Contact Information
Entomology & Plant Pathology
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS 39762-9775
TEL: (662) 325-2085
FAX: (662) 325-8837
Building Locations
People :: Faculty
RICHARD E. BAIRD
Professor of Plant Pathology
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State MS 39762-9775
TEL: (662) 325-9661
FAX: (662) 325-8955
Email: rbaird@plantpath.msstate.edu
Research at Mississippi State University involves two major thrusts: 1) the epidemiology and control of soilborne and foliar pathogens of soybean and ornamental nursery crops, and 2) determine the morphological, ecological and geographical diversity of fungi (emphasis on economically important fungi - e.g. mycotoxin forming fungi).
Plant pathological research is concentrating efforts on determining the importance of remote sensing technologies for site specific management of diseases in soybean fields. Information obtained in the study will be used to determine if disease zones (plant stress zones) identified within soybean fields can be correlated with hyperspectral images. Ultimately, those data will enable growers to use site specific management strategies for control of plant pathogens resulting in lower input costs, but maintaining yields. Additionally, fungicides are being evaluated for seedling and foliar disease control of soybean and ornamental crops. Research of foliar diseases are concentrating on refining and redefining existing fungicide spray models developed for Mississippi soybean and woody ornamental nursery producers.
The second area of research involves mycological (taxonomic), ecological, and biological studies of fungal pathogens with emphasis on ornamental mycotoxin forming fungi of maize. Morphotaxonomic and biological diversity of fungal genera, species and infraspecific species are currently being studied. Traditional taxonomic investigations of the fungi including morphological variation determination within plant host tissues, cultural characters, and microscopic analyze for defining species and generic concepts. To complement the traditional studies, molecular investigations (=DNA) are also being used to more accurately define specific and infraspecific groups of fungi and geographic diversity within species. The ability to determine if taxonomic, and geographical variation occurs within fungal species will enable researchers to more accurately identify plant pathogenic or mycotoxin forming fungi and develop resistant crop varieties for use in Mississippi and in other portions of the country.
Other responsibilities at the university include teaching Mycology and Clinical Plant Pathology and supervising graduate students in Plant Pathology or Mycology related research degree programs. Presently, I am a member of the American Phytopathological Society and Mycological Society of America.
Selected Recent Publications:
Baird, R. E., J. R. Rich, McDaniel, and B. G. Mullinix. 2000. Effects of nematicides on Rotylenchulus reniformis in cotton. Nematol. Medit. 28: 83-88.
Baird, R. E., R. D. Gitaitis, D. E. Carling, S. M. Baird, P. J. Alt, and B. G. Mullinix. 2000. Determination of whole-cell fatty acid profiles for characterization and differentiation of isolates of Rhizoctonia solani AG-4 and AG-7. Plant Dis. 84: 785-788.
Baird, R. E., J. R. Rich, G. A. Herzog, S. I. Utley, S. Brown, L. G. Martin, and B. G. Mullinix. 2000. Management of Meloidogyne incognita in cotton with nematicides. Nematologia Mediterranea 28: 255-259
Roy, K. W., M. V. Patel, and R. E. Baird. 2000. Colonization of Heterodera glycines cysts formed by Fusarium solani form A, the cause of sudden death syndrome, and other fusaria in soybean fields in the midwestern and southern United States. Phytoprotection 81 57-67.
Baird, R. E. 2001. Cotton Compendium: Leaf spots and foliar diseases (Chapter). APS Press, St. Paul, Minnesota (In Press).
Carling, D.E., R.E. Baird, and S. Kinninagai. 2002. Characterization of AG-13, a newly reported anastomosis group of Rhizoctonia solani. Phytopathology 92: 893-899.
Buntin, G.D., P.L. Raymer, C.W. Bednarz, D.V. Phillips, and R.E. Baird. 2002. Winter crop, tillage, and planting time effects on doublecrop cotton stand and yield. Agronomy Journal 94: 273-280.
Baird, R.E., C.L. Watson and M.L. Scruggs. 2003. Relative longevity of Macrophomina phaseolina on residual soybean roots at select roots at select soil depths. Plant Disease 87: 563-566.
Baird, R.E., W. Batson, P. Hightower and b. Mullinix. 2003. Evaluation of transgenic cotton varieties and a glypohsate application on seedling disease incidence. Phytoprotection 83: (In review).
Baird, R.E., C.W. Watson. 2002. Diversity and density of the cotton root-rhizosphere mycobiota as influenced by season and nematicide applications. Mycopathologia (Accepted).
Villarroel, D., R. Baird, L. Trevathan and C. Watson. 2003. Diversity and density of soybean pod and seed mycobiota compared on transgenic and conventional varieties. Mycopathologia (Accepted).
Kemerait, R.C., R.E. Baird and J.R. Rich. 2003. Management of Hoplolaimus columbus in cotton with nematicides. Nematologia Mediterranea (Submitted).
Baird, R.E., G.L. Windham, P. Ma, W.P. Williams, S. Baird, L. Hawkins and M. Scruggs. 2003. Identification of select fumonisin forming Fusarium spp. using PCR amplication of the polyketide synthase gene. (In preperation).
Baird, R.E., R. Trigiano, G. Windham, P. Williams, R. Kelly and M.L. Scruggs. 2003. Comparison of toxigenic and atoxigenic isolates of Aspergillus flavus using DNA fingerprinting (DAF) and ribosomal DNA sequences. Plant Pathology: (In preparation).
Book Chapters
Baird, R.E., 2001. Foliar diseases. In: Cotton Compendium Pg. 20-24 (ed. Kirpatrick and Rothrock). APS Press, St. Paul, MN. 77 pp.
Baird, R.E. 2003. Deuteromycetes (Chapter). In: Introductory Plant Pathology (ed. Trigiano, Windham and Windham). CRC Press, LLC, NY. (In Press).
Baird, R.E. 2003. Fleshy Basiciomyhcetes (Chapter). In: Introductory Plant Pathology (ed. Trigiano, Windham and Windham). CRC Press, LLC, NY. (In Press).
Baird, R.E. 2003. Laboratory exercises for the Deuteromycetes (Chapter). In: Introductory Plant Pathology (ed. Trigiano, Windham and Windham). CRC press, LLC., NY. (In Press).
Dunn, R.A, J.R. Rich and R.E. Baird. 2003. Site specific management of plant parasitic nematodes: Site-specific management using variable rates of granular and fumigant nematicides (Chapter). In: Precision Farming - A Global Perspective. (A. Srinivasan ed.) Haworth Press, Inc. Binghamton, NY. (In Press).
Curry, K.J. and R.E. Baird. 2003. Ascomycetes (Chapter). In: Introductory Plant Pathology (ed. Trigiano, Wingham and Windham). CRC Press, LLC., NY. (In Press).
Trigiano, R, R. Baird and S. Jeffers. 2003. Oomycetes (Chapter). In: Introductory Plant Pathology (ed. Trigiano, Windham and Windham). CRC Press, LLC., NY. (In Press).