David N. Appel
Research in the Forest Pathology Laboratory focuses on factors that influence the incidence and severity of plant disease epidemics, such as oak wilt and Pierce’s disease of grapes. Similar studies are being conducted on potentially dangerous invasive species, such as exotic and native dodder species.

Charles M. Kenerley
Using Trichoderma virens as a model, we are examining the effect of transgenes on disease suppression and fungal competition. Developing quantitative relationships between single or combinations of transgenic biocontrol agents and their hosts will provide new approaches for managing seedling diseases.

Charlie Rush
Major research projects in Dr. Rush’s lab include ecology and epidemiology of karnal bunt, remote sensing to differentiate between biotic and abiotic stresses, management of sorghum ergot, and genomic variability among Benyviruses. Dr. Rush’s lab is the only USDA-APHIS approved Karnal Bunt Quarantine Research Lab in the Southern Great Plains, and as such, provides a phytosanitary seed certification service that allows Texas producers to sale seed wheat outside of the state.

Terry Wheeler
My research focus is in soil-borne diseases of cotton and peanut. I assist cotton breeders in breeding for disease resistance, chemical testing for various diseases, management of pod rot of peanuts, and understanding the interaction between irrigation rates and plant pathogens in large-scale agricultural settings.