Friday, January 28, 2022
CapitalPress.com 3
Idaho Innovators
Giving grain farmers better tools
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
JULIET
MARSHALL
University of Idaho
cereal researcher Juliet
Marshall studies the envi-
ronment as much as wheat
and barley varieties.
“The varieties that were
adapted 30 years ago aren’t
necessarily adapted now,”
the Idaho Falls-based plant
pathologist said. “The envi-
ronment is not static and
the diseases that are cir-
culating are not static. We
have new strains of fungal
pathogens that change and
viral pathogen strains that
change.”
Warmer weather, for
example, benefi ts corn. As
farmers grow more of that
high-water crop, fungi that
cause disease in wheat and
barley will proliferate.
“Fusarium head blight is
one of the bigger ones that
is a problem as a result of
higher corn production,”
Marshall said. Barley yel-
low dwarf is another. The
aphid-vectored virus can
build up on corn and move
to fall-planted wheat and
barley.
She is among the
researchers
collaborat-
ing to develop better ways
to control fusarium head
blight, which produces a
fungus-derived toxin that
accumulates on grain.
The project with the U.S.
Wheat and Barley Scab
Initiative has received fed-
eral funding.
Marshall said research-
ers are screening wheat and
barley varieties for resis-
tance, and are working to
identify the best fungicides
to apply as well as the best
timing of application.
She said a recently tested
fungicide can be applied
over a longer period and
still reduce the disease and
toxin, “so it improves our
ability to control the dis-
ease. A lot of previous fun-
gicides had a very, very
narrow window.”
While rain often gets
strong consideration in
Midwestern studies of
fusarium head blight, Idaho
work by Marshall and her
colleagues focuses much
Occupation: Univer-
sity of Idaho plant
pathologist, professor,
head of Plant Sciences
Department. Based at UI
Idaho Falls Research and
Extension Center.
Education: B.S., M.S.,
University of Delaware,
Newark; Ph.D., University
of Illinois, Urbana-Cham-
paign.
Age: 57
Home: Idaho Falls
Family: Husband Bill
Clark, a commercial
wheat and barley breed-
er. Two adult children.
Hobbies: Gardening,
travel, camping.
Idaho’s wheat and bar-
ley commissions, farmers,
crop consultants, breeders
and other researchers all
support her work.
“I have a lot of collab-
orators,” Marshall said.
University of Idaho “The fi rst people who ben-
University of Idaho plant pathologist and cereals researcher Juliet Marshall is focused on wheat and barley yield, efi t are the stakeholders
quality and disease resistance.
— cereal producers in the
area.”
This story fi rst appeared
more on humidity and tem- producers have to plant Variety trials also benefi t paring a new release to an
Sept. 10, 2021.
perature — particularly when moisture is avail- seed companies by com- industry standard.
evening temperatures that able,” Marshall said. Rains
are favorable for the fun- came in early this August,
gus to infect plants.
as corn continued to grow,
Unusually warm sum- “and the aphids prefer the
B E PA R T O F T H E H E R I TA G E . B E PA R T O F T H E F U T U R E . B E PA R T O F T H E
mer nights factored into the newly planted wheat and
E XC I T E M E N T. B E P A R T O F T H E C O M M U N I T Y. B E PA R T O F A G R I - S E R V I C E .
disease appearing in this barley seedlings over aging
year’s Idaho barley crop corn — increasing the like-
farther north and at higher lihood of transferring the
elevations than usual, she virus.”
said.
Many new cereal vari-
“The more warm nights eties are being introduced.
that we have at fl owering, Field trials seek to iden-
the higher the chances of tify disease resistance and
infection,” Marshall said.
yield characteristics suited
She is also working with to a production location
UI colleagues to identify while “keeping the qual-
the pathogen faster using ity that the end users really
molecular techniques. That want from those varieties,”
could help reduce spread she said. Baking, milling or
by optimizing fungicide brewing standards must be
application amounts and met, for example.
timing, she said.
“It’s key for our produc-
As for barley yellow ers to know that there are
dwarf, “the diffi culty in new varieties out there that
reducing virus transmis- will be more economically
sion from aphids is com- benefi cial and sustainable
plicated when our dryland to them,” Marshall said.
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