FARGO, N.D. — Plant pathology doctoral students Md Ziaur Rahman Bhuiyan and Austin Lien were awarded the Alan Dexter scholarship at the 52nd annual Sugar Reporting Session held Jan. 11 in Fargo.
The scholarship is awarded to University of Minnesota or North Dakota State University students who are earning a master of science or doctorate degree and whose thesis is related to some aspect of sugarbeet production, processing or economics. Dexter is a professor emeritus in the NDSU Department of Plant Sciences and a retired NDSU and U of M Extension weed control specialist. The Sugarbeet Research and Education Board of Minnesota and North Dakota sponsors the award which annually is presented at the annual Research and Reporting Session.
Bhuiyan, a native of Bangladesh, is earning his doctorate from North Dakota State University, and Lien, who grew up near Fisher, Minnesota, is earning his doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
Bhuiyan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and a master’s of science in plant pathology from Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and began working on his doctorate in plant pathology at NDSU in 2018.
Bhuiyan’s research, conducted under the supervision of Mohamed Khan, is focused on understanding the biology and molecular identification of major sugarbeet pathogens, including cercospora, rhizoctonia and fusarium. He also has studied the role of adjuvants mixed with fungicides under simulated rainfall.
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Bhuiyan has presented his research at sugarbeet meetings and been the co-author of nine peer-reviewed publications.
Lien graduated from the University of Minnesota Crookston with a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and a master’s of science degree in agriculture from Washington State University. He began working on his doctorate degree in plant pathology at the University of Minnesota in the summer of 2020.
Lien’s advisors, Ashok Chanda and Brett Arenz, are overseeing Lien’s research on developing a microplate-based assay for assessing fungicide sensitivity and understanding the molecular basis of fungicide resistance in cercospora. The practical effect of the research will be to gain insight that will assist Lien in developing effective fungicide spray programs for managing cercospora leaf spot.
