MSLFS in Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science

We are an interdisciplinary program with broad expertise in plant pathology (the study of diseases, plant pathogens, and their management), physiology (the study of plant function, growth, and response to environmental stresses), and weed science (the study of weed biology, ecology, and management). We are committed to optimizing plant productivity and quality by limiting the impact of biotic and abiotic stresses on the profitability of crops. Specific areas of faculty and student research include biotic and abiotic stresses in natural and agricultural ecosystems, genomics of plant domestication, genomics of plant pathogens, molecular biology of plant-pathogen interaction, drones as tools to study airborne microorganisms, the molecular biology of communication between parasitic plants and their hosts, weed management, herbicide evaluation, ecology of invasive species in natural and manage ecosystems.