Thomas Forge

Ph.D., Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1990

B.Sc., Biology, Kansas State University, 1985

The overarching objective of our research is to examine how soil and water management practices affect the proliferation of soil-borne pests, especially plant-parasitic nematodes, in relation to root growth and other indicators of soil health. This research specifically addresses management practices proposed to reduce reliance on irrigation and sequester soil carbon and thereby contributes to comprehensive assessment of their sustainability. Our research also aims to improve basic understanding of how plant-parasitic nematodes affect the susceptibility of perennial fruit crops to environmental stresses associated with climate change.

Forge, T., Munro, P., Midwood, A.J., Philips, L., Hannam, K., Neilsen, D., Powers, T., and Zasada, I. 2021. Shifting prevalence of plant-parasitic nematodes in orchards and vineyards of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Plant Health Progress. Published Online:24 Mar 2021, https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-10-20-0079-RS.

Marin-Bruzos, M., Grayston, S.J., Forge, T., Nelson, L.M. 2021. Isolation and characterization of streptomycetes and pseudomonad strains with antagonistic activity against the plant parasitic nematode Pratylenchus penetrans and fungi associated with replant disease. Biological Control 158, 104599. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2021.104599.

Kuchta, S., Neilsen, D., Forge, T., Zebarth, B.J., Nichol, C. 2021. Nitrogen, irrigation and alley management affects raspberry crop response and soil nitrogen and root‐lesion nematode dynamics. Soil Science Society of America Journal.. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20190.

Hrycan, J., M. Hart, P. Bowen, T. Forge, J. R. Úrbez-Torres. 2020. Grapevine trunk disease fungi: their roles as latent pathogens and stress factors that favour disease development and symptom expression. Phytopathologia Mediterranea 59(3): 395-424. DOI: 10.14601/Phyto-11275.

Elmhirst, J.E., and Forge, T.A. 2020. Winter cover crops as reservoirs of tobacco rattle virus (TRV) and hosts of root-lesion, root-knot and stubby-root nematodes, Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, DOI: 10.1080/07060661.2020.1867898.

Forge, T., Smit, R., Neilsen, D., and Neilsen, G. 2020. Potential impacts of the ring nematode, Mesocriconema xenoplax, on grapevines in British Columbia: a microplot study. Journal of Nematology 52: e2020-086. DOI: 10.21307/jofnem-2020-086.

Kuchta, S, Neilsen, D., Forge, T., Zebarth, B.J., and Nichol, C. 2020. Nitrogen, irrigation and alley management effects on nitrate leaching from raspberry. Vadose Zone Journal. 2020;19:e20054. DOI: 10.1002/vzj2.20054.

Midwood, A.J., Hannam, K.D., Forge, T.A., Neilsen, D., Emde, D., and Jones, M.D. 2020. Importance of drive-row vegetation for soil carbon storage in woody perennial crops: A regional study. Geoderma 377: 114591. DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2020.114591.

Forge, T., D. Ehret, A. Messiga, M. Dorais. 2020. Influences of nitrogen inputs on nematode populations under highbush blueberry. Journal of Nematology 52: e2020-056. DOI: 10.21307/jofnem-2020-056.

Munro, P., T.A. Forge, M.D. Jones, L.M. Nelson. 2020. Soil biota from newly established orchards are more beneficial to early growth of cherry trees than biota from older orchards. Applied Soil Ecology 155: 103658. DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2020.103658.

Forge, T., K. Hannam, D. Neilsen, G. Neilsen. 2019. Nitrogen inputs and irrigation frequency influence population dynamics of Mesocriconema xenoplax under grapevines. Journal of Nematology 51 2019-084. DOI: 10.21307/jofnem-2019-084.

Forge, T., D. Neilsen, G. Neilsen, S. Blatt. 2019. Dynamics of the impacts of Pratylenchus penetrans on Gisela® cherry rootstocks. Journal of Nematology 51 DOI: 10.21307/jofnem-2019-008.

Watson, T., Nelson, L., and T.A. Forge. 2019. Preplant soil Incorporation of compost to mitigate replant disease: Soil biological factors associated with plant growth promotion in orchard soil. Compost Science & Utilization 26(4): 286-296, DOI: 10.1080/1065657X.2018.1540953.

Watson, T.W., T.A. Forge, and L.M. Nelson. 2018. Pseudomonads contribute to regulation of Pratylenchus penetrans (Nematoda) populations on apple. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 64: 1-11. https://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjm-2018-0040.

Watson, T.W., L.M. Nelson, D. Neilsen, G.H. Neilsen, and T.A. Forge. 2018. Low-volume irrigation systems influence Pratylenchus penetrans populations, root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and replant establishment of sweet cherry. Scientia Horticulturae 239: 50-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.05.013.

Hannam, K.D., D. Kehila, P. Millard, A. Midwood, D. Neilsen, G. Neilsen, T.A. Forge, C. Nichol, and M.D. Jones. 2018. Bicarbonates in irrigation water contribute to carbonate formation and CO2 production in orchard soils under drip irrigation. Geoderma 266:120-126.

Watson, T.T., L.M. Nelson, D. Neilsen, G. Neilsen, and T.A. Forge. 2017. Soil amendments influence Pratylenchus penetrans populations, beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms, and growth of newly planted sweet cherry. Appl. Soil Ecol. 117–118: 212–220.