The UTC Graduate School is pleased to announce that Mulatha Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Chinthaka Pradeep Weerarathna will present Master’s research titled, Understanding and Managing Frogeye Leaf Spot through Network-based Modeling in Soybean on 10\/17\/2025 at 2.30 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. in LUPH390. Everyone is invited to attend.
Mathematics
Chair: Dr. Jin wang
Co-Chair: Dr. Thien Le
Abstract:
Frogeye Leaf Spot (FLS), caused by Cercospora sojina, poses a significant threat to soybean production, with yield losses of 30 – 60%. Traditional mass-action models assume homogeneous mixing, which rarely holds in real fields and limits their ability to gain insights into FLS management. To address this, we developed a network-based model that incorporates real-field structure to improve FLS management in soybeans. Using Approximate Bayesian Computation, we estimated key epidemiological parameters and found that infection origin can shift the balance between transmission routes. Data analyses indicated that tillage and non-tillage plots did not differ significantly in fungal spread, decay, or disease severity. Finally, we show that early, targeted roguing is more effective than delayed or random removal. Together, these findings offer science-based guidance for FLS management and highlight the value of network-based models to inform agricultural disease control.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The UTC Graduate School is pleased to announce that Mulatha Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Chinthaka Pradeep Weerarathna will present Master’s research titled, Understanding and Managing Frogeye Leaf Spot through Network-based Modeling in Soybean on 10\/17\/2025 at 2.30 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. in LUPH390. Everyone is invited to attend. Mathematics Chair: Dr. Jin wang Co-Chair: Dr. Thien Le Abstract: Frogeye Leaf Spot (FLS), caused by… <\/p>\n