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Debra Inglis

Debra Inglis
Emeritus Professor, Plant Pathology 16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Research Specialty and Interests

The WSU-Mount Vernon research and extension program in vegetable pathology focuses on the biology and management of fungal and oomycete diseases of fresh and processing vegetables, particularly red and yellow potatoes and other high-value specialty vegetables.  Current field, greenhouse and laboratory research projects are on (i) diseases of specialty potato tubers, (ii) late blight on potato and tomato; (iii) vegetable diseases under biodegradable crop covers and in high tunnel systems, (iv) flooding as a rotation alternative to preserve shorebird habitat and manage soilborne potato pathogens in western Washington.

Professional Experience

  • Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist, WSU-Mount Vernon, 2010 to present
  • Interim Director/Assistant Dean, WSU-Mount Vernon NWREC, 2004-2008
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology/Integrated Pest Management Specialist, Montana State University, 1985-1986
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Wisconsin, 1983-1984

Awards/Honors/Memberships

  • WSU’s Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Leadership in 2014
  • WSU CAHNRS’ National Women’s History Month Award for Professional and Academic Leadership in 2009; inducted WSU CAHNRS’ Hall of Honored Alumni & Friends in 2009
  • Achievement Award, from WSU CAHNRS in 2006, for “Extraordinary Initiative in the Development of the Agricultural Research & Technology Building at WSU-Mount Vernon NWREC”
  • Distinguished Service Award in 2005, from Western Washington Horticultural Association, for “Contributions in Plant Pathology and University Administration in Western Washington”
  • American Association of University Women Jeannette Rankin Endowed Dissertation Fellowship, as a graduate student in 1981.

Selected Publications (since 2000)

Refereed journal articles

  • Bailes, G., Lind, M., Ely, A., Powell, M., Moore-Kucera, J., Miles, C., Inglis, D., and Brodhagen, M. 2013. Isolation of native soil microorganisms with potential for breaking down biodegradable plastic mulch films used in agriculture. J. Vis. Exp. (75), e50373; Published online on May 13, 2013; doi:10.3791/50373.
  • Buller, S., Miles, C., and Inglis, D. 2013. Plant growth, fruit yield and quality, and tolerance to Verticillium wilt of grafted watermelon and tomato in field production in the Pacific Northwest. HortScience: 48(8):1003-1009.
  • Cowan, J.S., Miles, C., and Inglis, D. 2013. Deterioration of three potentially biodegradable plastic mulches before and after soil incorporation in a broccoli field production system in northwestern Washington. HortTechnology 23(6): 849-858.
  • Goldberger, J.R., Jones, R.E., Miles, C., Wallace, R., and Inglis, D.A. 2013. Barriers and bridges to the adoption of biodegradable plastic mulches for US specialty crop production. Renewable Agriculture & Food Systems, 11 p. Published online Jul 9, 2013; doi:10.1017/S1742170513000276.
  • Johnson, S., Miles, C., and Inglis, D. 2013. Grafting effects on eggplant growth, yield, and Verticillium wilt incidence. International Journal of Vegetable Science. Published online on Jun 25, 2013; doi.org/10.1080/19315260.2012.751473.
  • Niem, J., Gundersen, B., and Inglis, D.A. 2013. Effect of soil flooding on survival of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Verticillium dahliae. Amer. J. Potato Res. 90(6):578-590. Published online on Jul 26, 2013; doi:10.1007/s12230-013-9332-1.
  • Powell, M., Cowan, J., Miles, C., and Inglis, D.A. 2013. Effect of a high tunnel, organic production system on lettuce diseases and yield in western Washington. Plant Health Progress. Published online. doi:10.1094/PHP-2013-0922-01-RS.
  • Wadsworth, L,C., Hayes, D.G., Wszelaki, A.L., Washington, T.L., Martin, J., Lee, J., Raley, R., Pannell, C.T., Dharmalingam, S., Miles, C., Saxton, A., and Inglis, D.A. 2013. Evaluation of degradable spun-melt 100% polylactic acid nonwovens mulch materials in a greenhouse environment. Journal of Engineered Fibers & Fabrics 8(4): 50-59.
  • McPhee, K., Inglis, D.A., Gundersen, B., and Coyne, C. 2012. Mapping a resistance gene for Fusarium wilt Race 2 on LG IV of Pea (Pisum sativum L.). Plant Breeding: (Published online doi:10.1111/j.1439-0523.2011.01938.x).
  • Porter, L.D., Hamm, P.B., David, N.L., Gieck, S.L., Miller, J.S., Gundersen, B, and Inglis, D.A. 2009. Metalaxyl-M-resistant Pythium species in potato areas of the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. Amer. J. Potato Res. 86:315-326.
  • Gigot, J.A., Gundersen, B., and Inglis, D.A. 2009. Colonization and sporulation of Phytophthora infestans on volunteer potatoes under western Washington conditions. Amer. J. Potato Res. 86:1-14.
  • Coyne, C.J., Porter, L.D., Inglis, D.A., Grunwald, N.J., McPhee, K.E., and Muehlbauer, F.J. 2008. Registration of  W6 26740, W6 26743, and W6 26745 green pea germplasm resistant to Fusarium root rot. J. Plant Reg. 2:137-139.
  • Coyne, C.J., McClendon, M.T., Walling, J.G., Timmerman-Vaughan, G.M., Murray, S., Meksem, K., Lightfoot, D.A., Shultz, J.L., Keller, K.E., Martin, R.R., Inglis, D.A., Rajesh, P.N., McPhee, K.E., Weeden, N.F. Grusak, M.A., Li, C.-M., and Storlie, E.W.  2007. Construction and characterization of two bacterial artificial chromosome libraries of pea (Pisum sativum L.) for the isolation of economically important genes. Genome 50:871-875.
  • Inglis, D.A., Brown, C.R., Gundersen, B.G., Porter, L., Miller, J.S., Johnson, D.A., Lozoya-Saldana, H., Haynes, K.G. 2007. Assessment of Solanum hougasii in Washington and Mexico as a source of resistance to late blight. Amer. J. Potato Res. 54: 217-228.
  • Stevenson, W.R., James, R.V.; and, Inglis, D.A., Johnson, D.A., Schotzko, T., and Thornton, R.E. 2007. Fungicide spray programs for Defender, a new potato cultivar with resistance to late blight. Plant Dis. 91:1327-1336.
  • Novy, R.G., Love, S.L., Corsini, D.L., Pavek, J.J., Whitworth, J.L., Mosley, A.R., James, S.R., Hane, D.C., Shock, C.C., Rykbost, K.A., Brown, C.R., Thornton, R.E., Knowles, N.R., Pavek, M.J., Olsen, N., and Inglis, D.A. 2006. Defender: A high-yielding, processing potato cultivar with foliar and tuber resistance to late blight. Amer. J. Potato Research 83:9-19.
  • Okubara P.A., Keller K.E., McClendon M.T., Inglis D.A., McPhee K.E., and Coyne, C.J. 2005.  Y15_999Fw, a dominant SCAR marker linked to the Fusarium wilt race 1 (Fw) resistance gene in pea. Pisum Genetics. Vol. 37:30-33.
  • Johnson, D.A., Inglis, D.A., and Miller, J.S. 2004. Control of potato tuber rots caused by oomycetes with foliar applications of phosphorous acid. Plant Dis. 88:1153-1159.
  • Okubara, P.A., Inglis, D.A., Muehlbauer, F.J., and Coyne, C.J. 2002. A novel RAPD marker linked to the Fusarium wilt race 5 resistance gene (Fwf) in Pisum sativum. Pisum Genetics 34:6-8.
  • McClendon, M.T., Inglis, D.A, McPhee, K.E., and Coyne, C.J.  2002. DNA markers linked to Fusarium wilt race 1 resistance in pea. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 127:602-607.
  • Derie, M.L. and Inglis, D.A. 2001. Persistence of complex virulences of Phytophthora infestans in western Washington. Phytopathology 91: 606-612.
  • Dorrance, A.E., Inglis, D.A., Helgeson, J.P., and Brown, C.R.  2001. Partial resistance to Phytophthora infestans in four Solanum crosses. Amer. J. Potato Res. 78:9-17.

Books and chapters in books

  • Hayes, D., Dharmalingam, S.,Wadsworth, L., Leonas, K., Miles,C., and Inglis, D., 2012. Biodegradable agricultural mulches derived from biopolymers. Pages 201-223 in Degradable Polymers and Materials, Principles and Practice (2nd Edition). ACS Symp. Series Vol. 1114, ed. Kishan C. Khemani and Carmen Scholz. Amer. Chemical Soc., Washington, D.C.
  • Inglis, D.A. 2004. Management of fungal and oomycete diseases: Vegetable crops. Pages 681-683 in: Encyclopedia of Plant and Crop Science., R. Gooodman, ed. CPL Press, Marcel Dekker, Inc.,UK.
  • Inglis, D.A. 2001. Pea diseases caused by nematodes. Pages 18-22 in: Compendium of pea diseases and pests. J.M. Kraft and F.L. Pfleger, eds. APS Press, St. Paul, MN.
  • Maloy, O.C. and Inglis, D.A. 1993. Diseases of Washington Crops. Washington State University Cooperative Extension Service SP0004, Pullman. 276 p.

Extension publications

  • Corbin, A., Miles, C., Cowan, J., Hayes, D., Inglis, D., and Dorgan, J. 2013. Biodegradable plastics as agricultural mulch. Washington State University Extension Fact Sheet: FS103E. 6 p.
  • Corbin, A.T., Miles, C., Cowan, J., Hayes, D., Moore-Kucera, J., and Inglis, D. 2013. Current and future prospects for biodegradable plastic mulch in certified organic production systems eOrganic: Published online May 2, 2013 at http://www.extension.org/pages/67951
  • Inglis, D.A., duToit, L., and Miller, T. 2013. Production of Brassica seed crops in Washington State: A case study on the complexities of coexistence. WSU Extension Manual: EM062E. 19 p.
  • Inglis, D.A., Gundersen, B., Niem, J., and Morse, J. 2013. Field flooding for controlling soilborne potato pathogens in western Washington. WSU Extension Manual: EM056E. 11 p.
  • Inglis, D.A., Johnson, D.A., Schroeder, B., and Benedict, C. 2013. Bacterial ring rot on potatoes. WSU Extension Fact Sheet: FS066E. 7 p.
  • Inglis, D.A., Schroeder, B.K., and Johnson, D.A. 2011. Bacterial soft rot and lenticel spot on potato tubers. WSU Extension Fact Sheet FS066E.
  • Inglis, D.A. / PNW VEG Team, 2009. Tomato physiological leaf roll. PNW Extension Fact Sheet 616.
  • Powelson, M., Ludy, R. and Partipilo, H.; and, Inglis, D., Gundersen, B. and Derie, M. Jan. 29, 2002 to present. Seedborne late blight of potatoes.  APSnet Plant Health Progress research article.

Extension Responsibilites

Western Washington supports one of the most abundant and diverse vegetable industries in the United States. Both fresh and processing vegetables and vegetable seed crops are grown here. Because of the region’s mild marine climate, plant pathogens, especially fungi, are prevalent, and can negatively impact yield, quality and production costs. The WSU Mount Vernon vegetable pathology program, through numerous and varied extension activities (field days, breakfasts, written materials, commodity meetings, training sessions, visiting scientists), provides information to growers on ways to manage diseases of fresh and processing vegetable crops, and better understand plant pathogens. General vegetable disease education and outreach includes leadership in the Pacific Northwest Vegetable Extension Group, PNW-VEG

Professional Activities

Project Director for National SCRI SREP Project on Biodegradable Mulches for Specialty Crops Produced Under Protective Covers, 2009 to 2013

President, Pacific Division of the American Phytopathological Society, 2011-12

Senior Editor of Plant Disease, 2008 through 2010

Associate Editor of Plant Disease, 2003 through 2005

Co-coordinator, WSU Statewide Vegetable Pathology Extension Team, 2000 to present.