Jessica Bell

Jessica Bell

Jessica Bell is a Graduate Student at the University of Georgia (UGA) studying Plant Pathology. She grew up in Sycamore, Georgia, where she obtained her love for horticulture by working with her family’s commercial daylily garden. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) in General Biology in the fall of 2017. While at ABAC, she also worked part-time as a Chemical Analyst at the Georgia Department of Agriculture. 

After graduation, Bell began working as a technician at UGA for Dr. Timothy Brenneman. After working in this position for about a year, she took an opportunity to begin her master’s degree program under Dr. Brenneman as a TAP student. Bell greatly enjoyed the work that she had been doing for UGA, so when the opening for a master’s student occurred, she was delighted to take it and knew that this would be a great next step for her.

The focus of her project is on peanut stem rot regarding why it has not been controlled as well in recent years as it has been in the past. Bell collected several hundred isolates of white mold and then screened the samples against multiple fungicides. As a result of this screening, they found that two of the main fungicides used against stem rot are both approximately 30% less effective than they were 20 years ago. In addition, they are also researching the possibility of enhanced biodegradation in the soil being a contributor to the advancing stem rot issue. This happens when the same pesticides are applied year after year to the same field and the soil microbial populations become equipped to break the pesticides down rapidly.

She is currently completing the process to transition her project to a Ph. D. program. Bell’s future research will consist of determining the adsorption and desorption coefficient for important fungicides as well as determining the mechanisms for fungicide resistance in peanut stem rot.  From the work she has completed throughout her program, Bell feels that she has gained the qualities needed to be a well-rounded and knowledgeable scientist. 

She has grown to truly enjoy research and understands firsthand the grower's perspective. After graduation, Bell plans to begin researching for an industry corporation to continue pursuing what she enjoys the most.

by Caraline Coombs, student assistant, UGA Peanut Team Media