Hehe Wang

Assistant Professor of Plant Bacteriology
Plant Bacteriologist/Pathologist
Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, Edisto Research and Education Center

Office: 64 Research Rd., Blackville, SC 29817
Phone: 803-284-3343

Email: hehew@clemson.edu

Educational Background

Ph.D. Plant Pathology
The Ohio State University

M.S. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
University of the Philippines Los Banos

B.S. Biology and Food Engineering
Fuzhou University

Courses Taught

Molecular Diagnostics Unit of PLPA 4110/6110: “Plant Disease Diagnosis”

Research Interests

To address the needs of stakeholders and promote sustainable agriculture, my lab conducts basic and applied research to study the epidemiology, ecology, and genetics of bacterial pathogens in different crop production systems (e.g. peach, tomato, strawberry, brassica greens), and develop novel, sustainable, and information-driven management strategies to reduce inoculum sources and prevent/minimize disease development. I am also interested in studying interactions between bacterial pathogens and other microbes in the plant microbiome and plant-pathogen interactions, using beneficial bacteria for managing other plant diseases, and developing molecular diagnostics tools for plant pathogens and pests.

Lab Members

Current graduate Students:
Jordan Marshall (PhD)
Junaed Ahmed (PhD)
Sherin Paul (PhD)

Postdoc:
Milan Panth

Research associate:
Alec Sherratt

Extension and Outreach

I have been working closely with SC growers, giving talks at Extension meetings and field days, and assisting Extension agents on plant disease diagnosis.

Publications

Referred Publication since 2020:
1. Panth, M., E. Noh, A. Sherratt, G. Schnabel, D. J. Anco, R. Carvalho, J. B. Jones, and H. Wang. 2025. Overwintering capability of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni strains with different chemical sensitivities in peach trees. Phytopathol. (IF = 3.2). DOI:10.1094/PHYTO-09-24-0298-R.
2. Noh, E., T. Creswell, J. C. Bonkowski, J. Beckerman, and H. Wang. 2024. First report of Xanthomonas dyei causing bacterial blight on glossy Abelia. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.5). DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-08-24-1755-PDN.
3. Noh, E., C. Cedeno, C. Bull, A. Keinath, P. Wechter, and H. Wang. 2024. A qPCR assay for specific detection of Pseudomonas cannabina pv. alisalensis. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.5). DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-06-24-1217-RE.
4. Li, N., S. Sun, L. Kong, Z. Chen, Y. Xin, R. Shao, L. Wang, H. Wang, and X. Geng. 2024. Transcriptomic and physiological analyses reveal plant resistance against Ralstonia solanacearum involved in salicylic acid-mediated defenses in tomato leaves. Plant Pathol. (IF = 2.7). DOI: 10.1111/PPA.14002.
5. Noh, E., X. Yang, J. Barnes, and H. Wang. 2024. First report of Xanthomonas campestris causing leaf spot on sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) in South Carolina, U.S.A. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.5). DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-05-24-0958-PDN.
6. Koebernick1, J. C., A. K. Hagan, M. Zaccaron, C. Escalante, A. L. Jacobson, K. L. Bowen, A. Strayer-Scherer, B. Heilsnis, S. Brown, E. J. Sikora, T. W. Allen, T. R. Faske1, J. K. Greene, A. Huseth, H. Kelly, R. C. Kemerait, D. Kerns, M. Mulvaney, P. P. Price, I. Small, S. Taylor, H. Wang, and K. Conner. 2024. Monitoring the distribution, incidence, and symptom expression associated with Cotton leafroll dwarf virus using a sentinel plot system in the southern United States. Phytofrontiers. DOI: 10.1094/PHYTOFR-02-24-0008-R.
7. Panth, M., E. Noh, G. Schnabel, and H. Wang. 2024. Development of a long amplicon PMA-qPCR assay for detection of viable Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni cells in peach trees. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.614). DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-01-24-0012-RE.
8. Li, T., Z. Zhang, Y. Liu, S. Sun, H. Wang, and X. Geng. 2024. Phenotype and signaling pathway analysis to explore the interaction between tomato plants and TYLCV in different organs. Plant Sci. (IF = 5.2). 339:111955.
9. Panth, M., X. Yang, E. Noh, M. Vargo, and H. Wang. 2023. First report of Xanthomonas campestris causing leaf blight on buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus) in South Carolina, USA. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.614). DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-06-23-1147-PDN.
10. Pereira, J., D. Moreno, G.G. Giannelli, E. Davidson, J.R. Huertas, H. Wang, and S. Santra. 2023. Targeted delivery of oxytetracycline to the epidermal cell junction and stomata for crop protection. Environ. Sci. Nano. (IF = 9.473). DOI:10.1039/D3EN00140G.
11. Rich, M., E. Noh, H. Wang, J. Greene, F.P.F. Reay-Jones, T. Gilligan, M. Turnbull, F. Zink. 2023. A field-based recombinase polymerase amplification assay and a lab-based qPCR assay for detection of Helicoverpa armigera. J. Econ. Entomol. (IF = 2.447). 116:973-982.
12. Spivey, W.W., Z. Williamson, J. Seiter, H. Wang, J. Greene, and E. Cieniewicz. 2003. Analysis of cotton leafroll dwarf virus P0 gene sequences from South Carolina reveals low variability among isolates. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.614). DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-10-22-2514-SR.
13. Wechter, P., H. Wang, and S. E. Branham.2003. First report of bacterial leaf spot on spinach (Spinacia oleracea) caused by Pseudomonas cichorii in South Carolina. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.614). 107: 935.
14. Baker, S., M.H. Froelich, H. Boatwright, H. Wang, G. Schnabel, and J. Kerrigan. 2023. Genetic diversity and fungicide sensitivity of Cytospora plurivora on peach. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.614). 107:2112-2118.
15. Conzemius, S., F. Reay-Jones, J. Greene, B. Campbell, D. Reisig, H. Wang, and W. Bridges. 2022. Field screening of wild cotton, Gossypium hirsutum, landraces for resistance to thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Crop Protection (IF = 3.036). 163:106113.
16. Turechek, W., M., Jertberg, C. Winterbottom, and H. Wang. 2022. Survival of Xanthomonas fragariae on common materials. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.614). Doi:10.1094/PDIS-03-22-0719-RE.
17. Turechek, W., and H. Wang. 2022. Evaluation of a viable-cell detection assay for Xanthomonas fragariae with Latent Class Analysis. PhytoFrontiers. (new journal, IF not yet available). Doi:10.1094/PHYTOFR-05-22-0052-FI. Editor’s Pick.
18. Wang, P., S. Sun, K. Liu, R. Peng, N. Li, B. Hu, L. Wang, H. Wang, A. J. Afzal, and X. Geng. 2022. Physiological and transcriptomic analyses revealed gene networks involved in heightened resistance against tomato yellow leaf curl virus infection in salicylic acid and jasmonic acid treated tomato plants. Front. Microbiol. (IF = 6.064). doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.970139.
19. Herbert, A., C.N. Hancock, B. Cox, G. Schnabel, D. Moreno, R. Carvalho, J. Jones, M. Paret, X. Geng, and H. Wang. 2022. Oxytetracycline and streptomycin resistance genes in Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni, the causal agent of bacteria spot in peach. Front. Microbiol. (IF = 6.064). doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.821808.
20. Goethe, J., S. Dorman, H. Wang, G. Kennedy, and A. Huseth. 2022. Spatial and temporal patterns of Frankliniella fusca (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in wheat agroecosystems. 2022. J. Econ. Entomol. (IF = 2.447). 146:570-578.
21. Cox, B., H. Wang, and G. Schnabel. 2022. Copper tolerance in Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni may affect peach bacterial spot management success. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.614). 106:1626-1631.
22. Wang, H., R. Wagnon, D. Moreno, S. Timilsina, J. Jones, G. Vallad, and W. Turechek. 2022. A long-amplicon viability-qPCR test for quantifying living pathogens of bacterial spot in tomato seed. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.614). 106:1474-1485.
23. Herbert, A., H. Wang, C. Saski, and W. Turechek. Draft Genome Sequences of Two Xanthomonas fragariae Strains. 2021. Microbiol. Resour. Announc. (IF = 0.303). 10:e00138-21. doi: 10.1128/MRA.00138-21.
24. Zhang, X., B. He, S. Sun, Z. Zhang, T. Li, H. Wang, Z. Liu, A. Afzal, and X. Geng. 2021. Transcriptome analysis identified gene regulation networks in soybean leaves perturbed by the coronatine toxin. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. (IF = 5.2). 5: doi:10.3389/fsufs.2021.663238.
25. Zhang, Z., S. Sun, X. Zhang, T. Li, H. Wang, L. Xu, A. Afzal, and X. Geng. 2021. The phytotoxin COR induces transcriptional reprogramming of photosynthetic, hormonal and defense networks. Plant Biol. (IF = 3.877). doi.org/10.1111/plb.13239.
26. Zhang, Z., S. Sun, X. Zhang, T. Li, H. Wang, L. Xu, A. Afzal, and X. Geng. 2021. The phytotoxin COR induces transcriptional reprogramming of photosynthetic, hormonal and defense networks. Plant Biol. (IF = 3.9). doi.org/10.1111/plb.13239.
27. Munir, M., H. Wang, and D.J. Anco. 2020. Early detection of airborne inoculum of Nothopassalora personata in spore trap samples from peanut fields using quantitative PCR. Plants (IF = 4.0). 9:1327.
28. Wang, H., J. Greene, J. Mueller, K. Conner, and A. Jacobson. 2020. First report of cotton leafroll dwarf virus in cotton fields of South Carolina. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.5). 104:2532.
29. Munir, M., H. Wang, P. Agudelo, and D.J. Anco. 2020. Rapid detection of fungicide resistance phenotypes among populations of Nothopassalora personata in South Carolina peanut fields. Plant Health Progress (IF = 2.3). 21:123-132.
30. Wang, H., and W.W. Turechek. 2020. Detection of viable Xanthomonas fragariae cells in strawberry using propidium monoazide and long-amplicon quantitative PCR. Plant Dis. (IF = 4.5). 104:1105-1112.

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