| Michael Fulcher |
|
Contact information
Dr. Michael Fulcher
michael.fulcher@usda.gov
Foreign Disease/Weed Science Research
1301 Ditto Avenue, Fort Detrick, MD 21702
Phone: (301) 619 2343
Fax: (301) 619-2880
Michael Fulcher is a Research Plant Pathologist at the USDA-ARS Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit (FDWSRU) on Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland. Since joining ARS in 2021, Dr. Fulcher has conducted research on the biological control of invasive weeds using plant pathogens and other microbial agents.
Research Emphasis
My program investigates weed-microbe interactions at individual, population, and community scales. Long-term research objectives are (1) to develop new ecological and evolutionary frameworks that guide microbial-based weed biocontrol programs and (2) to discover and deploy microbes as biological control agents of invasive weeds.
Our group leverages advances in genomics, machine learning, and high-throughput sequencing to understand the ecology and impacts of uncharacterized weed-microbe associations. Areas of ongoing research emphasis include identifying new and emerging pathogens of weeds found in North America, evaluating the safety and efficacy of foreign microbes for use as weed biological control agents, and characterizing the diversity and dynamics of microbial communities associated with invasive weeds. Current target weeds include widespread rangeland invaders as well as species harmful to mid-Atlantic ecosystems.
Projects
Publications
- Use the drop down box below to view publications at USDA-ARS:
- Or view all publications via Google Scholar
Education
Ph.D. Plant Pathology, Cornell University
B.S. Environmental Horticulture, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Research Experience
- Research Plant Pathologist, USDA-ARS, Foreign Disease/Weed Science Unit, Frederick, MD, 2021-present.
- Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 2019-2021.
ARS News Articles
