Profile

Working area:

Host-pathogen and pathogen-environment interactions, population genetics, evolutionary biology and epidemiology of crop pathogens: genetic variability for virulence, aggressiveness and DNA-fragments, rates of evolution and dispersal. Assessment of host resistance as expressed from leaf tissue to crop canopy. Host-pathogen systems: Cereal rusts and powdery mildews, new emerging diseases.

Ongoing research and development:1.

• Evolutionary processes in wheat yellow rust. At present mainly through BIOEXPLOIT: Exploitation of natural plant biodiversity for the pesticide-free production of food ( http://www.bioexploit.net/ )
• Durability of host resistance. ENDURE: European Network for the Durable Exploitation of crop protection strategies ( http://www.endure-network.eu/ ).
• Genetic variability and dispersal pathways of wheat yellow rust at regional and global scales (collaboration with CIMMYT, ICARDA and University of Aarhus) – in progress
• Molecular basis for the evolution of virulence (new)
• National Virulence Survey for cereal powdery mildews and rusts. Collaboration between Danish Agricultural Advisory Service, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences.
• Improving resistance breeding through access to update pathogen resources (breeding companies)

Updated by November 2007