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CONTACT INFORMATION
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Research Plant Pathologist
Phone: 406.433.9412
Fax: 406.433.5038
E-mail: caesara[at]sidney.ars.usda.gov |
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EDUCATION |
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B.S. Plant
Science |
1978 |
University of
California, Davis |
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M.S. Plant
Pathology |
1982 |
Cornell
University |
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Ph. D. Plant
Pathology |
1987 |
Cornell
University |
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NPARL
Plant Pathologists Robert T. Lartey and Anthony J. Caesar are co-editors
of a new book just published by Research Signpost of India entitled
“Emerging Concepts in Plant Health Management, 2004.”
Click here for more information about the book
on the Research Signpost's Website. To order
from the publisher send an e-mail to ggcom[at]vsnl.com or
admin[at]rsflash.com citing the name of the book, volume number, the
required number of copies and the purchaser’s name and mailing address. |
CURRENT RESEARCH |
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Investigations
center on the role of plant pathogens in the biological control of
exotic, highly invasive weeds. The goal is to develop knowledge
essential to enabling the incorporation of plant pathogens into
biological, cultural and reduced-chemical control programs. A principal
theme of my research is to derive the practically useful elements of how
plant pathogens act in direct combination with insect damage to target
weeds following release and establishment of agents. This avenue of
research seeks both to develop the means of supplementing insect
releases with plant pathogens for greater and more consistent impact and
criteria for selecting new insect and plant pathogen agents. More
precise criteria for selecting new classical can result in considerable
cost reductions (180,000 USD per new agent) and reduced environmental
risks. |
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RESEARCH EXPERIENCE |
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Before joining the ARS rangeland weeds
lab in 1990 to investigate the utility as plant pathogens for biocontrol
of perennial rangeland weeds, as a Chancellor’ Postdoctoral Fellow, I
conducted research on rhizosphere bacteria in the Plant Pathology
Department at U. C. Berkeley, focused on phenotypic traits associated
with beneficial rhizosphere bacteria to facilitate more rational
screening of candidate plant growth-promoting rhizosphere bacteria. My
graduate research was on the use of plant growth promoting rhizosphere
bacteria for control of the apple nursery replant problem. Beginning as
an undergraduate intern, I was employed periodically by the California
Department of Food and Agriculture, lab Services in the fungal plant
disease diagnostic lab over the years 1978-84.
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RELATED WEBPAGES |
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Analysis of
Fatty Acid Methyl Esters of Sugar Beet Pathogens
Augmentation
of Biological Control Agents
Classical
Biological Control for Selected Invasive, Exotic Weeds
Disease-causing Pathogens
Key Players in NPARL Biocontrol Research (.pdf)
Impacts
of Biological Control Agents on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics
Molecular Tools for
Bio Control, Soil Quality, and Insect Research
Plant
Pathogen/Insect Synergisms Are The Key To The Bio Control of Rangeland
Weeds |
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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS |
- Caesar, A. J., and Pearson, R. C. 1983.
Environmental factors affecting survival of ascospores of Sclerotinia
sclerotiorum. Phytopathology 73: 1024-1030.
- Burr, T. J., and Caesar, A. J. 1984.
Beneficial plant bacteria. CRC Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences 2:
1-20.
- Caesar, A. J., and Burr, T. J. 1987. Growth
promotion of apple seedlings and rootstocks by specific strains of
bacteria. Phytopathology 77:1583-1588.
- Caesar, A. J., and Burr, T. J. 1991. Effect
of conditioning, betaine, and sucrose on survival of rhizobacteria in
powder formulations. Appl. Environmental Microbiol. 57:168 172.
- Caesar, A. J., Rees, N. E., Spencer, N. R.,
and Quimby, P. C. 1993. Characterization of Rhizoctonia spp. causing
disease of leafy spurge in the Northern Plains. Plant Disease 77:681
684.
- Caesar, A. J. 1994. Comparative virulence and
host range of strains of Rhizoctonia solani AG 4 from leafy spurge.
Plant Disease 78: 183 186.
- Caesar, A. J. 1994 Pathogenicity and host
range of Agrobacterium tumefaciens from Acroptilon repens and
Euphorbia esula. Plant Disease 78:796 800.
- Caesar, A. J. Potential of Plant Pathogens
for the Biological Control of Leafy Spurge. Pages 66-74 in R. A.
Andrascik, ed. Proceedings of a Symposium on strategies for the
control of leafy spurge in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. National
Park Service, Medora, ND. 1995.
- Boyette, C.D. ; Quimby, P.C. Jr.; Caesar, A.J.;
Birdsall, J.L.; 1996. Connick, W.J. Jr.; Daigle, D.J.; Jackson, M.A.;
Egley, G.H.; Abbas. Adjuvants, formulations, and spraying systems for
improvement of mycoherbicides. Weed Technology 10: 637-644.
- Caesar, A. J. 1996. Identification,
pathogenicity and comparative virulence of Fusarium spp. associated
with stand declines of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) in the Northern
Plains. Plant Disease 80: 1395-1398.
- Caesar, A. J. , Campobasso, G., and
Terragitti, G. 1998. Identification, pathogenicity and comparative
virulence of Fusarium spp. associated with diseased Euphorbia spp. in
Europe Biocontrol Science and Technology 8: 313-319.
- Caesar, A. J., Campobasso, G, and Terragitti,
G. 1999. Effects of European and U. S. strains of Fusarium spp.
pathogenic to leafy spurge on biomass of native grasses and
pathogenicity to cultivated species in the greenhouse. Biological
Control 14:130-136.
- Caesar, A. J. 2000. Insect-pathogen
interactions are the foundation of weed biocontrol. Pages 793-798 in
Proceedings of the Tenth International Symposium on Biological Control
of Weeds. N. R. Spencer, ed.
- Caesar, A.J., Campobasso, G.,
Terragitti, G. 2002. Identification, pathogenicity and comparative
virulence of Fusarium spp. associated with insect-damaged, diseased
Centaurea spp. in Europe. BioControl 47:217-229.
- Boyetchko, S.M., E.N. Rosskopf, A.J.
Caesar, and R. Charudattan. Biological weed control with pathogens:
Search for candidates to applications. p. 239-274. In: G.G.
Khachatourians and D.K. Arora (eds.), Applied Mycology and
Biotechnology, Vol. 2. Agriculture and Food Production. Elsevier
Science B.V., The Netherlands.
- Caesar, A. J. 2003. Synergistic
interaction of soilborne plant pathogens and root-attacking insects in
classical biological control of an exotic rangeland weed. Biological
Control 28: 144-153.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
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Biological Science Technician
Phone: 406.433.9484
Fax: 406.433.5038
E-mail: aharris[at]sidney.ars.usda.gov |
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USDA-ARS-NPARL
P.O. Box 463 Sidney, MT 59270 PH: 406.433.2020 FAX: 406.433.5038
For accessibility
questions or other concerns, please e-mail: webmaster[at]sidney.ars.usda.gov
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