James Tucker

Image James Tucker
Research Scientist, Barley Genomics

Identification and development of biotic stress-tolerant barley breeding materials through application of biotechnological tools with emphasis on diseases of economic importance such as: Fusarium head blight, spot blotch, net blotch, scald and stem rust.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Brandon

Current research and/or projects

  • Developing barley germplasm with improved resistance to Fusarium head blight and other biotic stresses for western Canada at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Brandon Research and Development Centre (lead)
  • The population structure of Fusarium pathogens of small grain cereals, their distribution and relationship to mycotoxins (team member).
  • Barley pathogen variation and surveillance: implications for managing disease via host resistance and fungicides (team member).
  • Phenotyping barley breeding lines and germplasm for disease resistance (team member).
  • Breeding malting and food barley cultivars for western Canada at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Brandon Research and Development Centre assisted by new technologies (team member).
  • Breeding barley for high yield and resistance to Fusarium head blight for Eastern Canada (team member).
  • FHB screening of CDC barley breeding selections (lead).

Professional activities / interests

  • Plant Breeding
  • Barley Genomics
  • Plant Pathology
  • Molecular Biology

Education and awards

Education

  • Ph.D. candidate, Plant Science, University of Manitoba
  • M.Sc. Biology (Quantitative Genetics), Concordia University, Montreal, 1998
  • B.Sc. Chemistry/ Biology, University of Winnipeg, 1994

 

Awards

  • W.O.S. Meredith Fellowship for Barley Research, University of Manitoba, 2016
  • Seed of the Year Scholarship-West, University of Manitoba, 2017
  • 34th Annual Plant Sciences Graduate Student Symposium – Pathology Section - Bronze Prize, 2018

  • Food Systems and Sustainability Symposium – Food Systems Research Group Graduate Student Symposium – Bronze Prize, 2018

Key publications

  1. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Kebede, B., Xi, K., Kumar, K., Tekauz, A., Kutcher, H.R., Tucker, J.R., Strelkov, S.E. (2016). Genetic structure of Pyrenophora teres f. teres and P. teres f. maculata populations from western Canada. European Journal of Plant Pathology, [online] 146(2), 325-335. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10658-016-0919-5

    2016 - View publication details

  2. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Askarian, H., Tekauz, A., Xi, K., Tucker, J.R., Kutcher, H.R., Strelkov, S.E. (2016). Virulence of Pyrenophora teres populations in western Canada. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, [online] 38(2), 183-196. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07060661.2016.1159617

    2016 - View publication details

  3. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Askarian, H., Legge, W.G., Tekauz, A., Tucker, J.R., and Strelkov, S.E. (2015). "Ability of Pyrenophora teres pathotypes to overcome net blotch resistance in Canadian barley genotypes.", Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology. (Abstract)

    2015 - View publication details

  4. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Kebede, B., Tekauz, A., Kutcher, H.R., Kirkham, C., Xi, K., Kumar, K., Tucker, J.R., Strelkov, S.E. (2015). Prevalence of mating type idiomorphs in Pyrenophora teres f. teres and P. teres f. maculata populations from the Canadian prairies. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, [online] 37(1), 52-60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07060661.2014.995710

    2015 - View publication details

  5. Tucker, J.R., Feranando, W.G.D., Badea, A., and Legge, W.G. (2014). "Genomic Selection for Improving Fusarium Head Blight Resistance and Lowering Deoxynivalenol Accumulation in Two-rowed Barley.", 21st North American Barley Research Workshop, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, June 29- July 2, 2014. (Poster)

    2014 - View publication details

  6. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Kebede, B., Strelkov, I.S., Xi, K., Kumar, K., Tekauz, A., Kutcher, H.R., Tucker, J.R., Kirkham, C., Dunfield, K.E., and Strelkov, S.E. (2014). "Aetiology of Pyrenophora teres forms causing intermediate symptoms of net blotch in barley fields on the Prairies (84th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Phytopathological Society, Edmonton, AB, Canada, June 16-19, 2013).", Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, 36, pp. 252-253. (Abstract)

    2014 - View publication details

  7. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Askarian, H., Tekauz, A., Xi, K., Kutcher, H.R., Tucker, J.R., Kirkham, C., Kumar, K., and Strelkov, S.E. (2014). "Pathogenic diversity in Pyrenophora teres f. teres (net form net blotch of barley) populations from the Canadian Prairies.", 1st International Workshop on Barley Leaf Diseases, SalsomaggioreTerme, Italy, June 3-6, 2014, pp. 57. (Abstract)

    2014 - View publication details

  8. Legge, W.G., Tucker, J.R., Banik, M., Tekauz, A., Martin, R.A., Choo, T.-M., Blackwell, B.A., and Savard, M.E. (2014). "Development of TR10214 two-row malting barley with low deoxynivalenol accumulation.", 21st North American Barley Research Workshop, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, June 29- July 2, 2014. (Poster)

    2014 - View publication details

  9. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Kebede, B., Tekauz, A., Xi, K., Kutcher, H.R., Tucker, J.R., Kirkham, C., and Strelkov, S.E. (2014). "Comparative genetic diversity of Pyrenophora teres f. teres and P. teres f. maculata populations on the Canadian Prairies.", 1st International Workshop on Barley Leaf Diseases, SalsomaggioreTerme, Italy, June 3-6, 2014, pp. 12. (Abstract)

    2014 - View publication details

  10. Tucker, J.R., Legge, W.G., Beattie, A.D., and Voth, D. (2014). "Progress in developing two-rowed barley for resistance to spot blotch.", American Phytopathological Society (APS) and Canadian Phytopathological Society (CPS) Joint Meeting 2014, Hilton Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN, USA, August 9-13, 2014, pp. 246-P. (Poster)

    2014 - View publication details

  11. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Kebede, B., Tekauz, A., Xi, K., Kutcher, H.R., Tucker, J.R., Kirkham, C., Kumar, K., Rennie, D.C., and Strelkov, S.E. (2014). "Genetic diversity of the spot form of the net blotch pathogen of barley (Pyrenophora teres f. maculata) on the Canadian Prairies as by revealed by simple sequence repeats analysis.", Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, 36, pp. 125-126. (Abstract)

    2014 - View publication details

  12. Legge, W.G., Tucker, J.R., Fetch, T.G., Haber, S., Menzies, J.G., Tekauz, A., Turkington, T.K., Savard, M.E. (2014). AAC synergy barley. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 94(4), 797-803. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJPS2013-307

    2014 - View publication details

  13. Tucker, J.R., Legge, W.G., Badea, A., and Fetch Jr., T.G. (2013). "Breeding for stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) resistance in barley (Hordeum vulgare) at the AAFC Brandon Research Centre: Future directions.", Manitoba Regional Meeting of the Canadian Phytopathological Society, Carman, MB, Canada, November 20, 2013. (Poster)

    2013 - View publication details

  14. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Kebede, B., Tekauz, A., Xi, K., Kutcher, H.R., Tucker, J.R., Kirkham, C., Kumar, K., Rennie, D.C., and Strelkov, S.E. (2013). "Assessing the nature and variability of the barley net blotch pathogen on the Canadian Prairies and the ability to adapt to host resistance and fungicides.", 2nd Annual General Meeting of the Alberta Barley Commission, Banff, AB, Canada, December 4-6, 2013, Received 2013 Alberta Barley Commission 2nd Place Student Poster Competition. (Poster)

    2013 - View publication details

  15. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Kebede, B., Tekauz, A., Xi, K., Kutcher, H.R., Tucker, J.R., Kirkham, C., Kumar, K., Rennie, D.C., and Strelkov, S.E. (2013). "Genetic diversity of the spot form of the net blotch pathogen of barley (Pyrenophora teres f. maculata) on the Canadian Prairies as revealed by simple sequence repeats analysis.", 34th Annual Meeting of the Plant Pathology Society of Alberta, Brooks, AB, Canada, November 4-6, 2013, Received 2013 Plant Pathology Society of Alberta Best Student Poster Presentation Award. (Poster)

    2013 - View publication details

  16. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Strelkov, I.S., Xi, K., Kumar, K., Tekauz, A., Kutcher, H.R., Tucker, J.R., Kirkham, C., Dunfield, K.E., and Strelkov, S.E. (2013). "Occurrence of forms and mating type idiomorphs in western Canadian Pyrenophora teres (net blotch of barley) populations.", 84th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Phytopathological Society, Edmonton, AB, Canada, June 16-19, 2013, Received 2013 Canadian Phytopathological Society Graduate Student Travel Award.

    2013 - View publication details

  17. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Kebede, B., Strelkov, I.S., Xi, K., Kumar, K., Tekauz, A., Kutcher, H.R., Tucker, J.R., Kirkham, C., Dunfield, K.E., and Strelkov, S.E. (2013). "Etiology of Pyrenophora teres forms causing intermediate symptoms of net blotch in barley fields on the Prairies.", 84th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Phytopathological Society, Edmonton, AB, Canada, June 16-19, 2013, Received 2013 Canadian Phytopathological Society Best Student Poster Presentation Award. (Poster)

    2013 - View publication details

  18. Akhavan, A., Turkington, T.K., Kebede, B., Tekauz, A., Xi, K., Kutcher, H.R., Tucker, J.R., Kirkham, C., Kumar, K., Rennie, D.C., and Strelkov, S.E. (2013). "Genetic structure of Pyrenophora teres f. teres (net form net blotch of barley) populations from the Canadian Prairies as revealed by simple sequence repeats analysis.", 34th Annual Meeting of the Plant Pathology Society of Alberta, Brooks, AB, Canada, November 4-6, 2013, oral presentation.

    2013 - View publication details

  19. Legge, W.G., Tucker, J.R., Bizimungu, B., Tekauz, A., Fetch, T.G., Haber, S., Menzies, J.G., Noll, J.S., Turkington, T.K., Martin, R.A., Choo, T.M., Vigier, B.J., Blackwell, B.A., Savard, M.E. (2013). Taylor barley. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 93(5), 969-977. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJPS2013-126

    2013 - View publication details

  20. Legge, W.G., Tucker, J.R., Bizimungu, B., Fetch, J.G., Haber, S., Menzies, J.G., Noll, J.S., Tekauz, A., Turkington, T.K., Savard, M.E., Choo, T.M. (2013). Cerveza barley. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 93(3), 557-564. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJPS2012-299

    2013 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

Brandon Research and Development Centre
2701 Grand Valley Road, P.O. Box 1000A
Brandon, MB R7A 5Y3
Canada

Expertise

Agriculture›Breeding›Barley
Agriculture›Genomics›Barley
Agriculture›Pathology›Phytopathology

Affiliations

  • Member of the Canadian Phytopathological Society
  • Member of the Prairie Recommending Committee for Oat and Barley. 
  • Chair of Disease Evaluation Team, Prairie Recommending Committee for Oat and Barley

Language

English