Emily Silverman
Graduate Research Assistant
Emily Silverman
North Carolina State University
Plant Pathology
Box 7616
Raleigh, NC 27695
Advisor:
Dr. Frank Louws
Dr. Asimina Mila
Dr. Dilip Panthee
Research:
My research focus is tomato resistance to bacterial wilt. Ralstonia solanacearum is a a gram negative bacterium which infects over 200 plant species including solanaceous crops including tomatoes. Bacterial wilt is endemic to the southeastern United States and threatens tomato production in many warm wet temperate regions around the world. I am conducting grafting field trials in Sampson county and Jackson county to assess bacterial wilt resistant rootstocks in the coastal region and the mountains. This research will be coupled with molecular analysis of the diversity of the pathogen across North Carolina with Rep-PCR. I will also map a F2 segregating tomato population for quantitative resistance to bacterial wilt using SNPs.
Extension & Outreach:
Meagan Iott, Sushelia Chaurdhari and I conducted a grafting workshop for the Organic Growers Convention in Fall 2011.
I helped conduct a Grafting Workshop for visiting African scholars spring 2012 with Meagan Iott and Sushelia Chaurdhari under the advisorship of Dr. Frank Louws.
I developed an educational packet with information on grafting, inoculation techniques and management of bacterial wilt in tomatoes.
Meagan, Sushelia and I hosted two Grafting Workshops in December 2012 and January 2013.
I was invited as a special speaker to the Science Festival of Winston Salem, NC April 2013.