Carolina Mazo Molina, PhD (she/her/hers)
Postdoctoral Researcher
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan, United States
Ali Akhtar
University of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Mandy Bish, n/a
Assistant Professor
University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri, United States
Kaitlyn Bissonnette
Cotton Incorporated
Cary, North Carolina, United States
Chase Floyd, pHD
Assistant Research Professor & State Extension Crop Protection Specialist
University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri, United States
Thomas Isakeit, PhD.
Professor and Extension Specialist, Field Crops
University of Texas A & M
College Station, Texas, United States
Heather Marie Kelly, n/a
Professor
University of Tennessee
Jackson, Tennessee, United States
Robert C. Kemerait, Jr., PhD
Professor
UGA Dept of Plant Pathology
Tifton, GA, USA
Kathy Lawrence, n/a
Professor
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama, United States
Cecilia Monclova-Santana
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Bradley Wilson
University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri, United States
John Mueller
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina, United States
Amanda L. Strayer-Scherer, PhD
Assistant Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama, United States
Trey Price, n/a
Associate Professor
Macon Ridge Research Station, Louisiana State University, Winnsboro, LA 71295
Winnsboro, Louisiana, United States
Ian M. Small, PhD
Associate Professor
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, North Florida Research and Education Center, Plant Pathology
Quincy, Florida, United States
Tom W. Allen
Extension/Research Professor
Delta Research & Extension Center, Mississippi State University
Stoneville, Mississippi, United States
Terry Spurlock
Associate Prof-Plant Pathologist
Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Alejandro Rojas
Assistant Professor
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan, United States
Target spot caused by Corynespora cassiicola and areolate mildew caused by either Ramulariopsis gossypii or pseudoglycines are (re)-emergent diseases affecting cotton production in the southern U.S. The two foliar diseases have gained recognition among producers due to defoliation and overall yield impacts. As part of the efforts of the National Predictive Modeling Tool Initiative (NPMTI), spore traps were used to monitor pathogens in eleven cotton-producing states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas). Initial approaches have been focused on establishing assays for detecting these foliar pathogens. An existing assay published targeting EF-1a for C. cassiicola was implemented and compared to a novel assay targeting ga4 loci. Both assays had a limit of detection of 10 fg. Likewise, a Ramulariopsis assay is under development targeting EF-1a; however, the limit of detection is as low as 100 fg. Spore samples collected in 2021 and 2022 from commercial cotton fields in cooperating states (n=47), and small plot replicated trials with a fungicide component (termed ‘management plots’; n=23) are being reevaluated with the new assays. The samples were collected weekly in a passive spore sampler using a proprietary foam cassette. Preliminary data indicated that spore counts of both fungi varied by year and location, likely due to key variables related to environment, cropping history, and host proximity. These efforts will be used to model regional disease risk and improve disease management.