Rate My Professor Alan Dyer

Alan Dyer, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology at Montana State University, where he specializes in root, seed, and seedling pathology as well as pathogen ecology and evolution. He earned his Ph.D. and M.S. from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 2002 and 1999, respectively, and his B.S. from Cornell University in 1989. His career at Montana State University includes roles such as Associate Professor prior to his promotion to full Professor, and he has contributed to various university committees, including the Doctoral Program Prioritization committee, the Montana State Variety Release committee, and the Deans Council. Dyer has also co-directed a precision agriculture boot camp hosted by Montana State University in 2022 and presented on “Management and Population Dynamics of Cereal Pathogens” in 2023 as part of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station project update series.

Dyer's research addresses soilborne pathogens impacting key Montana crops, including Fusarium crown rot and common root rot in wheat and barley, Pratylenchus neglectus nematodes, Aphanomyces cochlioides oospores, and Cochliobolus sativus. His work examines pathogen survival dynamics under heat stress, competition between Fusarium pseudograminearum and Cochliobolus sativus in field and greenhouse settings, quantitative PCR applications for Fusarium crown rot detection, and influences of viruses on sugar beet storability. Key publications include “Small Grain Root and Crown Diseases” (2010, with Mary Burrows and William Grey), “Small Grain Seed Treatment Guide” (2012, with J. Johnston, C. Tharp, and M. Burrows), “Fusarium Head Blight (scab) of Wheat and Barley” (2008, co-author), “Survival Dynamics of Aphanomyces cochlioides Oospores Exposed to Heat Stress” (2007), “Applying Real-Time Quantitative PCR to Fusarium Crown Rot of Wheat” (2007), and “Competition Between Fusarium pseudograminearum and Cochliobolus sativus Observed in Field and Greenhouse Studies” (2017). With 28 publications on ResearchGate garnering over 570 citations, his contributions support pathogen management strategies for cereal production in the northern Great Plains.