Daisy Ahumada
Bio
My research interests involve the biology, epidemiology, and management of diseases affecting corn, cotton, and tobacco in North Carolina. My goal is to support the needs of field crop industries in the southeastern United States by utilizing laboratory, field, and greenhouse studies to evaluate and provide science-based solutions and integrate pest management strategies for stakeholders. My primary focus is on highly destructive, soil-borne diseases of tobacco, including black shank (Phytophthora nicotianae), bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum), and target spot (Rhizoctonia solani), as well as emerging diseases in corn and cotton. In addition to my work on traditional field crops, I am exploring strawberries as an alternative crop for tobacco growers, focusing on disease management strategies for Neopestalotiopsis in strawberries to enhance sustainable production.
Education
B.S. Environmental Biology Cal Poly Pomona 2018
Ph.D. Plant Pathology UC Davis 2023
Publications
- Ganoderma adspersum, the Cause of Extensive Wood Decay of Almond Trees in California Orchards , Plant Disease (2025)
- Black Shank Official Variety Test, Edgecombe County, North Carolina, 2023 , Plant Health Progress (2025)
- Black Shank Official Variety Test, Edgecombe County, North Carolina, 2024 , Plant Health Progress (2025)
- Evaluation of corn foliar fungicides against gray leaf spot in North Carolina, 2024 , Plant Health Progress (2025)
- Evaluation of cotton foliar fungicides against target spot and areolate mildew in North Carolina, 2024 , Plant Health Progress (2025)
- Evaluation of tobacco foliar fungicides against target spot in North Carolina, 2024 , Plant Health Progress (2025)
- Evaluation of tobacco fungicides and application methods against black shank in North Carolina, 2024 , Plant Health Progress (2024)
- Influence of Cropping Sequence and Tillage System on Plant-Parasitic Nematodes and Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Response to Fluopyram Applied at Planting , Agronomy (2024)
- Almond rhizosphere viral, prokaryotic, and fungal communities differed significantly among four California orchards and in comparison to bulk soil communities , (2023)
- Management and biocontrol of Phellinus heart-rot in California prunes , Acta Horticulturae (2021)