Studying viruses means always facing new challenges. That’s part of what drew Scott Harper to the field of virology and plant pathology.
“Viruses are very simple, but complex at the same time,” said the Washington State University associate professor and director of the Clean Plant Center Northwest (CPCNW). “I like big challenges and would probably get bored studying anything else. I want to push the frontiers and solve complex problems.”
For his work fighting and preventing viruses, Harper will receive the Excellence in Regulatory Affairs & Crop Security Award from the American Phytopathological Society (APS) in August.
The award recognizes outstanding contributions to regulatory plant pathology, crop security, and trade enhancement efforts.
“Scott has done invaluable work, especially in helping fight little cherry/X disease (LCD) and in revamping the Center extensively to prevent introduction of diseases on hop, tree fruit, and grapevine planting materials entering the U.S.,” said Lindsey du Toit, chair of WSU’s Department of Plant Pathology. “This award is well deserved for the significant impact he’s had on agriculture in Washington and the nation.”
Harper always had an interest in science, dating back to his boyhood in New Zealand. However, he didn’t learn about virology until he “lucked into” a graduate program and discovered his passion.
After earning a doctorate in his homeland, he moved to the University of Florida, where he worked on citrus diseases for six years. Harper came to WSU in 2017 to run the CPCNW, which is based at the WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser, Washington.
The Center works closely with the agriculture industry to propagate, maintain, and distribute virus-tested fruit trees, grapevines, and hop plants from WSU facilities.
“The Clean Plant Center can be hard for growers to understand because our main goal is preventing problems before they happen,” Harper said. “We test plants from all around the world to make sure they are virus-free and don’t spread diseases. If there are no issues, then we’re doing our job.”
Harper plans to step down from his director’s role later this year so he can focus more on his research program. Since his arrival at WSU, that has mostly involved battling LCD, which results in small, unripe, unmarketable cherries.
The APS award is for the combined work he’s done at the Center and on LCD. The latter is ongoing but moving to the next phase.
“We found the cause, which was the first priority,” Harper said. “Now we’re focusing on how the disease works, so that hopefully we can learn how to disrupt the process and block LCD’s expression of causing unripe cherries.”
In addition to his work on LCD (which includes the successful ‘detecta-dog’ project), Harper plans to focus on other virus issues, specifically determining where they exist in the wild and how they come into new regions or crops. One area he wants to investigate more thoroughly is the impact of viruses on product quality, for example on hop cones. With Washington producing nearly 75% of U.S. hops, it’s research that would be especially relevant to the Pacific Northwest.
“I’m looking forward to expanding my research focus as we bring in a new Clean Plant Center director,” Harper said. “The APS award is meaningful because it’s a cumulative recognition for my work at WSU, kind of like a highlight reel. I hope to keep building upon my research and helping agriculture in Washington.”