Xin-Gen "Shane" Zhou

Xin-Gen (Shane) Zhou, Ph.D. is a professor at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Beaumont and in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology. His areas of research are in the epidemiology and management of diseases in rice, including organic rice. Research activities center on sheath blight, kernel smut, narrow brown leaf spot, the seedling disease complex, bacterial panicle blight, and other diseases, economically important in the rice main and ratoon (second harvest) crops in Texas. His research focuses on improving cultivar resistance and chemical control, developing effective biological control methods (cover crops, PGPRs, endophytes and other beneficial microorganisms) and utilizing UAVs for remote sensing, core-microbiome manipulation, and other innovative approaches to detect and manage diseases. Zhou has published over 91 refereed papers and secured nearly $19 M dollars in support of his research program. The goal of his research program is to develop sustainable and profitable strategies for safeguarding rice crop health and enhancing productivity.