Dr. Neil C. Gudmestad

University Distinguished Professor

Dr. Neil Gudmestad is a native of North Dakota and a graduate of NDSU (Ph.D., 1982). Dr. Gudmestad’s research program is focused primarily on the biology of potato pathogens and the management of the diseases they cause. Recent research has been focused on the genetic variability in the black dot fungus, Colletotrichum coccodes and the management of ‘water rots’ of potato caused by the soilborne fungi Phytophthora erythroseptica and Pythium ultimum. Other research interests include the development of molecular diagnostics to improve the detection of the zero tolerance bacterial pathogen Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus and to differentiate among strains comprising the PVY complex of potato caused by PVYo, PVYntn, PVYn:o and PVYn.  Q-PCR is also being developed to determine soil populations of Verticillium dahliae and Colletotrichum coccodes. Dr. Gudmestad has also had extensive involvement in monitoring the development of fungicide resistance in a number of important plant pathogens including QoI resistance in Alternaria solani, Ascochyta rabiei and Cercospora beticola; DMI resistance in C. beticola, and mefenoxam resistance in Phytophthora erythroseptica and Pythium ultimum. Dr. Gudmestad has also actively characterized the fitness penalty associated with fungicide resistance in several of these pathogens. Dr. Gudmestad is assisted in the laboratory by Dr. Raymond Taylor, Julie Pasche and Ipsita Mallik.

Links:

Potato Late Blight

Email: neil.gudmestad@ndsu.edu