Diagnosing Hemp and Cannabis Crop Diseases

Shouhua Wang studied agricultural sciences with an emphasis on plant pathology and nematology at China Agricultural University (formerly Beijing Agricultural University), followed by 5 years of postdoctoral research at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.He also earned a secondary Ph.D. degree in biomedical science, emphasizing in cellular and molecular pharmacology and physiology. Since 2001, he is the state plant pathologist conducting surveys, detections, diagnostics, and research of plant diseases and providing professional services to industries, the public, and the state. During his tenure, he has established a state-of-the-art molecular plant diagnostic laboratory that is capable in performing a broad range of diagnostics from traditional methods to bioinformatics approaches. The laboratory has been fully accredited by the NPDN STAR-D accreditation program. Shouhua Wang has authored or co-authored 37 refereed journal articles and approximately 58 other publications. Most of his research addresses nematode diseases, genetic diversity of cyst nematodes, virus transmission by nematodes, soil-borne fungal diseases, biological control of plant diseases, molecular detection of Phytophthora, Fusarium, phytoplasma and other pathogens, and molecular biology of male reproduction. In his current position, he teaches a variety of topics to licensed arborists, pesticide applicators, master gardeners, and hemp/cannabis growers, and brings research expertise and life science technologies into plant health diagnostics to provide science-based services to clients including hemp and cannabis growers.