RESEARCH 

Mission:  The goal of our laboratory is to develop useful tools and strategies to manage emerging and re-emerging plant diseases. To this end, we will collaborate with other experts, adopting a multidisciplinary approach. We will be recognized for embracing phenomics and participating in the transformation of agriculture to a more data and analytics-driven science.

Vision:  We will develop useful epidemiological tools and disease management strategies to help producers become more productive, efficient, and environmentally sustainable.

Research interests:  Dr. Cruz’s program aims at developing effective management strategies for crop diseases. His interdisciplinary research focuses on the integration of fungal ecology, epidemiology, and host resistance for plant disease management. Dr. Cruz collaborates with a multidisciplinary group of scientists at Purdue University working at the intersection of crop biosecurity, quantitative epidemiology, engineering, computational biology, crop physiology, remote sensing, machine learning, image processing, and sensor-based technology.

Teaching

BTNY 53500, 3 credits, Plant Disease Management. An introduction to the study of the dynamics of plant diseases, and the epidemiological basis of disease management strategies.