Margaret Ellis, Ph.D.

Associate Professor in Plant Pathology
Office: Ag 223                 
Phone: (559) 278-1692
Email:  maellis@csufresno.edu

Office Hours:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Education:

Ph.D. Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, 2011

M.S. Plant Pathology, Michigan State University, 2007

B.S. Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2003

 

Current Courses:

Fall: Plant 161 (Plant Pathology);  Plant 164 (Plant Nematology)
Spring: Plant 150 (Crop Improvement); Plant 166 (Mycology); Plant 167 (Diagnosis and Control of Plant Diseases)

 

Field of Interest: Her research primarily focuses on the improved management of wilt and seedling diseases impacting the California cotton industry. Current research includes: the evaluation of new fungicides and biological soil amendments for their management of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum race 4 (FOV4), continued evaluations of selected Pima and Upland cotton germplasm for resistance to FOV4, development of a detection method for FOV4 from contaminated field soil, genetic characterization of FOV4 isolates, and the evaluation of the interaction between FOV4 and Rhizoctonia solani. Other research collaborations include: the improvement of determination methods for plant parasitic nematodes of almond, the evaluation of survival mechanisms of pathogenic Botryosphaeriaceae fungi of nut and fruit crops under drought conditions, and the evaluation of fungicide resistance in populations of Botrytis cinerea collected from different fruit crops.

Recipient of 2020 Outstanding Research and Scholarly Activity Award for the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.  Joined the department in 2014.

Selected Publications and Proceedings:

Ulloa, M., Hutmacher, R. B., Schramm, T., Ellis, M. L., Nichols, R., Roberts, P. A., Wright, S. D. 2020. Sources, selection and breeding of Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum) race 4 (FOV4) resistance in Upland (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cotton. Euphytica.

Ellis, M.L., Diaz, J., Hutmacher, R.B., and Ulloa, M. 2019. Evaluation of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum race 4 as a seedling pathogen and in co-inoculation assays with Rhizoctonia solani. Pages 349-353 in: Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference. National Cotton Council of America, New Orleans, LA.

Ellis, M.L., Diaz, J., Hutmacher, R.B., and Ulloa, M. 2019. The past and current impact of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum race 4 on cotton production in California. Pages 715-717 in: Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference. National Cotton Council of America, New Orleans, LA.

Cruz Jimenez, D.R., Ellis, M.L., Munkvold, G.P., and Leandro, L.F., 2018. Isolate x cultivar interactions, in-vitro growth and fungicide sensitivity of Fusarium oxysporum isolates causing seedling disease on soybean. Plant Disease. 102: 1928-1937.

Lanubile, A., Ellis, M.L., Marocco, A., and Munkvold, G.P. 2016. Association of effector Six6 with vascular wilt symptoms caused by Fusarium oxysporum on soybean. Phytopathology. 106: 1404-1412.

Ellis, M.L., Lanubile, A., Garcia, C. and Munkvold, G.P. 2016.  Association of putative fungal effectors in Fusarium oxysporum with wilt symptoms in soybean.  Phytopathology.  106: 1404-1412.

Ellis, M.L., McHale, L.K., Paul, P.A., St. Martin, S.K., and Dorrance, A.E. 2013. Soybean germplasm resistant to Pythium irregulare and molecular mapping of resistance quantitative trait loci derived from the soybean accession PI 424354. Crop Science. 53:1008-1021.

Ellis, M.L., Wang, H., Paul, P.A., St. Martin, S.K., McHale, L.K., and Dorrance, A.E. 2012. Identification of soybean genotypes resistant to Fusarium graminearum and genetic mapping of resistance quantitative trait loci in the cultivar Conrad. Crop Science. 52:2224-2233.  

Ellis, M.L., Broders, K.D., Paul, P.A., and Dorrance, A.E. 2012. Two new species of Pythium, P. schmitthenneri and P. selbyi pathogens of corn and soybean in Ohio. Mycologia. 104: 477-487.

Ellis, M.L., Broders, K.D., Paul, P.A., and Dorrance, A.E. 2011. Infection of soybean seed by F. graminearum and effect of seed treatments on disease under controlled conditions. Plant Disease. 95:401-407.

Ellis, M.L. 2007. Distribution, identification, and population diversity of Armillaria spp. in Michigan cherry orchards. Thesis. The Michigan State University. East Lansing, Michigan.