Dr. Adam Foster

Image Adam Foster
Research Scientist

Cereal and Oilseed Pathologist

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Charlottetown, PE

Current research and/or projects

  • Cover crop impacts on disease and the soil microbiome
  • Soybean fungicide and density interactions
  • Fusarium head blight (FHB) forecasting model validation for the Maritimes
  • FHB resistance screening of cereal germplasm

Research and/or project statements

Our focus is the research of plant pathogens that impact cereal and oilseed production in Canada. Major plant diseases studied includes Fusarium head blight (FHB) of cereals, Sclerotinia white mold, powdery mildew and various other leaf and root diseases. Currently we are trying to develop new tools for growers to manage disease including agronomic practices disease forecast modelling and study pathogen populations and virulence. We are also studying the pathogen populations in the Maritimes and attempting to identify novel fungal virulence factors.

Education and awards

PhD Biology,  Simon Fraser University, 2011

MSc Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, 2006

BSc(Hons.) Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 2003

Key publications

  1. Foster A., Jonstone E., Mesbah M., Murchison K., Quan I. Matters R. (2023) Forecasting FHB environmental risk in the maritimes. Cereal and Oilseeds 2023, Summerside, PE, Feb 8, 2023.

    2023 - View publication details

  2. Foster A., Johnstone E., Beaton A., McKenzie-Gopsill A. (2022) AGC ASP-008 - Activities 3 and 4 research update. Atlantic Grains Council Annual General Meeting, Moncton, NB, Nov.24, 2023.

    2022 - View publication details

  3. Johnstone, Matters and Foster 2022. Survey of Fusarium head blight and leaf diseases of spring wheat on Prince Edward Island, 2021. Canadian plant disease survey 2022 volume 102: disease highlights 2021, Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, 44:sup1, S1-S187, DOI: 10.1080/07060661.2022.2076342.

    2022 - View publication details

  4. Cloutier S, Fedak G, Fatima F, Bartaula S, McCallum B, Henriquez MA, Blackwell B, Aboukhaddour R, Foster A, Hiebert C, Humphreys G, McCartney C, Pozniak C, You F (2022) Tapping into wild relatives to improve wheat. ProciNorte Disease Task Force Webinars - Wheat & Grapes: Mitigating the effects brought on by climate change, Sept 13 & 15, Virtual (oral – invited)

    2022 - View publication details

  5. NS Research Day: FHB Surveillance in the Maritimes 2021: Towards FHB Forecasting & Management (2022). Atlantic Grains Council Research Day. Truro, NS, April 8, 2022 (presentation).

    2022 - View publication details

  6. NB Research Day: FHB Surveillance in the Maritimes 2021: Towards FHB Forecasting & Management (2022). Atlantic Grains Council Research Day. Woodstock, NB, April 7, 2022 (presentation).

    2022 - View publication details

  7. PEI Research Day: FHB Surveillance in the Maritimes 2021: Towards FHB Forecasting & Management (2022). Atlantic Grains Council Research Day. Charlottetown, PE, March 23, 2022 (presentation).

    2022 - View publication details

  8. Cloutier S, Fedak G, Fatima F, Bartaula S, McCallum B, Henriquez MA, Blackwell B, Aboukhaddour R, Foster A, Hiebert C, Humphreys G, Mccartney C, Pozniak C, You F (2022) Wheat Pre-breeding: the struggle(s) and potential. Proc. 37th Plant Sciences Graduate Students’ Symposium 2022, March 4-5, Virtual (oral)

    2022 - View publication details

  9. T.K. Turkington, H. Klein-Gebbinck, K. Xi, B. Beres, R. Aboukhaddour, Prabhath Lokuruge, A. Mulenga, G. Peng, W. May, R. Mohr, G. Telmosse, D. Pageau, A. Foster, B. Blackwell, H. Kubota, B. Tidemann, and G. Semach. 2021. The impact of row spacing, seeding rate, and fungicide timing on leaf disease and fusarium damaged kernel severity, deoxynivalenol, and productivity of spring wheat. Proceedings of the 2021 National Fusarium Head Blight Forum, December 6-7, 2021. Page 30.

    2021 - View publication details

  10. Cloutier S, Fedak G, Fatima F, Bartaula S, McCallum B, Henriquez MA, Blackwell B, Aboukhaddour R, Foster A, Hiebert C, Humphreys G, McCartney C, Pozniak C, You F (2021) The challenges and promises of pre-breeding. Can Soc Plant Biol – Eastern Regional Meeting. Virtual, Nov 27 (oral keynote plenary)

    2021 - View publication details

  11. Beaton A, McKenzie-Gopsill A, Foster A (2021) Fungicide seed treatment influences on constant final yield achievement in soybean (Glycine max L.). Canadian Weed Science Society Virtual Meeting, Nov 23 2021, online

    2021 - View publication details

  12. E. Johnstone, R. Matters & A. Foster. (2020). Causal species of fusarium head blight of spring wheat and winter wheat in Prince Edward Island in 2020. in CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY 2021, VOL. 43, NO. SUP1, S92 https://doi.org/10.1080/07060661.2021.1932163

    2021 - View publication details

  13. Hudson, K., Harris, L.J., Overy, D. P., Xue, A., Foster, A., Khanal, R. (2021). Pathogenicity of Fusarium graminearum and F. poae Causing Fusarium Head Blight on Barley Under Controlled Conditions. Tri-Society Virtual Conference, Edmonton, AB.

    2021 - View publication details

  14. Beaton, A., McKenzie-Gopsill, A. and Foster, A. (2021) Soybean seeding rate and fungicide seed treatment effect on yield and revenue. Atlantic Grains Council Spring Newsletter 2021. https://atlanticgrainscouncil.ca/agc-newsletter-spring-2021

    2021 - View publication details

  15. Aiyer, H., Caldwell, C., & Foster, A. (March 5-6, 2021). Effects of cover cropping on beneficial and pathogenic microbial communities present in agricultural field soil and residue. Presented at the 2021 Plant Science Graduate Students’ Symposium (University of Saskatchewan).

    2021 - View publication details

  16. Aiyer, H., Caldwell, C., & Foster, A. (2021). Cover crop carryover effects on fungal and bacterial communities in field soil and residue. Presented at the CRDC Seminar series (February 10, 2021).

    2021 - View publication details

  17. Proceedings of the 2020 National Fusarium Head Blight Forum

    2021 - View publication details

  18. Aiyer, H., Caldwell, C., & Foster, A. (2020). Disease suppressive ability of certain society cover crop soils on barley and soybean root disease. Presented at the Canadian Phytopathological Society Atlantic regional meeting, 2020. Abstract submitted to be published in Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology

    2020 - View publication details

  19. Foster and Matters (2020) FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT CAUSAL SPECIES IN SPRING WHEAT IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND IN 2019. Published In: Canadian Plant Disease Survey 2020 Volume 100: Disease Highlights 2019, Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, 42:sup1, 1-175, DOI: 10.1080/07060661.2020.1752524

    2020 - View publication details

  20. Mccallum, B.D., Seto-Goh, P., Reimer, E., Foster, A., Xue, A. (2020). Physiological specialization of Puccinia triticina, the causal agent of wheat leaf rust, in Canada in 2013. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, [online] 42(2), 243-249. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07060661.2019.1653376

    2020 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

Charlottetown Research and Development Centre
440 University Avenue
Charlottetown, PE C1A 4N6
Canada

Expertise

Agriculture›Molecular genetics›Plant
Agriculture›Pathology›Cereal
Agriculture›Pathology›Molecular plant

Affiliations

Dalhousie University - Adjunct Faculty

University of Prince Edward Island - Adjunct Faculty

Atlantic Recommending Committee for Cereal Crops 

Prairie Recommending Committee for Wheat, Rye and Triticale (PRCWRT)

Prairie Recommending Committee for Oat and Barley (PRCOB)

Language

English