Mengjun Hu

Biography: 

I am a plant pathologist with statewide extension responsibility to address disease management concerns in commercial wine grape and small fruit production. 

Education: 

Postdoctoral Research Associate (09/2013 – 01/2018), Clemson University, Clemson, SC 

Ph.D. Plant Pathology; Huazhong Agricultural University (2013)

B.S. Plant Protection; China Agricultural University (2008)

Awards and Honors: 

• Dean’s Grantsmanship Award, 2024. College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

• New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research, 2020. Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research.

• Contributor of Virginia Strawberry Association News, 2020 Outstanding Education Materials Award; ASHS American Soc. for Hort. Sci. Extension Division Education Award under the Newsletter Category.  

Professional Positions Held: 

Associate Professor (07/2024 – present), Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Assistant Professor (02/2018 – 06/2024), Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Professional Licenses: 

Maryland Pesticide Applicator License (No. 8939-90660)

Professional Service: 

2022 – present: Senior Editor for Plant Disease Journal (American Phytopathological Society)

Areas of Interest: 

• Fungicide resistance and its molecular basis

• Disease epidemiology

• Microbiome

Current Research: 

• Understanding and managing grape late-season rots

• Grapevine canopy management and disease risk 

• Fitness cost associated with fungicide resistance

• Weeds and strawberry diseases  

Extension programs: 

• Validation and implementation of small fruit disease forecasting models

• Creation and maintenance of grape section in the MyIPM app

• Monitoring fungicide resistance

• Fungicide efficacy field trials

Teaching: 

Selected Publications:​​​​​

• Cosseboom, S. D., and Hu, M. (2024). Utilizing disease prediction models to time fungicide applications for controlling ripe rot, caused by Colletotrichum spp., in Maryland vineyards. Plant Dis. (accepted; in press). https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-23-2114-RE
• Boushell, S., and Hu, M. (2024). Post-infection application of fenhexamid at lower doses in conjunction with captan slowed fungicide resistance selection in Botrytis cinerea on detached grape berries. Phytopathology 114:368-377. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-04-23-0141-R  
• Lewis, M., Miller, L., Hu, M., and Hamby, K. (2024). Diffuse associations between Drosophila suzukii and filamentous fungal microbes may alter caneberry disease dynamics. Phytopathology 114:137-145. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-12-22-0470-R
• Cosseboom, S.D., Schoeneberg, A., Lea-Cox, J.D., Samtani, J., Johnson, C.S. and Hu, M. (2023). Impact of floating row cover and sensor placement on strawberry anthracnose and Botrytis fruit rot risk assessment. Plant Pathology, 72, 819-828. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.13695    
• Cosseboom, S.D., and Hu, M. (2023). Predicting ripe rot of grape, caused by Colletotrichum fioriniae, with leaf wetness, temperature, and the crop growth stage. PhytoFrontiers 3: 303-313. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-05-22-0060-R  
• Cosseboom, S. D., Agarwal, C., and Hu, M. (2023). CRISPR-enabled investigation of fitness costs associated with the E198A mutation in β-tubulin of Colletotrichum siamense. Front. Plant Sci. 14:1278133. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1278133
• Cosseboom, S., and Hu, M (2022). Ontogenic susceptibility of grapevine clusters to ripe rot, caused by the Colletotrichum acutatum and C. gloeosporioides species complexes. Phytopathology. doi: 10.1094/PHYTO-01-22-0004-R.
• Cosseboom, S., and Hu, M. (2022). Off-target selection of resistance to azoxystrobin in Aspergillus species associated with grape late season rots. Pestic. Biochem. Phys. 108: 105227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2022.105227  
• Cosseboom, S., and Hu, M. (2022). Predicting ripe rot of grape, caused by Colletotrichum fioriniae, with leaf wetness, temperature, and the crop growth stage. PhytoFrontiers. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-05-22-0060-R 
• Schoeneberg, A., and Hu, M. (2022). Efficacy evaluation of demethylation inhibitors and mixtures against Colletotrichum spp. causing strawberry anthracnose. J. Plant Pathol. 104:1483-1489. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-022-01191-2
• Luo, Q., Schoeneberg, A., and Hu, M. (2021). Resistance to azoxystrobin and thiophanate-methyl is widespread in Colletotrichum spp. isolates from the Mid-Atlantic Strawberry Fields. Plant Dis. 105: 2202-2208. doi: 10.1094/PDIS-09-20-2048-RE
• Cosseboom, S., and Hu, M. (2021). Identification and characterization of fungicide resistance in Botrytis populations from small fruit fields in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Plant Dis. 105: 2366-2373. doi: 10.1094/PDIS-03-20-0487-RE
• Hu, M., Cosseboom, S., Schoeneberg, A., Johnson, C., Peres, N., and Lea-Cox, J. (2021). Validation of the strawberry advisory system in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Plant Dis. 105: 2670-2679. doi: 10.1094/PDIS-10-20-2162-RE
• Hu, M. and Chen, S. (2021). Non-target site mechanisms of fungicide resistance in crop pathogens: A review. Microorganisms 2021, 9, 502. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9030502
• Cosseboom, S., and Hu, M (2021). Diversity, pathogenicity, and fungicide sensitivity of fungal species associated with late-season rots of wine grape in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Plant Dis. 105: 3101-3110. doi: 10.1094/PDIS-01-21-0006-RE