Research in the Esker Laboratory focuses on the intersection between plant disease epidemiology, temperature and tropical crops, and cropping systems. We apply integrated approaches from field to laboratory to computational to explore complex relationships between factors that drive disease risk and how different management tactics can be combined in economical and environmentally sound production strategies. 

Using Data-Driven Knowledge for Profitable Soybean Management Systems

The Soybean Data-Driven project aims to advance the use of big data in agriculture. In this project, hundreds of soybean fields are surveyed periodically throughout the USA. These geo-referenced surveys cover dozens of known soybean stressors, including various abiotic stressors, diseases, pests, and weeds. 

The Data-Driven team, along with its collaborators, aim to use our vast collection of soybean data to create valuable modeling tools that can help growers make decisions in real time. 

Contact Data Driven PIs Paul Esker or Shawn Conley (University of Wisconsin-Madison) for details. ​

Fusarium Management

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The Fusarium Management project led by Dilooshi Weerasooriya delves into the genetic diversity, pathogenicity, and geographical distribution of various Fusarium species within Pennsylvania's soybean fields. Employing Multi-Locus Sequence Typing on numerous Fusarium isolates, this initiative aims to uncover insights crucial for establishing robust disease management strategies in soybean production. With integrated biocontrol efforts, the project's anticipated outcome holds promise for enhancing disease control measures within the soybean production system.

​Contact Dilooshi Weerasooriya for details. 

Population Genetics of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
The population genetics of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum project is led by Karen Luong and it focuses on uncovering the diversity of this pathogen at a regional scale and whether there are associations with diversity and epidemiology factors. These factors include management practices, soil type, and microclimate. Using microsatellite markers, this study shows that the sampled S. sclerotiorum population is mainly clonal with little evidence of outcrossing. There are several regions with high genotypic diversity or richness but no one epidemiological factor can explain this observation.

Contact Karen Luong for details. 

High-throughput fungicide sensitivity assay development

​The high-throughput fungicide sensitivity assay development is led by Karen Luong and this project aims to improve the efficiency of fungicide sensitivity screening for filamentous fungi. A successful high-throughput method was developed for S. sclerotiorum using mycelia as the inoculum which reduced time and resources by half compared to a traditional Petri plate method. However, EC50 estimates differed between the high-throughput method and the traditional method. 

Contact Karen Luong for details. 
Esker Lab funding sources