Current projects:
Ecology and epidemiology of late blight
A major emphasis has been to understand the epidemiology and ecology of late blight as a guide to sustainable disease management. In this regard, we’ve developed a complex, mechanistic simulation model of the late blight disease. Although the model has been in development for many years, it has recently been modified to reflect pathogen development more accurately. Current efforts are directed at using the model with weather forecasts in-real time as an aid in guiding management tactics. In addition to the synthesis activity of modeling, we have conducted many studies that have revealed the ecology of various aspects of P. infestans. For example, we have demonstrated: that solar radiation is the most important factor affecting survival of sporangia as they are dispersed through the atmosphere; that oospores can survive years in soils in northeastern USA; that a forecast system developed from simulation analysis has utility in integrated management of potato blight;
Selected Publications
Andrade-Piedra, J., R. J. Hijmans, H. S. Juarez, G. A. Forbes, D. Shtienberg and W. E. Fry (2005). "Simulation of potato late blight in the Andes: II. Validation of the LATEBLIGHT model." Phytopathology 95: 1200-1208.
Fernandez-Pavia, S. P., N. J. Grunwald, M. Diaz-Valasis, M. A. Cadena-Hinojosa and W. E. Fry (2004). "Soil-borne oospores of Phytophthora infestans in central Mexico survive winter fall and infect potato plants in the field." Plant Disease: 88: 29-33.
Grunwald, N. J., Rubio-Covarrubias, O. A., and Fry, W. E. .2000. “Potato Late Blight management in the Toluca Valley: Forecasts and resistant cultivars.” Plant Disease 84: 410-416.
Mayton, H., Smart, C. D., Moravec, B. C., Mizubuti, E. S. G., Muldoon, A. E. and Fry, W. E. 2000. Oospore survival and pathogenicity of single oospore recombinant progeny from a cross involving the US-8 and US-17 lineages of Phytophthora infestans. Plant Disease 84: 1190-1196.
Mizubuti, E. S. G., Aylor, D. E. and Fry, W. E. (2000) Survival of Phytophthora infestans sporangia exposed to solar radiation. Phytopathology 90: 78-84.
Structure of the potato late blight simulation model