Dr. Bruce Fortnum

Title(s):

Interim Director, Pee Dee Research and Education Center
Professor of Entomology, Soils and Plant Sciences

Degrees Held:

B.A., 1973 (Biology), LaSalle College, Philadelphia, PA.
M.S. 1975 (Plant Pathology), University of Delaware, Newark, DE.
Ph.D., 1978 (Plant Pathology), Clemson University, Clemson, SC.

Research Interest:

Research activities include the development of a comprehensive research and Extension program for control of diseases of solanaceous crops in South Carolina. Research and Extension programs have provided a wide range of publications from fundamental physiology of host-parasite interactions to very practical economic control of plant diseases based on crop rotation, variety selection and chemical controls.

Responsibilities:

Design disease control programs for endemic soil borne diseases that are environmentally sound and cost effective. Interim Director responsibilities include personnel and infrastructure management of the Pee Dee Research and Education Center

Publication Highlights:

Fortnum, B. A. and D. Gooden. 2008. Transmission of Ralstonia solanacearum on tobacco machinery. Beitraege zur Tabakforschung International Contributions to Tobacco Research (in press).

Fortnum, B. A., and D. Kluepfel. 2005. Mechanization has Contributed to the Spread of Bacterial Wilt, p. 51-59. In Bacterial Wilt Disease and the Ralstonia solanacearum Species Complex, C. Allen, P. Prior and A.C. Hayward (eds.) APS Press

Robertson, A., B. A. Fortnum, W. P. Wechter, T. P. Denny, and D. Kluepfel. 2005. Insertions in the Avirulence Gene AvrA Alter the Virulence of Ralstonia solanacearum on Nicotiana tabacum. p. 359-364. In Bacterial Wilt Disease and the Ralstonia solanacearum Species Complex, C. Allen, P. Prior and A.C. Hayward (eds.) APS Press

Robertson, A., W. P. Wechter, T. Denny, B. A. Fortnum, and D. Kluepfel, 2004. Relationship between Avirulemce Gene (avrA) diversity in Ralstonia solanacearum solanacearum and bacterial wilt incidence. Molecular Plant Microb 17:, no 12, 1376-1384.

Fortnum, B. A., S. A. Lewis, and A. W. Johnson. 2001. Crop rotation and nematicides for management of mixed populations of Meloidogyne spp. on tobacco. Journal of Nematology 33 (4S):318-324.

Robertson, B. A. Fortnum, T. C. Wood, and D. A. Kluepfel. 2001. Diversity of Ralstonia solanacearum in the southeastern United States. Beitrage Zur Tabakforschung International Contributions to Tobacco 19:323-331.

Fortnum, B. A. D. R. Decoteau, and M. J. Kasperbauer. 2000. Colored mulch affects root-knot of tomato in simulated planting beds. Journal of Nematology 32:101-109.

Fortnum, B. A., D. R. Decoteau, M. Kasperbauer, and W. Bridges. 1995. Effect of colored mulched on root-knot of tomato. Phytopathology 85:312-318.

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