James J. Stapleton,
IPM Plant Pathologist
IPM Coordinator--Natural Resources
Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 1983

Phone (559) 646-6536         FAX (559) 646-6593
E-mail: jim@uckac.edu

Statewide IPM Program, University of California, Davis
Cooperative Extension, Central Valley Region

Areas of Specialty:
 Integrated disease/pest management; methyl bromide alternatives; development of control strategies which do not rely on synthetic pesticides for pests of horticultural plants in commercial and urban settings; quantitative and qualitative manipulation of solar radiation for pest  management; soil-plant ecology; diseases and nematode pests of vegetable and ornamental crops, grapes, in non-crop wildland areas, and in plant nurseries

Research Statement
 Plant host/pest relationships are complex and involve interactions of biological, chemical, and physical processes.  The research and extension focus of our laboratory is on understanding and manipulating these elements to provide commercial and household growers, and managers of non-crop and wildland areas, with appropriate pest management strategies.  Our work currently emphasizes development and implementation of alternatives to methyl bromide soil fumigation, primarily using solar energy (solarization) and biotoxic volatile compounds from decomposing organic materials (biofumigation).  Another major effort is being made to improve integrated management of disease/vector complexes in vegetable and ornamental crops.

Soil Solarization

UC Plant Protection Quarterly

Selected Publications

2007  Dahlquist, R.M., Prather, T.S., and Stapleton, J.J.  Time and temperature requirements for weed seed thermal death.  Weed Science 55: 619-625.

 

2007  Mallek, S.B., Prather, T.S., and Stapleton, J.J.  Interactions among Allium spp. soil amendments and concentrations, temperature, and exposure time on weed seed viability.     Applied Soil Ecology 37: 233-239.

 

2006.  Stapleton, J.J.  Biocidal and allelopathic properties of gramineous crop residue amendments as influenced by soil temperature.  In:  Proceedings, California Conference on Biological Control V, Riverside, CA, July 25-27, 2006:179-181.  Available online at CCBCV.

                            

2006.  Stapleton, J.J., and Jett, S.  A large-scale demonstration of solar inactivation of invasive weed propagules for revegetation of California native wildflower communities.  In:  Proceedings, California Conference on Biological Control V, Riverside, CA, July 25-27, 2006:182-183. Available online at CCBCV.

                            

2006.  Stapleton, J.J., Marshall, M.N., and VanderGheynst, J.S.  Response of phytoparasitic nematodes and microbial community structure to high-temperature tent solarization for disinfesting container nursery soil.  In: Proceedings, California Conference on Biological Control V, Riverside, CA, July 25-27, 2006:184-187. Available online at CCBCV.  

1998.  Stapleton, J.J., DeVay, J.E., and Elmore, C.L., eds.  Soil Solarization and Integrated Management of Soilborne Pests.  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Plant Production and Protection Paper 147, Rome.  657 pp.  (Publications Catalog)

Since 1991.  Stapleton, J.J., Summers, C.G., Teviotdale, B.L., and Goodell, P.B. UC Plant Protection Quarterly. Published four times yearly.  University of California, Kearney Agricultural Center, Parlier, CA.