. apart along a 38-in. boom. Fungicides were applied at 62, 68, 78, and 83 DAP. A backpack sprayer was used to apply an inoculum suspension (8.5 × 103 viable cfu/ml) at 63 DAP, containing a mixture of four Cercospora beticola isolates representative of the New York genotypes. Plant density was assessed at 49 DAP by counting the number of plants in a 3.2-ft section within each row. Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) severity (%) was quantified by estimating the area of the leaf covered by disease compared to the entire leaf area on 20 arbitrarily selected leaves within each plot (10/row) at 63, 74, 81, 89, 96, 102, and 109 DAP, and used to calculate epidemic progress (area under the disease progress curve; AUDPC). At 109 DAP, the normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) was measured using a GreenSeeker hand-held radiometer by scanning the entire length of one row, 3.2-ft above the canopy. At 110 DAP, the effect of treatment on foliar biomass and root yield components was evaluated by removing foliage from plants within a 3.2-ft section of each plot and recording weight after drying at 140ºF for 48 h. The effect of fungicides on final CLS severity, AUDPC, NDVI, root number and weight, and dry weight of foliage was analyzed using a generalized linear model. Final CLS severity in nontreated plots was high with an average of 90.1%. Plant density was not significantly different across the trial at 49 DAP (P = 0.593) and varied between an average of 21.6 and 31.6 plants per 3.2-ft section. Root number at 110 DAP was not significantly affected by treatment (P = 0.195). Treatment also had no significant effect on root weight (P = 0.765). All treatments significantly reduced CLS severity at 109 DAP and AUDPC. The conventional fungicide standard program (Miravis Prime and Tilt) was highly efficacious and reduced final CLS severity and AUDPC compared to the nontreated control by 64.3% and 87.4%, respectively. Champ 2F was also highly efficacious and significantly decreased final CLS severity and AUDPS by 75.1% and 89.4%, compared to the nontreated control, respectively, and was not significantly different from the Miravis Prime and Tilt rotation. Four applications of Theia or Howler provided moderate CLS control and final CLS severity was reduced by an average of 41.5% compared to the nontreated control plots. AUDPC in plots receiving rotations of Miravis Prime and Theia or Howler was not significantly different from the Miravis Prime and Tilt rotation, and Champ. AUDPC in plots receiving BF009-03 was moderately reduced and not significantly different from Curezin and SeCurezin. Reductions in disease intensity led to significant increases in NDVI and dry weight of foliage. 2023. Efficacy of OMRI-listed fungicides for white mold control in black bean in New York, 2023. The experiment was conducted at the Gates West Organic Farm of Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York. The crop was planted on 6 Jun using a Monosem planter at the rate of 9 seeds/ft with 30-in. row spacing and managed using organic practices. Poultry manure (500 lb/A 5-4-3) was broadcast applied and incorporated on the same day of planting. For Japanese beetle control, Entrust (6 fl oz/A) was applied at 50 days after planting (DAP). Treatments (n=8) were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications including a non-treated control. The entire trial area was irrigated as necessary for optimal plant growth and disease development using solid set sprinklers. Individual plots consisted of 10 ft sections of two adjacent rows, with a non-treated buffer of 5 ft between plots within rows. Two non-treated rows separated adjacent plots. Fungicides (+ 0.25% v/v NuFilm) were applied using a CO2-pressurized backpack sprayer (26.4 gal/A), with three TJ 8002VS flat fan nozzles spaced 19 in. apart along a 38 in. boom. Fungicides were applied at 55 and 62 DAP. Plants were inoculated with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum ascospores within 24 h of the first fungicide applications at a concentration of 1.28× 103 ascospores/ml using a backpack sprayer. The average germination efficiency of ascospores was 68%. Plant density (number of plants/ft) was assessed in each of the two inner rows prior to the application of fungicides at 16 DAP. Canopy health was evaluated by scanning the entire length of each plot with a hand-held GreenSeeker radiometer to measure the Normalized Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI) at 1 m above the bean canopy at 72 DAP. The effect of treatment on the incidence of white mold on plants and pods, and yield was quantified at 76 DAP. Entire plants were removed from an arbitrarily selected 3.2-ft section within each plot and pods were manually removed. Individual pods and plants were classified as either healthy or diseased. Diseased plants and pods had either white mold symptoms and/or signs of S. sclerotiorum (mycelia and/or sclerotia). The incidence of white mold on pods and plants was then calculated as a function of the total number of pods or plants per plot × 100. Healthy pods from each plot were weighed and the number of pods counted to calculate the average weight for an individual healthy pod. The efficacy of fungicides on white mold incidence (%) on pod and plants, NDVI, and pod yield components was quantified by analysis of variance. Means of each variable were separated by a Fisher’s protected least significant difference test (P = 0.05) (Genstat Version 22). The incidence of white mold was high in non-treated plots with an average of 51.1% and 7.2% on plants and pods, respectively. Plant density was not significantly different across the trial area according to treatment allocation (P = 0.653) and varied between 68.1 and 73.9 plants per 10 feet. All treatments significantly (P < 0.001) reduced the incidence of white mold on plants and pods, and increased the NDVI, compared to the nontreated plots. All treatments significantly reduced disease incidence and were not significantly different between each other. The average reduction in white mold incidence in plants and pods from the treatments was 68.2% and 77%, respectively. All treatments also significantly increased NDVI compared to the nontreated plots and were not significantly different between each other. Treatment had no significant effect on pod number (P = 0.838) and the average weight of one pod (P = 0.706). NY- Survival of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum sclerotia in NY. White mold caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a serious disease affecting many field and specialty crops in New York (NY). The primary inoculum for white mold is sclerotia that are hardened masses of mycelia that survive adverse environmental conditions and periods of non-hosts. However, NY crop guidelines lack rotation and residue management recommendations based on local knowledge of sclerotial survival. A field trial was established in October 2020 by deploying S. sclerotiorum sclerotia in mesh bags on the soil surface or shallowly buried (placed at 3 cm depth in the soil) at Geneva, NY. Bags were periodically collected from 67 to 769 days. At each time, sclerotial retrieval (number of sclerotia) was assessed by counting and viability evaluated through myceliogenic germination. Sclerotial retrieval was significantly affected by soil depth and was higher in those on the surface than buried. Time also affected the retrieval of sclerotia which was significantly reduced after 250 days. The interaction between burial and time had a significant effect on sclerotial viability. Approximately 15% of sclerotia placed on the surface were still viable after 769 days. After 433 days, viability of buried sclerotia was also significantly reduced compared to those on the surface. After 670 days, none of the buried sclerotia were viable. These findings suggest a rotation of at least two years between susceptible crops is required to reduce primary inoculum. However, given that low inoculum densities are sufficient to initiate a white mold outbreak, a longer rotation may be beneficial. In a cultivated system, timely tillage of crop residue to bury sclerotia after harvest to promote degradation is encouraged. OR –Effects of rotation, soil amendment, and fumigation on potato early dying and the soil microbial community. In 2023, we continued work on two potato cropping systems experiments established in 2019 to examine how management practices including crop rotation with traditional fumigation, mustard biofumigant crop, dairy compost amendment, and a mustard biofumigant crop combined with a dairy compost amendment influence the soil abiotic and biotic properties, pathogen inoculum densities, and plant health and productivity. To date, we have established that over one multi-year rotation, it is possible to alter soil characteristics, including pathogen loads, through soil health management. Meanwhile, the effects of soil-health-promoting practices on plant health and tuber yield depended on cultivar and rotation length. These results suggest that use of alternative agricultural practices to reduce V. dahliae inoculum density in soil will take time and may be enhanced when combined with longer rotation lengths. Objective 4. Provide outreach, education, extension and technology transfer to our clients and stakeholders- growers, biocontrol industry, graduate and undergraduate students, K-12 students and other scientists. CA- James Borneman gave presentations to undergraduate in his Microbiomes course (MCBL 126). These presentations covered biological suppression of plant parasitic nematodes as well as root microbes that may inhibit or exacerbate Huanglongbing (HLB) disease of citrus. CA- The target audiences of this project are producers of conventional and organic crop production systems and shippers, seed/fertilizer/pesticide/fumigant/irrigation sales and application companies, pest control advisors and Verticillium researchers. Other critical stakeholders were the California Strawberry Commission, California Leafy Greens Research Board, and others involved in crop production that also suffer from soilborne diseases. Because the status of the disease on one crop affects the crops that follow, many commodity groups will have an intense interest in the outcome of this project. The results obtained from this project will be broadly applicable to crops heavily dependent on soil fumigation in the western US as well as other states in the US.  The outcomes of this work have been presented to these audiences over the year. CA- University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) recently obtained grant funding from California Department of Food and Agriculture to develop extension education materials on methods to manage soilborne pests without fumigants. According to the Pesticide Use Report recently published by California Department of Pesticide Regulation, agricultural production used 197,000,00 pounds of pesticides in 2020. Sulfur applications accounted for 24% of the total, while horticultural oils accounted for 22%, and soil fumigants 19%. Since soil fumigants pose significantly higher human health and environmental risks than sulfur or horticultural oils, focusing on alternatives to soil fumigants has significant potential benefits for California. Soil fumigants are used to manage soilborne diseases, nematodes, weeds, and insects. Research has identified several potential alternatives to fumigants including crop rotations, cover crops, mustard family crops as green manures, anaerobic soil disinfestation, soil solarization, biosolarization, steam applications, and compost amendments. Research reports and extension education materials on these individual tactics are distributed in various venues but there is no extension resource for growers to compare tactics and select the most appropriate one(s) for their crop-pest situation. In addition, there are numerous methods for monitoring of soilborne pests and ‘soil health’ more broadly. Gathering the soilborne pest and soil health monitoring methods into one extension resource will assist growers in making decisions for their situation and farming goals. CA- UC IPM will convene an alternatives to soil fumigants workgroup to assess current soil fumigant alternatives, develop a decision support tool for growers who are seeking to use alternatives methods, develop practical biological metrics for soilborne pest and soil health monitoring, and prioritize research needs. UC Agricultural Experiment Station faculty, Cooperative Extension Specialists, Cooperative Extension Advisors working in soilborne pest management will be invited to participate in the workgroup. The target is 20-25 experts, each bringing their diverse expertise and perspectives to focus on this problem. The workgroup would meet at least four times for in-person, one-day intensive sessions and continue the collaboration through email and shared online documents between meetings. The goals are a decision-support tool for selecting alternatives to soil fumigants, descriptions of practical methods for monitoring for soilborne pests and soil health, and prioritized list of research and extension needs. These would all be available through the UC IPM website. MT- Outputs included presentations at two field days to over 200 attendees. A graduate student presentation was also given at the International Congress of Plant Pathology, 20-25 August, Lyon, France. NY- Outreach activities on sustainable disease management. In 2023, Pethybridge gave 8 extension/outreach presentations on soilborne disease management to the broadacre vegetable and dry bean industry stakeholders and growers. These presentations were predominantly meetings organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension throughout NY, and the Maine Organic Farmers and Growers. Undergraduate research experience Pethybridge had an undergraduate summer scholar in the lab during summer 2023. OR (Frost) – Advised one faculty research assistant, one technician, three graduate students, and one undergraduate student. In 2023, we published five refereed papers, one extension document, and four abstracts. Information has been disseminated to clientele within the region through talks at nine grower education events and two field days (14 grower education talks total), and to scientific peers via four presentations. I have provided plant disease diagnostic services via the Pathology Diagnostic Clinic at the HAREC to Oregon, southeastern Washington, Idaho, and other crop production regions in the U.S. These services result in approximately 250 direct contacts with farmers or crop managers every year. In 2023, I organized a workshop with topics including soil health for the Hermiston Farm Fair Grower education event. Editorial positions currently held include Senior Editor and Editor for the APS Journals Plant Disease and Phytofrontiers, respectively. TN- Training graduate students and postdoctoral fellow. Interaction with maize and sweet potato breeders on implementing metagenome-enhanced genomic prediction and understanding the modulation of complex by microbiome community members. Working with extension faculty to evaluate the impact of microbiome on Fusarium ear and stalk rot disease. VA- • Co-organized and launched the BBIG Boxwood Seminar series in August of 2023 with the environmental horticulture industry, public and private gardeners as well as extension and research communities as the primary audience. <ul> <li>Presented biocontrol research results at the 2023 Plant Health - Annual Meeting of American Phytopathological Society in Denver, CO, 12th International Congress of Plant Pathology in Lyon, France, and 7th Partnership in Biocontrol, Biostimulant and Microbiome Conference USA in Raleigh, NC.</li> <li>Used Google group listservs for mass distribution of the latest research about boxwood blight mitigation</li> </ul>

Publications

Peer Reviewed Adams AK, Kristy BD, Gorman M, Balint-Kurti P, Yencho GC, Olukolu BA. (2023) Qmatey: An automated pipeline for fast exact matching-based alignment and strain-level taxonomic binning and profiling of metagenomes. Briefings in Bioinformatics. 24 (6): bbad351 Adhikari T, Olukolu BA*, Paudel R, Pandey A, Halterman D, Louws F. (2023) Genotyping-by-Sequencing Reveals Population Differentiation and Linkage Disequilibrium in Alternaria linariae from Tomato. Phytopathology. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-07-23-0229-R">https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-07-23-0229-R</a> Arstingstall, K.A., DeBano, S.J., Li, X., Wooster, D., Rowland, M.M., Burrows, S. and Frost, K. 2023. Investigating the use of DNA metabarcoding to quantify bee foraging and effects of threshold selection. PLOSONE 18:e0282715 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282715">https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282715</a>. Bell-Dereske LP, Benucci GM, da Costa PB, Bonito G, Friesen ML, Tiemann LK, Evans SE. Regional biogeography versus intra-annual dynamics of the root and soil microbiome. Environmental Microbiome. 2023 Jun 7;18(1):50. Cheng, W., Xue, H., Yang, X., Huang, D., Cai, M., Huang, F., Zheng, D., Peng, D., Thomashow, L.S., Weller, D.M., Yu, Z., and Zhang, J. 2022. Multiple receptors contribute to the attractive response of C. elegans to pathogenic bacteria. EMBO Reports. 11(1). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.02319-22">https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.02319-22</a>. Delventhal, K., Busby, P., and Frost, K.E. 2023. Tare soil alters the composition of the developing the potato rhizosphere microbiome. Phytobiomes 7:91-99 Delventhal, K., Skillman, V.#, Li, X., Busby, P., and Frost, K.E. 2023. Characterizing variation in the bacterial and fungal tare soil microbiome of seed potato. Phytobiomes 7:78-90. Figueroa JL, Panyala A, Colby S, Friesen M, Tiemann L, White III RA. MerCat2: a versatile k-mer counter and diversity estimator for database-independent property analysis obtained from omics data. bioRxiv. 2022 Nov 24:2022-11. Flasco, M. T., Cieniewicz, E. J., Pethybridge, S. J., and Fuchs, M. F. 2023. Distinct red blotch disease epidemiological dynamics in two nearby vineyards. Viruses 15:1184.<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/v15051184">https://doi.org/10.3390/v15051184</a>. Heck, D. W., Hay, F. S., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Enabling population biology studies of Stemphylium vesicarium from onion with microsatellites. Plant Dis. PDIS-04-23-0706-RE. Published First Look 17 June 2023. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-23-0706-RE">https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-23-0706-RE</a>. Heck, D. W., Sharma, P., Kikkert, J. R., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Sampling, a new iOS application for assessment of damage by diseases and pests using sequential sampling plans. Plant Dis. 107:1714-1720. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-22-0800-SR">https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-22-0800-SR</a> Jernigan, A., Kao-Kniffin, J., Pethybridge, S. J., and Wickings, K. 2023. Soil microarthropod effects on plant growth and development. Plant and Soil 483:27-45.<a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11104-022-05766-x.pdf">Soil microarthropod effects on plant growth and development (springer.com)</a> Klasek, S., Crants, J., Abbas, T., Ashley, K., Bolton, M., Caballero, J.I., Celovsky, M., Gudmestad, N.C., Hao, J., Jahn, C., Nkuekam, G.K., Lankau, R., Larkin, B., Lopez, E., Miller, J., Moore, A., Pasche, J., Ruark, M., Schroeder, B., Shan, S., Skillman, V., Srour, A., Stasko, A., Steinke, K., Stewart, J., Thornton, M., Zitnick-Anderson, K., Frost, K., Rosen, C., and Kinkel, L. 2023. Potato soil core microbiomes are regionally variable across the continental U.S. Phytobiomes (in press). Menalled, U. D., Smith, R. G., Cordeau, S., Di Tommaso, A., Pethybridge, S. J., and Ryan, M. R. 2023. Phylogenetic relatedness can influence cover crop-based weed suppression. Scientific Rep. 13:17323. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-43987-x">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-43987-x</a>. Pethybridge, S. J., Damann, K., Murphy, S. P., Diggins, K., and Gleason, M. 2023.Optimizing mesotunnels for organic acorn squash in New York. Plant Health Progress. PHP-08-23-0072-RS. Accepted 16 October 2023. On First Look. Proofs returned 7 December 2023. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-08-23-0072-RS">https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-08-23-0072-RS</a>. Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S. P., and Kikkert, J. R. 2023. Growth manipulation of slicer carrots by foliar-applied gibberellic acid 3 in New York. HortTechnology 33:325-332. <a href="https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05231-23">https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05231-23</a>. Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S. P., Branch, E. B., Sharma, P. S., and Kikkert. J. R. 2023. Manipulating table beet growth using exogenous gibberellic acid 3 in New York, USA. Annals of Applied Biology Published 19 September 2023. On Early View. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/aab.12870">https://doi.org/10.1111/aab.12870</a>. Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S., Lund, M., and Kikkert. J. R. 2023. Survival of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum sclerotia in central New York. Plant Disease. PDIS-10-23-2126-SC. Accepted 6 November 2023. On First Look 9 November 2023.<a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-23-2126-SC">https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-23-2126-SC</a>. Rivedal, H.M., Temple, T., Thomas, W.J., Ocamb, C.M., Funke, C., Skillman, V., Jackson, R., Jones, G., Shrestha, G., KC, A., Dung, J.K.S., and Frost, K.E. 2023. First report of Spiroplasma citri causing disease in field-grown hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in the Pacific Northwest. Plant Disease (in Press). Rodriguez-Herrera, K. D., Ma, X., Swingle, B., Pethybridge, S. J., Gonzalez-Giron, J. L., Hermann, T. Q., Damann, K., and Smart, C. D. 2023. First report of cucurbit yellow vine disease caused by Serratia marcescens in New York. Plant Dis. Published Online (First Look) 24 July 2023. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-23-1051-PDN">https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-23-1051-PDN</a>. Saif, M. S., Chancia, R., Hassanzadeh, A., Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S. M., and van Aardt, J. 2023. Forecasting table beet root yield from spectral and textural features from hyperspectral UAS imagery. Remote Sensing 15:794. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15030794">https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15030794</a>. Savary, S., (coordination team: Savary, S., Andrivon, D., Esker, P. D., Frey, P., Huberli, D., Kumar, J., McDonald, B. A., McRoberts, N., Nelson, A., Pethybridge, S. J., Rossi, V., Schreinemachers, P., and Willocquet, L.) 2023. A global assessment of the state of plant health. Plant Dis. PDIS-01-23-0166-FE. Published First Look 12 May 2023. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-23-0166-FE">https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-23-0166-FE</a>. Sharma, S., Strickland, D. A., Hay, F. S., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. First report of halo blight on hop (Humulus lupulus) caused by Diaporthe humulicola in New York. Plant Dis. 107:216. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-22-0202-PDN">https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-22-0202-PDN</a> Smith Becker, J., Ruegger, P., Borneman, J., and Becker, J.O. 2023. Indigenous populations of a biological control agent in agricultural field soils predicted suppression of a plant pathogen. Phytopathology. Doi:10.1094/PHYTO-07-23-0221-R Ulbrich TC, Rivas-Ubach A, Tiemann LK, Friesen ML, Evans SE. Plant root exudates and rhizosphere bacterial communities shift with neighbor context. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 2022 Sep 1;172:108753. Wen, T., Ding, Z., Thomashow, L.S., Hale, L.E., Yang, S., Xi, P., Liu, X., Wang, H., Shen, Q., and Yuan, J. 2023. Deciphering the mechanism of fungal pathogen-induced disease-suppressive soil. New Phytologist. 238(6):2634-2650. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18886">https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18886</a>. White III RA, Garoutte A, Mclachlan EE, Tiemann LK, Evans S, Friesen ML. Genome-Resolved Metagenomics of Nitrogen Transformations in the Switchgrass Rhizosphere Microbiome on Marginal Lands. Agronomy. 2023 May 3;13(5):1294. Yin, C., Hagerty, C., and Paulitz, T.C. 2022. Synthetic microbial consortia derived from rhizosphere soil protect wheat against a soilborne fungal pathogen. Frontiers in Microbiology. 13. Article 908981. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.908981">https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.908981</a>. Yin, C., Schlatter, D.C., Hagerty, C., Hulbert, S.H., Paulitz, T.C. 2023. Disease induced assemblage of the rhizosphere fungal community in successive plantings of wheat. Phytobiomes Journal. 7 (1):100-112. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PBIOMES-12-22-0101-R">https://doi.org/10.1094/PBIOMES-12-22-0101-R</a>. Book Chapters Meeting presentations, abstracts and proceedings Adams, A. K, Brandon D Kristy, Myranda S Gorman, Alhagie K Cham, Bode A Olukolu (2022). OmeSeq-qRRS/Qmatey-A platform for broad-spectrum, quantitative, and strain-level metagenomic profiling. Microbiome, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Barnes, E. M., Yin, C., Schlatter, D., Hao, P., Willmore, C., Paulitz, T., and Tringe, S. G. 2023 The Root Microbiome of Camelina in the Dryland Wheat Production Areas of Eastern Washington. Poster presented at Annual Meeting of American Society of Microbiology, Houston, TX, June 15-19, 2023. Becker, S.J., J. Borneman, P. Ruegger, and J.O. Becker 2022. Predicting specific cyst nematode suppression in California sugar beet soils. Journal of Nematology 54: no. 1, pp. 12. Branch, E. A., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Microbial communities associated with table beets from different field sites and production practices in New York State. Plant Health 2023, Denver, Colorado, 12-16 August 2023 (Poster Presentation).  Delgado, H., Camille Wendlandt, Maren L Friesen, Stephanie Porter.  Loci associated with differential success in nodulating contrasting host species in naturally co-evolving legume and rhizobium populations. American Phytopathology Society Meeting Aug 2023 Eaker, A. , Richard Allen White III, Maren L Friesen. Mutalism maintenance: comparative genomics of coexisting clovers. American Phytopathology Society Meeting Aug 2023 Echeverria, D., Skillman, V., Rivedal, H.M., Temple, T., and Frost, K. 2023. Identifying biotic characteristics of soils that suppress powdery scab of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).  American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting, August 13 – 16, Denver, CO. Echeverria, D., Skillman, V., Rivedal, H.M., Temple, T., and Frost, K. 2023. Identifying biotic characteristics of soils that suppress powdery scab of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Phytopathology xx(Suppl. yy):SX.YY Friesen, M. Can we replace synthetic nitrogen with microbes? WA SoilCon Feb 2023 Frost, K., Charlton, B., and Sathuvalli, V. Struggles with Ss and powdery scab suppression. WERA089: Potato virus and virus-like disease management working group and potato tuber necrotic virus SCRI research meeting, March 16-17, 2023, Denver, CO. Frost, K., Klasek, S., Crants, J., Rosen, C. and Kinkel, L. 2023. Relationships between soil health, soil microbiomes, and potato yield. Annual Meeting of the Potato Association of America, July 23-27, Charlottetown, PEI, CA. Frost, K., Klasek, S., Crants, J., Rosen, C. and Kinkel, L. 2023. Relationships between soil health, soil microbiomes, and potato yield. Annual Meeting of the Potato Association of America, July 23-27, Charlottetown, PEI, CA. Landry, D., Alison Adams, Virginia Sykes, Tara Rickman, Heather Kelly, and Bode A. Olukolu (2022) Evaluation of Fusarium Ear Rot Resistance and Impact on Yield in non-GMO and Bt-Maize Hybrids. The Tennessee Agricultural Production Association (TAPA), Gatlinburg, TN. Loria, K., Brockmueller, B., Darby, H., Diggins, K., Everest, E., Gomez, M., Krezinski, I., Mallory, E., Molloy, T., Moore, V., Murphy, S., Pelzer, C., Pethybridge, S. J., Ryan, M., Sharifi, A., Smith, D., and Youngerman, E. 2023. Expanding productivity and resilience of organic dry bean systems in the Northeast and upper Midwest. Bean Improvement Cooperative Conference, Greenville, SC. (Poster Presentation). 6-8 November 2023. Luong, K. P., McFeaters, T. S., Pethybridge, S. J., and Esker, P. D. 2023. Associations of microclimates, soil, and histories, on the population structure of diversity of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Pennsylvania and New York. Plant Health 2023, Denver, Colorado, 12-16 August 2023 (Poster Presentation). Luong, K. P., Pethybridge, S. J., and Esker, P. D. 2023. Developing a high-throughput method for screening fungicide sensitivity in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Plant Health 2023, Denver, Colorado, 12-16 August 2023 (Poster Presentation). Moore, A., Sathuvalli, V., Frost, K., Yilma, S., Aguilar, M., and Charlton, B. 2023. Powdery scab of potato: expanding genomic resources for the pathogen and host. American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting, August 13 – 16, Denver, CO. Moore, A., Sathuvalli, V., Frost, K., Yilma, S., Aguilar, M., and Charlton, B. 2023. Powdery scab of potato: expanding genomic resources for the pathogen and host. Phytopathology xx(Suppl. yy):SX.YY Odoi M, Onufrak A, Boggess S, Pantalone V, Olukolu B, Trigiano R, Hadziabdic D (2023) Compendium of plant-associated microbes on endangered whorled sunflower. American Phytopathological Society Conference, Denver, CO (August 2023). Odoi ME, Onufrak A, Boggess SL, Pantalone V, Olukolu B, Hadziabdic D, Trigiano RN. (2022) Characterizing endophytic leaf fungal composition of whorled sunflower. Phytopathology. 112(11):178 Parks, J, Maren L Friesen. The role of microorganisms in nutrient provisioning in Peaola. WSU Plant Sciences Retreat. March 2023. Pullman, WA Parks, J.  Maren L Friesen.  Microbial underpinnings of pea-canola intercropping success. MPS Seminar. Oct 2023. Pullman, WA Paulitz, T. C. 2023. The Soil Microbiome & Soil Health. A 1.5-hour hands-on lab to growers at the Wheat Academy, Dec. 2023 Peng, H., Barnes, E. M., Yin, C., Schlatter, D., Willmore, C., Paulitz, T., Tringe, S. G., and Lu, C. 2023. The Root Microbiome of Camelina in the Dryland Wheat Production Areas of Eastern Washington. poster at the Department of Energy Biological Systems Science Division Meeting, Bethesda, MD, April 17-18, 2023. Pethybridge, S. J., and Hay, F. S. 2023. Fight the blight: Stemphylium leaf blight, an emerging threat to United States onion production. National Allium Research Conference, San Antonio, TX. Pethybridge, S. J., and Ryan, M. R. 2023. Breaking down the barriers to organic no-till soybean and dry bean production through improved white mold management. USDA NIFA Organic Programs Project Directors Meeting (Poster and Oral Presentation). Pp. 73-75. Petipas, R.H., E.A. McNeil, J.F. Tabima, M.L. Friesen, and C.J. Jack. Prairie soil promotes wheat growth but are the effects caused by soil microbes? American Society of Naturalists Meeting, Virtual Asilomar, Asilomar, CA. January 2023 Pineros-Guerrero, N., Hay, F. S., Heck, D. W., Klein, A., Hoepting, C. A., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Determining the contribution of onion transplants to the population genetics of Stemphylium vesicarium in New York, USA using microsatellite markers. Proc. International Congress of Plant Pathology, Lyon, France. 20-25 August 2023. Ryan, M. R., Allen, J., Brockmueller, B., Loria, K., McFadden, E., Menalled, U. D., Pelzer, C. J., Pethybridge, S. J., Rowland, A., Sharifi, A., Silva, E. M., Wayman, S., and Youngerman, E. 2023. Taking out tillage with cover crops. Proc. Northeast Cover Crops Council Annual Meeting, Portland, Maine, 16 February 2023 (Poster Presentation). Saif, M. S., Chancia, R. A., Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S. P., Hassanzadeh, A., and van Aardt, J. 2023. Predicting table beet yield with hyperspectral UAS imagery. STRATUS Conference, Rochester, NY, 22-24 May 2023. Saif, M. S., Chancia, R., Sharma, P., Murphy, S. P., Pethybridge, S. J., and van Aardt, J. 2023. Detection of Cercospora leaf spot disease in table beets from UAS multispectral imagery. Proc. International Congress of Plant Pathology, Lyon, France, 20-25 August 2023. Sauceda Padron, A. Y., Sharma, P., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Determining the mating types in Cercospora beticola populations from a table beet field. Proc. 2023 Cornell AgriTech Summer Scholars Program, Cornell University, Geneva, New York, Abstract. Sharma, P., Murphy, S., Kikkert. J. R., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Effect of residue management on Cercospora leaf spot of table beet and microbiome. Proc. International Congress of Plant Pathology, Lyon, France. 20-25 August 2023. Thornton, M., Olsen, N., Miller, J., Frost, K., Goyer, A., and Qin, R. 2023. Is plant maturity a reliable indicator of bruise susceptibility? Annual Meeting of the Potato Association of America, July 23-27, Charlottetown, PEI, CA. Webster, C., Anita Paneru, Won-Jun Kim, Abdelrhman Mohamed, Ibrahim Bozyel, Eduardo Sanchez, Natalie Sanchez, Maren L. Friesen, and Haluk Beyenal. Electrochemically active biofilm in soil. EMSL User Meeting: Visualizing Chemical Processes Across the Environment, October 3–5, 2023 Yin, C., Larson, M., Lahr, N., and Paulitz, T. 2023. Wheat Rhizosphere-Derived Bacteria Protect Soybean Roots from Fusarium graminearum Infection. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society, Denver, CO, Aug. 13-16, 2023. Technical Bulletins and Extension Publications Aegerter, B.J., Becker, J.O., Davis, R.M., Goodell, P.B., Henderson, D.W., Lanini, W.T., Natwick, E.T., Stapleton, J.J., Stoddard, C.S., Turini, T.A., Westerdahl, B.B. 2022. Becker, J. O. Agriculture: Pest Management Guidelines Cucurbits. UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Cucurbits. UC ANR Publication 3445. Davis, CA. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/cucurbits/ Becker, J.O. and Smith Becker, J. 2022. 35th Anniversary of the Nematode Quarantine Facility at the University of California Riverside. Topics in Subtropics 22, 7-8. Becker, J.O. and Westerdahl, B. 2023. Citrus: Nematodes. Pp. 183-185. (revision), UC IPM Pest Management Guideline: Citrus, UC ANR Publication 3441, Publication URL: Branch, E. B., Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S. M., and Kikkert. J. R. 2023. Efficacy of fungicides for control of Rhizoctonia damping-off and root rot in table beet, 2022. Plant Dis. Manage. Rep. 17:V026. Damann, K., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Hoop pending for covered agriculture. YouTube Video. 20 January 2023. The Current Cucurbit Website. Damann, K., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. On-farm trials: three years of grower’s feedback.  pending for covered agriculture. YouTube Video. 20 January 2023. The Current Cucurbit Website. 20 January 2023. The Current Cucurbit Website. Gonzalez, J., Gleason, M. R., Gonthier, D., Pethybridge, S. J., Nair, A. J., Bessin, A., Williams, M., Zhang, W., Dantzker, H., Fiske, A., Diggins, K., Mphande, K., Badilla, S., and Damann, K. 2023. Mesotunnels for improved management of cucurbit pests and diseases: Tips for growers. Gonzalez, J., Gonthier, D., Pethybridge, S. J., Bessin, R., Nair, A., Zhang, W., Cheng, N., Fiske, K., Gauger, A., Damann, K., Murphy, S., Badilla, S., Mphande, K., and Gleason, M. 2023. Mesotunnels for organic management of cucurbit pests and diseases: Tips for growers. NCPA 038. North Central IPM Center. Pp. 8. Govinda, S., Ocamb, C.M., Rivedal, H., KC, A., Dung, J., Frost, K., Wysocki, D., Reitz, S., and Steiner, J. 2022. State-wide needs assessment for the hemp industry in Oregon. Oregon State University Extension and Experiment Station Communications Publication EM9417. <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fextension.oregonstate.edu%2Fcatalog%2Fpub%2Fem-9417-statewide-needs-assessment-hemp-industry-oregon&data=05%7C02%7CKenneth.Frost%40oregonstate.edu%7C1f002093ee3a4c356a7508dc0003e4a6%7Cce6d05e13c5e4d6287a84c4a2713c113%7C0%7C0%7C638385263942090203%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cH%2F1w3LHLnqFjO9XZ%2FlvW1RhQHPSXg%2B5RSLiNnYRizE%3D&reserved=0">https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9417-statewide-needs-assessment-hemp-industry-oregon</a>. Role: Participated in the needs assessment activities, wrote and edited content.https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/citrus/nematodes/ Kikkert. J. R., Lund, M., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. What to do after a bad Sclerotinia white mold season. Cornell VegEdge 19(21):9.<a href="https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/pdf/veg_edge/pdf277_pdf.pdf">VegEdge newsletter – Vol. 19, Iss. 21, 8/30/2023 (cornell.edu)</a> Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Crop insights – beets. Cornell VegEdge 19(15):5.<a href="https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/pdf/veg_edge/pdf271_pdf.pdf">VegEdge newsletter – Vol. 19, Iss. 15, 7/19/2023 (cornell.edu)</a> Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. White mold in tomato. Long Island Fruit and Vegetable Update 13 (29 June 2023). Cornell Cooperative Extension, Suffolk County. Pp. 2. Pethybridge, S. J., and Damann, K. 2023. Feasibility of mesotunnels for muskmelon production. Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Growers Convention, Hershey, Pennsylvania. 31 January 2022. Pp. xxx. Pethybridge, S. J., and Murphy, S. 2023. Efficacy of fungicides for white mold control in snap bean, 2022. Plant Dis. Manage. Rep. 17:V013. Pethybridge, S. J., and Murphy, S. M. 2023. Efficacy of fungicides for white mold control in snap bean. Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Growers Convention, Hershey, Pennsylvania. 31 January 2022. Pp. xxx. Pethybridge, S. J., and Murphy, S. M. 2023. Efficacy of fungicides for white mold control in snap bean. Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Growers Convention, Hershey, Pennsylvania. 31 January 2022. Pp. xxx. Pethybridge, S. J., Kikkert, J. R., and Telenko, D. 2023. Keep watch for tar spot in sweet corn. Cornell VegEdge 19(18):1-3.<a href="https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/pdf/veg_edge/pdf274_pdf.pdf">VegEdge newsletter – Vol. 19, Iss. 18, 8/9/2023 (cornell.edu)</a> Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S. M., and Damann, K. 2023. Feasibility of Mesotunnels for muskmelon production. Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Growers Convention, Hershey, Pennsylvania. 31 January 2022. Pp. 38-40. <a href="http://www.pvga.org/23-proceedings/">http://www.pvga.org/23-proceedings/</a>. Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S. M., and Kikkert, J. R. 2023. Manipulating table beet and carrot production with plant growth regulators. Cornell VegEdge 19(1):6-<a href="https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/pdf/veg_edge/pdf257_pdf.pdf">VegEdge newsletter – Vol. 19, Iss. 1, 1/4/2023 (cornell.edu)</a>. Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S. P., and Kikkert. J. R. 2023. Efficacy of conventional and OMRI-listed fungicides for Cercospora leaf spot control in table beet (2023 results). Cornell VegEdge 19(24):4-5.<a href="https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/pdf/veg_edge/pdf280_pdf.pdf">VegEdge newsletter – Vol. 19, Iss. 24, 11/1/2023 (cornell.edu)</a> Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S. P., and Kikkert. J. R. 2023. Efficacy of conventional and OMRI-listed fungicides for Cercospora leaf spot control in table beet. UMass Extension Vegetable Notes (November 9, 2023). VegNotes 35(24):4-6.<a href="https://ag.umass.edu/sites/ag.umass.edu/files/newsletters/november_9_2023_vegetable_notes.pdf">november_9_2023_vegetable_notes.pdf (umass.edu)</a> Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S. P., Lund, M., and Kikkert, J. R. 2023. How long do sclerotia that cause white mold survive in central New York? Cornell VegEdge 19(25):4-5.<a href="https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/pdf/veg_edge/pdf281_pdf.pdf">VegEdge newsletter – Vol. 19, Iss. 25, 12/6/2023 (cornell.edu)</a> Rodriguez-Herrera, K. D., Ma, X., Swingle, B., Pethybridge, S. J., Reiners, S., Nault, B., Day, C. T. C., DuBeer, C., Herrmann, T. Q., and Smart, C. D. 2023. A new bacterial disease of cucurbits in NY: Cucurbit yellow vine disease caused by Serratia marcescens. Cornell AgriTech Factsheet. Extension Talks/Field Days/Workshops/Consultations Becker, J. S. P. Ruegger, J. Borneman, and J.O. Becker, Forecasting Sugar Beet Cyst Nematode Suppression in Imperial Valley Soils. University of California, Agricultural and Natural Resources Division, Statewide Conference, Fresno, CA, April 24-27, 2023. Becker, J.O. and A. Ploeg. Non-fumigant nematicides efficacy improved against RKN by soil wetting agent. California Fresh Market Carrot Research Symposium; by Zoom, February 14, 2023. Becker, J.O.. Avicta seed treatment: two with one blow. The 68th Annual Conference on Soilborne Plant Pathogens and the 53rd California Nematology Workshop 2023, Salinas, CA. March 28-30. Borneman, J. and J.O. Becker Predicting Nematode Suppression in the Imperial Valley. Sugarbeet Research Board Meeting, Holtville, CA, March 22, 2023. Echeverria, D., and Frost, K.E. Identifying soils and soil properties suppressive to powdery scab. OSU-HAREC Potato Field Day, Hermiston, OR, June 21, 2023 (~100) Frost, K. E. Hermiston Farm Fair, General Session (AD). Twelve invited speakers. (~80 attendees) Frost, K.E. Above ground problems with potato plants in the seed lots. First rating of the Washington State potato seed lot trial, Othello, WA, June 6, 2023 (~50) Frost, K.E. Enhancing potato productivity through management practices that support soil health. 2023 Southern Rocky Mountain Ag Conference, Monta Vista, CO, February 8, 2023 (~115). Frost, K.E. Managing soil health in potatoes: opportunities and challenges. Washington State Potato Commission: Potato Summit. Spokane, WA, December 12, 2023. (~35). Frost, K.E. Plant disease identification, diagnosis, and management. Hermiston Ag and City Expo, Hermiston, OR, February 24, 2023. (~25). Frost, K.E. Plant pathology program updates 2023. OSU-HAREC Potato Field Day, Hermiston, OR, June 21, 2023 (~100) Frost, K.E. Potato soil health and soilborne disease management. Hermiston Farm Fair, Hermiston, OR, November 29, 2023 (~75). Frost, K.E. Potato soil health: where have we been and where are we going? Washington-Oregon Potato Conference, Kennewick, WA, January 26, 2023 (~200). Frost, K.E. Powdery scab, the environment, and implications for disease management. Hermiston Farm Fair, Hermiston, OR, November 29, 2023 (~90). Frost, K.E. The soil environment and its effect on powdery scab of potato. 2023 Southern Rocky Mountain Ag Conference, Monta Vista, CO, February 7, 2023 (~75). Frost, K.E., Harris, M., Mesko, J., Pavelski, R., Phillips, M., and Pink, M. Round table discussion with the Spudman Dream Team about production challenges today, how they are handled and what the future of the potato industry looks like. Panel discussion hosted by Spudman Magazine (Zoom), February 16, 2023 (~30). Moore, A., Sathuvalli, V., and Frost, K.E. Mapping powdery scab resistance in potato. OSU-HAREC Potato Field Day, Hermiston, OR, June 21, 2023 (~100) Parks, J, Maren L Friesen. Testing microbial mechanisms of nitrogen provisioning to canola. WA Oilseed Commission Annual Meeting. Feb 2023 Pullman, WA Paulitz, T. C. and Garland-Campbell, K. 2023. Fusarium Crown Rot of Wheat- It’s Everywhere and Persistent. Wheat Life, Dec. 2023. Paulitz, T. C. Fusarium Crown Rot, WSU Wheat Beat Podcast, recorded Dec. 2023. Paulitz, T. C. Presented talk on new research at the AgExpo Farm Forum, Spokane, WA, Feb. 7, 2023. Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. ECOBean – Industry Advisory Panel (by zoom). Attendees = 20. Duration = 2 hours. Total contact = 40 hours. 24 March 2023. Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Efficacy of products for white mold control in dry bean in New York. NYS Dry Bean Council Twilight Meeting, Geneva, New York. Attendees = 25. Duration = 2 h. Total contact = 50 hours. 26 September 2023. Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Objective 2 CC_SCRI Meeting. Activities in New York. CC_SCRI Project Advisory Panel (by zoom). Attendees = 20. Duration = 60 min. Total contact = 20 hours. 20 September 2023. Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Optimizing control of Cercospora leaf spot with improved scouting and disease forecasting. New York Processing Vegetable Industry Roundtable Meeting, Batavia, New York. Attendees = 60. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 30 hours. 15 March 2023. Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Potential for gibberellic acid 3 to manipulate table beet and carrot growth and yield. New York Processing Vegetable Industry Roundtable Meeting, Batavia, New York. Attendees = 60. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 30 hours. 15 March 2023. Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Soilborne diseases of vegetables in New York. W5147 Multistate Project (by zoom). Attendees = 30. Duration = 60 min. Total contact = 30 h. 5 December 2023. Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Towards a durable management strategy for white mold in dry beans in New York. NYS Dry Bean Council, Geneva, New York. Attendees = 50. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 25 hours. 22 March 2023. Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. When push comes to shove…what really works for organic disease management (Invited Presentation). Sugarloaf Mountain, Maine. Attendees = 50. Duration = 3 hours. Total contact = 150 hours. 5 November 2023. Pethybridge, S. J., and Murphy, S. M. 2023. Efficacy of fungicides for white mold control in snap bean. Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Growers Convention, Hershey, Pennsylvania. Attendees = 70. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 35 hours. 31 January 2023. Pethybridge, S. J., and Murphy, S. M. 2023. Feasibility of Mesotunnels for muskmelon production. Empire Expo, Syracuse, NY. Attendees = 100. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 50 hours. 6 February 2023. Pethybridge, S. J., and Ryan, M. R. 2023. Breaking down the barriers to organic no-till soybean and dry bean production through improved white mold management. USDA NIFA Project Directors Meeting. Attendees = 120. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 60 hours. 18 April 2023. Pethybridge, S. J., Hay, F. S., and Heck, D. W. 2023. Stemphylium leaf blight of onions in New York. Wisconsin Muck Growers Conference (by zoom). Attendees = 100. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 50 hours. 8 February 2023. Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S. M., and Damann, K. 2023. Feasibility of Mesotunnels for muskmelon production. Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Growers Convention, Hershey, Pennsylvania. Attendees = 100. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 50 hours. 31 January 2023. Ploeg, A.  and J.O. Becker. An unusual root-knot nematode on an unusual plant. The 68th Annual Conference on Soilborne Plant Pathogens and the 53rd California Nematology Workshop 2023, Salinas, CA, March 28-30. Ploeg, A.  and J.O. Becker. Nematode problems in carrots and planned trials. Carrot industry research priorities meeting; by Zoom, January 24, 2023. Rosen, C., Frost, K.E., and McIntosh, C. Recent developments in improving soil health for potato production. Potato Expo 2023, Aurora, CO, January 5, 2023 (~100). Smith Becker, J. J. Borneman, and J.O. Becker, Cyst nematode suppression prediction. California Nematology Workgroup Meeting, Salinas, CA, March 28, 2023. Upadhaya, S., Mayad, E.H., Potter, T., Gleason, C., Griffin LaHue, D., Frost, K., Wheeler, D., and Paulitz, T. Comparative analysis of soil health status in agricultural and native soils in PNW region. WSU Potato Field Day, Othello, WA, June 22, 2023 (~50) Westphal, A., Z.T.Z. Maung, and J.O. Becker, Host response to Meloidogyne floridensis of selected California perennial crops. California Nematology Workgroup Meeting, Salinas, CA, March 28, 2023.

Impact Statements

Methyl bromide, a fumigant used to control soilborne diseases, was withdrawn from agricultural soil fumigation in 2015 and this has rendered several cropping systems unstable because of the emergence of several major diseases on crops that relied on fumigation. The alternate fumigants being used are less effective and are major contributors to volatile organic compounds affecting air quality. This project has identified microbial communities within the production systems that reduce or eliminate soilborne pathogens obviating the need for chemical inputs.
Temporal changes in Cercospora beticola populations.
Improved knowledge on the management of Cercospora leaf spot and Rhizoctonia root rot of table beet.
Characterization of the microbiome associated with table beet and impact of in-furrow azoxystrobin and organic practices on the microbiome.
Efficacy of selected biopesticides for white mold control in dry bean.
Impact of residue treatments on the microbiome of table beet and Cercospora leaf spot disease incidence and severity.
OR- we characterized the microbiome in soils associated with potato cropping systems and found that bacterial and fungal communities vary primarily as a function of geographic location. However, soils properties also varied greatly by location and were able explain most, but not all, of the observed variation in soil microbiomes.
OR- In 2023, we detected potato bacterial soft rot species D. dianthicola in Oregon. Based on genome sequencing, the isolate of the bacterium appears to be from a different introduction event than the 2014 introduction of D. dianthicola that occurred in the eastern U.S.
An MSU Cropland Weed Extension video and eOrganic webinar which provided training and information regarding the fungal pathogen Puccinia punctiformis as a biocontrol agent for Canada thistle have reached over 800 listeners.
Significant improvement in genomic prediction accuracy observed for some diseases by accounting for microbes that modulate pathogenicity. In the long-term, crops can be bred to be more efficient at recruiting beneficial/disease-suppressing microbes and prevent recruitment of microbes that interact synergistically with pathogens.
Wholistic approach for identifying biocontrols present in microbiome by deploying inexpensive metagenome sequencing (OmeSeq-qRRS: $15 per sample). Current studies identified known and potential biocontrols, the strength of their interactions with pathogens are estimated within the context of multipartite interactions that modulate efficacy of each biocontrol.
Evaluating the impact of the metagenome on general crop performance. For some agronomic traits, accounting for the host-associated metagenome significantly increased predictions accuracy.
Although a longer-term goal, the research aims to assist in developing biological resources and strategies to sustainably maintain and ideally enhance soybean yields, a crop of immense domestic and global importance for both human and animal nutrition and other uses such as biofuels.
VA- We reached 24,604 stakeholders including growers, retailers, landscapers, public garden managers, arborists, and other professional service providers, as well as extension and research communities via Google listservs.
VA- Our research and educational programs enabled the horticulture industry to produce healthier crops and empowered landscapers, ground maintenance personnel and the public to better protect boxwood plantings.
Increased awareness among cole crop growers and PCAs for monitoring the cyst nematode population in fields.
Predicting the development of disease suppressiveness is a key to implementing conservation biocontrol.

Date of Annual Report: 02/18/2025

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 12/06/2024 - 12/06/2024
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2023 - 09/30/2024

Participants

Friday Dec. 6, 2024
https://wsu.zoom.us/j/91872902187

Amer Fayad, NIFA
Scot Hulbert, WSU
Jay Hao- ME
Sarah Pethybridge- NY
James White- NJ
Gretchen Sassenrath- KS
Harsh Bais-DE
Tessie Wilkerson-MS
Ernie Osborne- KY
Mike Kolomiets- TX
Amita Kaundal- UT
James Borneman- CA
Ole Becker/Antoon Ploug- CA
Emma Gachomo- CA
Bode Olukolu- TN
Jiue-in Yang- CA
Jenifer McBeath- AK
Maren Friesen- WA

Brief Summary of Minutes

Scot Hulbert, W5147 Administrator, Washington State University (WA). Introduced himself and welcomed the group. Jim Farrar (Director of University of California Integrated Pest Management, UC-IPM) told the group that we should use our Impact Statements to show congress and other supporters that our work is having a real impact on agriculture, and don't just focus on listing presentations and publications. He also stated that this can include activities that we have done anytime during our careers, not just recently.

Meeting Participant Introductions. Participants gave brief summaries of where they are located and the type of research and extension activities they perform.

Amer Fayad, NIFA Administrator. Told the group that USDA officials look at our progress reports for success stories, which they then put in newsletters and also share with congress. He briefly described AFRI's 3 major programs: Foundational Program, Education and Workforce Program, and Sustainable Agricultural Systems Program. He also described a new funding program: Rapid Response to Extreme Weather (A1712).

STATE REPORTS

Jay Hao, University of Maine (ME). Jay discussed a long-term study examining different cropping rotations for potato production. Potato yields varied by crop rotation. Best treatment for potato yields included compost. Best treatment for controlling Verticillium included compost. Jay told the group that continuous fumigation produces inconsistent results in Maine. The frequent fumigation treatment had increased levels of microbes that can degrade fumigants, possibly explaining the inconsistent results growers obtain when they use fumigants.

Sarah Pethybridge, Cornell AgriTech (NY). Sarah described studies examining the use of rolled crimped cereal rye mulch in the management of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (white mold) in organic bean production. The goal of this work is to reduce the reproduction of white mold in the top layer of soil, because this is the main source of the fungus in the disease. The mulch treatment increased yields of black beans and soybeans. A reduction of white mold was shown with the mulch treatment. Reductions of functional apothecia with the mulch treatment were also shown.

James White, Rutgers University (NJ). Jim described a hypothesis where endophytes stimulate genetic variation. In corn, microbes lead to more mutations. Xanthobacter autotrophicus was tracked in plants, which showed the bacterium moving in and out of root hairs, and into root and shoot meristem tissues. Jim also described the phenomenon of endoreduplication, which is where ethylene, nitrogen, and hormones cause plant nuclei to become polyploid. The mechanism by which endophytes could be causing genetic variation in plants is thought to involve transposons.

Gretchen Sassenrath, Kansas State University (KS). Gretchen described studies examining the effect of rotation on crop yields, pathogen densities, and soil health in soybean production. Since diseases are a major factor that reduce soybean yields, this group is examining a variety of soil and crop parameters. The goal of this work is to find variables that correlate with less disease, which is information that could be used to predict and/or control disease.

Harsh Bais, University of Delaware (DE). Harsh described studies examining the role of the root microbiome in plant health. This group is determining whether adding wild ancient microbiomes will improve plant growth and nutrient management. They also showed Bacillus subtilis UD1022 causes stomatal closure in Arabidopsis thaliana, which then inhibited invasion of a plant pathogen. This could therefore be a mechanism of disease control associated with the use of this bacterium.

Tessie Wilkerson, Mississippi State University (MI). Tessie described studies examining reniform nematodes in cotton production. Yield losses due to these nematodes can be 10 to 80% but on average are 15 to 30%. This group performed field studies to determine whether cotton breeding lines with resistance to reniform nematodes affects cotton yields, root health, and the number of nematodes.

MORNING BREAK

Ernie Osborne, University of Kentucky (KY). Ernie is a new Assistant Professor who has a microbial ecology background. He started working on a long-term tillage and fertilization study site that is examining cover crops, different levels of nitrogen inputs, and tillage in corn production. This study has been running since 1970. Soils that have not been tilled for 54 years had greater numbers of bacterial rRNA genes. The treatments examined in this long-term site were shown to affect the types of bacteria and fungi. Relative abundance of fungal pathogens were almost doubled in no till vs. conventional, but most of these pathogens targeted weeds, so they are likely not affecting corn yields. The abundance of viruses in the rhizosphere was shown to be associated with higher soil respiration.

Mike Kolomiets, Texas A&M University (TX). Mike described studies examining the mechanisms of Trichoderma virens and Pseudomonas chlororaphis in the regulation of maize resistance to anthracnose leaf blight disease and western corn rootworm. These microbes improved resistance to Colletotrichum graminicola and they reduced plant damage caused by the western corn rootworm. These microbes also inhibited the suppression of armyworms via JA accumulation.

Amita Kaundal, Utah State University (UT). Amita described studies examining native plant microbiomes. The goal of this work included finding microbes that increase plant growth as well as control pathogen populations. This group showed that native microbes improved the growth of snowbrush and they induced nodulation by Frankia. Similar studies were also performed on Buffaloberry.

James Borneman, University of California Riverside (CA). James described potential problems associated with the use of fungal Illumina amplicon sequencing, which this group is using to identify fungi that parasitize cyst nematodes. The two problems were assigning taxonomy to ASVs/OTUs and binning sequences into ASVs/OTUs. Solutions to these problems were discussed.

Ole Becker/Antoon Ploeg, University of California Riverside (CA). Ole described some of the history of cole crop production along California's Central Coast. This involved controlling cyst nematodes with 1,3-D, which were banned for 6 years in the 1990s due to its presence in a public school. While predictions of large crop losses due to the ban of this chemical were made, this did not happen, because there were no increases in cyst nematode populations. Ole described a hypothesis that might explain this phenomenon, which is that microbes, primarily Hyalorbilia spp., parasitize cyst nematodes, thereby keeping their populations at low levels.

Antoon Ploeg, University of California Riverside (CA). Antoon described a study examining damage to bentgrass on golf course greens. Roots showed galling, which is characteristic of root-knot nematode infestations. The question then became were root-knot nematodes causing this disease, and if yes, which species was responsible. Meloidogyne marylandi was determined to be the main species associated with this disease. However, even at high levels of nematodes, these nematodes did not cause damage to bentgrass when Koch's postulates experiments were performed. The current hypothesis is that the plant damage is caused by these nematodes but only in combination with higher ambient temperatures.

Emma Gachomo, University of California Riverside (CA). Emma described the ability of Bradyrhizobium japonicum to increase plant growth, which was associated with auxin levels. This same bacterium increased plant biomass and siliques in Arabidopsis, and this also occurred under drought stress. The flavonoid pathway was shown to be turned on in drought stress. Different Arabidopsis mutants in the flavonoid pathway were used to confirm that this pathway was involved in drought tolerance in the presence of B. japonicum. This bacterium was also shown to close stomata, a known mechanism of drought tolerance. A study on biofungicides was also described.

LUNCH BREAK

Bode Olukolu, University of Tennessee (TN). Bode described ways to leverage microbiomes for improving crop yields. Bode also stated that SynComs produce inconsistent results because of variation in specific microbe-microbe interactions and specific microbe-plant interactions. Metagenomic data was analyzed with plant genome data using quantitative Reduced Representation Sequences (qRRS). This approach identified associations among microbes, plant genomic features, plant health, and plant disease.

Jiue-in Yang, University of California Riverside (CA). Jiue-in described the isolation and evaluation of 14 new Hyalorbilia oviparasitica strains. She also described an isolation method that was based on a method originally developed by Jennifer Smith Becker. These strains were shown to parasitized eggs from different types of nematodes and that they also suppressed Heterodera schachtii densities by different amounts. A nematode identification method using deep learning (artificial intelligence) was also described. Different models and sub-models were tested to find the one that most accurately identified different types of nematodes. A web-based interface enabling users to identify nematodes was also described.

Jenifer McBeath, University of Alaska (AK). Jennifer described projects examining leaf spot disease on rhodiola and the growth promoting effect of Trichoderma atroviride on peonies, as well as the seasonal dynamics of microbial communities in Alaskan agriculture. She also described the diseases and pathogens of rhodiola and peonies in Alaska. She also showed T. atroviride increased the growth of rhodiola. A collaboration with Bode Olukolu examined metagenomic data to identify associations among microbes, plant genomic features, plant health, and plant disease.

Maren Friesen, Washington State University (WA). Maren described the benefits of increasing nitrogen in agriculture as well as some of the problems associated with increasing nitrogen via nitrogen fertilizer amendments. The primary question examined in the Friesen lab is, can nitrogen fertilization be replaced by biological nitrogen fixation. Several strategies were described. Crop rotations that use legumes is one strategy to increase nitrogen in soil using a biological approach. Long-term studies sites were examined in some of the studies. Associations of microbes involved in many of these processes were identified and described.

Timothy Paulitz, Washington State University (WA). Tim described research examining the microbes associated with potato production in soils that had not been cropped to potatoes in the last twenty years compared to soils that were frequently cropped to potatoes. Higher alpha diversity was detected in bulk soil compared to rhizosphere. Beta diversity was mostly influenced by location and not soil treatment (no previous recent potato production vs. frequently potato production). Drivers of beta diversity were identified and they included the amount of nitrogen. There was higher pathogen levels in soils previously cropped to potatoes compared to soils without recent potato production. A different project that created an AI-based method to identify different types of nematodes in potato production was also described.

BUSINESS DISCUSSIONS

The group discussed whether the next group meeting should be held in person or via Zoom. While several people indicated a preference for in-person meetings, the group thinks it is important to include members that are unable to travel to the annual meeting by holding hybrid meetings. The group thinks it is especially important to hold an in-person meeting when it is time to write the proposal for the project renewal. Members were asked to contact Tim Paulitz if they are interested in hosting a hybrid meeting next year and if they are interested in being the secretary for the next meeting.

Accomplishments

Objective 1: To identify and characterize new biological agents, microbial community structure and function, naturally suppressive soils, cultural practices, and organic amendments that provide management of diseases caused by soilborne plant pathogens. AK. Understanding beneficial Bacillus under Alaska cold environment. More than 53 Bacillus isolates which were adapted to cold temperature (can grow at 7 ᵒC) were isolated. Among them, 18 isolates demonstrate different degrees of antagonism against economically important pathogens. Efficacious isolates were identified as Bacillus subtilis, and B. amyloliquefaciens and they are compatible with the beneficial cold adapted Trichoderm atroviride (>4 ᵒC). [Plant Helper™]. Understanding Phoma leaf spot (new disease) found on rhodiola plants grown under the cool (10 ᵒC) and wet environmental conditions. on the leaves and stems of the diseased plants. Phoma isolates were found susceptible to Plant Helper™.Understanding seed decay of rhodiola resulted in the isolation of Fusarium spp. (new record) from the florets of rhodiola plants. Infested florets causes severely decline in rhodiola seed production. CA. The goal of this research is to create more effective and sustainable strategies to manage cyst nematodes. Towards this goal, we have identified a group of fungi that dramatically reduces the population densities of cyst nematodes. This group is called the Hyalorbilia oviparasitica Clade, which was formerly called Dactylella oviparasitica. In this reported period, we demonstrated that we could predict which fields would suppress cyst nematode populations by quantifying the amount of these fungi in soil before a crop was planted. We expect that this will lead to the development of new cropping decision models that will enable growers to be create and maintain soils that suppress H. schachtii, which we anticipate will lead to higher crop yields and profitability for the growers. This work was published in this reporting period. During the course of this work, we also created new ways to analyze fungal Illumina amplicon data, which improved the results of our research. We expect this will also improve the results for other researchers. CA.  New biologically derived and biological agents were evaluated for their efficacy to control root-knot nematodes (RKN; Meloidogyne spp.) on vegetable crops in greenhouse and field experiments. A research project was initiated in collaboration with Ole Becker (UC Riverside), Joji Muramoto (UC Davis),  and Erin Rosskopf (USDA, FL) to test anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) with different organic materials as a means to manage RKN in carrot in field trials. CA. In the 1970s and 1980s, sugar beet growing along the California coast was replaced by more profitable vegetable production. The remaining sugar beet cyst nematodes (Heterodera schachtii) significantly impacted Cole crops (Brassica oleracea), such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and others. Our recent survey of 88 broccoli fields detected only three fields with potentially damaging cyst nematode population levels. Repeated 3-month greenhouse experiments with 11 randomly selected broccoli field soils found 9 highly suppressive to Heterodera schachtii. We hypothesize that biological suppression was caused by various nematode-parasitic fungi, particularly Hyalorbilia spp. and Pochonia chlamydosporia. In other greenhouse trials, we tested four nematicides and two biological control agents to determine their efficacy against Meloidogyne incognita on tomato plants in three different soils. Three new nematicides reduced more than 99% of the eggs per root. A combination of Metacordyceps chlamydosporia and Pasteuria penetrans reduced the number of eggs by 69% relative to the untreated control. Overall, the tested biological control agents did not match the nematicides' early protection of tomato transplants. DE.  As part of objective 1, our work showed that using a synthetic community approach of administering single or consortium of microbes, we can enrich plants for nutrients and biological control. Using systems approach we used a single inoculum of a wild strain of Bacillus subtills strain UD1022 to control dollar spot disease in turfgrass. Experiments showed the efficacy of B. subtilis UD1022 against dollar spot pathogen (Clarireedia spp.) was dependent on surfactin and SpoA pathway. We also showed that application of UD1022 in dry and temperate soil cores increases soil water retention. In addition, the ability to increase soil water retention by UD1022 was found of be independent of surfactin and exopolysaccharide pathway. DE. Towards an understanding of the role of bacterial viruses (phages) in altering host populations in soil, we examined both virulent and temperate phages of soybean bradyrhizobia (Bradyrhizobium japonicum, B. diazoefficiens, and B. elkanii.).  The complete genomes of 13 virulent phage isolates from Delaware farms were sequenced, revealing that phage species was strongly but not entirely dictated by the host species used for isolation.  These phages represented four distinct and novel species having little similarity to previously sequenced phages.  Studies of temperate phages provided strong evidence that phages (along with resident plasmids and insertion sequences) are an important component of the bacterial host’s mobilome and play a role in the evolution (via horizontal gene transfer) and potentially the symbiotic effectiveness of the Bradyrhizobium hosts with the soybean plant.  As part of the latter research, we found that a majority (~70%) of 98 Bradyrhizobium cultures in our collection spontaneously produce abundant and diverse temperate phages in routine lab culture, again suggesting these phages influence the evolution, ecology, and symbiotic effectiveness of soybean bradyrhizobia and associated crop yields. ME. Studied effects of continuous soil fumigation on soil health, diseases, and potato yields. Studied soil microbial communities treated with biological and chemical products. Examined potato varieties and clones on the resistance to pink rot and soft rot. NY. Effects of table beet residue management on the microbiome associated with table beet. A small plot replicated trial was again conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of selected residue management strategies, including plowing, flaming, urea, and lime application, for Cercospora leaf spot control in table beet. Treatments were applied to infested residue in fall and disease intensity was evaluated throughout summer. Samples to evaluate the microbiome in the phyllosphere, rhizosphere and bulk soil were also taken from each treatment. Results from this trial are being combined across years (2023 and 2024) and data analysis is pending. NY. Effects of tillage x nitrogen interactions on organic dry bean production. This trial was initiated in 2023 (fall treatments) and this season (2024) was the first cropping season. data was collected in all trials and the effect of treatment is being analyzed. Soil and root samples were also collected. The severity of root rot was evaluated, and fungal isolations were made from all samples. DNA was extracted from the fungal isolates and multilocus sequencing was conducted for species identification. Interestingly, charcoal rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolica was present at high incidence and severity, which is a new disease report for dry beans in NY. Fusarium spp. (F. oxysporum and F. solani) were present at high frequency. The effect of treatment on fungal root rot severity and isolations is being analyzed. Bulk soil and rhizosphere samples were also used for DNA extraction for analysis of the microbiome through 16S and ITS sequencing to quantify the diversity and abundance of bacterial and fungal species, respectively. 16S sequencing has been completed, and PCR reactions for the ITS sequencing are being optimized. This trial location will be planted in spring 2025 with barley to evaluate legacy effects of the treatments. This trial will also be established for the second time at a different location state in fall 2024, with a replication of the cropping season in 2025. UT. We have isolated around 200 plant growth-promoting bacteria from the rhizosphere of native plants Cenaonthus velutinus (Snowbrush) and three species of Shepherdia (buffaloberry). We Shortlisted around 20 rhizobacteria from C. velutinus and 30 rhizobacteria from three Shepherdia sp. with plant growth-promoting activities to test on different crops, to develop as biofertilizers under different abiotic conditions, and for their biocontrol activities against various bacterial and fungal pathogens. Eight isolates were tested on Arabidopsis, wheat, tall fescue, maize, and watermelon for plant growth promotion. All isolates are being tested for biocontrol characteristics. WA. Nematode communities can be described by DNA techniques. Nematodes are the most numerous soil invertebrate and occupy all trophic levels in the food web, from fungal and bacterial feeders to herbivores to predators. At present, they can only be described by extracting live nematodes from the soil, and identified by morphological characters under the microscope, which few trained nematologists can do.  ARS scientists in Pullman and Corvallis and Washington State University scientists developed a database of 18s sequences for amplicon sequencing. This was validated with potato and wheat soils across eastern Washington and Oregon, including soils that have never been cropped. Nematodes were morphologically identified and sequenced with amplicon sequencing, with a high degree of correlation between the two methods.  This opens up the possibility of more extensive use of nematode communities as indicators for soil health, especially by those not skilled in nematology taxonomy. WA. Bacterial and fungal communities in rhizosphere of camelina are driven by soil and environmental factors Camelina, a member of the Brassicaceae family, is a potential low-input bioenergy crop that can be grown in rotation with wheat in dryland areas. Microbial communities on the roots may influence crop performance and nutrient uptake. ARS researchers at Pullman, Washington, and Washington State University and Montana State University scientists, funded by a grant from Department of Energy, described the microbiome of camelina from the roots of camelina grown in 33 different locations in eastern Washington and Montana. Bacterial communities were highly influenced by soil pH, Ca and Mg, while fungal communities were more affected by precipitation. Influences were stronger in the bulk soil but less in the rhizosphere and root, indicating that the plant selects the community from the soil. This is part of a larger project to identify key components of the camelina bacterial community that may play a role in increasing nutrient uptake, pathogen resistance and drought tolerance in this important biofuels crop WA. Potato phytobiome shows the legacy of cropping systems and soil drivers. Growers have observed yield increases when virgin land is first cropped, but then declines with continuous cropping.  Are there shifts in the soil and plant microbiome that are responsible for this observation? WSU and ARS researchers sampled potato farms in the Columbia Basin and Skagit Valley of WA, with paired samples- cropped, non-cropped and virgin soil. A common garden was established in Pullman, and the bulk soil, rhizosphere, endosphere and tubersphere fungal, bacterial, protist, and nematode communities were analyzed with amplicon sequencing. Location was the strongest driver of communities with smaller effects of cropping legacy and soil factors.  Plant compartments each harbored distinctive core microbiomes. Fungal and nematode pathogens were more abundant in the cropped soils. This research has established a better understanding of the microbial communities on potato and will also provide insights for designing hypothesis-driven research on different soil communities and their associations with soil types across various potato compartments. This can help growers to adapt and refine best practices for soil health. WA. The microbiome under intercropping. Intercropping is gaining interest as a way to increase production on the currently available landbase. Pea and canola have been found to show overyielding in the inland PNW when intercropped, but the mechanisms of this are not known. We characterized three years of peaola field trials for the plant and soil microbiomes, and found that pea and canola consistently maintained distinct microbiomes from one another, but that under intercropping there were additional bacteria present in the core microbiome that were not recruited by each crop when grown in monoculture. We also found that in one year with high intercropping replication the canola has higher tissue N when grown with pea than when grown in monoculture. These data show which bacteria each plant recruits to its rhizosphere, and could be useful in rationale design of microbiomes for biocontrol purposes. WA.  Nitrogenase diversity. We analysed one of the conserved nitrogenase subunits, nifH, for sequence diversity in soil samples at Cook Farm LTAR and found higher diversity under business as usual, which may be due to less acidic soil pH than under no-till. We collected samples from multiple prairie and neighboring agricultural fields, as well as from the WA Soil Health Initiative baseline samples and are currently sequencing these. This data will provide a survey of nitrogen-fixing bacteria present under diverse management regimes as well as across geographic variability, and can be used to determine whether there are particular diazotrophs whose populations could be enhanced in place versus taxa that are not present and could be added to an agroecosystem through inoculation. Objective 2:  To understand how microbial populations and microbial gene expression are regulated by the biological (plants and microbes) and physical environment and how they influence disease. AK. The soil microbiome studies. The metagenomes were subjected to the quantitative reduced representation sequencing (qRRS) method to understand plant pathogen-microbiome interactions in peony and in Arctic soils. Results indicated that specific microbes might function as a master-regulator of other community members in a seasonal-dependent manner in the Arctic soil metagenome. CA  Decline of bentgrass in a Southern California golf course was investigated. High populations of RKN were associated with the decline symptoms. The RKN were isolated from affected areas, cultured and identified as Meloidogyne marylandi using morphological and molecular methods. The ability of this nematode to cause symptoms and multiply on a range of grasses and vegetable crops, and the effect of soil temperature on the reproductive rate was determined. In greenhouse trials using steam-pasteurized soil, increasing population levels of this nematode did not result in a growth reduction or decline symptoms in bentgrass. DE. As part of objective 2, we used B. subtilis UD1022 in tomato rhizosphere to evaluate how an application of a synthetic inoculum modulates microbial ecology and interactions. We showed that a mutant of UD1022 deficient in ES and TasA production showed a diminished capacity to colonize tomato roots in soils with diluted microbial diversity. The analysis of bacterial β-diversity revealed significant differences in bacterial and fungal community structures following inoculation with either the wild-type or mutant B. subtilisstrains. Our study advances our understanding of the EPS and TasA genes, which are not only important for root colonization but also play a significant role in shaping rhizosphere microbiome assembly. WA.  Disease-suppressive soils have a broader role in plant defense. Disease-suppressive soils are examples of natural microbial-based defense of plant roots against soilborne pathogens. They are defined as soils in which, because of their microbial makeup and activity, a pathogen does not establish or persist, establishes but causes little or no disease, or establishes and causes disease at first but then the disease declines with successive cropping of a susceptible host even though the pathogen may still persist in the soil.  Take-all decline (TAD) is a natural suppression of take-all disease of wheat (caused by Gaeumannomyces tritici) that develops during wheat monoculture and following a severe outbreak of the disease. ARS scientists at Pullman in collaboration with colleagues at Utecht University, the Netherlands determined the ability of a TAD soil from Washington state to induce systemic resistance (ISR) in Arabidopsis thaliana against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000, causal agent of bacterial speck.  Arabidopsis seedlings grown in an autoclaved soil/sand mixture amended with 10% (wt/wt) TAD soil demonstrated strong induced resistance against Pst, but a non-suppressive soil did not induce resistance in Arabidopsis. This is the first report of induction of systemic resistance by a suppressive soil and indicates that TAD can have a broader role in foliar disease suppression, beyond the control of its target disease, take-all. WA Detection of the early effects of plant disease. Phenomics imaging technologies as applied to phytopathology allow the acquisition of high-dimensional phenotypic data on morphological and physiological changes in infected plants during disease development without destructive sampling of plant parts. Spectral analysis of plants can detect rapid and subtle changes in tissues and organs before symptoms are visible. ARS scientists at Pullman and Dutch scientists used the Helios phenomics system at The Netherlands Eco-phenotyping Centre (NEPC) to describe the early phase of infection of tomato seedlings by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000, causal agent of bacterial speck of tomato. Twenty days after planting in an autoclaved potting soil/sand mixture, tomato seedlings were inoculated by dipping the foliage into a suspension of Pst DC3000.  In less than 24 hrs. after inoculation, and prior to appearance of any symptoms of bacterial speck, Helios detected significant changes in the morphology and physiology of tomato plants including a significant decline in the density of leaves and stems, efficiency of energy harvesting, and leaf area. This research demonstrates how phenomics technologies can be used for early detection of foliar diseases in field- or greenhouse-grown crops, allowing more rapid removal of infected plants and preventing pathogen spread to healthy plants.   TX. The focus of the Kolomiets lab research in the reporting period was on gaining better understanding of the biological effects of the root-colonizing fungal endophyte, Trichoderma virens, and the bacterial endophyte, Pseudomonas chlororaphis, on maize induced resistance to fungal pathogens and below- and above ground herbivores, western corn rootworm and fall armyworm, respectively. The study resulted in one refereed publication that describe the following knowledge gained: When T. virens or P. chlororaphis was applied to maize seedlings grown in sterile soil, resistance to fall armyworm infestation was reduced due to reduced levels of wound-induced jasmonic acid biosynthesis.   This was unexpected as some literature suggested that Trichoderma species application to crops may improve resistance to leaf-chewing insects. Therefore, we tested whether such a detrimental effect would be observed in plants grown in non-sterile field soils and showed that both endophytes had no effect on resistance to fall armyworm herbivory under natural soil conditions. Unlike above-ground herbivory, colonization of roots by T. virens, resulted in strong suppression of western corn rootworm growth and development suggesting such treatment as an effective biocontrol for root-feeding pests.    Unlike resistance to herbivory, both T. virens and P. chlororaphis endophytes improved systemic resistance to anthracnose leaf blight regardless of soil condition, suggesting their strong effectiveness on improving resistance to pathogens.  Previously, T. virens was shown to secrete Sm1 and Sir1 peptides that oppositely regulate induced systemic resistance to the foliar pathogens. We generated the double mutants for the two genes and found that the disease Sir1 peptide acts as the dominant negative regulator of induced resistance against the anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola, since the double mutant triggered greater resistance.  TX. Brady Lab. For the peanut project, we have isolated and screened several hundred plant endophytes to identify select microbes that increase drought tolerance in peanut seedlings. Nineteen of the most impactful isolates are being characterized phenotypically and genetically. The 19 elite microbial isolates are at varying stages of intellectual property protection within the Texas A&M system. Initial functional characterization has begun. Some of the microbes interact with peanut plants through hormonal pathways and/or altered nutrient mineralization/uptake. The time it takes for greenhouse peanut seedlings to wilt after cessation of watering is doubled in plants containing some of these microbial inoculants. A replicated field trial for 7 of the elite microbial isolates is being conducted in 2024 and peanut harvest is underway currently. UT. For the native plant project, we have isolated several hundred plant microbial endophytes from the native grass little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and we are screening the ability of those microbes to inhibit germination of the invasive grass KR bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum var. songarica). Ten microbes have been screened and 2 microbes with the desired effect are being characterized genetically while we are screening the remaining hundreds. For the biochar project, we have conducted field and greenhouse experiments with wood biochar, activated wood biochar, and dairy-manure derived biochar as soil amendments in Italian ryegrass, Bermudagrass, and cowpea pots (greenhouse) and maize, sorghum, and Bermudagrass field forage production plots. We noted no negative production impacts due to biochar while finding improvements in soil including an increase in microbial diversity, an increase in soil carbon, a decrease in pathogenic microbes, a decrease in antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance genes. Objective 3 Implement sustainable management strategies for soilborne pathogens that are biologically based and are compatible with soil health management practices. AK. Information for peony growers were: 1) Plant Helper™ was the only efficacious means of controlling Botrytis grey mold disease on peony under a cool (10 ᵒC) and wet conditions. 2) peony plants treated with Plant Helper™ were much more robust. Biomasses of treated peony plants were significantly larger. 3) treated peony plants demonstrated a delay in the senescence process (and maintained their photosynthesis longer). Information for rhodiola growers were: 1) Plant Helper™ enhanced significantly the growth and development of rhodiola plants, 2) Phoma spp. and Fusarium spp. found on rhodiola plants were susceptible to cold tolerant Trichoderma. Plant Helper™ can potentially be able to protect rhodiola plants against these diseases. CA. Plant resistance has been used effectively to manage RKN by California processing tomato growers for many years. Over the last decade however, nematode infestations in resistant varieties are being observed with increasing frequency. Such resistance-breaking populations were encountered throughout California processing fields. The majority of these populations were identified as M. incognita, although a population of M. javanica was also found to break resistance. There were no obvious differences in virulence among these populations on a range of resistant tomato varieties. Resistance to RKN in other vegetable crops was generally not compromised by these nematode populations indicating the resistance-breaking ability of these populations was specific for the tomato Mi-resistance gene. Thus, growing other RKN-resistant of non-host crops would offer a viable strategy to reduce levels of such RKN populations in processing tomato fields. CA. A new-to-California RKN species was discovered a few years ago from almond rootstock. This RKN species (M. floridensis) is known to infest prunus rootstocks normally resistant to RKN. We tested the virulence of this nematode on several RKN-susceptible and -resistant vegetable crop varieties to determine if this nematode poses a risk to vegetable crops grown in California. Results showed that this nematode infests most of the vegetable crops and furthermore is able to overcome nematode resistance in tomato and some resistant pepper cultivars. These results further emphasize the need to eliminate or restrict the spread of this nematode outside of the original location where it was found. KS. We conducted research to identify beneficial microbes that can naturally suppress harmful pathogens and improve soil health, leading to more resilient crops. Additionally, we engaged in extensive outreach efforts, including workshops and online resources for growers, helping them adopt sustainable practices that reduce dependence on chemical treatments and enhance crop productivity. Specifically, our studies for 2024 explored the effect of alternative production methods on a primary soybean disease, charcoal rot, caused by the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina. Treatments that could potentially enhance or reduce disease pressure were implemented, and soil tests were conducted for nutrients, soi health properties, and disease. Much effort has been directed at Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) cover crops. Manure increased the nutrient levels in the soil, as expected, but did not control disease. Solarization increased the temperature within the plots and increased the population M. phaseolina. NJ. We have identified several new endophytic microbes of plants that also have activity in suppression of fungal pathogens of plants. In addition, we have identified microbes that suppress seedling growth. We are exploring use of these in bioherbicides to control weeds with non-toxic herbicidal components. ME. Studied crop rotation, cover crops, and soil amendments on soil health and disease management. Analyzed soil microbial communities under the above treatments NY. Efficacy of fungicides for Cercospora leaf spot control in table beet, 2024. Cercospora leaf spot (CLS), caused by the fungus, Cercospora beticola, is a major constraint to table beet and sugar beet worldwide. The disease causes defoliation which deleteriously affects harvest using top-pulling machinery and reduces root weight and quality. A replicated small plot trial was conducted to evaluate selected fungicides for CLS control in table beet at Geneva, NY in 2024. The trial was a randomized complete block design with four replications of each treatment and a nontreated control. Fungicides were applied four times at 62, 72, 93, and 94 DAP. The trial was inoculated with a mycelial suspension of C. beticola at 62 DAP. Of the fungicides tested, Cevya provided superior control of CLS that outperformed the comparative FRAC 3 product, Tilt. Miravis Prime (FRAC 7 + 12) also, again, provided excellent control of CLS but Cevya provided improved control of epidemic progress. There was some evidence of differential efficacy between products containing FRAC 7 active ingredients. For example, Endura (FRAC 7 – boscalid) provided only moderate CLS control. In contrast, Tesaris that only contains the FRAC 7, fluxapyroxad, provided significantly improved CLS control compared to Endura. Considering the majority of C. beticola isolates are FRAC 11 resistant (active ingredient of Cabrio alone and Merivon), Tesaris may be useful for rotational purposes. The absence of an effect of root yield components is beneficial to abide by strict processor regulation requirements for placement into cans and jars. NY Efficacy of OMRI-listed fungicides for white mold control in black bean in New York, 2024. A replicated small plot trial was conducted to quantify the efficacy of selected Rovensa Next products (OR-079B, OR-329H, and OR-009 EPA) in comparison to the OMRI-listed (Double Nickel LC, Badge X2, Howler and Theia) and conventional (Endura) fungicides for white mold control in dry black bean in Geneva, New York in 2024. All products significantly reduced the incidence of white mold in plants and pods compared to the nontreated control plots. OR-079B applied to the soil increased green leaf area (as measured by the Normalized Difference Vegetative Index; NDVI]) by 8.9% and decreased the incidence of white mold in pods compared to nontreated plots. Application of OR-079B (soil) followed by OR-329H at flowering, NDVI was increased by an additional 4.3% but there were no additional reductions in white mold incidence. The combined treatment of OR-079B + OR-329H (soil) followed by OR-329H + OR-009 EPA at flowering resulted in a 12.2% increase in NDVI compared to nontreated plots but was significantly less than the soil application only. The incidence of white mold on plants was not significantly different from nontreated plots and there was no additional benefit in disease control from the flowering treatment compared to the soil only products. Fungicide treatment had no significant effect on pod number and weight, and average pod weight. Objective 4. Provide outreach, education, extension and technology transfer to our clients and stakeholders- growers, biocontrol industry, graduate and undergraduate students, K-12 students and other scientists. AK. Workshop of diseases found on peony and rhodiola and their control (including biological control) were conducted. Information for government officials, citizen scientists, stakeholders, farmers and home growers were disseminated through various venue (classroom instructions, workshops, seminars and farm bureau conferences, etc.) CA. James Borneman gave presentations to undergraduate in his Microbiomes course (MCBL 126). These presentations covered biological suppression of plant parasitic nematodes as well as root microbes that may inhibit or exacerbate Huanglongbing (HLB) disease of citrus. ME Trained 5 graduate and 2 undergraduate students. Presented results at the annual meeting of Potato Association of America. Conducted 9 field trials including studying soil microbiomes associated with soil health, disease control by applications of chemicals on soil, seed, and foliage, and varietal test of potatoes for resistance screening. Presented two talks at extension meetings. Served the industry and growers in plant disease diagnosis and detection with hundreds of disease samples. NY Outreach activities on sustainable disease management. In 2023, Pethybridge gave 24 extension/outreach presentations on soilborne disease management to the broadacre vegetable and dry bean industry stakeholders and growers. These presentations were predominantly meetings organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension throughout NY, and the Northeastern United States. Undergraduate research experience Pethybridge had an undergraduate summer scholar in the lab during summer 2024. TX Two presentations were given at the APS Caribbean division meeting and at the virtual Genetics of Maize Microbe Interactions workshop. TX Brady For the peanut project, we have employed two Tarleton State University undergraduate students (Claire Toalson and Taylor Duty) who have been trained in microbial isolation, plant cultivation/microbial inoculation, and massively parallel DNA sequencing. The project also supports a Ph.D. level Texas A&M graduate student (Sarah Tasmin). For the native plant project, we hired a Tarleton State University Ph.D. level graduate student in January 2024 (Aimee Byington), and have trained her in plant cultivation, microbial cultivation, and will soon train her in microbiome studies. Two Tarleton State University undergraduate students were recently hired to assist with the project in December 2024. For the biochar project, the research has funded one full-time technician in 2024 (Caroly Leija), and three Tarleton State University undergraduate students (Bethany Wood, Maggie Robinson, Ethan Conner-bioinformatics) and one Tarleton State University undergraduate intern (Madalyn Chavez). All personnel on the project received intensive experience and training in massively parallel DNA library construction and DNA detection including quantitative PCR and digital PCR. Additionally, a Texas A&M University Ph.D. level graduate student (Daisy Gonzalez) has begun a project to use dairy manure biochar as a bovine feed additive to suppress methane production in the animal and from the manure stream. UT  We participated in the field day organized by the Center for Water Efficient Landscaping, USU, on August 13, 2024, and Student Organic Farm, USU, on August 26, 2024, where 85 participants, including farmers, nursery growers, and stakeholders gained knowledge about native plants and plant growth promoting bacteria and their use to develop biofertilizers and biocontrol agents. UT  We isolated plant growth-promoting bacteria from the rhizosphere of native plants and characterized their roles in enhancing plant growth. Our research demonstrated the effectiveness of these isolates in promoting growth in Arabidopsis, tall fescue, wheat, and watermelon. We have published our findings related to Arabidopsis and tall fescue in peer-reviewed journals, and we are currently preparing manuscripts for our results on wheat and watermelon. To date, we have published three research articles, two review articles, and one editorial. Additionally, we have presented our findings at various conferences, meetings, and field days. WA - SoilCon. We contributed to the organization of WA SoilCon 2024, which consisted of regional in-person soil health days as well as an online Global Perspectives session. WA - Soil Health Coffee Hours. In collaboration with the PNW Farmer’s Network, we contributed to monthly online coffee hours focused on soil health in dryland cropping systems in the inland PNW. WA - Native Youth in STEM. We contributed a nodule module to a Native Youth week-long summer camp on WSU campus in which 30 students collected plants, examined nodules, and isolated bacteria. WA - NodCamp. We hosted 5 high school students in our lab at WSU in which they isolated and characterized bacteria from agricultural and wild (prairie) ecosystems and learned about microbial ecology and bacteriology. WA - Phytobacteriology. We led 7 graduate students in a 3 week Bacteriology module in which they isolated and characterized bacteria from wheat rhizosphere for plant growth promotion and pathogen inhibition properties.

Publications

Peer Reviewed Acharya BR, Gill SP, Kaundal A, and Sandhu D (2024). Strategies for combating plant salinity stress: the potential of plant growth-promoting microorganisms. Front. Plant Sci. 15:1406913. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1406913">https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1406913</a> Adams, A., Landry, D., Sykes, V., Richman, T., Cham, A., Timling, A, Kelly, H., McBeath, J.H., and Olukolu, B.A. 2024. Bt and Conventional Maize Kernel-associated Metagenomes reveal Potential Microbe-Microbe underlying Fusarium Ear Rot Disease. Bioinformatics Journal. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1094/PBIOMES-07-23-0074-R">http://doi.org/10.1094/PBIOMES-07-23-0074-R</a>. Amanda Carolina Prado de Moraes,  Kathryn Louise Kingsley,  Lucas da Silva Ribeiro,  Bianca Baccili Zanotto Vigna,  Emerson Rodrigues de Camargo,  James Francis White,  Alessandra Pereira Fávero,  Paulo Teixeira Lacava. 2024. Beneficial Bacteria Associated With Silica Nanoparticles for Growth Promotion of Paspalum notatum. Applied and Environmental Soil Science. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1155/aess/9971370">https://doi.org/10.1155/aess/9971370</a> Bellanger, M., Figueroa III, J. L., Tiemann, L., Friesen, M. L., & White III, R. A. (2024). NFixDB (Nitrogen Fixation DataBase)-A Comprehensive Integrated Database for Robust'Omics Analysis of Diazotrophs. Accepted at NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics Benjlil, H., Ihitassen, A., Idhmida, A., Ait Hamza, M., Braimi, A., Furze, J., Paulitz, T.C., Ferji, Z., Cherifi, K., Mayad, E. 2023. Nematodes associated with saffron II: Bioindication for soil health assessment and impact of agricultural practices. Applied Soil Ecology. 23(08):0929-1393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.105111. Benjlil, H.,et al. 2024. Nematodes associated with saffron II: Bioindication for soil health assessment and impact of agricultural practices.  Applied Soil Ecology 193: 0.1016/j.apsoil.2023.105111 Burlakoti S, Devkota AR, Poudyal S, Kaundal A. (2024).  Beneficial Plant–Microbe Interactions and Stress Tolerance in Maize. Applied Microbiology. 2024; 4(3):1000-1015. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol4030068">https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol4030068</a> Chekali, S., Ayed, S., Khemir, E., Gargouri, S., Marzougui, S., Paulitz, T.C., Gharbi, M. 2024. Response of Tunisian durum wheat vs. bread wheat to Fusarium foot and root rot under semi-arid conditions. European Journal of Plant Pathology. 2024(6). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-024-01659-3">https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-024-01659-3</a>. Chekali, S., Ayed, S., Khemir, E., Gharbi, M. S. Marzougui, S., Paulitz, T. and Gargouri, S.  2024. Response of durum wheat vs. bread wheat to Fusarium foot and root rot under semi-arid conditions.  Journal of Plant Pathology. 106: 1207-1220. 10.1007/s42161-024-01659-3 Chen, H., White, J. F., Malik, K., & Li, C. 2024. Molecular assessment of oat head blight fungus, including a new genus and species in a family of Nectriaceae. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 417, 110715. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2024.110715">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2024.110715</a> Choi, G., Brady, J.A., Obayomi, O., Green, E., Leija, C., Sefcik, K., Gonzalez, D.A., Taggart, C.B., Muir, J.P., Kan, E. 2024. Wood- and manure-derived biochars reduce antibiotic residues and shift antibiotic resistance genes and microbial communities in manure applied forage-soil systems. Agronomy 14(9), 2100. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14092100">https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14092100</a>. Deng, L., Huang, X., Dao, J., Xu, Y., Zhou, K., Wang, W., Liu, C., Chen, M., Zhang, S., Zhang, Y., Hao, J., Liu, X., and Yang, Y. 2024. Pectinesterase activity and gene expression correlate with pathogenesis of Phytophthora infestans. Frontiers in Plant Science 15: 1481165. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1481165. Devkota AR, Wilson T and Kaundal A (2024). Soil and root microbiome analysis conditions and isolation of plant growth-promoting bacteria from hybrid buffaloberry  (Shepherdia utahensis ’Torrey’) across three locations. Front. Microbiol. 15:1396064. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1396064">doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1396064</a> Devkota, A. R., Kaur, S., & Kaundal, A. (2024). Rhizobacterial Isolates from the Native Plant Ceanothus velutinus Promote Growth in Two Genotypes of Tall Fescue. Microbiology Research, 15(4), 2607-2618. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres15040173">https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres15040173</a> Entio, L.J., Taggart, C.B., Muir, J.P., Kan, E., Brady, J.A., and Obayomi, O. 2024. Biochar and dairy manure amendment effects on Cynodon dactylon performance and soil properties. Plants 13(2), 242. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13020242">https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13020242</a>. Feng, Y., Hao, J., Zhang, D., Huo, H., Li, L., Xiu, Z., Yang, C., and Zhang, X. 2024. Transcriptomic analysis of sodium silicate-induced resistance against Rhizoctonia solani AG-3 in potato. Agronomy 14:1207. DOI: 10.3390/agronomy14061207. Figueroa III, J. L., Redinbo, A., Panyala, A., Colby, S., Friesen, M. L., Tiemann, L., & White III, R. A. (2024). MerCat2: a versatile k-mer counter and diversity estimator for database-independent property analysis obtained from omics database. Bioinformatics Advances, vbae061. Ganesh, J., Hewitt, K., Devkota, A. R., Wilson, T., and Kaundal, A. (2024). IAA-producing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria from Ceanothus velutinus enhance cutting propagation efficiency and Arabidopsis biomass. Frontiers in Plant Science, 15. :1374877. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1374877">https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1374877</a> Huang P-C, Yuan P, Grunseich JM, Taylor J, Tiénébo EO, Pierson EA, Bernal JS, Kenerley CM, Kolomiets MV (2024). Trichoderma virens and Pseudomonas chlororaphis Differentially Regulate Maize Resistance to Anthracnose Leaf Blight and Insect Herbivores When Grown in Sterile versus Non-Sterile Soils. Plants 2024, 13, 1240. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/plants1309124">https://doi.org/10.3390/plants1309124</a> Huynh, B., Dahlquist‐Willard, R. M., Ploeg, A. T., Yang, M., Thaoxaochay, L., Kanter, J., Brar, S., Paz, J., Qaderi, S., Singh, H., Duong, T., Dinh, H., Kang, H. P., Matthews, W. C., De Souza, A., Bhatia, A., Ke, H., Ehlers, J. D., & Roberts, P. A. (2024). Registration of four pest‐resistant long bean germplasm lines. Journal of Plant Registrations, 18(2), 415–425. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20361 Jernigan, A. B., Kao-Kniffin, J., Pethybridge, S. J., and Wickings, K. 2024. Spatial and temporal dynamics of Collembola (Isotomiella minor) and plant pathogenic fungi (Rhizoctonia solani) interactions. Appl. Soil Ecol. 201:105504. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105504">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105504</a>. Jernigan, A., Kao-Kniffen, J., Pethybridge, S. J., and Wickings, K. 2024. Microarthropods improve oat nutritional quality and mediate the effects of fertilizers on soil biological activity. Agronomy J. 117:2007-2033. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21597">https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21597</a>. Jia, R., Yang, J., Hao, J., Wang, S., Wu, J., Lin, K., Chen, Z., and Zhang, Y. Y. 2024. First report of root rot caused by Fusarium equiseti on Syrian rue (Peganum harmala) in China. Plant Disease. DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-06-24-1297-PDN. Jin, Y., Chen, Z., White, J. F., Malik, K., & Li, C. 2024. Interactions between Epichloë endophyte and the plant microbiome impact nitrogen responses in host Achnatherum inebrians plants. Microbiology Spectrum, 12(4), e0257423. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.02574-23">https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.02574-23</a> Joglekar, P., Ferrell, B. D., Jarvis, T., Haramoto, K., Place, N., Dums, J. T., S. W. Polson, K. E. Wommack, and Fuhrmann, J. J.  (2023) Spontaneously produced lysogenic phages are an important component of the soybean Bradyrhizobium mobilome. mBio, 14(2).  <a href="https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.00295-23">https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.00295-23</a> Jones-Held, S., & White, J. F. 2024. Effects of endophytes on early growth and ascorbate metabolism in Brassica napus. Frontiers in Plant Science, 15, 1480387. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1480387 Kaniz F, Zheng W, Bais HP, Jin Y (2023) Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Mediate Soil Hydro-Physical Properties: An Investigation with Bacillus Subtilis and its Mutants. Vadose Zone J. 22 (5), e20274. Kaundal, A.  Anoop Kumar Srivastava, and Dinesh Yadav (2024) The role of the microbiome in plant and soil health in changing climate Front. Plant Sci. Volume 15 – 2024 <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1491438">https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1491438</a> Kaur C, Pomerleau M, Beauregard PB, Fidenza M, Ervin E, Bais HP (2023) Antifungal activity of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria Bacillus subtilis strain UD1022 against the dollar spot pathogen (Clarireedia spp.). Biological Control 105284. Kehlet-Delgado, H., Montoya, A.P., Jensen, K.T., Wendlandt, C.E., Dexheimer, C., Roberts, M., Torres Martínez, L., Friesen, M.L., Griffitts, J.S. and Porter, S.S. (2024). The evolutionary genomics of adaptation to stress in wild rhizobium bacteria. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(13), e2311127121. Khmelnitsky, O., Buck, E., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. First report of anthracnose on banana peppers caused by Colletotrichum scovillei in New York. Plant Dis. 108:2577.<a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-24-0735-PDN">https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-24-0735-PDN</a>. Klasek, S., Crants, J., Abbas, T. Ashley, K., Bolton, M. Celovsky, M., Gudmestead, N. Hao, J., Ibarra Caballero, J., Jahn, C., Kamgan Nkuekam, G., Lankau, R., Larkin, R., Lopez, E., Miller, J., Moore, A., Pasche, J., Ruark, M., Schroeder, B., Shan, S., Skillman, V., Srour, A., Stasko, A., Steinke, K., and Steward, J. 2024. Potato soil core microbiomes are regionally variable across the continental US. Phytomiomes Journal 8:168-178. DOI: <a href="https://doi-org.wv-o-ursus-proxy02.ursus.maine.edu/10.1094/PBIOMES-07-23-0060-R">10.1094/PBIOMES-07-23-0060-R</a>. Komondy, L., Hoepting, C. A., Fuchs, M., Pethybridge, S. J., and Nault, B. A. 2024. Identifying onion fields at risk for Iris yellow spot virus infection in New York. Plant Dis. 108:1750-1754. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-23-2097-RE">https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-23-2097-RE</a> Komondy, L., Hoepting, C., Fuchs, M., Pethybridge, S. J., and Nault, B. 2024. Spatiotemporal patterns of Iris yellow spot virus and its onion thrips vector in transplanted and seeded onion fields in New York. Plant Dis. 108:398-406. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-23-0930-RE">https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-23-0930-RE</a>. Komondy, L., Hoepting, L., Pethybridge, S. J., Fuchs, M., and Nault, B. A. 2024. Development of a sequential sampling plan for classifying Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) populations levels in onion fields. J. Econ. Entomol. 117:2151-2158. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toae161">https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toae161</a>. Laasli, S., E., Mokrini, F., Iraqi, D., Shataya, MJY, Amiri, S., Dababaat, A. A., Paulitz, T., Khfif, J. and Lahlali, R.  2024. Phytopathogenic nematode communities infesting Moroccan olive agroecosystems: impact of agroecological patterns.  Plant and Soil 501: 39-55. 10.1007/s11104-023-06190-5 Laasli, S., Mokrini, F., Dabaat, A.A., Paulitz, T.C., Lahali, R. 2023. Phytopathogenic nematode communities infesting Moroccan olive agroecosystems: impact of agroecological patterns. Plant and Soil. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104 023-06190-5. Loffredo, A., Edwards, S., Ploeg, A., and Becker, J.O. 2024. Performance of biological and chemical nematicides in different soils to control Meloidogyne incognita in tomato plants. Journal of Phytopathology 172, e13250. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jph.13250">Doi:10.1111/jph.13250</a>  Ma, X., Zhang, X., Stodghill, P., Rioux, R., Shrestha, S., Babler, B., Rivedal, H.M., Frost, K., Hao, J., Secor, G., and Swingle, B. 2024. Analysis of soft rot Pectobacteriaceae population diversity in US potato growing regions between 2015 and 2022. Frontiers in Microbiology 15:1403121. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.140312.1. Martins SJ, Pasche J, Silva H, Gijs Selten, Noah Savastano, Lucas Magalhães Abreu, Bais HP, Karen A. Garrett, Nattapol Kraisitudomsook, Corné M.J. Pieterse, Tomislav Cernava (2023) The Use of Synthetic Microbial Communities (SynComs) to improve plant health. Phytopathology 113 (8), 1369-1379. Menalled, U., Bybee-Finley, K. A., Smith, R. G., DiTommaso, A., Darby, H. M., Pethybridge, S. J., and Ryan, M. R. 2024. Legacy effects of annual and perennial crop diversity on weed-crop competition in maize. Npj Sustain. Agric. 2:24.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-024-00036-y. Nishisaka CS, Ventura JP, Prapajati V, Bais HP, Mendes R (2024) Role of Bacillus subtilis exo-polymeric molecules in modulating rhizosphere microbiome assembly. Environmental Microbiome 19 (1), 33. Obidari, T., Wardi, M., Alaoui, I. F., Braimi, A., Paulitz, T., El Mousadik, A., and Mayad, E. 2024. Microbial communities and high trophic level nematodes in protected argan soil show strong suppressive effect against Meloidogyne spp. Global Ecology and Conservation 54: 10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03191. Parks, J. M., & Friesen, M. L. (2024). The role of plant-microbe interactions in legume non-legume intercropping success. Plant and Soil, 1-11. Pethybridge, S. J., Damann, K., Murphy, S. P., Diggins, K., and Gleason, M. 2024. Optimizing mesotunnels for organic acorn squash in New York. Plant Health Progress. 25:146-155. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-08-23-0072-RS">https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-08-23-0072-RS</a>. Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S. P., Branch, E. B., Sharma, P. S., and Kikkert. J. R. 2024. Manipulating table beet growth using exogenous gibberellic acid 3 in New York, USA. Ann. Appl. Biol. 184:196-209. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/aab.12870">https://doi.org/10.1111/aab.12870</a>. Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S., Lund, M., and Kikkert. J. R. 2024. Survival of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum sclerotia in central New York. Plant Dis. 108:1165-1168.<a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-23-2126-SC">https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-23-2126-SC</a>. Pethybridge, S. J., Rea, M., Gadoury, D. M., Murphy, S. P., Hay, F. S., Skinner, N. P., and Kikkert, J. R. 2023. Nighttime applications of germicidal ultraviolet light (UV-C) to suppress Cercospora leaf spot in table beet. Plant Dis. 108:2518-2529.https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-12-23-2715-RE. Petipas, R. H., Antoch, A. A., Eaker, A. N., Kehlet-Delgado, H., & Friesen, M. (2024) Back to the future: Using herbarium specimens to isolate nodule associated bacteria Ecology and Evolution, 14(7), e11719. Petipas, R. H., Peru, C., Parks, J. M., Friesen, M. L., & Jack, C. N. (2024). Prairie soil improves wheat establishment and accelerates the developmental transition to flowering compared to agricultural soils. Canadian Journal of Microbiology. Petipas, RH, Delgado, H, Antoch, A, Friesen, ML. Genome sequences of Microvirga spp. CF3062 and CF3016 isolated from nodules found on herbarium specimens collected in 2004 and 2015 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00161-24 (accepted at MRA) Ploeg, A. T., & Edwards, S. (2024). Host status of melon, carrot, and Meloidogyne incognita-susceptible and -resistant cotton, cowpea, pepper, and tomato for M. floridensis from California. Journal of Nematology, 56(1). https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2024-0004 Ploeg, A. T., & Stoddard, C. S. (2024). A Comparison Between Meloidogyne floridensis and M. incognita from California on Susceptible and Resistant Sweetpotato Cultivars. Plant Disease, 108(6), 1577–1581. https://doi.org/10.1094/pdis-09-23-1886-re Ploeg, A. T., Edwards, S., Loffredo, A., & Becker, J. O. (2024). Efficacy of Fluorinated Nematicides for Management of Root-knot Nematodes in California Processing Tomatoes. Journal of Nematology, 56(1). https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2024-0034 Ploeg, A. T., Witte, H., Subbotin, S. A., Tandingan De Ley, I., Smith Becker, J., & Becker, J. O. (2024). Meloidogyne marylandi is Involved in, but not the Primary Cause of Creeping Bentgrass Decline of Putting Greens in Southern California. Journal of Nematology, 56(1). <a href="https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2024-0046">https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2024-0046</a> Ren, H., Hao, X., Zhang, R., Hao, J., Ding, Y., Liu, J., Pan, H. Wang, Y. and Zhou, R. 2024. Enhanced phytoremediation of PCBs-contaminated soil by co-expressing tfdBand bphCin Arabidopsis aiding in metabolism and improving toxicity tolerance. Environmental and Experimental Botany 217: 105548. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2023.105548">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2023.105548</a>. Richards, V.A.; Ferrell, B.D.; Polson, S.W.; Wommack, K.E.; Fuhrmann, J.J. (2024) Soybean Bradyrhizobium spp. spontaneously produce abundant and diverse temperate phages in culture. Viruses 2024, 16, 1750. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/v16111750">https://doi.org/10.3390/v16111750</a> Rosier A., Pomerleau, M., Beauregard P. B, Samac, D. A., Bias, H. P. (2023) Surfactin and Sp0A-Dependent Antagonism by Bacillus subtilis Strain UD1022 against Medicago sativa Phytopathogens. Plant 12 (5), 1007 Sassenrath, G., Waite, N., Hsiao, C.-J., and Little, C.R. 2025. Brassica juncea cover crops reduce soybean root colonization by Macrophomina phaseolina, the fungus causing charcoal rot. Plant Health Progress, Vol. 25 (https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-05-24-0048-RS). Savastano, N., Bais, H. P. (2024) Synergism or Antagonism: Do Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Growt-Promoting Rhizobacteria Work Together to Benefit Plants? International Journal of Plant Biology 15 (4), 944-958 Schillinger, W., Hansen, J.C., Paulitz, T.C. 2023. Canola rotation effects on soil and subsequent wheat in the Pacific Northwest USA. Agronomy Journal. 2023:115(1):314-324. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21248. Sharma, P., Murphy, S. M., Kikkert, J. R. and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Susceptibility of table beet cultivars to foliar diseases in New York. Plant Health Progr. 25: 399-409. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-01-24-0005-RS">https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-01-24-0005-RS</a>. Smith Becker, Jennifer, Ruegger, Paul M., Borneman, James, Becker, J. Ole. 2024. Indigenous populations of a biological control agent in agricultural field soils predicted suppression of a plant pathogen. Phytopathology 114:334-339. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-07-23-0221-R Wang, L., Liu, H., Wu, J., Lin, K., Hao, J., Jia, R., and Zhang, Y. 2024. First Report of Alternaria alternata causing leaf spot on smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis) in China. Plant Disease 108: 2225. DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-04-24-0833-PDN. Wang, T., Shi, X., Wu, Z., Zhang, J. Hao, J., Liu, P., and Liu, X. 2024. Carboxylesterase and cytochrome P450 confer metabolic resistance simultaneously to azoxystrobin and some other fungicides in Botrytis cinerea. Journal of Fungi 10: 261. DOI: 10.3390/jof10040261. Webster, C, Kim, J, Reguera, G, Friesen, ML, Beyenal, H. Can bioelectrochemical sensors be used to monitor soil microbiome activity and fertility? (accepted at Current Opinion Biotechnology) Weller, D.M., Berendsen, R.L., Thomashow, L.S., Van Bentum, S., Spooren, J., Pieterse, C.M. 2024. Plant-driven assembly of disease-suppressive soil microbiomes. Annual Review of Phytopathology. 2024.62:11.1-11.30. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev phyto-021622-100127 Weller, D.M., Van Pelt, J.A., Thomashow, L.S., Mavrodi, D.V., Mavrodi, O., Pieterse, C.M., Bakker, P.A. 2024. Disease-suppressive soils induce systemic resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. PhytoFrontiers. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-02-24-0012-R">https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-02-24-0012-R</a>. Wen, N., Chen, C; Garland- Campbell, K. G., and Lu, C.  2024. First detection of Aster Yellows Associated with Phytoplasma on Camelina sativa in Montana.  Plant Disease: in press. Wu, H., Huang, Z., Cheng, S., Zhao, J., Hao, J., and Han, L. 2024. Streptomyces changanensis sp. nov. isolated from soil in China. Current Microbiology 81(2): 1-8. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-023-03527-2">https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-023-03527-2</a>. Wu, H., Sun, Y., Ma, L., Cheng, S., Lu, D., Hao, J., and Han, L. 2024. Microbial exopolysaccharide EPS66A in inducing walnut (Juglans regia) resistance to bacterial blight. Food Chemistry 435: 137551. https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.137551. Wu, Z., Bi, Y., Zhang, J., Gao, T., Li, X., Hao, J., Liu, P., and Liu, X. 2024. Multidrug resistance of Botrytis cinerea associated with its adaptation to plant secondary metabolites. mBIO 47: 126476. DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02237-23">https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02237-23</a>. Wu, Z., Liu, Z., Hu, Z., Wang, T., Teng, L., Dai, T., Liu, P., Hao, J., and Liu, X., 2024. Utilizing metabolomic approach to study mode of action of fungicides and corresponding resistance in plant pathogens. Advanced Agrichem 3(3): 197-205. DOI: 10.1016/j.aac.2024.05.001. Wu, Z., Yu, C., Bi, Q., Zhang, J., Hao, J., Liu, P., and Liu, X. 2024. Procymidone application contributes to multidrug resistance of Botrytis cinerea. Journal of Fungi 10(4): 261. DOI: 10.3390.jof10040261. Yang, J., Jia, S., Li, T., Zhang, J., Zhang, Y., Hao, J., and Zhao, J. Delayed sowing reduced Verticillium wilt by enhancing beneficial rhizosphere bacteria of sunflower. 2024 Microorganisms 12 (12): 2416. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12122416. Yang, M., Schlatter, D. C., LeTourneau, M. K., Wen, S., Mavrodi, D., Mavrodi, O., Thomashow, L, Kandlati, E., Rajagopalan, K., Weller, D. M., and Paulitz, T. C.  2024. Eight years in the soil: temporal dynamics of wheat-associated bacterial 3 communities under dryland and irrigated conditions.  Phytobiomes: in press Yin, C., Larson, M., Lahr, N.D., Paulitz, T.C. 2023. Wheat rhizosphere-derived bacteria protect soybean from soilborne diseases. Plant Disease. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS 08-23-1713-RE. Yin, C., T., Larson, M., Lahr, N. and Paulitz, T.  2024. Wheat Rhizosphere-Derived Bacteria Protect Soybean from Soilborne Diseases.  Plant Disease 108: 1565-1576. 10.1094/PDIS-08-23-1713-RE Young, B., White, J. and Struwe, L. 2024. Endophytic bacteria discovered in oil body organelle of liverworts (Marchantiophyta). American Journal of Botany (In press). Book Chapters Meeting presentations, abstracts and proceedings Borneman, J. Illumina Sequence Processing & Analysis. Annual Meeting of Western Regional Project W5147 on Biological Control. W5147, December 6, 2024, Zoom Meeting. Byington, A., Speshock, J., Murray, D., and Brady, J. Utilizing microbial endophytes to inhibit germination of King Ranch bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum var. songarica): A novel tactic for rangeland restoration.Texas Section Society for Range Management Annual Meeting in Victoria, Texas, October 17, 2024.  Devkota, A.  and Amita Kaundal* (2024). Comparative microbial diversity analysis and isolation of plant-promoting bacteria from roundleaf Buffaloberry (Shepherdia rotudifolia). American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) Annual Conference September 23-27, 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii. Devkota, A.  and Amita Kaundal (2024). Comparative microbial diversity analysis of root and soil of Shepherdia rotundifolia from three locations in Utah. Student Research Symposium, Utah State University, April 12, 2024 Devkota, A. R. and Kaundal, A. (2024). Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) from the native plant Ceanothus velutinus promote growth in Tall Fescue. Food Security and Solutions Symposium, Utah State University, April 17, 2024. Diggins, K., Damann, K., Murphy, S. P., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Enhancing organic acorn squash resilience with mesotunnel production systems. squash bug (Anasa tristis). Proc. APS Annual Meeting, Memphis, TN. P-310. Entio, L.J., Taggart, C.B., Muir, J.P., Kan, E., Brady, J.A., Obayomi, O. Dairy effluent-saturated biochar short-term effects on Vigna unguiculata and Cynodon dactylon performance and soil properties. 77th Southern Pastures and Forage Crop Improvement Conference, Mobile, Alabama January 2024. Friesen, ML. 2024. WSU Crop and Soil Sciences department seminar  “Can we replace synthetic nitrogen with microbes?”, Aug 2024 Jakir Hasan, Caley Gasch, Mingchu Zhang, Jenifer McBeath, Milan Shipka, Jodie Anderson, James V. Anderson, Jinita Sthapit Kandel and David Archer. 2023. Small grain crops breeding for the sub-arctic climate in interior Alaska. 2023 Tri-Society (ASA-CSSA-SSSA) Meeting in St. Louise, MO. Kaur, C., Bias, H. P., and Ervin, E. (2024) Evaluation of Seasonal Plant Health Products Program on Creeping Bentgrass Putting Greens (Abstract). ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX. November 10th – November 13th, 2024 Kaur, C., Ervin, E. & Bais, H. P. (2024) Evaluation of Seasonal Plant Health Products Program on Creeping Bentgrass Putting Greens. Plant Genomics & Gene Editing Congress and Partnerships in Biocontrol, Biostimulants & Microbiome Congress, North Carolina. October 21st – October 22nd, 2024 Kaur, C., Ervin, E., and Bais, H. P. (2023) Plant Growth Promotion and Dollar Spot Disease Suppression by PGPR Bacillus subtilis strain UD1022 in Creeping Bentgrass. (Abstract). ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. October 29th – November 1st, 2023 McBeath, J.H. and Emerson, N.W. 2024. Impact of Glyphosate on cold adapted Trichoderma atroviride. American Phytopathology Society-Pacific Division annual meeting and the 69th Annual Conference on soil-borne plant pathogens, March 26-29, 2024.Oregan State University, Corvallis, OR. Morgese E.A., Kristal J., Li, H., Richards, V.A., Ferrell, B.D., K., Wommack, K.E., Polson, S.W., Fuhrmann, J.J. (2023) Bradyrhizobium lytic phage: Building genome to phenome connections. [Poster Presentation]. University of Delaware Microbiology Research Symposium. Newark, DE. Morgese, E.A., Ferrell, B.D., Toth, S.C., Haramato, K., Wommack, K.E., Polson, S.W., Fuhrmann, J.J. (2024) Comparative analysis reveals host-dependent diversity in 16 novel Bradyrhizobium bacteriophages. [Poster Presentation]. University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Symposium. Newark, DE. Morgese, E.A., Ferrell, B.D., Toth, S.C., Kristol, J., Haramato, K., Wommack, K.E., Polson, S.W., Fuhrmann, J.J. (2024) Genomic and phenotypic characteristics of 13 novel Bradyrhizobium phages. [Poster Presentation]. DENIN Environmental Research Symposium. Newark, Delaware. Morgese, E.A., Ferrell, B.D., Toth, S.C., Kristol, J., Haramato, K., Wommack, K.E., Polson, S.W., Fuhrmann, J.J. (2023) Genomic and phenotypic characteristics of 13 novel Bradyrhizobium phages. [Poster Presentation; 1st place award]. University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Symposium. Newark, DE. Muir, J.P., Taggart, C.B., Hays, K.N., Brady, J.A., Kan, E., Entio, L.J., and Cooper, C.P. Short-term biochar effects in cultivated forages: ecosystems services, soil characteristics, herbage yields, and nutritive value. European Grasslands Federation 30th General Meeting, Leeuwarden, Netherlands, June 9-13, 2024. Paulitz, T. 2024. The Soil and Root Microbiome of Eastern Washington Crops:  Unraveling the Complexity and Meaning. Department of Crops and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Sept. 30, 2024. Paulitz, T. 2024. The Soil and Root Microbiome of Eastern Washington Crops:  Unraveling the Complexity and Meaning. Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside. October 30, 2024. Paulitz, T. C. 2023. Canola in Rotation Influences Microbial Communities of Wheat Roots.  Invited talk at workshop at ASA/CCSA/SSSA meeting, St. Louis, MO. Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2023. Paulitz, T., Prihatna, C., Yan, Q., Andeer, P., Barnes, E., Northen, T., Tringe, S., Willmore, C., Peng, H., Yin, C., Craine, C., Eberly, J. and Lu, C. 2024. The Root Microbiome of Camelina: From Structure to Function. Department of Energy 2024 BSSD Biological Systems Science Division  Genomic Science Program (GSP) and Enabling Capabilities Resources (ECR) meeting, Bethesda, MD. April, 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Building resilient foliar disease management strategies for the organic table beet industry. USDA NIFA Organic Programs Project Directors Meeting Abstracts. Pp. 10. Pethybridge, S. J., Khmelnitsky, O., and Buck, E. 2024. Recent outbreaks of Green Fruit Anthracnose: A threat to pepper production in the United States. Proc. International Pepper Conference, Ithaca, New York. Pp. 25. Pineros-Guerrero, N., Hay, F. S., Heck, D. W., Klein, A., Hoepting, C., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Determining the contribution of onion volunteers to the population genetics of Stemphylium vesicarium in New York, USA, using microsatellite markers. Proc. APS-North East Division Meeting, Ithaca, NY. Pp. 10. 6 March 2024. Pineros-Guerrero, N., Hay, F. S., Heck, D. W., Klein, A., Hoepting, C., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Determining the contribution of onion transplants and volunteers to the population genetics of Stemphylium vesicarium in New York. Proc. APS Annual Meeting, Memphis, TN. Phytopathology. Technical Session. Rodgers, P., Pineros-Guerrero, N., Pethybridge, S. J., and Hay, F. S. 2024. Use of microsatellites to understand the role of onion transplants in Stemphylium leaf blight epidemics in New York. Proc. 2024 Cornell AgriTech Summer Scholars Program, Cornell University, Geneva, New York, Abstract. Rodriguez-Herrera, K. D., Day, C. T. C., Nault, B. A., Swingle, B. M., Pethybridge, S. J., and Smart, C. D. 2024. Squash bug preference for cucurbit species and its influence on vectoring Serratia marcescens causing cucurbit yellow vine disease in New York. Proc. APS-North East Division Meeting, Ithaca, NY. Pp. 10. 6 March 2024. Rodriguez-Herrera, K. D., Day, C. T. C., Nault, B. A., Swingle, B. M., Pethybridge, S. J., and Smart, C. D. 2024. Determining cucurbit yellow vine disease incidence influenced by the population dynamics and cucurbit species preference of its vector, the squash bug (Anasa tristis). Proc. APS Annual Meeting, Memphis, TN. Phytopathology. Technical Session. Saif, M. S., Chancia, R., Murphy, S. P., Pethybridge, S. J., and van Aardt, J. 2024. Assessing multiseason table beet root yield from unmanned aerial systems. AGU 2024. What’s Next for Science. B007 – Advances in Remote Sensing from Small Unmanned Aerial Systems in Support of Sustainable Agricultural Research Across Working Landscapes. Saif, M. S., Chancia, R., Murphy, S. P., Pethybridge, S. J., and van Aardt, S. J. 2024. Assessing multi-season table beet root yield from unmanned aerial systems. University of Rochester, Institute of Optics Industrial Associates Program Fall 2024 IA Meeting. 24 October 2024.  Saif, M., Chancia, R., Pethybridge, S. J., and van Aardt, J. 2024. UAS-enabled monitoring of Cercospora leaf spot disease of table beets. 2024 Graduate Showcase at Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY. 11 April 2024. Saif, M., Chancia, R., Sharma, P., Murphy, S., Pethybridge, S. J., and van Aardt, J. 2024. Agricultural disease management: Estimation of Cercospora leaf spot severity in table beet using UAS.  STRATUS Conference. Sharma, P., Branch, E., Murphy, S., Kikkert, J. R., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Residue management as an alternative to manage Cercospora leaf spot of table beet and its effect on the soil microbiome. Proc. APS-North East Division Meeting, Ithaca, NY. Pp. 11. 6 March 2024. Sharma, P., Murphy, S., Kikkert, J. R., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Role of infested seed as a primary inoculum source in Cercospora leaf spot epidemics in table beet. Proc. APS Annual Meeting, Memphis, TN. Phytopathology. Technical Session. Simangunsong, R. M., Koenick, L., Murphy, S., and Pethybridge S. J. 2024. Morphology and multi-gene phylogeny of Phoma betae (syn. Neocamarosporium betae) populations in New York and Washington States, USA. Proc. APS-North East Division Meeting, Ithaca, NY. Pp. 11. 6 March 2024. Simangunsong, R. M., Murphy, S., du Toit, L., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Morphology and multi-gene phylogeny of Phoma betae (syn. Neocamarosporium betae) populations in New York and Washington States, USA. Proc. APS Annual Meeting, Memphis, TN. Phytopathology. P-495. Toth, S.C. (2023) What insights do phage proteins provide into viral infection dynamics? [Oral Presentation]. DENIN Pitch90 Event. Newark, Delaware. Toth, S.C., Morgese, E.A., Ferrell, B.D., Fuhrmann, J.J., Wommack, K.E., Polson, S.W. (2024) Exploring viral diversity across ecosystems: Insights from soil Bradyrhizobium phage genomics. [Poster Presentation; 1st place award]. UD College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) Symposium. Newark, Delaware. Toth, S.C., Morgese, E.A., Ferrell, B.D., Richards, V.A., Locke, H., Wommack, K.E., Polson, S.W., Fuhrmann, J.J. (2024) Genomic similarities reflect infectivity patterns in Bradyrhizobium lytic phages. [Poster Presentation]. UD Biology Research Day Symposium. Newark, Delaware. Toth, S.C., Morgese, E.A., Ferrell, B.D., Richards, V.A., Locke, H., Wommack, K.E., Polson, S.W., Fuhrmann, J.J. (2023) Genomic similarities reflect infectivity patterns in Bradyrhizobium lytic phages. [Poster Presentation]. UD College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) Symposium. Newark, Delaware. Toth, S.C., Morgese, E.A., Ferrell, B.D., Richards, V.A., Locke, H., Wommack, K.E., Polson, S.W., Fuhrmann, J.J. (2023) Genomic similarities reflect infectivity patterns in Bradyrhizobium lytic phages. [Poster Presentation]. Delaware Data Science Symposium. Newark, Delaware. Toth, S.C., Morgese, E.A., Ferrell, B.D., Richards, V.A., Locke, H., Wommack, K.E., Polson, S.W., Fuhrmann, J.J. (2023) Genomic similarities reflect infectivity patterns in Bradyrhizobium lytic phages. [Poster Presentation]. UD Undergraduate Research Summer Symposium. Newark, Delaware. Upadhay, S. G. C., Gleason, C., Chavoshi, S., Zasada, I., Wheeler, D. L. and Paulitz, T. C. 2024. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify plant-parasitic nematodes genera found in potato production fields.  Plant Health 2024, Memphis, TN July 27-30, 2024. Upadhaya, S., G., G., Wheeler, D., Griffin LaHue, D., Potter, T., Gleason, C., Frost, K, Mayad, E. and Paulitz, T. 2024. The Phytobiome of Potato in Washington State: The Legacy of Cropping Systems, Soil and the Environment. International Phytobiomes Conference 2024, Nov. 19-21, 2024, St. Louis, MO. Wiest, T.A.M., and Bais, H. (2023). Association of a marine bacteria Shewanella sp. IRI-160 with terrestrial plants to abate salt stress. [Poster Presentation] DENIN Environmental Research Symposium. Newark, Delaware. Wiest, T.A.M., and Bais, H. (2023). Effects of marine bacteria Shewanella sp. IRI-160 on tomato seeds experiencing salt stress. [Poster Presentation] University of Delaware Microbiology Symposium. Newark, Delaware. Wiest, T.A.M., and Bais, H. (2024). Under simulated microgravity, Salmonella enterica infection and cultivar selection may alter stomatal aperture and density in Lettuce. [Poster Presentation]. DENIN Environmental Research Symposium. Newark, Delaware. Wiest, T.A.M., and Bais, H. (2024). Under simulated microgravity, Salmonella enterica infection and cultivar selection may alter stomatal aperture and density in Lettuce. [Poster Presentation]. InnovatHER Research Showcase. Newark, Delaware. Wiest, T.A.M., and Bais, H. (2024). Under simulated microgravity, Salmonella enterica infection and cultivar selection may alter stomatal aperture and density in Lettuce. [Oral Presentation]. Plant Health 2024, Memphis, Tennessee. Wiest, T.A.M., and Bais, H. (2024). Under simulated microgravity, Salmonella enterica infection and cultivar selection may alter stomatal aperture and density in Lettuce. [Oral Presentation]. The Carroll Symposium, Newark, Delaware. Wiest, T.A.M., and Bais, H. (2024). Under simulated microgravity, Salmonella enterica infection and cultivar selection may alter stomatal aperture and density in Lettuce. [Poster Presentation]. CANR Research Symposium, Newark, Delaware. Wilson, T.  and Amita Kaundal (2024). “Isolation of Plant-promoting bacteria from the rhizosphere of hybrid buffaloberry Shepherdia x utahensis” Food Security and Solutions Symposium, Utah State University, April 17, 2024 Wilson, T. , and Amita Kaundal (2024). “Finding and Characterizing Plant Growth-promoting Microbes from Native Desert Plants” Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research (UCUR), Utah Velley University, Orem, Utah, Feb 16, 2024. Wilson, T. Jyosthna Ganesh, Ananta Devkota, Katie Hewitt, and Amita Kaundal (2024).  “Isolation of Native Plant’s Microbiome for Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria” Undergraduate Research Fair, Utah State University, September 6, 2024. Wilson, T., and Amita Kaundal (2024). “Isolation of Plant-promoting bacteria from the rhizosphere of hybrid buffaloberry Shepherdia x utahensis” National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), April 8-12, 2024, Long Beach, California Zhang, X., Ge, T. Fan, X., Chim, B.K., Johnson, S.B., Porter, G., Larkin, R.P., and Hao, J. Taxonomic switches and interactions of bacterial species causing blackleg and soft rot of potato in the Northeastern United States. Annual Meeting of Potato Association of America, Portland, Oregon. Jul. 21-24, 2024. Technical Bulletins and Extension Publications Becker, J. O., Ploeg, A. T., & Westerdahl, B. B. (2024). Carrot: Nematodes. UC IPM Pest Management Guideline: Carrot, UC ANR Publication 3438. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/carrot/nematodes/#gsc.tab=0 Becker, J.O. and J. Smith Becker 2024. Plant disease-causing nematodes in California turfgrasses. 2024 UC IPM Turfgrass and Landscape Research Field Day Proceedings, p.41-42. Becker, J.O., Ploeg, A., and Westerdahl, B. 2024. UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Carrots: Nematodes. In: UC ANR Publication 3438. pp. 39-41, revised 6/2024.  Biochar and soil health. For Texas Dairy Matters, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension video produced and distributed on youtube, 8/22/2024. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWYjfLTZzJbNGrIK5O4IMbQ">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWYjfLTZzJbNGrIK5O4IMbQ</a> Diggins, K. R., Murphy, S., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Efficacy of fungicides for white mold control of black bean in New York, 2023. Plant Dis. Manage. Rep. 18:V020.<a href="https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume18/abstracts/V020.asp">https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume18/abstracts/V020.asp</a>. Diggins, K. R., Murphy, S., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Efficacy of OMRI-listed fungicides for white mold control of black bean in New York, 2023. Plant Dis. Manage. Rep. 18:V021.<a href="https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume18/abstracts/V021.asp">https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume18/abstracts/V021.asp</a>. Fan, X.W., Zhang, X., Teng, L.J., Morris, S., Gao, Y.H., Askarizadeh, M., Ashley, K.A., Chim, B.K., Zhang, X.Y., and Hao, J. 2024. Evaluation of multiple fungicides to control foliar diseases of potatoes in Maine, 2023. Plant Disease Management Reports, 18: V059. Fan, X.W., Zhang, X.Y., Teng, L.J., Morris, S., Gao, Y.H., Askarizadeh, M., Ashley, K.A., Chim, B.K., Zhang, X., and Hao, J.J. 2024. Evaluation of fungicides for controlling foliar diseases of potatoes in Maine, 2023. Plant Disease Management Reports, 18: V060. Gao, Y.H., Zhang, X.Y., Teng, L.J., Fan, X.W., Askarizadeh, M., Ashley, K.A., Morris, S., Zhang, X.Y., and Hao, J. 2024. Effect of seed treatment using fungicides for the control of black scurf of potato in Maine, 2023. Plant Disease Management Reports, 18: ST003. Khmelnitsky, O., Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S., and Kikkert, J. R. 2024. Efficacy of fungicides for Cercospora leaf blight control in carrot, 2023. Plant Dis. Manage. Rep. 18:V023.<a href="https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume18/abstracts/V023.asp">https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume18/abstracts/V023.asp</a> Kikkert, J. R., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Tar spot of corn is widespread in our region. Cornell VegEdge 20(23):1-3.<a href="https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/pdf/veg_edge/pdf304_pdf.pdf">VegEdge newsletter – Vol. 20, Iss. 23, 10/2/2024 (cornell.edu)</a> Pethybridge, S. J., Kikkert. J., and Telenko, D. 2024. Tar spot in corn: Be Alert!! Cornell VegEdge 20(17):1-3.<a href="https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/pdf/veg_edge/pdf298_pdf.pdf">VegEdge newsletter – Vol. 20, Iss. 17, 7/31/2024 (cornell.edu)</a>. Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S., and Kikkert, J. R. 2024. Efficacy of pesticides for bacterial leaf spot control in table beet, 2023. Plant Dis. Manage. Rep. 18:V010 <a href="https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume18/abstracts/V010.asp">https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume18/abstracts/V010.asp</a>. Pethybridge, S. J., Sharma, P., Murphy, S., Simangunsong, R., and Kikkert, J. R. 2024. Efficacy of fungicides for Cercospora leaf spot control in table beet, 2023.  Plant Dis. Manage. Rep. 18:V022. <a href="https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume18/abstracts/V022.asp">https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume18/abstracts/V022.asp</a>. Ploeg, A. T., & Edwards. (2024). Root-knot Nematode Populations Infecting Resistant Tomatoes. UC ANR Kern County Vegetable Crops Newsletter, February 2024. 6 pp.<a href="https://cekern.ucanr.edu/newsletters/Kern_Vegetable_Crops_Newsletter100648.pdf">https://cekern.ucanr.edu/newsletters/Kern_Vegetable_Crops_Newsletter100648.pdf</a> Sassenrath, G.F., Little, C.R., Lin, X. 2024. Role of soil management in control of soilborne diseases. Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 10: Article 8. (doi.org/10.4148/2378- 5977.8577) Sharma, P., Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S., and Kikkert. J. R. 2024. Susceptibility of selected table beet cultivars to foliar diseases. Cornell VegEdge 20(2):4-6.<a href="https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/pdf/veg_edge/pdf283_pdf.pdf">VegEdge newsletter – Vol. 20, Iss. 2, 2/7/2024 (cornell.edu)</a> Teng, L., J., Zhang, X., Fan, X. W. Askarizadeh, M., Ashley, K., Morris, Gao, Y.H., S., Chim, B.K., and Hao, J. 2024. Field evaluation of Orondis Gold for controlling pink rot of potato in Maine, 2023. Plant Disease Management Reports, 18: V029. Teng, L., J., Zhang, X., Fan, X. W. Askarizadeh, M., Gao, Y.H., Ashley, K., Morris, S., Chim, B.K., Zhang, X.Y., Porter, G., and Hao, J. 2024. Examining resistance of potato variety and clones for pink rot in 2023. Plant Disease Management Reports, 18: V049. Extension Talks/Field Days/Workshops/Consultations Becker, J. O. California Nematology Workshop and Workgroup Meeting, Kearney Research and Extension Center, Reedley, CA, March 26, 2024. “Cyst nematodes and biocontrol agents” (invited hands-on demonstration as part of the Statewide Nematology Workshop; J.O. Becker). Becker, J. O. PCA Nematodes Fall Update Meeting, Bakersfield, October 8, 2024. “Nematodes important in California's agriculture” (invited presentation, J.O. Becker) Becker, J. O. PLPA 240 class field demonstration, August 27, 2024. UC ANR South Coast Research and Extension Center, Irvine. “Root-knot nematode diseases and management” (invited presentation and hands-on demonstrations, J.O. Becker). Becker, J. O. PLPA 240 class launch meeting, August 15, 2024. UCR Alumni Center. “Plant-parasitic Nematodes Diseases and Management” (invited presentation, J.O. Becker) Becker, J. O. Teaching one part of Simon (Niel) Groen's class NEM206. “Integrated Nematode Pest Management, June 5, 2024 (invited, J.O. Becker) Becker, J. O. UCR Turfgrass & Landscape Research Field Day, Sept. 12, 2024. “Plant disease-causing nematodes in California turfgrass.” (invited presentation, J.O. Becker). Diggins, K., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Mesotunnel research in NY update. USDA NIFA OREI Project Meeting. Attendees = 25. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 12.5 hours. 21 August 2024. Diggins, K., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. NY field trial plans – mesotunnel research. USDA-NIFA OREI Project Advisory Meeting. By Zoom. Attendees = 25. Duration = 60 min. Total contact = 25 hours. 11 January 2024. Friesen, ML. 2024. PNW Farmer’s Network Soil Health coffee Hour “Can we replace synthetic nitrogen with microbes?”, Sept 2024 Hao, J. “Integrating biological and chemical strategies for controlling potato diseases.” 2024 Crop Health Conference, Northeastland Hotel, Presque Isle, ME. Dec. 4, 2024. Hao, J. “Understanding the dynamics and taxonomy of pathogens for improved management of potato soft rot.” 2024 Crop Health Conference, Northeastland Hotel, Presque Isle, ME. Dec. 4, 2024. Hao, J. Maine Potato Research Field Day –Aroostook Research Farm, Presque Isle, ME. Aug. 14, 2024. 100 attendees. Heck, D. W., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Microbial biopesticides. Empire Expo, Syracuse, New York. Attendees = 30. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 15 hours. 23 January 2024. James Borneman Presentation. Predicting Cyst Nematode Suppression in the Imperial Valley & Beyond. Sugarbeet Workgroup Meeting, February 21 2024, Zoom Meeting. Little, C. R. The project leader, C.R. Little, presented at the Southeast Research and Extension Center in Parsons, Kansas as part of the 2025 Spring Crops Meeting, a session entitled: "Soil healh and soilborne diseases," which covered the concepts of soil health, the importance of two soybean soilborne diseases (sudden death, charcoal rot), and disease management strategies including crop rotation, soil nutrition, host resistance, cover crops/green manures, and the soil microbial community. McBeath, J.H. 2023. Challenges and Potential of Rhodiola Cultivation in Alaska. 2023 Alaska Food and Farm Festival, Nov. 10-12, 2023, Anchorage, AK. McBeath, J.H. 2023. Peony Research Report. 2023 Alaska Food and Farm Festival, Nov. 10-12, 2023, Anchorage, AK. McBeath, J.H. 2024. What wrong with my garden. CES Master Gardener. April, 2024 Paulitz, T. 2024.  What’s New in Root Disease Research.  Farm Forum, Spokane, WA Feb. 6, 2024. Paulitz, T. C.   2024. Canola in Rotation Influences Microbial Communities of Wheat Roots.  ARS webinar, Feb. 16, 2024. Paulitz, T. C.  2023.  Canola in Rotation Influences Microbial Communities of Wheat Roots. Soil Health Coffee Hour, a webinar for growers, Washington State University, Dec. 20, 2023. Paulitz, T. C.  2023. Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plants: An Ancient Symbiotic Partnership.  Palouse Prairie Foundation,  Moscow, ID. Dec. 5, 2023. Paulitz, T. C.  2024. The Underground World of the Potato Microbiome to 15th Washington - Oregon Potato Conference Jan. 23-24, 2024, Pasco, WA. Paulitz, T. C. 2023. 1.5 hour hands-on lab to growers on The Soil Microbiome & Soil Health, Washington Wheat Academy, Washington State University, Dec. 15, 2023. Paulitz, T. C. 2024.  Fusarium crown rot of wheat.  Washington Grain Commission Feb. 13, 2024. Paulitz, T. C. 2024. 1.5 hr podcast. 24 years of on-farm research at the Jirava Farm, Ritzville, WA.  May 1, 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Building resilient foliar disease management strategies for the organic table beet industry. USDA Organic Program Project Directors Meeting. Attendees = 150. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 60 hours. 25 April 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Development of a preparedness strategy for tar spot of processing sweet corn in New York. New York Vegetable Research Council and Association Meeting, Batavia, New York. Attendees = 54. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 27 hours. 18 March 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Dry bean disease management. University of Vermont Dry Bean Webinar Series. Attendees = 85. Duration = 90 min. Total contact = 127.5 hours. 20 February 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Dry beans for lunch webinar series. Mid-season disease management. University of Vermont Dry Bean Webinar Series. Attendees = 28. Duration = 60 min. Total contact = 28 hours. 19 July 2024.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8R5CBkk-rY">Beans for Lunch Webinar Series, Managing dry bean diseases in the field, July 19, 2024 (youtube.com)</a>. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Efficacy of products for white mold control in dry bean in New York (2024). NYS Dry Bean Twilight Growers Meeting, Le Roy, New York. Attendees = 30. Duration = 60 min. Total contact = 30 hours. 25 September 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Feasibility of mesotunnels for cucurbit production. 43rd Annual LI Agricultural Forum, Riverhead, New York. Attendees = 50. Duration = 60 min. Total contact = 100 hours. 11 January 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Integrated management of diseases affecting dry bean. Vermont Grain Growers Conference, Essex Junction, Vermont. Attendees = 200. Duration = 60 min. Total contact = 200 hours. 20 March 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Mesotunnels for cucurbit production. UConn Extension Vegetable & Small Fruit Growers’ Conference. Storrs, CT. Attendees = 175. Duration = 60 min. Total contact = 175 hours. 9 January 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Microbial biopesticides and other organic disease management options. Cornell University NYS Pesticide Applicator Update, Ithaca, New York. Attendees = 180. Duration = 60 min. Total contact = 180 hours. 21 March 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Seedborne diseases of cucurbits and chenopods caused by the bacterium, Pseudomonas syringae pv. aptata. SCRI Webinar (by zoom). Attendees = 96. Duration = 60 min. Total contact = 96 hours. 3 April 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Soilborne diseases of vegetables in New York – white mold in rolled cereal rye systems. W5147 Multistate Project (by zoom). Attendees = 30. Duration = 60 min. Total contact = 30 h. 6 December 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. The new kid on the block: Tar spot of sweet corn. Empire Expo, Syracuse, New York. Attendees = 75. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 38 hours. 24 January 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. The new kid on the kernal, tar spot of corn. New England Fruit and Vegetable Conference, Manchester, NY. Attendees = 100. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 50 hours. 17 December 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Towards a durable management strategy for foliar diseases of processing carrots in New York. New York Vegetable Research Council and Association Meeting, Batavia, New York. Attendees = 54. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 27 hours. 18 March 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Towards a durable management strategy for white mold in dry beans in New York. NYS Dry Bean Council Meeting, Geneva, New York. Attendees = 50. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 25 hours. 22 March 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Towards an integrated durable management strategy for diseases of carrots. New England Fruit and Vegetable Conference, Manchester, NY. Attendees = 50. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 25 hours. 19 December 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Vegetable disease research at Cornell AgriTech. NY Vegetable Research Association and Council, Batavia, NY. Attendees = 33. Duration = 60 min. Total contact = 33 hours. 11 April 2024. Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Vegetable disease research at Cornell AgriTech. NY Vegetable Research Association and Council, Geneva, NY. Attendees = 20. Duration = 3 hours. Total contact = 60 hours. 10 December 2024. Pethybridge, S. J., and Khmelnitsky, O. 2024. Sustainable anthracnose management in watermelons: Update from NY research. USDA-SCRI Project Meeting, Myrtle Beach, SC. Attendees = 30. Duration = 3 hours. Total contact = 1.5 hours. 4 December 2024. Pethybridge, S. J., Khmelnitsky, O., and Buck, E. 2024. Recent outbreaks of Green Fruit Anthracnose: A threat to pepper production in the United States. International Pepper Conference, Ithaca, New York. Attendees = 50. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 25 hours. 11 September 2024. Pineros Guerrero, N., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2024. Update on Stemphylium leaf blight of onions. Empire Expo, Syracuse, New York. Attendees = 50. Duration = 30 min. Total contact = 25 hours. 24 January 2024. Ploeg, A. A root-knot nematode in golf course greens. Multistate Research Project meeting, W5147. 12/2024 Ploeg, A. Nematode management strategies in annual crops. UC ANR Nematology Workgoup. Parlier, 03/2024. Ploeg, A. Nematode population biology: Population dynamics and effects of nematodes on plants. Graduate student class lecture NEM206.05/2025 Ploeg, A. Nematodes important in California agriculture. Fall Update Meeting. Stockton, CA. 10/2024 Ploeg, A. Nematodes important in California agriculture. Fall Update Meeting. Fresno, CA. 10/2024 Ploeg, A. Nematodes important in California agriculture. Fall Update Meeting. Woodland, CA. 10/2024 Ploeg, A. Summary of 10 years of research trials with fluorinated nematicides. 35th Annual Fall Desert Crops Workshop. Holtville 12/2024. Wilson, T. and Amita Kaundal (2024).  “Microbes from Native Plant Provide Drought Tolerance” Research on Capitol Hill, Utah State Capitol, Feb 20, 2024. Wilson, T., Jyosthna Ganesh, Ananta Devkota, Katie Hewitt, and Amita Kaundal*(2024).  “Isolation of Native Plant’s Microbiome for Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria” CWEL Field Day, Greenville Research Farm, August 13, 2024. Wilson, T., Jyosthna Ganesh, Ananta Devkota, Katie Hewitt, and Amita Kaundal*(2024).  “Isolation of Native Plant’s Microbiome for Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria” Student Organic Farm, Utah State University, August 21,2024. White, J.  presentation in the Canadian Regenerative Agriculture and Rangeland Annual Conference (Dec. 12, 2024).

Impact Statements

Camelina, a potential biofuels crop, has a diverse root microbiome that may function in increasing nitrogen and nutrient efficiency, disease tolerance, and drought tolerance.
Analyzing nematode communities at all trophic levels can give a picture of soil health.
Understanding the diversity of existing nitrogen-fixing bacterial communities can help design management strategies to enhance these organisms in place or supplement these communities with additional inoculated strains.
The broader public benefited from our project's activities by promoting sustainable agricultural practices that lead to healthier soils.
Improved disease management in potato production contributes to food security by enhancing crop resilience and increasing yields.
Stakeholders gained valuable insights by attending annual meetings, field days, and through interactions with our research team. These efforts have helped us better understand how to manage soilborne diseases and increase potato yields, while also providing training opportunities for students and sharing findings with growers and agricultural professionals.
Trained 5 graduate and 1 undergraduate students and professionals in conducting research.
The information gained provides the farmers and scientific community with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions when using these beneficial microbes to improve maize resistance against either pests or pathogens or both.
Our study is the first report that shows that T. virens and potentially other Trichoderma species can be used as an effective biocontrol strategy against one of the most damaging corn pests for which the use of Bt-containing corn proved to be less effective. Therefore, this study provides evidence that western corn rootworms and potentially other rootworms can be effectively controlled by the application of Trichoderma as seed treatment.
The study provided evidence that, in addition to the previously reported strong beneficial effect of Trichoderma on resistance to foliar pathogens, a bacterial symbiont Pseudomonas chlororaphis can be used as a biocontrol strategy to reduce yield losses due to foliar diseases.
TX Peanut project: • 19 microbial endophytes are progressing through the Texas A&M Office of Commercialization IP protection. Some isolated microbes interact with peanuts through plant hormonal pathways and/or altered nutrient mineralization/uptake. • Improved drought response (longer time to leaf and meristem wilt) is noted in microbe-inoculated plants • The microbial inoculation strategy should lead to reduced-input (water, fertilizer, pesticide) cultivation practices.
Native plant project: • 2 microbial endophytes were identified that inhibit the germination of the invasive grass KR bluestem while having neutral or promotive effects on germination of the native grass little bluestem. • The project is providing scientific training to one Tarleton State University Ph.D. student and two TSU undergraduate students. • The eventual goal is to develop a microbial inoculant to shift the competitive balance in favor of native grasses during rangeland restoration efforts.
Biochar project: • A multiyear NRCS-funded study is underway using biochar as a soil amendment to mitigate the environmental impacts of dairy manure application • Early data from greenhouse and field studies suggest that biochar can be used as a soil amendment without negative impacts on forage production while providing positive impacts on soil carbon sequestration and soil microbial diversity. Decreases in pathogenic microbes, antibiotic residues, and antibiotic resistance genes have been noted in biochar amended plots.
Our research demonstrated that sugar beet cyst nematode populations in California's broccoli production fields are generally below the damaging threshold.
Nematicide use for cyst nematode control in broccoli appears not justified.
Novel contact nematicides are very effective against root-knot nematodes.
Improved knowledge on the management of Cercospora leaf spot of table beet.
Characterization of the microbiome associated with dry bean and the effect of tillage and nitrogen on agronomic characteristics.
Efficacy of selected biopesticides for white mold control in dry bean.
Climate-induced environmental stresses and the overuse of chemical fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and pesticides are currently posing a significant threat to plant and soil health. In response to this urgent need, our long-term goal is to isolate plant growth-promoting bacteria from the rhizosphere, roots, and nodules of the native plants in Utah. We believe that developing biofertilizers and biocontrol agents is a crucial step in addressing this pressing issue.
These actinorhizal native plants to the Intermountain West region of the US have adapted to poor soil and arid climate conditions. They recommended for low water use landscaping and are a treasure trove of various plant growth-promoting microbes, making them a fascinating subject of study.
Needed research-based data on efficacy of biologically-based and synthetic nematicides were provided to grower and industry clientele.
Root-knot nematodes, particularly M. marylandi, are likely to be an important – but not the only – factor in bentgrass decline symptoms in California golf courses. The importance of collecting soil samples and having them analyzed for nematode presence when such symptoms are observed is recommended.
When nematode symptoms (root-galling) are observed on resistant processing tomatoes, it is highly likely that a resistance-breaking nematode population has developed. Switching to another nematode resistant tomato variety is unlikely to help. Instead, adding a non-host or other nematode resistant crop into the rotation, or a nematicide application will likely lower such nematode populations.
It is important to try and eradicate or limit the spread of the RKN species M. floridensis, as it poses a threat to common vegetable crops in California. When root-galling symptoms are observed in RKN-resistant it is recommended to collect nematodes and identify to species using PCR-based methods to determine if it is caused by a resistance-breaking population of a common species, or by M. floridensis (or other species).
The goal of this research is to create more effective and sustainable strategies to manage cyst nematodes. In this reported period, we demonstrated that we could predict which fields would suppress cyst nematode populations by quantifying the amount of these fungi in soil before a crop was planted. We expect that this will lead to the development of new cropping decision models that will enable growers to be create and maintain soils that suppress H. schachtii, which we anticipate will lead to higher crop yields and profitability for the growers. This work was published this reporting period. During the course of this work, we also created new ways to analyze fungal Illumina amplicon data, which improved the results of our research. We expect this will also improve the results for other researchers.