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 The Division of Plant Pathology & Microbiology at the University of Arizona maintains instruction programs and conducts research on the molecular, cellular, organismal and ecological aspects of plant diseases. This includes work in the areas of crop production, natural resources and food safety. To meet the goals of this mission, close working relationships are maintained with the Departments of Biochemistry, Entomology, Mathematics, Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Plant Sciences, as well as the School of Renewable Natural Resources. The Department of Plant Pathology had its origins in the early 1920's when it became the first plant pathology department that dealt primarily with plant diseases in an arid environment. A notable accomplishment from the early years was the development of the process of acid delinting of cotton which eliminated the disease, Angular Leaf Spot of Cotton, a bacterial blight, from Arizona and also improved the handling of cotton seed for planting and processing. The department was also known for its three decades of research into Phymatotrichumroot rot disease of many dicots in the alkaline soils of southern Arizona and northern Mexico. In addition, the first use of antibiotics against a plant disease was implemented by a faculty member in this department. Read here about Karl Butler, the first graduate of the Department of Plant Pathology.
 The faculty at the Division of Plant Pathology, University of Arizona reflect the application of both contemporary and traditional science to the improvement of plant disease knowledge. Programs that focus on the practical aspects of the management of bacterial, fungal, nematode and viral diseases exist along with the group in the department whose focus is more on basic aspects of the plant-microorganism interaction at the molecular level. New information technology, such as geographic information systems (GIS) and geostatistics are helping to refine the use of traditional plant disease information in improved control methods. In addition to plant pathogens, several of our faculty study beneficial microbes that enhance plant growth and vigor and include biological control organisms and nitrogen fixing bacteria, reflecting our broader perspective of topics in plant microbiology.
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