Prof. Eugene Milus

Research: My research interests are in management of wheat and turfgrass diseases, disease resistance in wheat, and population biology of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, the cause of wheat stripe rust. Current wheat research includes the relationship of virulence, aggressiveness, and AFLP fingerprint group among a global population of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici in collaboration with Danish scientists, genetic variation among old and contemporary isolates of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici from the United States, genetics of resistance to stripe rust in leaves and heads of three wheat lines, resistance to kernel infection and deoxynivalenol as components resistance to Fusarium head blight, and the interaction of aggressiveness among isolates of Fusarium graminearum with resistance to Fusarium head blight. I also have a germplasm enhancement program for transferring Fusarium head blight, stripe rust, leaf rust, and barley yellow dwarf resistance to adapted soft red winter wheat lines and collaborate with wheat breeders to evaluate lines for resistance to several diseases. Current turfgrass research diseases involves management of bentgrass anthracnose, tall fescue brown patch, and zoysiagrass large patch that resulted in a patent for an experimental fungicide.

Teaching: I teach portions of Advanced Plant Pathology: Host-Pathogen Interactions, Pest Management, Diseases of Economic Crops, and Management of Turfgrass Pests.

Milus, E.A., Richardson, M.D., Parker, C., and Markell, S.G. 2005. Evaluation of fungicides for control of brown patch on seedling tall fescue, 2004. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests 60:T017 (on line at WWW.apsnet.org).
Milus, E.A., Parker, H., and Markell, S.G. 2005. Evaluation of the Uniform Southern Soft Red Winter Wheat Nursery for resistance to stripe rust. Page 45 in: USDA ARS 2004-2005 Uniform Southern Soft Red Winter Wheat Nursery Report, H.E. Bockleman, editor.
Milus, E.A., Parker, H., and Markell, S.G. 2005. Evaluation of the Uniform Eastern Soft Red Winter Wheat Nursery for resistance to stripe rust. Pages 47 in: USDA ARS 2004-2005 Uniform Eastern Soft Red Winter Wheat Nursery Report, H.E. Bockleman, editor.
Milus, E.A., Rohman, P.C., and Markell, S.G. 2005. Evaluations for Fusarium head blight resistance as measured by percentage of scabby seed and DON level, and resistance to stripe rust and foliar diseases. Pages 16,21, and 28 respectively in Uniform Southern Soft Red Winter Wheat Fusarium Head Blight Screening Nursery Report, 2005. Paul Murphy, Rene Navarro, and Dave Van Sanford, editors. NC State University.
Kelley, J., Sheets, S., Reaper, T., Cordell, M., Bacon, R., Kelly, J., Milus, G., Coker, C., Cartwright, R., and Parsons, C. 2005. Wheat Update: Arkansas wheat performance tests and variety selection - 2005. Univ. of Ark. Coop. Ext. Serv. Pub.
Markell, S.G., Griffey, C., and Milus, E.A. 2005. Inheritance of foliar and spike resistance to stripe rust in two soft red winter wheat lines. Phytopathology 95:(Supplement) S65.
Browne, R., Murphy, P., Griffey, C., Hancock, J., Harrison, S., Kolb, F., McKendry, A., Milus, E., Sneller, C., and Van Sanford, D. 2005. Evaluation of Fusarium head blight resistance in soft red winter wheat germplasm using a detached leaf assay. Plant Dis. 89:404-411.
Milus, E.A., Seyran, E., and McNew, R. 2006. Aggressiveness of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici isolates in south-central United States. Plant Dis. (in press).
Milus, E.A., Cartwright, R.D., Rothrock, C., Anders, M., and Slayton, N. 2006. Cropping sequences, alternative hosts, and soil fertility affecting take-all of winter wheat and its management in Arkansas. Can. J. Plant Pathol. (accepted).
Bacon, R.K., Kelly, J.T., Milus, E.A., and Parsons, C.E. 2006. Registration of 'AR 910' wheat. Crop Sci. (in press).
Bacon, R.K., Kelly, J.T., Milus, E.A., and Parsons, C.E. 2006. Registration of 'AR 839' wheat. Crop Sci. (in press).
Bacon, R.K., Kelly, J.T., Milus, E.A., and Parsons, C.E. 2006. Registration of soft wheat germplasm AR93005 resistant to leaf rust. Crop Sci. (in press).
Wamishe, Y.A., and Milus, E.A. 2004. Adult-plant resistance to leaf rust in soft red winter wheat. Plant Dis.: 88:1107-1114.
Wamishe, Y.A., Thompson, K.C., and Milus, E.A. 2004. A Computer Program to Improve Efficiency and Accuracy of Postulating Race Specific Genes. Plant Dis. 88:545-549. See Gene Postulation Macro and Plant Disease Paper.
Wamishe, Y.A., and Milus, E.A. 2004. Seedling resistance genes to leaf rust in soft red winter wheat. Plant Dis. 88:136-146.
Bacon, R.K., Kelly, J.T., and Milus, E.A. 2004. Registration of Pat Wheat. Crop Sci. 44:694.
Milus, G., Cartwright, R., Rothrock, C., Parsons, C., Weight, C., Rohman, P., and Anders, M. 2002. Management of take-all disease of wheat in Arkansas. Univ. of Ark. Coop. Ext. Serv. Fact Sheet FSA7526-3M-1-02N. 4 pages.
Chen, X., Moore, M., Milus, E.A., Long, D.L., Line, R.F., Marshall, D., and Jackson, L. 2002. Wheat stripe rust epidemics and races of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici in the United States in 2000. Plant Dis. 86:39-46.
Bacon, R.K., Kelly, J.T., and Milus, E.A. 2002. Registration of Sabbe Wheat. Crop Sci. 42:1375-1376.
Milus, E.A., Richardson, M.D., and Weight, C.T. 2002. Evaluation of fungicides for control of brown patch in fescue lawns, 2001. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests 57:T27.
Milus, E.A., Richardson, M.D., Hensler, K.L., and Weight, C.T. 2002. Evaluation of fungicides for control of anthracnose on bentgrass putting greens, 1998. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests 57: T07.
Milus, E.A., Richardson, M.D., and Weight, C.T. 2001. Evaluation of fungicides for control of brown patch in fescue lawns, 2000. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests 56: T42.
Prom, L.K., Milus, E.A., and Weight, C.T. 2000. Efficacy of fungicides for control of Fusarium head blight in Arkansas, 1999. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests 55:348.