University of Florida Department of Plant Pathology

05/27/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Samuel Martins, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology, who was honored with the UF/IFAS Early Career International Educator Award!

The award, presented by the Global Food Systems Institute as part of the UF/IFAS International Awards, recognizes early career faculty members in education through teaching and mentoring.

05/21/2026

Last week, the Department of Plant Pathology hosted the second biennial Plant Pathology Research and Professional Development Symposium at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center.

A student-run event, the symposium affords students and postdocs a friendly environment to practice their presentation skills.

Awards were presented to the best oral and poster presentations, listed below.

Oral Presentations:

1st Place - Alexander Fast
2nd Place (tie) - Amanda McVay, Roger Renzo Ramirez
3rd Place (tie) - Lauren Matthews, Sameerika Mudiyanselage

Poster Presentations:

1st Place - Aaron Plex Sula
2nd Place - Jessica Velte
Honorable Mention - Jacobo Robledo, Sushmita Sapkoto, Pedro Ramirez

05/19/2026

Two UF/IFAS Plant Pathology projects are among the additions to the National Land-Grant Impacts Database (NIDB), the nation’s most extensive repository of the land-grant system’s collective impacts statements in research, education, and extension. It serves as a comprehensive and important resource for the land-grant system to tell their stories.

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Plant diseases pose a global threat to food security, yet critical data on outbreaks is scattered across thousands of journals and reports. This fragmentation makes it difficult for scientists, growers and homeowners to access timely information about the disease delaying the search for treatments and potential best management control practices.

To combat this issue and as part of his University of Florida Extension appointment, Braham Dhillon developed an innovative app called Robigus. Named after the Roman god who once guarded wheat fields from blight, he built Robigus as the newest tech ally in the fight against plant diseases hosted on the University of Florida’s HiPerGator supercomputer.

Read more about this project here: https://loom.ly/YVarfpc

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Palm trees are iconic features of Florida’s landscapes, yet they face a serious threat from Thielaviopsis trunk rot, a fungal disease that causes trunks to collapse and trees to die without warning. Until now, there has been little information on disease resistance in palms, leaving homeowners, landscapers, and agencies without guidance on which species are most resilient. This knowledge gap impacts decisions for planting and maintaining palms in residential, commercial, and public spaces.

Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) developed a groundbreaking, non-destructive testing method to identify palm species resistant to Thielaviopsis trunk rot. Unlike traditional methods that require sacrificing entire trees and take months to yield results, this innovative approach uses detached leaflets and delivers answers within three days. The study evaluated 29 palm species from 17 genera, marking the first large-scale survey of disease resistance in palms.

Read more about this project here: https://loom.ly/TNX2NPg

Robigus, a UF/IFAS-developed app, consolidates 45 years of global plant disease data into an interactive platform. It empowers scientists, growers, and homeowners to track outbreaks, anticipate risks, and protect crops. It ultimately aims to advance food security and sustainable agriculture worldwid...

05/15/2026

The third and final day of the Plant Pathology Research and Professional Development Symposium featured a watermelon field tour, the fifth round of oral presentations and a closing and awards ceremony.

Stay tuned next week for a wrap-up of this second biennial event, including more photos and all the award winners.

05/14/2026

The second day of the Plant Pathology Research and Professional Development Symposium at the UF Gulf Coast Research & Education Center was filled with poster and oral presentations, as Plant Pathology students and postdocs showcased their research.

05/13/2026

The second biennial Plant Pathology Research and Professional Development Symposium kicked off today at the UF Gulf Coast Research & Education Center with an opening address from Dr. Karen Century, and a career panel featuring Dr. Century, Dr. Andre Bueno Gama and Dr. Marty Wiglesworth. The symposium continues tomorrow with a poster session and oral presentations from students and postdocs.

05/12/2026

On this International Day of Plant Health, we highlight a new article from members of the Garrett Lab about the spread of pests and diseases due to rising temperatures in Africa’s Great Lakes region.

The United Nations designated 12 May as the International Day of Plant Health to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development.

https://loom.ly/X8UlYfw

Figuring out how climate change will cause plant disease and pests to spread across Africa’s Great Lakes farms is critical for future food supplies.

05/08/2026

Graduate student Sameerika Mudiyanselage and postdoctoral associate Dr. Yuru Chang present their poster "Collaborative Learning Effects on Test Performance and Efficiency at the Interface Teaching Conference held last week at the Reitz Union.

Interface is a two-day event designed to support and inspire educators both within and beyond the University of Florida. The annual gathering brings together faculty, staff, graduate assistants, post-docs, and academic leaders from diverse institutions to explore innovative strategies in teaching, learning, and research.

05/06/2026

Brown or yellow blemishes can turn perfectly good white button mushrooms into unsellable product, and sometimes the damage does not show up until they are already at the store.

New University of Florida Department of Plant Pathology-led research, using DNA sequencing, reveals why this disease has been so hard to manage. It is not just one culprit, but a complex of bacteria thriving in humid growing conditions.

What does that mean for growers, and what eco‑friendly solutions are being explored next? Read more: https://tr.ee/Hf3wz0VPVk

05/02/2026

Katia Viana Xavier, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology at the Everglades Research and Education Center, presents "Understanding Emerging and Current Vegetable Diseases" as part of the Plant Pathology Spring Seminar Series.