William Rutter, Ph.D.

Research Plant Pathologist- Nematology

USDA-ARS

U.S. Vegetable Laboratory

2700 Savannah Hwy.

Charleston, SC 29414

Phone:843-402-5317

Research Focus

Our long-term goal is to elucidate the genetic control of disease and nematode resistance in economically important vegetable crops in the Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae families. Specifically, we will work on watermelon, cucumber, and pepper. Resistance to diseases and nematodes has been identified in some of these crops; however, gaining a better understanding of the genetics of resistance will aid commercial and public breeders in transferring these putative resistance genes into improved breeding lines and cultivars.

• Projects

  Characterization of Host Resistance and Biology of Diseases and Nematodes in Vegetable Crops In-House Appropriated (D)   Accession Number:441924

  CleanSEED: A Project To Ensure The Sustainability Of U.S. Sweetpotato Seed Programs Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement (R)   Accession Number:442221

  Development of Marketable Root-knot Nematode Resistant Sweetpotato Varieties: Translation of Genomics & Phenomics into On-farm Management Solutions Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement (R)   Accession Number:441206

  Evaluating Watermelon Germplasm for Resistance to Reniform Nematode Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement (S)   Accession Number:445524

  AI-Enabled Hand-Held Multispectral Plant Health Scanner for Real-time Disease Diagnosis Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement (S)   Accession Number:445854

• Publications

  • (Clicking on the reprint icon will take you to the publication reprint.)
  • Effectiveness of anaerobic soil disinfestation for weed and nematode management in organic sweetpotato -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Singh, S., Rutter, W.B., Wadl, P.A., Campbell, H.T., Khanal, C., Cutulle, M.A. 2024. Effectiveness of anaerobic soil disinfestation for weed and nematode management in organic sweetpotato. Agronomy 2024. 14(9):1935. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14091935.
    
  • Metagenome-enabled models improve genomic predictive ability and identification of herbivory-limiting genes in sweetpotato. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Cham, A.K., Adams, A.K., Wadl, P.A., Ojeda-Zacarias, M., Rutter, W.B., Jackson, D.M., Shoemaker, D.D., Bernard, E.C., Yencho, G.C., Olukolu, B.A. 2024. Metagenome-enabled models improve genomic predictive ability and identification of herbivory-limiting genes in sweetpotato.. Horticulture Research. 11(7). Article Uhae135. https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhae135.
    
  • Sustainable Sweetpotato Production in the United States: Current Status, Challenges, and Opportunities -(Review Article)
    George, J., Reddy, G.V., Wadl, P.A., Rutter, W.B., Culbreath, J.R., Lau, P.W., Rashid, T., Allan, M.C., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Nelson, A.M., Wang, M.L., Gubba, A., Ling, K., Meng, Y., Collins, D.J., Ponniah, S.K., Gowda, P.H. 2024. Sustainable Sweetpotato Production in the United States: Current Status, Challenges, and Opportunities. Agronomy Journal. 116(2):630-660. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21539.
    
  • Representing true plant genomes: haplotype-resolved hybrid pepper genome through trio binning -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Delorean, E.E., Youngblood, R.C., Simpson, S.A., Schoonmaker, A.N., Scheffler, B.E., Rutter, W.B., Hulse-Kemp, A.M. 2023. Representing true plant genomes: haplotype-resolved hybrid pepper genome through trio binning. Frontiers in Plant Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1184112.
    
  • Enhancing reniform nematode management in sweet potato by complementing host-plant resistance with non-fumigant -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Alam, M.S., Khanal, C., Roberts, J., Rutter, W.B., Wadl, P.A. 2024. Enhancing reniform nematode management in sweet potato by complementing host-plant resistance with non-fumigant. Plant Disease. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-23-1412-RE.
    
  • Impact of non-fumigant nematicides on reproduction and pathogenicity of Meloidogyne enterolobii and disease severity in tobacco -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Alam, M.S., Khanal, C., Roberts, J., Rutter, W.B. 2023. Impact of non-fumigant nematicides on reproduction and pathogenicity of Meloidogyne enterolobii and disease severity in tobacco. Journal of Nematology. 55(1). HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.2478/jofnem-2023-0025.
    
  • A sustainable approach for weed and insect management in sweetpotato: breeding for weed and insect tolerant/resistant clones -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Wadl, P.A., Campbell, H.T., Rutter, W.B., Williams III, L.H., Murphey, V., Culbreath, J., Cutulle, M. 2023. A sustainable approach for weed and insect management in sweetpotato: breeding for weed and insect tolerant/resistant clones. Weed Technology. 37(1):60-66. https://doi.org/10.1017/wet.2022.99.
    
  • Genetic diversity, population structure, and selection of core germplasm sets from the USDA sweetpotatoe (lpomomea batatas) collection -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Slonecki, T.J., Rutter, W.B., Olukolu, B., Yencho, G.C., Jackson, D.M., Wadl, P.A. 2023. Genetic diversity, population structure, and selection of core germplasm sets from the USDA sweetpotatoe (lpomomea batatas) collection. Horticulture Research. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.1022555.
    
  • Non-fumigant nematicides are promising alternatives to fumigants for the management of Meloidogyne enterolobii in tobacco -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Alam, S., Khanal, C., Rutter, W.B., Roberts, J. 2022. Non-fumigant nematicides are promising alternatives to fumigants for the management of Meloidogyne enterolobii in tobacco. Journal of Nematology. 54(1):3922. https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2022-0045.
    
  • Identification of sweetpotato germplasm resistant to pathotypically distinct isolates of meloidogyne enterolobii from the Carolinas -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Rutter, W., Wadl, P.A., Mueller, J.D., Agudelo, P. 2021. Identification of sweetpotato germplasm resistant to pathotypically distinct isolates of Meloidogyne enterolobii from the Carolinas. Plant Disease. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-02-20-0379-RE
    
  • Characterization of resistance to major tropical root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in solanum sisymbriifolium -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Hajihassani, A., Rutter, W.B., Schwarz, T., Woldemariam, M.W., Ali, E., Hamidi, N. 2020. Characterization of resistance to major tropical root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in solanum sisymbriifolium. Phytopathology. 110:666-673. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-10-19-0393-R.
    
  • Identification of Meloidogyne enterolobii infecting root-knot nematode resistant sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) in South Carolina -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Rutter, W.B., Skantar, A.M., Handoo, Z.A., Mueller, J., Aultman, S.P., Agudelo, P. 2019. Identification of Meloidogyne enterolobii infecting root-knot nematode resistant sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) in South Carolina. Plant Disease. 103(4):11. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-08-18-1388-PDN.
    
  • Cucurbit rootstocks resistant to fusarium oxysporumf.sp. niveum remain resistant when co-infected by Meloidogyne incognita in the field -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Keinath, A.P., Wechter, W.P., Rutter, W.B., Agudelo, P.A. 2019. Cucurbit rootstocks resistant to fusarium oxysporumf.sp. niveum remain resistant when co-infected by Meloidogyne incognita in the field. Plant Disease. 103(6):1383-1390. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-18-1869-RE.
    
  • Retargeting of a plant defense protease by a cyst nematode effector -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Pogorelko, G., Juvale, P., Rutter, W.B., Hutten, M., Maier, T., Hewezi, T., Paulus, J., Van Der Hoorn, R., Grundler, F., Siddique, S., Lionetti, V., Zabotina, O., Baum, T. 2019. Retargeting of a plant defense protease by a cyst nematode effector. Plant Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.14295.
    
  • Resistant pepper carrying N, Me1, and Me3 have different effects on penetration and reproduction of four major meloidogyne species-(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Hajihassani, A., Rutter, W.B., Luo, X. 2019. Resistant pepper carrying N, Me1, and Me3 have different effects on penetration and reproduction of four major meloidogyne species. Journal of Nematology. 51:1-9. https://doi.org/359780.
    
  • PA-593: A root-knot nematode resistant sweet cherry-type pepper -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Rutter, W.B., Kousik, C.S., Thies, J.A., Farnham, M.W., Fery, R.L. 2018. PA-593: A root-knot nematode resistant sweet cherry-type pepper. Horticultural Science. 53(12):1922-1923. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI13544-18.
    
  • Variation in the AvrSr35 effector determines Sr35 resistance against wheat stem rust race Ug99 -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Rutter, W.B., Salcedo, A., Akhunova, A., Wang, S., Bolus, S., Chao, S., Rouse, M.N., Szabo, L.J., Bowden, R.L., Akhunov, E., Dubcovsky, J. 2017. Variation in the AvrSr35 effector determines Sr35 resistance against wheat stem rust race Ug99. Science. 358(6370):1604-1606. https://doi:10.1126/science.aao7294.
    
  • Divergent and convergent modes of interaction between wheat and Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici isolates revealed by the comparative gene co-expression network and genome analyses -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Rutter, W.B., Salcedo, A., Akhunova, A., Wang, S., Hanquan, L., Bowden, R.L., Akhunova, E. 2017. Divergent and convergent modes of interaction between wheat and Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici isolates revealed by the comparative gene co-expression network and genome analyses. Biomed Central (BMC) Genomics. 18:291. doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3678-6.
    
  • Development of a sweet cherry pepper line with resistance to the southern root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita-(Abstract Only)