Rhizopus seed and seedling rot is a highly destructive peanut disease, causing rapid seed decay in 36-96 hours and rendering seeds and pre-emerged seedlings indistinguish[...]

Sweet olive (Osmanthus fragrans Lour.) is a shrub or small tree in the Oleaceae family with challenges in propagation, flowering, and aroma production. The cutting experi[...]

Georgia is ranked highly nationwide for vegetable production and it is a significant contributor to the state’s economy, generating $1.3 billion in 2023. Sweet corn and s[...]

The overexploitation of peat moss and increasing concerns about water usage have driven the search for sustainable alternatives in horticulture. Biochar, a carbon-rich ma[...]

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) can significantly impact vegetable production in Georgia. While M. incognita is the most prevalent species, recent surveys reported[...]

Georgia is one of the largest producers of blueberries in the United States, but the hot, humid climate provides ideal conditions for disease development. Among other dis[...]

Huanglongbing (HLB), is caused by ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas), andvectored by the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP). HLB represents a major concern for the contin[...]

Noncrop habitats are key components for maintaining arthropod diversity within agricultural settings, yet studies in perennial fruit crops often overlook the local spatia[...]

Center rot of onion is a bacterial disease caused by diverse plant-pathogenic Pantoea species that leads to substantial losses in both field and in storage. Pantoea stewa[...]

Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), accounting for most animal-mediated pollination, are declining globally due to factors such as pesticides and land use change. While working [...]

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a globally significant crop valued for its oil and protein content, making cultivars with high seed quality and disease resistance desirab[...]

Understanding how arthropod communities are structured and how environmental stressors such as farming management practices act as ecological filters in this process is e[...]

Blueberry popularity is increasing, and new cultivars are needed to support increased demand from consumers and withstand environmental variability. Five rabbiteye (Vacci[...]

Burkholderia onion pathogens are a routine threat to onion production in the United States causing diseases such as slippery skin and sour skin. Onion in response to path[...]

The maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, is an economically important pest of stored grains causing significant losses. This study explored key ecological factors, including[...]

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.) is widely utilized in landscape owing to its diverse flower colors, extended blooming period, attractive bark, and ease of maintenance. [...]

This two-year study (2023–2024) at the University of Georgia Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center investigated how planting density and nitrogen application rates [...]

Vegetable production in southern Georgia faces significant challenges, including soilborne diseases and declining soil fertility, exacerbated by the region’s Costal Plain[...]

Emerging viral diseases are a growing concern for cotton production in the USA. Cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV), which causes cotton leafroll dwarf disease (CLRDD), p[...]

Apigenin is a bioactive compound with antibacterial, anticancer, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. It is biosynthesized in many fruits, vegetable[...]

Cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, L. Walp, is a globally important food and forage legume. In the southeastern United States, the primary pest affecting cowpea production is the[...]

Magnaporthe oryzae is a fungal pathogen with a broad host range that threatens major Poaceae species, including rice, wheat, and oats, causing significant yield and quali[...]

The United States is the leading producer of pecans worldwide, and Georgia is the leading production state within the United States. Over the years, pecan (Carya illinoin[...]

Fruit growth and development consists of general phases of cell division, cell expansion, maturation, and ripening. In apple, growth during early fruit development is lar[...]

This dissertation explores several research topics and aspects, including molecular assay design, genomic analysis, and biological experimental design in two pathosystems[...]