To determine fungicide sensitivity in the lab, the fungicide of interest will be amended to medium in Petri plates, and growth of the Fusarium species will be compared to that of a control. This technique allows for the rapid screening of fungicide efficacy and the monitoring for fungicide resistance.
To identify soybean susceptibility factors, F. virguliforme toxins will be isolated and purified using molecular tools, and exposed to soybean leaf tissues. Soybean varieties that develop symptoms will be assessed for specific susceptibility genes that caused a disease reaction in response to the specific F. virguliforme toxin.
Field trials will utilize standard RCBD layout. Trials will be conducted at the naturally infested Decatur location and on campus in inoculated plots.
Strains of F. brasiliense will be screened for pathogenicity and virulence in growth chamber studies.

SDS resistance can be classified into foliar resistance to phytotoxins and root resistance to pathogen infection. In our preliminary resistance screen with Dr. Glen Hartman in the University of Illinois, we discovered a soybean differential system that distinguish SDS foliar symptoms into four categories. The discovery implement the resistance of foliar chlorosis and foliar necrosis may be controlled by different genetic loci. In collaboration with Dr. Hartman and Dr. Dechun Wang, we are making crossing between the differential lines and linkage mapping will be applied to understand the genetics of SDS foliar symptoms.
Our risk prediction study found evidence that the SDS pathogen and SCN may act together to make SDS foliar symptoms worse. We are using fluorescent microscopes to determine if these two organisms interact in the absence of soybeans.