Crop Science

Dr. Nancy Creamer

 Professor Of Horticultural Science, Director Of The Center For Environmental Farming Systems

Sustainable agriculture; organic farming; community-based food systems.

Areas of Expertise
Crop Science
Horticultural Science
Organic Farming
Colleges
CALS

Dr. David Danehower

 Professor Of Crop Science

Plant natural products chemistry including the role these compounds play in defending plants against other plants, insects and diseases; the potential for utilizing plant natural products as a renewable biochemical resource.

Areas of Expertise
Crop Science
Pest Management/Pesticides
Colleges
CALS

Dr. Major Goodman

 William Neal Reynolds Distinguished University Professor Of Crop Science

Breeding and genetics of corn to improve disease resistance, yield and genetic diversity; origin of maize and risks of genetically modified maize in its center of origin. Member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Areas of Expertise
Crop Science
Genetics
Colleges
CALS

Dr. James Moyer

 Professor And Department Head Of Plant Pathology

Control of virus diseases of plants. Evolution and adaptation of viruses to plant and insect hosts. Genetic mechanisms of virus adaptation. Emphasis on Tospoviruses (bunyaviridae) and potyviruses.

Areas of Expertise
Crop Science
Colleges
CALS

Dr. J. Paul Murphy

 Professor Of Crop Science

Breeding wheat, oats, barley and triticale for improved yield, nutritional quality and disease resistance. Conserving genetic diversity in plants.

Areas of Expertise
Crop Science
Colleges
CALS

Dr. Gary Payne

 William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Of Plant Pathology

Genomic approaches and field studies to improve food safety and to understand fungal biology and secondary metabolism. Gene expression profiling to characterize the regulatory circuits in Aspergillus flavus governing aflatoxin biosynthesis. Field and laboratory studies are focused on understanding the ecology of Fusarium verticillioides and the inheritance of resistance to the fungus. Maize seed proteins inhibitory to mycotoxin-producing fungi are being isolated and characterized to better understand resistance mechanisms in seeds.

Areas of Expertise
Crop Science
Colleges
CALS

Dr. Jean Ristaino

 Professor Of Plant Pathology

Late blight of potato and tomato. Molecular evolution and genome sequence of the Irish potato famine plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans in modern and historic specimens. Identification and DNA fingerprinting of tobacco blue mold disease. Developing ecologically-based disease management practices that reduce reliance on pesticides. The impact of soil microbial diversity on plant diseases and studies of organic farming systems.

Areas of Expertise
Crop Science
Colleges
CALS

Dr. W. David Smith

 Philip Morris Professor Of Crop Science

Tobacco production and management. Identification of physical properties of the growing medium necessary for optimal transplant production; The relationship between the uniformity of seedling emergence and transplant usability and response of cultivars to seed priming. Weed control and tobacco response to sulfentrazone. Site-specific weed management. Heads crop science department.

Areas of Expertise
Crop Science
Colleges
CALS