Joseph W. Kloepper

EDUCATION

• 1980 Ph.D. Plant Pathology, University of California, Berkeley.
  PhD Thesis: The Role of Rhizobacteria in Increasing Plant Growth and Yield. Dr. Milton Schroth, Major Professor.
• 1977 M.S. Plant Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
  Thesis: The Role of Insects in the Epidemiology of Potato Blackleg
• 1975 B.S. Botany and Plant Pathology (Double Major), Colorado State University

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• 1998 – Present Professor of Plant Pathology, Auburn University
• 1992 – 1998 Professor and Head, Department of Plant Pathology, Auburn University
• 1989 – 1992 Associate Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, Auburn University
• 1987 – 1989 Manager, Microbial Inoculants, Allelix Agriculture, Mississauga, Ontario
• 1985 – 1987 Group Leader, Agricultural Microbiology Group, Allelix Agriculture, Mississauga, Ontario
• 1983 – 1985 Senior Research Scientist, Allelix Inc., Mississauga, Ontario
• 1982 – 1983 Research Scientist, Advanced Genetic Sciences, Inc., Manhattan, Kansas
• 1980 – 1982 Assistant Professor, University of California, Berkeley

HONORS AND AWARDS

• 2016 Selected as Alumni Professor at Auburn University
• 2015 Invited to be a keynote speaker at the Second International Congress on Biostimulants in Agriculture,
  Florence, Italy, November, 2015
• 2015 Invited keynote speaker at the International Symposium:
  “Microbe-Assisted Crop Production—opportunities, challenge, and needs, Vienna, Austria
• 2015 Received AAES Director’s Senior Research Award
• 2015 Received Dean’s Granstmanship Award, College of Agriculture
• 2014 Received “Excellence in Innovation Award” from the Auburn University chapter of the National Academy of Inventers

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Member of the American Phytopathological Society
• Member of Association for the Advancement of Science
• Coordinator of the International PGPR Workshop which holds international meetings every 3 years.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

My research is focused on the use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for promoting plant growth, plant health, and nutrient uptake. The emphasis is on various species and strains of the spore-forming bacilli because spores of these PGPR remain viable as seed treatments for a long period of time, thereby increasing the opportunities of integrating the PGPR into current agricultural practices. Modes of action are studied, and effects on plant pathogens as well as plant-damaging insects are evaluated in collaborations with other faculty in the College of Agriculture at Auburn University.

RECENT COURSES TAUGHT

• PLPA 7820 Research Proposal Writing, Fall Semester every year since 2011
• PLPA 6060/5050 Plant Disease Management, co-teach with Dr. Lawrence, every alternate year

Refereed Journal Articles

• Zebelo, S., Song, Y., Kloepper, J.W., and Fadamiro, H. 2016. Rhizobacteria activates (+)-δ-cadinene synthase genes and induces systemic resistance in cotton against beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua). Plant, Cell & Environment doi: 10.1111/pce.12704
• Kampfer, P., Busse, H-J, Glaeser, S. P., Kloepper, J.W., Hu, C-H., and McInroy, J.A. Bacillus cucumis sp. nov. isolated from the rhizosphere of cucumber (Cucumis sativa). (2016) International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 1039-1044.
• Park, Y-S, Park, K., Kloepper, J.W. and Ryu, C-M. 2015. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria stimulate vegetative growth and asexual reproduction of Kalanchoe daigremontiana. Plant Pathology Journal 31:310-315. http://dx.doi.org/10.5423/PPJ.NT.01.2015.0006
• Hossain, M.J, Ran, C., Liu, K., Ryu, C-M, Rasmussen-Ive,y C.R., Williams, M.A., Hassan, M.K., Cho, S-K, Jeong, H., Newman, M., Kloepper, J.W. and Liles, M.R. 2015. Deciphering the conserved genetic loci implicated in plant disease control through comparative genomics of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum. Front. Plant Sci. 6:631. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00631
• Ravu, R.R., Jacob, M.R., Chen, X., Wang, M., Nasrin, S., Kloepper, J.W., Liles, M.R., Mead, D.A., Khan, I.A., and Li, X-C. 2015. Bacillusin A, and antibacterial macrodiolide from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens AP183. Journal of Natural Products. 78:924-928.
• Genome sequence of the plant endophyte Bacillus pumilus INR7, triggering induced systemic resistance in field crops. 2014. Genome A. Vol 2, Issue 5.
• Coy, R.M., Held, D.W., and Kloepper, J.W. 2014. Rhizobacterial inoculants increase root and shoot growth in ‘Tifway’ bermudagrass. J. Environ. Hort. 32(3)149-154.
• Choi, S-K, Jeong, H., Kloepper, J.W., and Ryu, C-M. 2014. Genome sequence of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens GB03, an active ingredient of the first commercial biological control product. Genome Announcements 2:

Refereed Reviews and Book Chapters

• Calvo, P., Nelson, L., and Kloepper, J.W. 2014. Agricultural uses of plant biostimulants. Plant and Soil 383:3-41 (Marchner Review)
• Ramírez, C.A., and Kloepper, J.W. 2012. Rizobacteria promotoras del crecimiento vegetal. Capítulo 6 (p. 97-126) in Enfermedades de Plantas: Control Biológico. LM. Howos Carvajal, ed. Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria, Chapter 6 in Plant Diseases: Biological Control).
• Kumar, K.V.K., Reddy, M.S., Kloepper, J.W., Lawrence, K.S., Zhou, X.G., Groth, D.E., Zhang, X., Rao, R.S., Want, Q., Raju, M.R.B., Faju, S.K., Fernando, W.G.D., Sudini, H., Du, B., and Miller, M.E. 2011. Commercial potential of microbial inoculants for sheath blight management and yield enhancement of rice. Chapter 9 in Bacteria in Agrobiology: Crop Ecosystems, D.K. Maheshwari, (ed.), Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
• Kumar, K.V.K., Raju, S.K., Reddy, M.S., Kloepper, J.W., Lawrence, K.S., Groth, D.E., and Miller, M.E., 2009. Sheath blight disease of rice (Oryza sativa L.) – an overview. Biosciences, Biotechnol. Res. Asia. 62:465-480.
• Kloepper, J.W., and Ryu, C.-M. 2006. Bacterial endophytes as elicitors of induced systemic resistance. In: Soil Biology, Volume 9; Microbial Root Endophytes. B; Schulz, C. Boyle, and T.N. Sieber (Eds.). Springer-Verlag, Berlin.