David Gent

Courtesy Appointment
gentd [at] onid.orst.edu

Office: 541-738-4167

Plant Pathology, Disease Ecology, Disease Epidemiology

Our research centers around better understanding the epidemiology and biology of downy mildew and powdery mildew diseases, Fusarium diseases, and durable host resistance. Our research has both basic and applied aspects, and utilizes a variety of approaches including field, lab, greenhouse, and growth chamber experiments and statistical modeling, depending on the research question being addressed. Most of our work is conducted on hop, although I maintain active collaborations with other researchers in the U.S. and internationally on other crops. On hop, our current research efforts involve basic research on characterizing, detecting, and predicting pathogen dispersal; understanding population structure and diversity of the priority pathogens; disease risk assessment; and characterization of disease susceptibility genes.
My lab also provides pathology support for the USDA-ARS hop genetics and breeding programs in Oregon and Washington. We collaborate on genome-wide association studies to identify genetic regions associated with disease resistance and other traits of economic importance to accelerate development of new cultivars via molecular breeding approaches.
In everything we do, our ultimate emphasis is on solving real-world problems. We value participatory research and our close working relationships with growers and other industry partners.