Dr. Antonio DiTommaso
Professor
Bradfield Hall, Room 903
Phone: 607-254-4702
Fax: 607-255-2644
Email: ad97@cornell.edu
Education
- 1995 Ph.D., Weed Ecology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- 1989 M.S., Plant Ecology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- 1986 B.S.(Agr.), Environmental Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
Research
Program Goal and Research Focus
The overarching goal of my research program is to study and gain a better understanding of the impact of biotic and edaphic factors on growth, population and community dynamics of agrestal, ruderal,
and environmental weeds. An important objective of the program is the development, testing, and implementation of safe, effective, sustainable and economically viable management strategies for troublesome plants we refer to as 'weeds'. To achieve this objective, my research program comprises several major thrusts.
- Seed biology/ecology
- Invasive weed biology
- Biological control, and
- Integrated weed management
Seed Biology/ Ecology Research
The seed biology/ecology research focuses on understanding the impact of biotic factors such as selective disease and plant competition and abiotic factors such as light, soil fertility, moisture, soil
depth on seed dormancy and emergence patterns in weeds of cropping and non-cropping systems.
Current projects focus on the:
- Effect of maize (Zea mays) planting date and interspecific competition on seed dormancy and seedling vigor of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)
- Influence of salinity on the germination behavior of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) seeds collected from plants growing in contrasting habitats
- Effects of harvest date and storage on seed germinability and seedling vigor of the exotic invasive species, pale swallow-wort (Cynanchum rossicum) growing in different habitats
- Impact of mulch on soil moisture and emergence of important annual agrestal weeds including pigweeds (Amaranthus spp.), velvetleaf, common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) and giant foxtail (Setaria faberi).
- Comparison of weed emergence patterns and vegetative regeneration potential of weeds found on the highly fertile Terra Preta do Indio (anthropogenic black) soils and nutrient-poor oxysols in the Brazilian Amazon.
Invasive Weed Biology Research
This work focuses on determining those attributes of exotic invasive plants that contribute to their invasiveness and the specific features of habitats that influence their susceptibility to invasion
by exotic species.
Current projects focus on the:
- Seedbank dynamics, reproductive fitness, and dispersal ability of pale swallow-wort (Cynanchum rossicum - syn. Vincetoxicum rossicum) [Asclepiadaceae] in contrasting habitats of central NY State.
- Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the invasion process of pale swallow-wort.
- Impact of pale swallow-wort and black swallow-wort (Cynanchum nigrum) on the population dynamics of the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), and
- Growth and expansion of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) in contrasting habitats and under different management regimes.
Biological Weed Control Research
Current/Future projects focus on the:
- Influence of Bt corn for corn rootworm (CRW) (Diabrotica spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) control on post-dispersal
weed seed predation levels
Potential of the rust fungus, Puccinia glechomatis, as a biocontrol agent for ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) in turfgrass
Potential for the classical biological control of pale swallow-wort (Cynanchum rossicum) in North America
Impact of the selective fungal pathogen, Colletotrichum coccodes and a seed-eating bruchid weevil on velvetleaf growth and seed production
Integrated Weed Management
The integrated management of weeds (IWM) is a final focus of my research and aims to make use of a combination of control strategies (e.g. cultural, mechanical, biological, chemical) to effectively
manage problem weeds.
Current projects focus on the:
- Effects of chisel and zone tillage and different weed management tactics (chemical and mechanical cultivation) on spatial and temporal weed patch dynamics in a corn cropping system
- Impacts of tillage intensity and soil fertility management on nutrient dynamics, weeds and crop quality during transition to organic vegetable production
- Inventory, population dynamics, and management of weeds on Terra Preta do Indio soils.
Selected Publications | ||
| See All Publications | ||
| 2017 | Young, S.L., D.R. Clements, and A. DiTommaso. 2017. Climate dynamics, invader fitness, and biotic resistance in an invasion-factor framework. Invasive Plant Science and Management 10(3): 215-231. | View |
| 2014 | DiTommaso, A., S.H. Morris, J.D. Parker, C.L. Cone, and A.A. Agrawal. 2014. Deer browsing delays succession by altering aboveground vegetation and belowground seed banks. 2014. PLoS ONE 9(3): e91155. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0091155 | View |
| 2011 | Clements, D.R. and A. DiTommaso. Climate change and weed adaptation: Can evolution of invasive plants lead to greater range expansion than forecasted? Weed Research 51(3): 227-240. | View |
| 2010 | Averill, K.M., A. DiTommaso, C.L. Mohler and L.R. Milbrath. Establishment of the invasive perennial Vincetoxicum rossicum across a disturbance gradient in New York State, USA. Plant Ecology 211(1):65-77. | View |
| 2009 | McDonald, A.J., S.J. Riha, A. DiTommaso, and A.T. DeGaetano. Climate change and the geography of weed damage: Analysis of U.S. maize systems suggests the potential for significant range transformations. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 130(3-4):131-140. | View |
| 2004 | DiTommaso, A. Germination behavior of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) populations across a range of salinities.Weed Science 52:1002-1009. | View |
| Clements, D.R., A. DiTommaso, N. Jordan, B.D. Booth, J. Cardina, D. Doohan, C.L. Mohler, S.D. Murphy, and C.J. Swanton. Adaptability of plants invading North American cropland. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 104:379-398. | View | |
| 1996 | DiTommaso, A., A.K. Watson and S.G. Hallett. Infection by the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum coccodes affects velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)-soybean competition in the field. Weed Science 44:924-933. | View |