MANAGEMENT OF DISEASES CAUSED BY FUSARIUM PATHOGENS OF AGRONOMICALLY IMPORTANT CROPS IN MONTANA

The primary goal of this project is to characterize Fusarium spp. community composition and diversity within three different cropping systems to better manage plant disease and improve recommendations to farmers.Determine the effect of location and different agronomic practices in two cereal production regions in Montana on the chemotype, fungicide sensitivity, and virulence of mycotoxin producing species of Fusarium.Measure the impact of different rotation schemes on disease development and species structure of Fusarium root rot of pea.Determine the infection processes of the sugar beet pathogens F. secorum and F. oxysporum f. sp. betae and perform a pathogen analysis in fields with Fusarium yellows to determine the prevalence and distribution of these pathogens.