Does the physiological status of the plant at the time of spraying affect the efficacy of phosphite?
A major factor limiting the understanding of the control of the Phytophthora cinnamomi is the lack of knowledge on how the physiological status of native Western Australian plants at the time of application of phosphate affects the efficacy of phosphite to control disease. This project explores the key seasonal stresses of waterlogging, drought and fire. From February 2002 to August 2006, I was working as a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Matteo Garbelotto at the University of California, Berkeley, U.S. Some of my key research projects were: • Pathogenicity and morphological variation of Phytophthora ramorum isolates from California; • Susceptibility of Quercus agrifolia and Umbellularia californica populations to P. ramorum; • Identification of natural hosts of P. ramorum; • Development and supervision of other projects such as the susceptibility of native New Zealand plants to P. ramorum and Rhododendron species; and • Effect of smoke exposure on infections by P. ramorum
