Botany and Plant Pathology Research Showcase

Wednesday, November 13, 2024
3:30-7:30 pm
Beck Agricultural Center, 4550 US-52, West Lafayette, IN

The 2024 Annual Research Showcase highlights findings that advance the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology’s mission to protect the environment, improve plants, and manage natural resources.

Click here to see photos from this year's event!

awards

Congratulations to our award winners! 

Weier Award Outstanding PhD Student: Rebecca (BeKa) Leuschen-Kohl

Weier Award Honorable Mentions: Denise Caldwell and Sienna Ogawa

Undergraduate Poster contest: 

Transportation/shuttle schedule

   2:30pm Shuttle will be parked at Lilly Hall at the corner of Russell St. and Mitch Daniels Blvd.
   2:45pm Shuttle will depart from Lilly Hall and travel to the Beck Agricultural Center
   3:30pm Shuttle will depart from the Beck Center and travel to Lilly Hall
   4:15pm Shuttle will depart from Lilly Hall and travel to the Beck Agricultural Center
   7:30pm Shuttle will depart from the Beck Center and travel to Lilly Hall
   7:45pm Shuttle will end service at Lilly Hall

Schedule of Events

3:30-3:35 pm – Opening remarks

3:35-4:00 pm – Research lightning talks

4:00-5:00 pm – Poster viewing round 1 (odd-numbered posters)

5:00-5:30 pm – Research lightning talks

5:30-6:30 pm – Poster viewing round 2 (even-numbered posters)

6:30-7:30 pm – 2024 Weier Award Winner presentation, Best Undergraduate Poster Award, and closing remarks 

lightning talks

Wily Sic-Hernandez, PhD Graduate Student

Juan Diego Rojas-Gutierrez, PhD Graduate Student

Denise Caldwell, PhD Graduate Student

Diwen Wang, PhD Graduate Student

Sandra Gomez-Gutierrez, PhD Graduate Student

Brenden Lane, PhD Graduate Student

Kay Annunziata, BS Undergraduate Student

Anna Hawkins, BS Undergraduate Student

Posters

FIRST ROUND OF POSTER VIEWING (odd) - 4:00-5:00 pm 

1. Root architecture: Breeding and environment sculpt soybean root anatomy – Harryson Avila,  PhD-Graduate Student 

3. Elucidating the impact of spaceflight on plant immune responses – Denise L. Caldwell,  PhD-Graduate Student 

5. Weed management in early planted soybean – Estevan Cason,  MS-Graduate Student 

7. Residual control of broadleaf weeds with encapsulated saflufenacil + pyroxasulfone in corn – Jada N. Davis,  MS-Graduate Student 

9. Exploring water application timings and their influence on tar spot disease development – Morgan Goodnight,  PhD-Graduate Student 

11. Interaction of pyridate versus atrazine with HPPD-inhibitors for foliar weed control – Grant D. Isaacs,  MS-Graduate Student 

13. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping for grain yield and seed size in cowpeas MAGIC population – Jean Paul Iyakaremye,  PhD-Graduate Student 

15. The recessive lesion mimic mutation ( les2014) results from the loss of function of the hpl1 gene in maize – Sendi Mejia Jimenez,  PhD-Graduate Student 

17. Understanding starch depletion and recovery in the stems and roots of riverbank grape ( Vitis riparia) in response to experimental drought – Matt S. Keller and Norah K. Snyder,  BS-Undergraduate Students  

19. Influence of salicylic acid on foliar herbicide efficacy – Emma J. Lagerhausen,  MS-Graduate Student  

21. Hormonal controls of gametophyte development and de novo meristem formation – Dinh Nhan Lai,  PhD-Graduate Student

23. Tomato roots have development-specific immune responses to bacterial-derived peptides – Rebecca (BeKa) L. Leuschen-Kohl,  PhD-Graduate Student  

25. Understanding the resistance mechanisms of photosystem II inhibitors in Amaranthus tuberculatus – Jessie R. Lewis,  MS-Graduate Student 

27. Impact of activator adjuvants with and without a DRA on spray drone swath characteristics – Hunter A. Medenwald,  MS-Graduate Student 

29. Co-regulation of drought and cold in hybrid poplar ( P. tremula x P. alba) – Stephen C. Mills,  PhD-Graduate Student 

31. The fungal microcosm of insects: Laboulbeniales on rove beetles from PERC – Polina Mironova,  PhD-Graduate Student  

33. Assessment of aerial drones for applying foliar fungicides to corn in Indiana – Monica Mizuno,  Visiting Scholar 

35. Understanding the domains responsible for the in planta localization of a Ralstonia core effector protein – Paula Natalia Paez Monroy and Mateus R. Ripari,  BS-Undergraduate Students 

37. Variable soil residual herbicide application rates should be determined by more than just soil type – Alexander R. Mueth,  MS-Graduate Student 

39. Single Cell Derived Multicellular Meristem: Insights into Male-to-Hermaphrodite Conversion and De Novo Meristem Formation in Ceratopteris – Xi Yang,   PhD -Graduate Student 

41. MLO15 contributes to root hair elongation in Arabidopsis – Sienna T. Ogawa,  PhD-Graduate Student 

43. Evaluation of fungicide efficacy in corn in Indiana – Juan Peña and Edward Peña,  Visiting Scholars 

45. Western South Dakota rock-associated lichens and their mycobiomes – Daniel B. Raudabaugh,  Research Scientist 

47. ACC and ethylene have contrasting roles in stabilizing ACS5 protein – Chaeyeon Ro, PhD-Graduate Student 

49. Genetic basis of heterosis and heterosis-by-environment interactions in natural population of A. thaliana – Juan Diego Rojas-Gutierrez,  PhD-Graduate Student 

51. Integrated management of tar spot of corn for organic grain production in Indiana – Camila Rocco da Silva,  PhD-Graduate Student 

53. Comparison of planting dates and seed treatments on soybean in Indiana – Ivis Laura Miranda Salazar,  MS-Graduate Student 

55. Phenotyping corn for tar spot detection: Multi-angle image annotation and algorithm development – Emanuel D. Santos,  Visiting Scholar  

57. Consensus microbiomes associated with tar spot of corn: A comparative analysis of sequencing data – Wily R. Sic-Hernandez,  PhD-Graduate Student  

59. Comparative genomics approach for the development of microsatellite markers and population structure of Fusarium virguliforme in Argentina and the USA – Leandro Silva, Postdoc-Research Assistant 

61. Recent fieldwork and fungarium studies double known diversity of chlorosplenium and improve understanding of species distributions – Jeffery K. Stallman,  PhD-Graduate Student 

63. Characterization of ZAPNA function in MLO-mediated pollen tube reception in Arabidopsis – Sowmiya Devi Venkatesan,  PhD-Graduate Student 

65. Understanding carbon storage and allocation in almond trees in response to stress – Shreya S. Veeravelli,  MS-Graduate Student 

67. Profound transcriptional responses during early fungal-algal symbiotic interactions in Umbilicaria muhlenbergii Lichen – Diwen Wang,  PhD-Graduate Student  

69. Functions and subcellular localizations of GRAS-domain proteins in Ceratopteris and Arabidopsis – Yijie Wang,  PhD-Graduate Student  

71. Uncovering the mechanism of Rid1-dependent RIP in Fusarium graminearum – Zeyi Wang,  PhD-Graduate Student 

73. Sex development and reproduction in soybean cyst nematode: Mechanisms and potential applications – Lin Ye,  PhD-Graduate Student 

75. Sexual-specific sRNAs are important for RIP in Fusarium graminearum – Yiming Zhao,  PhD-Graduate Student 

77. Antagonism of clethodim from pH buffers used with dicamba – Marcelo Zimmer,  PhD-Graduate Student

79. Within-leaf variation in embolism resistance is not a rule for compound-leaved angiosperms – Ian Rimer,  PhD-Graduate Student

SECOND ROUND OF POSTER VIEWING (Even) - 5:30-6:30 pm

2. Corn tar spot progression and assessment of the reproducibility of an inoculation protocol in semi-controlled environments – Alex G. Acosta,  Visiting Scholar 

4. The effects of different abiotic factors: pH, moisture, and photoperiod, on a lichen thalli's microbiome – Kay M. Annunziata,  BS-Undergraduate Student 

6. Restoring ecological balance in the face of climate change by harnessing the holobiont of invasive and native species: A case study from Indiana Dunes – Annabelle M. Batuyong, Angela J. DiAndreth, Alexis L. Hawkins, Colin F. Kelly, and Olivia A. Walker,  BS-Undergraduate Students 

8. Building barriers: Natural variation in sperm proteins contributes to reproductive isolation in Arabidopsis thaliana – Ava G. Barnes,  BS-Undergraduate Student 

10. Investigating mycoparasitic behavior of Alternaria on various species of rust fungi – Lane Bell,  BS-Undergraduate Student 

12. Fall flowering species and their fight against embolism – Josephine Brigham,  BS-Undergraduate Student 

14. Exploring the role of cellulose synthesis in adventitious root initiation on Arabidopsis thaliana – Sidney M. Bunch,  BS-Undergraduate Student  

16. Microbial detection in percolated groundwater from a turfgrass system – Mariah K. Cashbaugh,  PhD-Graduate Student

18. Improving disease assessment of tar spot ( Phyllachora maydis) – Emilia Castillo,  Visiting Scholar  

20. Do gall midges ( Mycodiplosis spp) acquire their color by feeding on rust-spores? – Daniela Chacon-Arguello,  Visiting Scholar  

22. Investigating the impact of temperature on the timing of leaf senescence in urban trees – Grace Collins and Emmeline Seest,  BS-Undergraduate Students  

24. Functional characterization of candidate effector proteins of the fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici – Ruby Catalina Rodriguez Diaz,  Visiting Scholar 

26. Impact of planting date and sulfur on sudden death syndrome in soybeans – Emily A. Duncan,  MS-Graduate Student 

28. Fusing weather and imagery data for tar spot disease modeling – Mariela Fernandez, PhD-Graduate Student 

30. Effects of coal ash on wetland aquatic fungal biodiversity – Ethan Fox,  BS-Undergraduate Student 

32. Development of a CRISPR-Cas9-mediated transformation procedure for Z. tritici – Sandra V. Gomez-Gutierrez,  PhD-Graduate Student   

34. Stomatal Opening Speed In Poales Is Not Tricked By Drier Environments – Muhammad Haroon,  PhD-Graduate Student  

36. Inducing sporulation in Mycoleptodiscus terrestris in vitro: Effects of host plant associations and environmental stressors – Anna M. Hawkins,  BS-Undergraduate Student  

38. Investigating the impact of lunar regolith simulant on plant disease - Emma Marie Horn,  BS-Undergraduate Student

40. A mechanistic analysis of a tar spot epidemic in a northwest Indiana cornfield during the 2024 growing season – Brenden Lane,  PhD-Graduate Student 

42. To Thirst or to Hunger: The Hydraulic Segmentation of Sundews – Jonathan M. Lu,  BS-Undergraduate Student 

44. Greater diversity of soil fungi in the rhizosphere of arbuscular mycorrhizal vs ectomycorrhizal trees – Kathryn N. Maley,  PhD-Graduate Student 

46. The role of plant hydraulics in tomato defense against Ralstonia solanacearum – Sana Mohammad,  PhD-Graduate Student 

48. Monitoring in-season fungal spore release to aid in disease-risk predictions for Indiana corn – Mariana Moreano-Acevedo,  Visiting Scholar 

50. Agronomic practices for moringa oleifera in Nairobi, Kenya, for substance and organic farming – Morgan A. Murff,  BS-Undergraduate Student  

52. Can metribuzin enhance the response of carryover Injury from mesotrione in soybeans? – Abigail N. Norsworthy,  MS-Graduate Student 

54. The triggers of abscisic acid (ABA) catabolism and the consequence for drought recovery – Abigayl Y. Novak,  PhD-Graduate Student   

56. Identification of anthracnose resistance gene in Sorghum bicolor – Pascal Okoye, PhD-Graduate Student  

58. Role of bacterial polysaccharides in the Ralstonia-tomato pathosystem – Brooke A. Pilkey,  BS-Undergraduate Student  

60. Growth and yield analysis of a new short corn variety compared to regular corn – Andrea J. Portillo,  MS-Graduate Student 

62. Suppressive Soil in High Tunnel: A Root Knot Nematode Evaluation -  Sonia A. Propst Zuverza,  BS-Undergraduate Student

64. Evaluation of interseeding practices for conversion of golf fairways to bentgrass cultivars with enhanced dollar spot resistance – Justice Ruwona,  PhD-Graduate Student   

66. Fungicide Efficacy for Foliar Disease on Short Corn in Indiana -  Elizabeth K. Schillinger, B S-Undergraduate Student  

68. Drought-induced changes in leaf structure: A study in redbud leaf morphology - Henry Schlene,  BS-Undergraduate Student  

70. Population structure and mating type distribution of Cercospora sojina in Indiana, USA – Leandro Silva,  Postdoc-Research Assistant 

72. Effect of biochar in pupation and eclosion of two major pests – Nischal Wagle,  PhD-Graduate Student 

74. Role of N-hydroxypipecolic acid in impaired growth and enhanced immunity due to loss of PMR4 callose synthase – Mengxue Wang,  PhD-Graduate Student 

76. Vascular streak dieback of redbud: An emerging threat in the ornamental industry – Elizabeth L. White,  MS-Graduate Student 

78. Hoosier hemp: Evaluating grain and fiber yield of Midwest genotypes for maximum production – Emily B. Whittington,  BS-Undergraduate Student 

80. Purdue Proteomics Facility - Venkatesh Thirumalaikumar, Adjunct Assistant Professor and Proteomics Associate Director and Chao-Jan Liao, Proteomics Senior Research Associate