Nicole Ward, Ph.D.
Associate Extension Plant Pathologist

Department of Plant Pathology
University of Kentucky
203 Plant Science Bldg
Lexington, KY 40546-0312

telephone: (859) 218-0720
fax: (859) 323-1961
e-mail:Nicole.ward@uky.edu

• Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, 2011, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
• B.S. Horticulture Science, 2007, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

• Landscaping by Nicole, 1996-2007, New Roads, LA

• Implement Extension educational programming and conduct applied research on:
  • Fruit crop diseases
  • Forest diseases
  • Landscape plant diseases
  • Nursery and greenhouse crop diseases
  • Urban horticulture plant diseases
• Coordinate Extension Plant Pathology programs

• Field evaluations of Simplicillium lanosoniveum as a biocontrol agent of soybean rust, southern corn rust, stripe rust, and stem rust of wheat.
• Quantitative real-time PCR quantification of S. lanosoniveum colonization soybean.
• Evaluation of latent infection of soybean rust in soybean and kudzu and its role in predictive models and tactical use of fungicides using quantitative real-time quantitative PCR.
• Assessment of urediniospore penetration by S. lanosoniveum using scanning electron, transmission electron, confocal, and fluorescence microscopy.
• Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of S. lanosoniveum with green fluorescent protein for assessing the infection process in urediniospores of P. pachyrhizi.
• Evaluation of UV light on the germination of brown and hyaline urediniospores of P. pachyrhizi.
• Baseline sensitivity assessment of P. pachyrhizi to DMI fungicides (triazoles).
• Mineral nutrient effects on cercosporin production by Cercospora kikuchii and on Cercospora leaf blight of soybean.
• Field evaluations of fungicides for the management of soybean rust and Cercospora leaf blight.