Finding the Gaps: An Assessment of Concepts, Skills, and Employer Expectations for Plant Pathology Foundational Courses.

Foundational plant pathology courses, taught at the undergraduate level, serve students from a wide array of disciplines, and for most will be the only plant pathology course taken. This work examined the content, skills, and delivery modes of undergraduate plant pathology courses at a national scale, and assessed employer expectations for these courses and for students entering the workforce with degrees in plant science-related disciplines. While content knowledge coverage among plant pathology courses was generally consistent and aligned well with employers' knowledge expectations, delivery modes and skill development components were more variable and less aligned. Significant gaps were found between skills expected by employers and those emphasized by instructors, particularly in the areas of general laboratory skills (e.g., media preparation, molecular techniques, microscopy, and competence with other lab equipment) and recognition of plant problems that are not caused by pathogens. Employers also emphasized the value of (and frequent lack of) critical soft skills, such as teamwork, adaptability, communication, writing, and critical thinking. Results of this study will provide a foundation for course and curriculum development and evaluations. Recommendations are also discussed for enhanced interactions among educators and employers outside of academia.

Three Colopterus Beetle Species Carry the Oak Wilt Fungus to Fresh Wounds on Red Oak in Missouri.

Beetles in the family Nitidulidae can transmit the oak wilt fungus, Ceratocystis fagacearum, to fresh wounds on healthy oak trees, leading to infection and disease development. Historically, nitidulid beetles have not been considered important vectors of the pathogen in Missouri. Studies were conducted in the spring of 2005 and 2006 to determine frequencies of nitidulid beetle species contaminated with C. fagacearum visiting fresh wounds on red oak trees in central Missouri. Colopterus truncatus, C. niger, and C. semitectus were the most abundant species collected from fresh wounds and the only species found to be contaminated with Ceratocystis fagacearum. Of 230 beetles assayed for C. fagacearum, 23 yielded the fungus. Contamination frequencies were higher for beetles collected in April than May; no beetles collected in June were contaminated. We hypothesize that Colopterus truncatus, C. niger, and C. semitectus are principal nitidulid beetle vector species in Missouri during spring. The risk for pathogen transmission by these beetles appears to be greatest in April and least in June.

Identification and Characterization of a Carlavirus Causing Veinal Necrosis of Coleus.

A filamentous virus identified in coleus (Coleus × hybrida) in Minnesota and New York was found to cause veinal necrosis in coleus, although this symptom was observed only under certain conditions. The virus was transmitted readily by mechanical inoculation to coleus and Nicotiana spp. and was not transmitted by Myzus persicae. The particles of the coleus virus had a modal length of 640 nm and a single capsid protein with an estimated molecular mass of 34 kDa. The amino acid sequence of the coat protein region of the coleus virus genome had significant similarities only to the corresponding domain of carlaviruses. Based on virion morphology, capsid protein size, genome size and organization, amino acid sequence, and phylogenetic analyses, the coleus virus, which was named provisionally Coleus vein necrosis virus (CVNV), was concluded to be a new definitive member of the genus Carlavirus. A 2-kb fragment of the 3' terminus of the CVNV genome sequence is accessible under accession number DQ915963 in GenBank.