Research Interests

Research in my team is focussed on plant diseases that have a major impact on the supply and quality of fresh produce while also threatening the livelihoods of farmers. In particular, we investigate fungal plant pathogens resident in the soil that can sometimes survive for decades and are therefore a major challenge to control.

Through our research we aim to better understand, identify, quantify and control these pathogens with an emphasis on key vegetable crops such as onion, lettuce, carrot and brassicas as well as more specialist produce such as peas, parsnips, herbs, asparagus and cut flowers.

We work collaboratively with other researchers, plant breeders, crop protection companies, agronomists and growers to develop sustainable ways of combating these important diseases through plant resistance, diagnostics and biological / cultural control and other approaches.