Extension/Teaching Program (30%)

• WVU Fruit Extension program 
• Diagnostic key to major diseases of apple, peach and nectarine, and sweet and sour cherry
  
• Index of disease photographs and links to color-illustrated disease information summaries
  
• Disease management guides
  
• Recommendations for commercial fruit growers in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland
  
• Gallery of fruit disease images
  
• Fruit disease focus
   
• I teach fruit pathology to Master Gardeners and am available for an Advanced MG class upon request.
  
• I teach Mushroom Identification to Master Naturalists and am available upon request.
• The WVU Fruit Web Site
  • Web site activity charts (data from 1997 - 2008)

Research Program (70%)

• List of scientific journal articles with links to pdf files (1983 - present)
  
• Current and recent research projects:
  • Fire blight epidemiology and management:
    • A Statistical Comparison of the Blossom Blight Forecasts of MARYBLYT and Cougarblight with Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve Analysis, M. M. Dewdney, A. R. Biggs, and W. W. Turechek (journal article (pdf file)) (09/2007).
    • Analysis of fire blight shoot infection epidemics on four apple cultivars.A.R Biggs, W. W.Turechek, and T. R. Gottwald. (journal article (pdf file)) (09/2008).
    • Effectiveness of prohexadione-Ca (Apogee 27.5DF) for fire blight shoot blight suppression in commercial apple orchards. K.S. Yoder, A. R. Biggs, and J. Norelli. (APS abstract or abstract here).
    • Fire blight of apples and pears: epidemiological concepts comprising the Maryblyt forecasting program. Online. Plant Health Progress doi:10.1094/PHP-2010-0315-01-RS. (Reprint available upon request).
    • Maryblyt v.7 for Windows download page.
       
  • Alternative processing apple production project:
    • Assessment of an alternative IPM program for the production of apples for processing (journal article (pdf file)).
    • Comparison of corn and fescue rotations on pathogenic nematodes, nematode biocontrol agents, and soil structure and fertility on an apple replant site (journal article (pdf file)).
    • Growth of apple trees, nitrate mobility and pest populations following a corn versus fescue crop rotation (journal article (pdf file)).
    • Effects of rotary and flail mowing on fungal reproduction on apple branch litter, 1996-1997 (report (pdf file)).
    • Evaluation of calcium chloride for apple disease control, 1994-1997 (report (pdf file)).
    • Pest and disease incidence in alternative and organic pest management systems for processing apples (PowerPoint presentation)  (2/22/2002).
       
  • Effects of calcium salts on fungal pathogens of apple and peach:
    • Effects of calcium salts on growth, polygalacturonase activity, and infection of peach fruit by Monilinia fructicola (journal article (pdf file)).
    • Effects of calcium salts on apple bitter rot caused by two Colletotrichum spp. (journal article (pdf file)  10/20/1999).
    • Effect of inoculum concentration and calcium salts on infection of apple fruit by Botryosphaeria dothidea (journal article (pdf file)  (04/20/2004).
    • Select calcium compounds reduce Phytophthora stem rot disease of soybean. (Journal article pdf). (11/08/2008).
    • Field experiments with two calcium compounds that reduce Phytophthora stem rot disease of soybean, and calcium distribution in plants using scanning electron microscope analysis. Plant Disease 94:812-819. (Journal article pdf). (July 2010).
       
  • Defense mechanisms in woody plants against fungi:
    • Genetic and temporal variation in abscission zone formation in peach leaves in relation to Leucostoma canker (journal article (pdf file)).
    • Increased suberin accumulation in peach X almond hybrids (journal article (pdf file)).
    • Variation in wound healing and resistance to Leucostoma persoonii in peach derived from embryo culture (journal article (pdf file)) 1/5/2006.
       
  • NE-183 Disease susceptibility of new apple cultivars:
    • Disease susceptibility of new apple cultivars, 1995-1998 NE183 results for West Virginia  10/30/98
    • Relative susceptibility of selected apple cultivars to Colletotrichum  acutatum (journal article (pdf file)) (2/25/2001).
    • Relative susceptibility of selected apple cultivars to Botryosphaeria dothidea (journal article (pdf file)) (7/25/2003).
    • Relative susceptibility of selected apple cultivars to Botryosphaeria obtusa  (journal article (pdf file)) (6/15/2004).
    • Comparative relative susceptibility of NE-183 apple cultivars to fruit rot pathogens in West Virginia (journal article (pdf file)) (1/5/2006)
    • Relative Susceptibility of Selected Apple Cultivars to Cedar Apple Rust and Quince Rust, A. R. Biggs, D. A. Rosenberger, K. S. Yoder, R. K. Kiyomoto, D. R. Cooley, and T. B. Sutton;
      October 2009 - Plant Management Network
    • Relative Susceptibility of Selected Apple Cultivars to Powdery Mildew Caused by Podosphaera leucotricha, A. R. Biggs, K. S. Yoder, and D. A. Rosenberger;
      November 2009 - Plant Management Network
    • Relative susceptibility of selected apple cultivars and selections to apple scab caused by Venturia inaequalis. Plant Health Progress doi:10.1094/PHP-2010-0408-01-RS.(Reprint available upon request).
    • Relative susceptibility of selected apple cultivars to sooty blotch and flyspeck. Online. Plant Health Progress doi:10.1094/PHP-2010-0726-01-RS. (Reprint available upon request).
    • A research poster summarizing all of the above results is available here.

Service

• Plant Disease, Editor-in-Chief 2001 - 2003
  
• APS Publications Board, 2001 - 2003 (Chair, 2003) 
• APS Council, 2001 - 2003 
• Plant Disease, Senior Editor 1998 - 2000 
• Plant Disease, Associate Editor 1994 - 1996 
• Phytopathology, Associate Editor 1988 - 1990

• Alan R. Biggs, brief biographical sketch

Contact

Alan R. Biggs, Professor of Plant Pathology and Extension Specialist
West Virginia University
Kearneysville Tree Fruit Research and Education Center
67 Apple Harvest Lane
P.O. Box 609
Kearneysville, WV 25430

Phone 304-876-6353
Fax 304-876-6034
Cell 304-216-9913

Web Site Author: Alan R. Biggs
Copyright ©1996-2009.