Anthony Keinath

Professor of Plant Pathology
Research and Extension Vegetable Pathologist
Horticulture Program Team, Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, Coastal Research and Education Center

Office: Coastal REC, Charleston, SC
Phone: 843-730-5006
Fax: 843-571-4654

Email: tknth@clemson.edu

Educational Background

Ph.D. Plant Pathology
Cornell University 1988

M.S. Plant Pathology
Cornell University 1985

B.S. Botany-Honors
Michigan State University 1982

Courses Taught

PES 8060 Scientific Writing, Fall 2024-2026, assistant instructor

Profile

I a vegetable pathologist with a faculty appointment of 80% research and 20% Extension. The focus of my program is sustainable disease management for vegetable crops, particularly cucurbits. Six M.Sc. and four Ph.D. students graduated under my direction. I was the lead editor of the Compendium of Cucurbit Diseases and Pests, 2nd edition, APS Press, published 2017.
In 2018 I received the Godley-Snell Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research from Clemson University. In 2020 I was selected as the Outstanding Plant Pathologist by the American Phytopathological Society--Southern Division. In 2023 I received one of two inaugural Outstanding Specialist Awards from the South Carolina Association of County Agricultural Agents and was named a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society.

Research Interests

My research focuses on sustainable disease management for vegetables. Successful management strategies should be effective, economical, and environmentally responsible. My research interests include management, ecology, and epidemiology of fungi, oomycetes (water molds), and other plant pathogens. My area of expertise is the fungus that causes gummy stem blight on cucurbits, Stagonosporopsis citrulli (formerly Didymella bryoniae). Crops studied include the cucurbits watermelon, cucumber,and squashes; the fruiting vegetables eggplant and pepper; the leafy brassica kale; and others as needed.

Current research projects include resistance to fungicides in fungal pathogens; fungicide efficacy against anthracnose on watermelon, downy mildew on cucumber and squash; ecology and management of Pythium spp. on vegetables; management of anthracnose fruit rot on peppers; management of Phomopsis fruit rot on eggplant. Disease surveys are being conducted on muskmelon, pickling cucumber, watermelon, pumpkin, winter squash, and gourds.

Lab Members

Rob Last, B.S., M.S. student

Extension and Outreach

The goal of my Extension program is to help people solve problems with their plants. The primary audience is small and large vegetable growers in South Carolina. Urban plant problems in the greater Charleston area also are addressed.

My Extension outreach includes grower, agent, Master Gardener, and home gardener education; vegetable disease management recommendations for conventional and organic growers; and vegetable disease diagnosis. I contribute yearly to the Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook. I am a regular columnist for American Vegetable Grower and write a monthly gardening column for The Post and Courier newspaper, Charleston, SC.

Publications

1. Keinath, A. P., and Rutter, W. B. 2026. Resistance in Capsicum species and cultivars to Colletotrichum scovillei and implications for fungicide applications. Plant Dis. 110(5):1743-1749.
2. Keinath, A. P., DuBose, V. B., Carnley, P., Last, R., Colburn, G. C., and Yang, X. 2026. Pythium deliense causing cottony leak on pickling cucumber fruit in South Carolina, USA. Plant Dis. 110(5):1601-1607.
3. Michel, S., Schultheis, J., Keinath, A., and Quesada-Ocampo, L. 2026. Triploid watermelon cultigen response when grown in fields infested with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum in North Carolina and South Carolina. HortScience 61(5):856-861.
4. Tan, J., Tian, Z., Chen, F., Gao, K., Jin, J., Keinath, A. P., Dymerski, R. D., Wu, Z., and Weng, Y. 2026. Photosystem perturbation by staygreen mutations confers allele-dependent defenses against infections of pathogens with different lifestyles and abiotic stress tolerance. Plant, Cell & Environment 49:585-603.
5. Bhandari, R., Kaur, A., Russell, I., Romanus, O. M., Brokaw, D., Keinath, A. P., Snipes, Z., Rollins, P., Baugher, N., Meadows, I., Torrance, T. N., Dutta, B., Sikora, E., Molinari, R., Soubeyrand, S., and Potnis, N. 2025. Interaction between climatic variation and pathogen diversity shape endemic disease dynamics in the agricultural settings. Mol Ecol. 34:e70033.
6. Keinath, A. P. 2025. Susceptibility and yield of kale horticultural types and cultivars affected with black spot caused by Alternaria brassicicola and A. japonica. HortScience 60(3):389-398.
7. Noh, E., Cedeno, C., Bull, C. T., Keinath, A. P., Wechter, W. P., and Wang, H. 2025. A qPCR assay for specific detection of Pseudomonas cannabina pv. alisalensis. Plant Dis. 109(2):461-470.
8. Keinath, A. P., and Anco, D. J. 2025. Progression of gummy stem blight epidemics on watermelon with and without fungicide inputs. Plant Dis. 109(1):132-137.
9. Keinath, A. P. 2024. Microbial and biochemical biofungicides ineffective against Alternaria black spot on organic kale. PhytoFrontiers 4(4):662-670.
10. Toporek, S. M., Reich, J. N., and Keinath, A. P. 2024. Recovery of Alternaria brassicicola from chopped, bagged kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica). Plant Dis. 108(10):2989-2992.

Links

LinkedIn profile
Google Scholar publication list
Compendium of Cucurbit Diseases and Pests, Second Edition
Watermelon Fungicide Guide
The Post and Courier gardening columns

Meet Anthony Keinath