Plant Diseases
At Warwick Crop Centre, School of Life Sciences, we carry out research on a wide variety of plant diseases with focus on vegetable crops. Some of these diseases are listed below and more information can be found in linked pages.
We focus on crop genetic improvement, disease forecasting and control. This involves understanding of pathogen biology, epidemiology, diversity and population structure and we employ a wide range of molecular and conventional techniques such as next generation sequencing, modelling and controlled environment studies.
The scope of work covers the range from fundamental to applied, with funding from research councils (BBSRC), government (Defra), Innovate UK (formerly TSB) and the Horticultural Development Company (HDC). We work closely with industry on many projects and interact and collaborate with the wider crop and plant research community nationaly and internationally.
| Disease type | Common name | Pathogen | Hosts |
| Fungal | Root rot | Fusarium oxysporum | onion, lettuce, pea, narcissus |
| White rot | Sclerotinia cepivorum | onion | |
| Sclerotinia sclerotiorum | brassicas, carrot, lettuce, beans | ||
| Root canker | Itersonilia pastinacae, Mycocentrospora destructans | parsnip | |
| Oomycete | Cavity spot | Pythium violae | carrot |
| Downy mildew | Hyaloperonospora brassicae | brassicas | |
| Peronospora destructor | onion | ||
| Peronospora viciae | pea | ||
| White rust | Albugo candida | brassicas | |
| Bacterial | Halo blight | Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. phaseolicola | Phaseolus bean |
| Black rot | Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris | brassicas, other crucifers | |
| Xanthomonas nasturtii | watercress | ||
| Leaf spot | Xanthomonas campestris pv. raphani | brassicas, other crucifers, tomato | |
| Viral | Mosaic | Turnip mosaic virus | brassicas |
| Yellows | Turnip Yellows virus | brassicas | |
| Watercress yellow spot virus | watercress | ||
| Other | Clubroot | Plasmodiophora brassicae | brassicas |
Plant Pathology related researchers at the Warwick Crop Centre and at the School of Life Sciences:
- Dr John Clarkson (soilborne diseases)
- Dr Miriam Gifford (Ralstonia solanacearum on roots of model legumes)
- Professor Murray Grant (plant-bacteria interactions)
- Professor Eric Holub (oomycete, bacteria and others)
- Dr Vardis Ntoukakis (plant-pathogen interactions)
- Dr Patrick Schäfer (root symbioses and root diseases)
- Dr Andrew Taylor (fungal diseases),
- Dr Joana Vicente (bacteria, oomycetes)
- Professor John Walsh (viral diseases and others)