Mission:
The Cotton Pathology Research Unit acquires fundamental and applied knowledge in order to manage the most important, and emerging cotton diseases occurring throughout the U.S. cotton belt. The Unit focuses on mechanisms of cotton resistance to diseases, on pathogen genetics and metabolites, and on control/management of destructive nematodes. The Unit expands and implements acquired knowledge by using it to: 1) determine the cause of South Carolina boll rot and develop methods to control it; 2) identify and develop cotton cultivars that exhibit nematode resistance; 3) determine genetic variability in soilborne fungal wilt pathogens to facilitate development of effective control methods; and 4) genetically manipulate biosynthetic pathways in cotton to increase resistance to pathogens and to manipulate terpenoid levels so as to enhance the agricultural utilization of cotton seed.