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Education in Plant Pathology Present Status and Future Challenges James Macdonald University of California, [email protected]

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Education in Plant Pathology Present Status and Future Challenges James Macdonald University of California, Jdmacdonald@Ucdavis.Edu University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Papers in Plant Pathology Plant Pathology Department 12-2009 Education in Plant Pathology Present Status and Future Challenges James MacDonald University of California, [email protected] Caitilyn Allen University of Wisconsin David Gadoury Cornell University William Jacobi Colorado State University Segenet Kelemu International Livestock Research Institute See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/plantpathpapers Part of the Other Plant Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, and the Plant Pathology Commons MacDonald, James; Allen, Caitilyn; Gadoury, David; Jacobi, William; Kelemu, Segenet; Moyer, James; Murray, Tim; Ong, Kevin; Pearson, Charles; Sherwood, John; and Vidaver, Ann, "Education in Plant Pathology Present Status and Future Challenges" (2009). Papers in Plant Pathology. 322. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/plantpathpapers/322 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Plant Pathology Department at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Papers in Plant Pathology by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Authors James MacDonald, Caitilyn Allen, David Gadoury, William Jacobi, Segenet Kelemu, James Moyer, Tim Murray, Kevin Ong, Charles Pearson, John Sherwood, and Ann Vidaver This article is available at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/plantpathpapers/322 James MacDonald University of California, Davis Caitilyn Allen University of Wisconsin, Madison David Gadoury Cornell University, Geneva, NY William Jacobi Colorado State University, Fort Collins Segenet Kelemu International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya James Moyer North Carolina State University, Raleigh Tim Murray Washington State University, Pullman Kevin Ong Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab, Texas A&M University, College Station Charles Pearson Syngenta Crop Protection, Greensboro, NC John Sherwood University of Georgia, Athens Ann Vidaver University of Nebraska, Lincoln Plant pathology is largely a mission- try”, which deals with ornamental and many decades, the investments of public driven discipline that seeks to increase the landscape plants used in urban environs. funds have had profound, beneficial im- fundamental understanding of host–patho- Apart from the need to minimize losses pacts on U.S. food production and distribu- gen interactions and the etiology of plant due to chronic or re-emerging locally en- tion. Indeed, through most of the twentieth diseases for the purpose of preventing or demic diseases, all nations are challenged century, the rate of return on public invest- mitigating crop loss. This is an important by the introduction of new pathogens re- ment in agricultural research in the United mission because all nations face serious sulting from global movement of plants States was shown to range from 20 to 60% challenges in their efforts to prevent dis- and plant products. Indeed, Mack et al. (9) (4). ease on plants cultivated for food, fiber, predicted that failure to address the issue The ability of plant pathologists to con- ornamental use, timber, and fuel, as well as of biotic invasions could effectively result tribute to U.S. agricultural productivity those growing in native ecosystems. In in severe global consequences, including over the past century has been enabled by 1994, it was estimated that global losses wholesale loss of agricultural, forestry, and a steady stream of students educated in the due to plant diseases ranged from 9.7 to fishery resources in some regions. It has system of Land Grant universities. Upon 14.2% of potential yield (12). While mod- been estimated that losses in the United graduation, many of these students were ern pesticides have reduced crop losses in States due to direct damage by, or control imbued with both a strong knowledge of many situations, the ability of pathogens to of, invasive species approaches $137 bil- plant pathology and the ability to apply readily develop resistance to routinely used lion per year (13). And in recent years, that knowledge to manage plant diseases. pesticides has allowed diseases to remain concerns have emerged over the possibility However, in recent years, concerns have persistent and serious problems (14). of deliberate introduction of destructive been raised with increasing frequency that Likewise, pathogens have the capacity to pathogens into agricultural or natural envi- this vital “feeder system” for plant pathol- overcome plant resistance genes in major ronments for the purpose of causing eco- ogy (and many other agricultural disci- food crops, requiring breeding programs to nomic damage (3). Clearly, there are con- plines) is at risk and already faltering. repeatedly discover and deploy new resis- tinuing needs for plant pathologists, Such concerns have been voiced through a tance genes. While much of the economic knowledge of pathogenic agents, host– variety of venues, but largely have been and social impact data to date (12,14) have pathogen interactions, and effective dis- expressed anecdotally. However, this per- focused on agricultural crops and food ease management practices. ception was sufficiently pervasive to systems, the same impacts occur on for- Within the United States, a network of prompt the American Phytopathological ested lands and within the “green indus- public institutions (e.g., Land Grant uni- Society (APS) to appoint two ad hoc com- versities, the USDA, agricultural experi- mittees to explore the issues so that discus- ment stations, cooperative extension units, sions of this topic could be more fact- and state departments of agriculture) and based. One ad hoc committee was charged Corresponding author: James D. MacDonald, private sector companies has served a cru- to examine “The Future Education of Plant Department of Plant Pathology, University of Cali- cial role in plant pathology. In these enti- Pathologists,” while the second was fornia, Davis; E-mail: [email protected] ties, plant diseases have been discovered, charged to study “The Present Status and management strategies developed, and the Future of the Profession of Plant Pathol- doi:10.1094/ PDIS-93-12-1238 knowledge transferred to wide-scale prac- ogy”. This is a report on the findings of © 2009 The American Phytopathological Society tice and/or public policy. Over a period of the education committee as determined 1238 Plant Disease / Vol. 93 No. 12 through a series of surveys of key groups. portant or not relevant, and 4 might mean program heads who responded to the sur- Oral reports of the survey results have very important or highly relevant. Other vey rated “Department/program ranking” a been presented earlier at APS meetings and questions utilized a Likert scale wherein 3 or 4 (i.e., considered it highly influential) in a “webinar” format on APSnet. respondents specified their level of agree- in student decisions about which university ment with a given statement on a scale of program to enter. Other factors and the Survey Methods +2 (strongly agree) to –2 (strongly dis- percentage of program heads who rated Three different internet surveys were agree). In addition to structured survey them a 3 or 4 were: “Availability of assis- carried out during the spring of 2007. One responses, other questions provided oppor- tantships” (97%), “Reputation/stature of targeted graduate student and postdoctoral tunities for a narrative response. Questions faculty” (92%), “Breadth of opportunities” members of APS to learn what attracted of the latter type generated 61 pages of (89%), “Department web site” (78%), them to plant pathology, to ascertain their comments from students and postdocs, 13 “Amount paid for assistantships” (78%), career aspirations, and to determine how pages of comments from employers, and 2 and “Opportunity to visit the department” well prepared they feel for their careers of pages of comments from the heads of (78%) (data not shown). choice. A second survey targeted the heads graduate programs. Upon completion of With regard to their success in recruiting of U.S.-based plant pathology graduate the survey, APS passed the resulting data graduate students, the most commonly programs to learn what the different gradu- to the ad hoc committee for analysis. The identified constraint, recognized by 82% of ate programs regard as essential educa- data were received by the committee in the heads of graduate programs, was stu- tional elements for advanced degrees in spreadsheet format stripped of all poten- dent support. This may reflect the fact that plant pathology, and how well prepared tially identifying information, such that the vast majority of graduate students in their programs are to offer key curricular each respondent was represented only as a U.S. schools are supported on grant funds elements now and into the future. The third row of numeric or textual responses on the (Fig. 2) and the feeling expressed by a survey targeted employers of plant pathol- spreadsheet. number of respondents that grant funds ogists to learn about the skills they most have become increasingly competitive and value in employees, how those might Survey Results limiting. In comments associated with this change over the next decade, and their Attracting students to plant pathol- question, one graduate program head sense of confidence in finding graduates ogy. The three
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