Ray Hammerschmidt, Professor and Chairperson
Contact information:.jpg)
517-353-8624
hammersr@anr.msu.edu
Education:
BS, Purdue University, Biochemistry
MS, Purdue University, Plant Pathology
PhD, University of Kentucky, Plant Pathology
General areas of expertise:
Physiology and biochemistry of resistance and disease; induced resistance
Overview of current program:
Plants are subjected to infection and attack by many different pathogens. However, the evolution of multiple defenses has allowed plants to effectively defend themselves against many of these attacks. Although many potential constitutive and induced defenses have been identified, the specific role and contribution of each to defense have been defined in only a few cases. Current research is involved in elucidating the nature and role of these defenses in several plant-pathogen systems using cytological, biochemical and molecular techniques. We are currently studying the nature of the local and systemic induced resistance response of cucumber against both hemibiotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens. The major goal is to determine which mechanisms of defense are most important in the expression of this type of resistance. We are also evaluating if the pattern of defense responses observed under controlled conditions are similarly expressed under field conditions. In addition to the cucumber studies, we are interested in determining the nature of resistance of potato to the late blight pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, and the dry rot pathogen, Fusarium sambucinum and the biochemical basis of disease resistance in turf grasses.
Recent publications:
Kagan IA, Hammerschmidt R. 2001. Pitfalls in screening for camalexin-deficient mutants: effects of kinetics, pathogen choice and inoculum concentration on apparent camalexin accumulation in wild-type (Columbia) and pad2I Arabidopsis. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 59: 119-127.
Nelson KA, Renner KA, Hammerschmidt R. 2002. Effects of protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitors on soybean (Glycine max L) response, Sclerotinia sclertiorum disease development, and phytoalexin production by soybean. Weed Technology, 16: 353-359.
Kagan, I and Hammerschmidt R. 2002. Arabidopsis ecotype variability in camalexin production and reaction to infection by Alternaria brassicicola. Journal of Chemical Ecology 28: 2121-2140.
Felcher KJ, Douches DS, Kirk WW, Hammerschmidt R, Li W. 2003. Expression of a fungal clucose oxidase gene in three potato cultivars with different susceptibility to late blight (Phytophthora infestans Mont. deBary). Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 128: 238-245.
Lee CD, Penner D, Hammerschmidt R. 2003. Glyphosate and shade effects on glyphosate-resistant soybean defense response to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Weed Science 51: 294-298.
Velasquez L, Hammerschmidt R. 2004. Development of a method for the detection and quantification of total chitinase activity by digital analysis. Journal of Microbiological Methods 59: 7-14.
Hammerschmidt, R. 2004. Induced resistance: Mechanisms and practical applications. In: "Fungal Disease Resistance in Plants: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Genetic Engineering" S.K. Punja, editor.
da Rocha , AB and Hammerschmidt, R. 2005. History and perspectives on the use of disease resistance inducers in horticultural crops. Horttechnology 15: 518-529.
Stack J., Cardwell K., Hammerschmidt R. , Byrne J, ,Loria R, Snover-Clift K, Baldwin W, Wisler G, Beck H, Bostock R, Thomas C, Luke E. 2006. The National Plant Diagnostic Network. Plant Disease 90: 128-136.
Lamour KH, Finley L, Snover-Clift KL, Stack JP, Pierzynski J, Hammerschmidt R, Jacobs JL, Byrne JM, Harmon PF, Vitorel AM, Wisler GC, Harmon CL, Levy L, Zeller KA, Stone CL, Luster DG, Frederick RD. 2006. Early detection of Asian soybean rust using PCR. Plant Health Progress (doi: 10.1094/PHP-2006-0524-01-RS).
Kirk WW, da Rocha AB, Hollosy SI, Wharton, PS, Hammerschmidt R. 2006. Effect of soil salinity on internal browning of potato tuber tissue in two soil types. American Journal of Potato Research 83: 223-232.
Hammerschmidt R. 2007. Definitions and Some History, in: Induced Resistance for Plant Defence: a Sustainable Approach to Crop Protection. D. Walters, A. Newton, and Gary Lyon (eds). Blackwell Publishers.
Hammerschmidt R, Hollosy SI. 2008. Phenols and the onset and expression of plant disease resistance. Recent Advances in Polypenol Research 1 (in press).
Courses taught:
PLP 405, Plant Pathology
PLP 881, Biochemical and Molecular Plant Pathology
Extension and outreach activities:
Director, North Central Diagnostic Network
Coordinator, Plant Diagnostic Services