Skip to Main Content

75th Annual NC APS Meeting

The 75th Annual NC APS Meeting was hosted by Purdue University and held in West Lafayette, IN. The North Central Division is the regional representation of the American Phytopathological Society.

We had over 130 in attendance representing 12 north central universities and industry where 21 oral presentations and 46 poster presentations were shared. Popular events included peer-to-peer training sessions and tours of the Purdue Arthur Fungarium and Kriebel HerbariumAg Alumni Seed Phenotyping Facility, Purdue Horticultural Garden Park, and Campus Tree Trails. 

Poster Presentation Awards:

  • First Place - Sabina Paudel, North Dakota State University, Developing a real-time PCR for rapid detection and identification of the pin nematode Paratylenchus nanus Type B
  • Second Place - Monica Mizuno, Purdue University,  Evaluation of drone applications for tar spot in corn in Indiana
  • Third Place (tied) - Ji Hyun Kim, University of Minnesota, Determining the role of soybean cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase genes in white mold
    and
    Pierce Taylor, University of Missouri, Soybean response to foliar fungicide applications in Missouri on-farm strip trials

Oral Presentation Awards: 

  • First Place - Monica Pennewitt, Iowa State University,  Assessing the effects of host plant exudates and leachates on hatching of Pratylenchus spp.
  • Second Place - Denise Caldwell, Purdue University, Uncovering the Morphological Characteristics of Phyllachora maydis in Maize: A Comprehensive Analysis
  • Third Place - Nitha Rafi, North Dakota State University,  Differential response of soybean accessions to Fusarium proliferatum causing root rot.

Distinguished Service Award​: Dr. Janna Beckerman, Purdue University
This recognition is given to members of the Division who have made outstanding contributions throughout her or his career to plant pathology, the North Central Division, and its parent society.

Mid-Career Award: Dr. Tamra Jackson-Ziems, University of Nebraska

Early-Career Award: Dr. Sally Mallowa, Augustanan University

A special thank you to Purdue Diagnostic Center (Dr. Corey Gerber and Team), Purdue Herbarium (Dr. Simmons), Ag Alumni Seed Phenotyping Facility (Chris Hoagland), Dr. Jian Jin and his team, Dr. Fred Whitford for his engaging talk, and BTNY staff and students who helped out. They all contributed to a very successful program. Photos provided by Denise Caldwell, Mariela Fernandez Campos, and Michael Richter. 

Tour of AAPF Chris Hoagland gives a tour of the Ag Alumni Seed Phenotyping Facility
Organizer opening meeting Meeting organizer and NC APS President, Darcy Telenko, opens the 75th annual NC APS Meeting
technology demonstration Postdoc Xing Wei and PhD student Xuan Li demonstrate Purdue's unique handheld hyperspectral leaf scanner, LeafSpec.
Group at presentation Oral presentations at the Beck Center
Presentations Darcy Telenko and Mayowa Aderoju from North Dakota State, who won the Extension Flash-N-Dash Competition
disease scouting table Turfgrass disease scouting peer-to-peer training with Dr. Lee Miller
Denise Caldwell presentation Purdue graduate student Denise Caldwell during her oral presentation.
disease scouting table Visiting Scholar Nileshwari Yewle and undergraduate Cora Reynolds from the Telenko Lab talking soybean diseases at peer-to-peer training
herbarium tour Herbaria curator, D. Rabern Simmons, gives a tour.
large group photo Group photo on steps on Lilly Hall

Featured Stories

Mike Mickelbart and John Couture look at a corn leaf in a greenhouse
Purdue leads international effort to decode drought-resistant corn

A dry season can be devastating to harvests, putting both farmers' livelihoods and...

Read More
Student Trustee Reagan Koester
Reagan Koester’s keys to success: Say yes and pay it forward

Reagan Koester was 30 minutes into the eight-hour drive from her internship in Iowa to her...

Read More
Purdue Agriculture 2025 Career Fair
Employment outlook remains strong for agriculture graduates

A new report released by Purdue University’s College of Agriculture and the U.S. Department...

Read More
Rick Hernandez
Rick Hernandez - Graduate Ag Research Spotlight

The son of a goat farmer growing up in the city of Cúcuta, in northeastern Colombia, Rick...

Read More
Brian Engleking, wearing glasses, a black suit jacket, and a white shirt with a gold Purdue-patterned tie, smiles while standing outdoors with trees softly blurred in the background.
Brian Engleking finds his ‘dream job’ coaching Purdue Dairy Judging Team

Brian Engleking finds his "dream job" inspiring students through Purdue’s dairy...

Read More
Ag Barometer
Livestock sector optimism fuels a modest rise in farmer sentiment in October

U.S. farmer sentiment edged slightly higher in October, with the Purdue University/CME Group Ag...

Read More
To Top