📣 My first time sharing my PhD research with the public!

I had the opportunity to be one of the poster presenters at the recently concluded GAPP 2025. Listening to plenary speakers about their research was informative and inspiring. Talking to fellow plant pathologists about my research was exciting and fun!

Abstract

Frogeye leaf spot (FLS), caused by Cercospora sojina, is a major soybean disease responsible for 10–60% annual yield losses in key production regions such as the United States, Brazil, Argentina, and China. The disease is most severe in warm, humid conditions, with management relying on fungicide applications and resistant cultivars. The resistance genes Rcs1, Rcs2, and Rcs3 play crucial roles in soybean breeding, with Rcs3 providing broad resistance to all known U.S. races of C. sojina. However, the increasing genetic diversity of C. sojina has led to the emergence of new virulent isolates capable of overcoming host resistance. Recent studies in Georgia report high genetic variation among isolates, highlighting the pathogen’s adaptability. This study will use genomic comparative analysis and phenotypic analysis to correlate C. sojina genetic diversity and virulence with soybean resistance facilitating the development of genetic markers for early detection of C. sojina infections, and an approach to identify plant resistances genes that are effective against the current C. sojina population.