Mengjun Hu

Postdoctoral Fellow
Agricultural and Environmental Science Department

Office: 200 BRC
Phone: 864-633-8028

Email: mengjuh@clemson.edu

Educational Background

Ph.D. Plant pathology
Huazhong Agricultural University 2013

B.S. Plant pathology
China Agricultural University 2008

Profile

Disease management of tree fruit and small fruit

Research Interests

Fungicide resistance and its molecular basis, fungal population genetics, and fungal species identification, with emphasis on peach anthracnose, peach brown rot, peach skin discoloration, and strawberry gray mold.

Extension and Outreach

1. We offer a service to small fruit and stone fruit growers in the East Coast of United States to identify potential fungicide resistance issues. The data is directly used to provide location-specific disease and resistance management advice in concise, laymen’s language. The direct impact is enormous since we eliminate unnecessary and ineffective sprays.
2. On-farm fungicide efficacy trials and conducted those myself at grower locations. Specifically we applied preharvest fungicide programs for preharvest and postharvest gray mold and anthracnose control in strawberry.
3. Attending South Carolina strawberry and peach grower production meetings and communicated information to growers with talks, bulletins, and handouts.
4. I was one of the original creators of a smartphone application ‘MyIPM', which was developed to promote Integrated Disease Management for sustained peach and strawberry production in the southern United States. It is available for both android and apple devices including phones and tablets. It features disease identification, disease management and resistance management of about a dozen of the most important diseases of the two fruit crops.
5. Respond to emergences. Peach skin issues (i.e. streaking and bronzing) are raising in South Carolina in recent years. Efforts were made to reproducing streaking under field conditions to address concerns related to the use of chemicals, spray water, cultivar susceptibility, and timeframe of occurrence.

Publications

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS
1. Meng-Jun Hu, M.E. Dowling, and G. Schnabel. (2017) Genotypic and phenotypic variations in Botrytis spp. isolates from single strawberry flowers. Plant Dis. (Accepted)
2. Meng-Jun Hu, C.Y. Peng, J. C. Melgar and G. Schnabel. (2017) Investigation of potential causes of peach skin streaking. Plant Dis. 101:1601-1605
3. Dowling, M. E., M.-J Hu, and G. Schnabel. (2017) Identification and characterization of Botrytis fragariae isolates on strawberry in the United States. Plant Dis. (In press)
4. X.J. Hao, M.J. Hu, S.N. Chen and G. Schnabel. (2017) Challenges in assessing efficacy of Polyoxin-D zinc salt against Colletotrichum species. J. Plant Pathol. 99:3871
5. U.C. Samarakoon, G. Schnabel, J.E. Faust, K. Bennett, J. Jent, M. J. Hu, S. Basnagala, M. Williamson. (2017) First report of resistance to multiple chemical classes of fungicides in Botrytis cinerea the causal agent of gray mold from greenhouse-grown petunia in Florida. Plant Dis. 101:1052
6. Meng-Jun Hu, Kerik D. Cox, and Guido Schnabel. (2016) Increasing resistances to chemical classes of fungicides via selection by association in Botrytis cinerea. Phytopathology 106:1513-1520
7. S. N. Chen, C. X. Luo, M. J. Hu, and G. Schnabel. (2016) Sensitivity of Colletotrichum species, including C. fioriniae and C. nymphaeae, from peach to demethylation inhibitor fungicides. Plant Dis. 100:2434-2441
8. Dowling, M. E., Hu, M.-J., Schmitz, L. T., Wilson, J. R., and Schnabel, G. (2016) Characterization of Botrytis cinerea isolates from strawberry with reduced sensitivity to polyoxin D zinc salt. Plant Dis. 100:2057-2061.
9. S. N. Chen, C. X. Luo, M. J. Hu, and G. Schnabel. (2016) Fitness and competitive ability of Botrytis cinerea isolates with resistance to multiple chemical classes of fungicides. Phytopathology. 106:997-1005.
10. Ishii H, Zhen F, Hu MJ, Li X, Schnabel G. (2016) Efficacy of SDHI fungicides including benzovindiflupyr against Colletotrichum species. Pest Management Science DOI: 10.1002/ps.4216.
11. Meng-Jun Hu, Dolores Fernández-Ortuño, and Guido Schnabel. (2016) Monitoring Resistance to SDHI Fungicides in Botrytis cinerea from Strawberry Fields. Plant Dis. 100:959-965
12. Meng-Jun Hu, Anja Grabke, and Guido Schnabel. (2015) Investigation of the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex causing peach anthracnose in South Carolina. Plant Dis. 99:797-805
13. Meng-Jun Hu, Anja Grabke, Madeline E. Dowling, Helen J. Holstein, and Guido Schnabel. (2015) Resistance in Colletotrichum siamense from Peach and Blueberry to Thiophanate-methyl and Azoxystrobin. Plant Dis. 99:806-814
14. Meng-Jun Hu, Qiong-Yao Ma, Kai-Bin Li, et al. (2014) Exploring mechanism of resistance to isoprothiolane in Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal agent of rice blast. J. Plant Pathol. 96:249-259
15. Liang-Fen Yin, Meng-Jun Hu, Fei Wang, et al. (2012) Frequent Gain and Loss of Introns in Fungal Cytochrome b Genes. PLoS ONE 7(11): e49096. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049096.
16. Meng-Jun Hu, Kerik D. Cox, Guido Schnabel, Chao-Xi Luo (2011) Monilinia Species Causing Brown Rot of Peach in China. PLoS ONE 6 (9): e24990. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024990.
17. Meng-Jun Hu, Chao-Xi Luo, Anja Grabke, Guido Schnabel (2011) Selection of a Suitable Medium to Determine Sensitivity of Monilinia fructicola Mycelium to SDHI Fungicides. J. Phytopathology 159:616-620.
18. Meng-Jun Hu, Chen Y, Chen SN, Liu XL, Yin LF, et al. (2011) First Report of Brown Rot of Peach Caused by Monilinia fructicola in Southeastern China. Plant Dis. 95:225-225.
19. Grabke A, Hu MJ, Luo CX, Bryson PK, Schnabel G (2011) First Report of Brown Rot of Apple Caused by Monilinia fructicola in Germany. Plant Dis. 95:772-772.
20. Luo CX, Hu MJ, Jin X, Yin LF, Bryson PK, et al. (2010) An intron in the cytochrome b gene of Monilinia fructicola mitiates the risk of resistance development to QoI fungicides. Pest Manag. Sci. 66:1308-1315.
21. Yin, L. F., Hu, M. J., Jin, X., Schnabel, G., and Luo, C. X. 2010. Progress in molecular mechanisms of fungicide resistance in peach brown rot fungi Monilinia spp. Plant protection (in Chinese), 36:28-32.

EXTENSION PUBLICATIONS
Newsletters and Newsletter articles
1. Mengjun Hu and Guido Schnabel. 2016. 2015-2016 Botrytis Fungicide Resistance Profiles. Small Fruit News/October 2016.

Conference Proceedings
1. Meng-Jun Hu, and Guido Schnabel. (2016) Fungicide Resistance in Botrytis cinerea: a challenge for conventional small fruit production. Proceedings of XI International Rubus and Ribes Symposium, Asheville, NC. DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1133.78.

Research Reports
1. Meng-Jun Hu and Schnabel, G. (2016). Peach Skin Bronzing: Could a virus or viroid be involved? South Carolina Peach Council Research Reports 16, 60-66.

BOOK CHAPTERS
1. Schnabel, G., F. M.J. Hu, G. Edison, and R. Pargas. 2017. Communication of FRAC code principles with fruit producers via smartphone. In: H.B. Deising, B. Fraaije, A. Mehl, E.C. Oerke, H. Sierotzki, G. Stammler (Eds). “Modern Fungicides and Antifungal Compounds”, Vol. VIII, pp 73-76. 2017 DPG Verlag, Braunschweig, ISBN: 978-3-941261-15-0.
2. Guido Schnabel, Meng-Jun Hu, and Dolores Fernández-Ortuño. (2015) Monitoring resistance by bioassay: relating results to field use using culturing methods. Fungicide resistance in plant pathogens, H. Ishii, D.W. Hollomon (eds.), chapter 17, Japan.
3. Meng-Jun Hu, Yin, L. F., Chen, Y., Chen, S. N., Liu, X. L., Chen F. P., and Luo, C. X. (2011) A group I intron located downstream of the G143 position of the Cyt b gene in Monilinia fructicola is present in genetically diverse populations from China. In Modern Fungicides and Antifungal Compounds VI, pp 143-150, Dehne, H.W., Deising, H.B., Gisi, U., Kuck, K.H., Russell, P.E., Lyr, H. (Eds.), Deutsche Phytomedizinische Gesellschaft, Braunschweig, Germany.

TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS
1. M.J. Hu, Z. Fan, and Schnabel, G. (2016). Evaluation of fungicides for the control of Botrytis fruit rot in strawberry, 2015. PDMR 10:SMF006.
2. Schnabel, G., M.J. Hu and S. B. Hudson (2016). Preharvest fungicide programs for postharvest brown rot, Rhizopus rot and Gilbertella control in peach, 2015. PDMR 10:STF003.
3. Schnabel, G., M.J. Hu and S. B. Hudson (2015). Preharvest fungicide programs for postharvest brown rot, Rhizopus rot and Gilbertella control in peach, 2014. PDMR, No. 9:STF001.