Lucas Pierce, Senior Agriculturist (BS, Entomology, Oklahoma State University)
Jennifer Dominiak, Graduate Research Assistant, M.S. Plant Pathology, University of Delaware, Ph.D. student
Extension Programs (75%):
The goal my extension programming is to develop, demonstrate, and disseminate solutions to disease problems throughout the peanut and vegetable crop industries in Oklahoma. Applied research focuses on evaluating fungicides and bactericides, cultural controls, and biological products in cooperation with state commodity associations, food processors, agribusiness, and regulatory agencies. Results of research projects on disease epidemiology have been incorporated into weather-based predictive models such as the peanut leaf spot advisory program and spinach white rust advisory program. Weather-based spray advisories are effective for increasing the efficiency fungicide usage and for alerting producers to impending disease outbreaks. Effective disease management strategies are evaluated within integrated crop management programs in cooperation with commodity improvement teams at OSU. Dissemination of disease management technologies is accomplished through in-service training, field tours, demonstrations, grower meetings, extension publications, and news media.
Research Programs (25%):
My research interests are in biology, epidemiology, and management of economically important disease of peanuts and vegetable crops. In peanuts, I am working to identify and characterize new sources of resistance to Sclerotinia blight and to integrate partial genetic resistance in currently available peanut varieties with reduced fungicide programs. For vegetable crops, I have active projects on spinach white rust, Cercospora and bacterial leaf spots of leafy greens, and pod rots of snap beans caused by Pythium and Phytophthora.
Professional Activities:
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology
Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee (1998-2003)
Awards Committee (2004-present)
Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Faculty Council (1994-1996; 2000-2002)
Oklahoma State University
Faculty Council (2001-2004)
Research Committee Chair (2002-2004)
American Peanut Research and Education Society
Associate Editor, Peanut Science (1994-2000)
President (2002)
American Phytopathological Society
Southern Division, President Elect (2003)
Extension Committee Chair (1998)
Recent Publications:
Damicone, J.P., Edelson, J.V., Sherwood, J.L., Myers, L.D., and Motes, J.E. 2007. Effects of border crops and intercrops on control of cucurbit virus diseases. Plant Dis. 91:509-516.
Melouk, H.A., Li, X., and Damicone, J.P. 2006. Effect of volatiles released from soil amended with rapeseed meal or rape greens on growth of three soilborne pathogens of peanut. Alex. J. Agric. Res. 51:99-103.
Kahn, B.A., Damicone, J.P., and Schatzer, R.J.. 2005. Alternatives to benomyl for management of Cercospora leaf spot on turnip greens. HortScience 40:1324-1326.
Sullivan, M.J., J.P. Damicone, and M.E. Payton. 2003. Development of a Weather-Based Advisory Program for Scheduling Fungicide Applications for Control of White Rust of Spinach. Plant Dis. 87:923-928.
Kahn, B.A., J.P. Damicone, K.E. Jackson, J.E. Motes, M.E. Payton. 2002. Comparing chitin-urea to other materials for control of northern root-knot nematode on paprika pepper. HortScience 37: 948-949.
Zhao, Y.F., J.P. Damicone, and C.L. Bender. 2002. Detection, survival, and sources of inoculum for bacterial diseases of leafy crucifers in Oklahoma. Plant Disease 86:883-888.
Sullivan, M.J., J.P. Damicone, and M.E. Payton. 2002. The effects of temperature and wetness period on development of spinach white rust. Plant Disease 86:753-758.
Damicone, J.P., and K.E. Jackson. 2001. Effects of application method and rate on control of Sclerotinia blight of peanut with iprodione and fluazinam. Peanut Science 28:28-33.
Zhao, Y.F., W.T. Jones, P. Sutherland, D.A. Palmer, R.E. Mitchell, P.H.S. Reynolds, J.P. Damicone, and C.L. Bender. 2001. Detection of the phytotoxin coronatine by ELISA and immunolocalization in infected plant tissue. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 58:247-258.
Zhao, Y.F., Damicone, J.P., Demezas, D.H., and Bender, C.L. 2000. Bacterial leaf spot diseases of leafy crucifers in Oklahoma caused by pathovars of Xanthomonas campestris. Plant Disease 84:1008-1014.
Zhao, Y.F., Damicone, J.P., Demezas, D.H., Rangaswamy, V., and Bender, C.L. 2000. Bacterial leaf spot of leafy crucifers in Oklahoma caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola. Plant Disease 84:1015-1020.
