Lawrence E. Datnoff
Education
Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1985
Research:
My responsibility is for understanding the epidemiology, etiology and control of fungal plant pathogens that cause soil-borne and foliar diseases of ornamentals, rice, turf and vegetables in the state of Florida. I have been investigating a novel nutritional approach to managing these plant diseases which involves the study of the role of silicon for suppressing plant diseases. My interests have included understanding the interactions of silicon with fungicides, residual effects of silicon on disease development, the influence of silicon in the enhancement of host plant resistance and the mechanism (s) of silicon-mediated resistance. The plant pathogens I am studying (or have studied) in this system include Magnaporthe grisea (rice and turf), Thanatephorus cucumeris (rice and turf), Cochliobolus miyabeanus (rice and turf). Recently, I started investigating its effectiveness against diseases of ornamentals (powdery mildew/roses and gerbera daisies), bedding plants (downy mildew/Salvia), and other vegetable/agronomic crops (powdery mildew/cucumbers and rust/soybeans). Research will continue to further define and characterize the role of Si in plant disease suppression and to determine what genes and gene products might be involved in this process.
In addition, I am investigating the molecular, morphological and pathogenic characterization of the species Corynespora cassiicola, the cause of target spot of tomato (in cooperation with Dr. Ken Pernezny, EREC); factors involved in pathogenesis and molecular characterization of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycoperisici (in cooperation with Dr. Pam Roberts, SWREC); the etiology and control of pepper anthracnose (in cooperation with Dr. Ken Pernezny, EREC), and the pathogenicity, morphological and molecular characterization of isolates of Rhizoctonia sp. from turf, and screening germplasm of St. Augustinegrass for resistance (in cooperation with Drs. Rick Raid and Russell Nagata, EREC and Phil Harmon, Department of Plant Pathology).
Teaching:
Since Fall 2005, I have been teaching Fundamentals of Plant Pathology/General Plant Pathology, PLP 3002/5005. The objective of the lecture section of the course is to introduce the student to the many different types of plant pathogens, their basic biology, examples of the types of disease they cause, and the basic principles and concepts of their development, spread and management. The laboratory section emphasizes the principles and concepts of plant pathology through demonstrations and hands-on exercises using living organisms and prepared specimens. Graduate and DPM students are required to write a paper and prepare a 20 minute oral power point presentation on plant disease control, i. e. biological, cultural or chemical. I am also currently supervising the research of four Ph. Ds, and three master students as well as the chair of three DPM students.