Dillard, Helene R

Cornell Faculty Member

Positions

Associate Dean, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE)
Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE)
Professor, Plant Pathology at Geneva

My primary program efforts concentrate on the biology, ecology, and management of fungal pathogens causing diseases of vegetable crops. Areas of interest include sustainable disease management strategies and integrated pest management (IPM); epidemiology of foliar pathogens; pathogenic fungi in the genera Sclerotinia, Botrytis, Colletotrichum, Puccinia, Alternaria, and Phytophthora; disease management in transitional and organic cropping systems; diseases of culinary and medicinal herbs; research-extension-instruction integration; international extension systems and crop protection.

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administrative responsibilities

Associate Dean, CALS and CHE

member of graduate field

other Cornell affiliations

Cornell Organic Working Group

member of

David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future (ACSF) Faculty Fellow

outreach overview

My extension program focuses on the development of sustainable management practices for fungal diseases of vegetables and delivery of the information via newsletters, fact sheets, in person presentations at conferences and workshops, and online at the Dillard Lab website (http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/faculty/dillard/main.html). The activities are essentially conducted year round and are linked to ongoing research efforts. Most of the extension activity specifically occurs in the fall and winter months. The constituents served are vegetable producers, processors, chemical company research and development representatives, extension educators and specialists, and state agencies such as the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Agriculture and Markets. Most current impacts of the program include: provided growers with strategies on the best use of registered alternative materials following the loss of Ronilan for use on snap beans to control pod molds, successful monitoring and scouting for soybean rust on Phaseolus beans using back trajectory models and sentinel plots, development of an early warning system for New York sweet corn producers for corn rust, and evaluation of snap bean varieties for their reaction to Phytophthora capsici. The indicators of success used are successful economic disease control in targeted crops, trained and knowledgeable extension educators who can be first responders to a new outbreak of soybean rust, extensive use by growers and consultants of the control recommendations developed in my program for white and gray mold on snap beans, and omission of unwarranted sprays for soybean rust on snap and dry beans. Vegetable disease information is disseminated to local, regional, and statewide cooperative extension educators and specialists, to fresh and processing food industry representatives, pest control companies, and to private crop consultants. Dissemination mechanisms include oral presentations at meetings and conferences organized by extension educators and private industry, hands-on training at disease workshops, newsletter articles, and fact sheets. I also serve as the statewide Director for Cornell Cooperative Extension. Since 1914, Cornell University has provided high quality, research based programs and resources to all New Yorkers through the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) educational system. Today, we serve New Yorkers' needs through educational programs in 5 broad areas: 4-H youth development, agriculture and food systems, community and economic vitality, environment and natural resources, and nutrition and healthy families.

service to the profession

Alpha Zeta Member 2007 -
New York State 4-H Foundation Board of Directors 2002 -
Gamma Sigma Delta Member 1995 -
North American Sclerotinia Workers Member 1984 -
SIGMA XI Member 1984 -
American Phytopathological Society Member 1978 -
North East Center for Rural Development Attendee, Meeting 2004 - 2007
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY Plant Pathology Department Review - 2005
New York State Association of County Agricultural Agents Committee Member 1992 - 2002
APS NE Division Extension Plant Pathologists Committee Committee Member 1984 - 2002
National Research Council, Biological Sciences Panel, Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities Program Research Review Panel - 2000
American Phytopathological Society Councilor-at-Large 1996 - 1999
APS Financial Advisory Committee Committee Member 1997 - 1998
APS Extension Committee Committee Member 1994 - 1996
APS Writing Committee for Extension Section in Plant Pathology 2000 Document Committee Member - 1994
APS Diagnostics Committee Committee Member 1988 - 1991
APS Women in Plant Pathology Committee Committee Member 1986 - 1991
Fungicide/Nematicide Test Committee Committee Member 1986 - 1991
APS NE Division Symposium Planning Committee Committee Member 1986 - 1990
Canadian Phytopathological Society Committee Member 1986 - 1989

Positions

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Websites

Affiliations

administrative responsibilities

member of graduate field

other Cornell affiliations

member of

Extension

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Research

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Teaching

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Background

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Other

college

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