Christian D Cruz

Botany and Plant Pathology

Assistant Professor

Phone

765.494.1515

Fax

765.494.0363

Office

Lilly Hall Room 1-325

cd-cruz@purdue.edu

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.

Selected Publications

Cruz, C. D., & Valent, V. (2017). Wheat blast disease: danger on the move. Tropical Plant Pathology, 42(3), 210-222. doi:10.1007/s40858-017-0159-z

Cruz, C. D., Bockus, W. W., Stack, J. P., & Valent, V. (2016). A standardized inoculation protocol to test wheat cultivars for reaction to head blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae (Triticum pathotype) Plant Health Progress, 17, 186-187.

Cruz, C. D., Stack, J. P., Fowler, G. A., Christie, D., & Magarey, R. D. (2016). Climate suitability for pathogen establishment and wheat blast outbreak in the United States. Plant Disease, 10, 1979-1987. doi:10.1094/PDIS-09-15-1006-RE

Cruz, C. D., Peterson, G. L., Bockus, W. W., Kankanala, P., Dubcovsky, P., Jordan, K. W., . . . Valent, B. (2016). The 2NS translocation from Aegilops ventricosa confers resistance to the Triticum Pathotype of Magnaporthe oryzae. Crop Science, 56, 1-11.

Cruz, C. D., Kiyuna, J., Bockus, W. W., Baldelomar, D. F., Todd, T. C., Stack, J. P., & Valent, B. (2015). Magnaporthe oryzae conidia on basal wheat leaves as a potential source of wheat blast inoculum. Plant Pathology, 64, 1491–1498. doi:10.1111/ppa.12414

Cruz, C. D., Bockus, W. W., Stack, J. P., Tang, X., Valent, B., Pedley, K. F., & Peterson, G. L. (2012). [Title of article pending] Plant Disease, 96, 1501-1505.

Cruz, C. D., Mills, D., Paul, P., & Dorrance, A. E. (2010). Impact of brown spot caused by Septoria glycines on soybeans in Ohio. Plant Disease, 94, 820-826.

Dorrance, A. E., Cruz, C. D., Mills, D., Bender, R., Koenig, M., LaBarge, G., . . . Hammond, R. (2010). Effects of foliar fungicide and insecticide applications on soybean in Ohio. Plant Health Progress. doi:10.1094/PHP-2010-0122-01-RS

Cruz, C. D., & Dorrance, A. E. (2009). Characterization and survival of Cercospora sojina in Ohio. Plant Health Progress. doi:10.1094/PHP-2009-0512-03-RS