Person

Heather Marie Kelly

Professor | Entomology and Plant Pathology

Specialization: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Field Crops

Overview

I joined the Entomology and Plant Pathology Department in August 2012, as the field crops pathologist located at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson, TN. Prior to coming to Tennessee I was born and raised in Florida, where a plant pathologist will never be bored. I received my B.S. and M.S. from Florida State University where I developed an interest in plant sciences and became the herbarium manager and project leader for the campus tree inventory. After receiving my M.S. I started working as a Biological Scientist at the North Florida Research and Education Center for the University of Florida, where I came to know and love plant pathology. My dissertation, Biology of Phakopsora pachyrhizi, the causal agent of soybean rust in Florida, introduced me to the wonders of epidemiology and how amazing it is that different factors such as hosts, vectors, and meteorological events, such as hurricanes, can influence disease development and establishment.

At the University of Tennessee, I have a 65% Extension, 30% research, and 5% teaching appointment. As an Extension Plant Pathologist, I discover and address the major disease challenges of Tennessee producers. This information is gathered from agricultural county agents, crop consultants, industry and Extension cooperators, producers, and field observations. Solutions to these challenges are sought from the literature and internet searches or through applied research designed to find effective, economically viable and environmentally sound solutions to these disease management issues. This information is distributed to the growers through county agricultural agents, the UTcrops.com website and news.utcrops.com blog, IPM Newsletters, stakeholders and agent in-service meetings and/or Web-based Extension publications.

My Extension/research appointment works well in addressing producers problems. I educate producers, county agents, crop consultants, and other agriculture clientele on fungicide resistance management strategies which include using multiple modes of action, cultural practices, and good stewardship of fungicide application as well as other non-chemical management strategies like resistant varieties and crop rotation. To have a successful disease management program, I promote teamwork and cooperation, not only within my program of research specialists and students, but also across disciplines and institutions. Cooperating with and leveraging the skills of many exceptional county agricultural agents, extension specialists, and researchers are valuable in solving today’s complex problems and providing the best information to producers.

Research Focus

I prioritize research addressing current and emerging issues. This encompasses identifying and managing seedling/foliar diseases from fungi, bacteria, and viruses. I also employ cutting-edge tech to advance agricultural research.

Outreach Focus

My approach to managing diseases in various crops emphasizes teamwork and cooperation. A key focus is soybean disease management, evaluating resistance and fungicide efficacy, and sharing insights with growers.

Teaching Focus

Accurate pest identification is crucial for effective management. My programs focus on disease ID and team-teaching Plant Health Diagnostics. I've developed a mobile-friendly field guide, UT Crops Guide, for access to disease info and more.

Research Questions
  • Can molecular techniques be used in an applied, disease forecasting model to better guide management decisions in field crops?
  • What factors are most efficient for disease forecasting?
  • Can a more site specific disease management plan be formulated using multiple factors including: cultivar and fungicide selection, field history (i.e. cultivation, previous crop, previous disease pressure, etc.), weather, and disease forecasting?
  • What are the best practices to increase the longevity of fungicides in field crops?
  • What factors increase and/or increase the rate of development of fungicide resistance in field crops?
Courses
Below are courses taught during the current or past three academic years. Consult Timetable for the most current listing of courses and instructor(s).
EPP 508 - Plant Health Diagnostics - Field Crops
3 credit hour(s)

Practical experience diagnosing plant health problems caused by insects, nematodes, microbial pathogens, and abiotic stresses of field crops. Students will use modern plant health diagnostics tools and techniques, both in the laboratory and field, to diagnose plant health problems of agronomic row crops.

Contact Hour Distribution: One week summer workshop. Comments: Offered in even years at the West TN Research and Education Center in Jackson, TN.

EPP 509 - Plant Health Diagnostics – Horticultural and Specialty Crops
3 credit hour(s)

Practical experience diagnosing plant health problems caused by insects, nematodes, microbial pathogens, and abiotic stresses. Students will use modern plant health diagnostics tools and techniques both in the laboratory and field to diagnose health problems of horticultural crops, orchard, and specialty crops in fields, orchards, forests, and urban landscapes.

Contact Hour Distribution: One week summer workshop.
Comment(s): Offered in odd years at the Soil, Plant and Pest Center in Nashville, TN.

EPP 531 - Special Problems in Entomology, Nematology and Plant Pathology
1 - 3 credit hours

Comprehensive individual study of current problems.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 9 hours.

Other Instructors: Gerhold Jr, Richard William | Nowicki, Marcin | Gwinn, Kimberly D | Staton, Meg | Trigiano, Robert N

EPP 604 - Advanced Topics in Plant Pathology
1 - 3 credit hours

Biological control, disease diagnosis and management, epidemiology, fungal plant pathogens, integrated pest management, molecular plant-microbe interactions, plant pathogenesis, plant pathogenic bacteria, soil- and seed-borne pathogens, and virology.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 12 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Minimum student level - graduate.

Other Instructors: Guerry, Denita Hadziabdic

EPP 606 - Advanced Topics in Nematology
1 - 3 credit hours

Specialized instruction on systematics, physiology, ecology, genetics, genomics, and evolution of nematodes, plant, insect, mollusk, medical and veterinary nematology, nematode biodiversity, entomopathogenic nematodes, nematode-microbe interactions, plant-nematode interactions, and biological control.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 12 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Minimum student level – graduate.

Picture of Heather Marie Kelly
208 West TN Research & Educ Ctr.
605 Airways Blvd.
Jackson, TN 38301
Education and Training
  • Doctorate, Plant Sciences, General, University of Florida, 2012
Responsible Area(s)
  • Agriculture and Natural Resources

Heather Marie Kelly

Professor | Entomology and Plant Pathology
Picture of Heather Marie Kelly image
208 West TN Research & Educ Ctr.
605 Airways Blvd.
Jackson, TN 38301
Education and Training
  • Doctorate, Plant Sciences, General, University of Florida, 2012
Responsible Area(s)
  • Agriculture and Natural Resources
Overview

I joined the Entomology and Plant Pathology Department in August 2012, as the field crops pathologist located at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson, TN. Prior to coming to Tennessee I was born and raised in Florida, where a plant pathologist will never be bored. I received my B.S. and M.S. from Florida State University where I developed an interest in plant sciences and became the herbarium manager and project leader for the campus tree inventory. After receiving my M.S. I started working as a Biological Scientist at the North Florida Research and Education Center for the University of Florida, where I came to know and love plant pathology. My dissertation, Biology of Phakopsora pachyrhizi, the causal agent of soybean rust in Florida, introduced me to the wonders of epidemiology and how amazing it is that different factors such as hosts, vectors, and meteorological events, such as hurricanes, can influence disease development and establishment.

At the University of Tennessee, I have a 65% Extension, 30% research, and 5% teaching appointment. As an Extension Plant Pathologist, I discover and address the major disease challenges of Tennessee producers. This information is gathered from agricultural county agents, crop consultants, industry and Extension cooperators, producers, and field observations. Solutions to these challenges are sought from the literature and internet searches or through applied research designed to find effective, economically viable and environmentally sound solutions to these disease management issues. This information is distributed to the growers through county agricultural agents, the UTcrops.com website and news.utcrops.com blog, IPM Newsletters, stakeholders and agent in-service meetings and/or Web-based Extension publications.

My Extension/research appointment works well in addressing producers problems. I educate producers, county agents, crop consultants, and other agriculture clientele on fungicide resistance management strategies which include using multiple modes of action, cultural practices, and good stewardship of fungicide application as well as other non-chemical management strategies like resistant varieties and crop rotation. To have a successful disease management program, I promote teamwork and cooperation, not only within my program of research specialists and students, but also across disciplines and institutions. Cooperating with and leveraging the skills of many exceptional county agricultural agents, extension specialists, and researchers are valuable in solving today’s complex problems and providing the best information to producers.

Research Focus

I prioritize research addressing current and emerging issues. This encompasses identifying and managing seedling/foliar diseases from fungi, bacteria, and viruses. I also employ cutting-edge tech to advance agricultural research.

Outreach Focus

My approach to managing diseases in various crops emphasizes teamwork and cooperation. A key focus is soybean disease management, evaluating resistance and fungicide efficacy, and sharing insights with growers.

Teaching Focus

Accurate pest identification is crucial for effective management. My programs focus on disease ID and team-teaching Plant Health Diagnostics. I've developed a mobile-friendly field guide, UT Crops Guide, for access to disease info and more.

Research Questions
  • Can molecular techniques be used in an applied, disease forecasting model to better guide management decisions in field crops?
  • What factors are most efficient for disease forecasting?
  • Can a more site specific disease management plan be formulated using multiple factors including: cultivar and fungicide selection, field history (i.e. cultivation, previous crop, previous disease pressure, etc.), weather, and disease forecasting?
  • What are the best practices to increase the longevity of fungicides in field crops?
  • What factors increase and/or increase the rate of development of fungicide resistance in field crops?
Courses
Below are courses taught during the current or past three academic years. Consult Timetable for the most current listing of courses and instructor(s).
EPP 508 - Plant Health Diagnostics - Field Crops
3 credit hour(s)

Practical experience diagnosing plant health problems caused by insects, nematodes, microbial pathogens, and abiotic stresses of field crops. Students will use modern plant health diagnostics tools and techniques, both in the laboratory and field, to diagnose plant health problems of agronomic row crops.

Contact Hour Distribution: One week summer workshop. Comments: Offered in even years at the West TN Research and Education Center in Jackson, TN.

EPP 509 - Plant Health Diagnostics – Horticultural and Specialty Crops
3 credit hour(s)

Practical experience diagnosing plant health problems caused by insects, nematodes, microbial pathogens, and abiotic stresses. Students will use modern plant health diagnostics tools and techniques both in the laboratory and field to diagnose health problems of horticultural crops, orchard, and specialty crops in fields, orchards, forests, and urban landscapes.

Contact Hour Distribution: One week summer workshop.
Comment(s): Offered in odd years at the Soil, Plant and Pest Center in Nashville, TN.

EPP 531 - Special Problems in Entomology, Nematology and Plant Pathology
1 - 3 credit hours

Comprehensive individual study of current problems.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 9 hours.

Other Instructors: Gerhold Jr, Richard William | Nowicki, Marcin | Gwinn, Kimberly D | Staton, Meg | Trigiano, Robert N

EPP 604 - Advanced Topics in Plant Pathology
1 - 3 credit hours

Biological control, disease diagnosis and management, epidemiology, fungal plant pathogens, integrated pest management, molecular plant-microbe interactions, plant pathogenesis, plant pathogenic bacteria, soil- and seed-borne pathogens, and virology.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 12 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Minimum student level - graduate.

Other Instructors: Guerry, Denita Hadziabdic

EPP 606 - Advanced Topics in Nematology
1 - 3 credit hours

Specialized instruction on systematics, physiology, ecology, genetics, genomics, and evolution of nematodes, plant, insect, mollusk, medical and veterinary nematology, nematode biodiversity, entomopathogenic nematodes, nematode-microbe interactions, plant-nematode interactions, and biological control.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 12 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Minimum student level – graduate.