About Us
Camila Nicolli, PhD.
Assistant Professor, Extension Plant Pathologist
2900 Hwy 130 E, Stuttgart, Arkansas, 72160
Email: cnicolli@uada.edu
X: https://twitter.com/ricecropcare
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricecropcare/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camila-nicolli-50aa68b8/
I am currently an Assistant Professor - Extension Plant Pathologist at the University of Arkansas System – Division of Agriculture. Prior to this, I was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where I worked on the National Predictive Modeling Tool Initiative (NPMTI) to forecast crop diseases and mycotoxins. Previously, at BASF in Brazil, I managed an R&D seed treatment lab and created a digitized fungal collection. My earlier roles included studying strobilurin resistance in wheat at the University of Viçosa, teaching plant pathology at the University of Goiás, researching food contamination in Italy, and validating NIRS techniques at Embrapa Trigo in Brazil.
Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Brazil
Ph. D. in Plant Pathology - Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil
M. Sc. in Plant Pathology - Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil
B. Sc. in Agronomy - Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil
Our research team conduct trials to evaluate various disease management strategies, including testing rice varieties against the most significant pathogens in Arkansas and testing the effectiveness of fungicides and bio-products. We help identify promising disease management strategies for sheath blight, leaf an neck blast, narrow brown leaf spot, kernel and false smut in rice, which are substantial challenges for regional growers. We collaborated with industry doing trials for testing fungicides that are essential for controlling some diseases, such as sheath blight in rice. Through these trials, the Plant Pathology program plays a vital role in identifying and recommending the most suitable fungicides that can combat emerging and existing fungal diseases, safeguarding crop yields, and ensuring food security.
Our extension efforts focus on generating, evaluating, and disseminating solutions to many of the disease problems associated with field crops such as rice, soybeans, and corn. The potential solutions to disease problems are developed using applied research in the field. We disseminated our knowledge thought fact sheets, outreach courses, and electronic education resources. Rice Crop Care incorporates soybean and corn crops into its research and extension program, ensuring a comprehensive approach to addressing challenges faced by farmers in Arkansas. This holistic perspective fosters sustainable practices and promotes the development of disease-resistant varieties across multiple agricultural sectors, ultimately benefiting the entire farming community.
Staff
Scott Belmar
Program Technician III
I obtained a Bachelor of Science in plant science from the University of California – Davis. I earned my Master of Science in plant pathology at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX with completion of a thesis on “The influence of cropping systems on the inoculum density of Rhizoctonia solani and influence of sheath blight of rice”. I have industrial experience after working for Dow AgroSciences in Indianapolis, IN as a researchbiologist where I delivered high-quality data to a broad range of research projects.
I’m an accomplished program technician III working at the University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture Rice Research and Extension Center at Stuttgart, AR. I support the rice breeding programs through field activities to establish and manage sheath blight and blast disease nurseries, greenhouse tests to evaluate rice germplasm for rice blast, and laboratory activities of inoculum production. I also support the rice extension pathology program on rice disease management with applied field studies and laboratory/greenhouse experiments designed to generate data for enhanced rice care management in Arkansas.
Jessica Stalter
Program Technician
I was born and raised in the small town of DeWitt, Ark. I attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello where I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture. During school I worked for the USDA in the Plant Pathology department for 2 years with Dr. Yulin Jia. After that I worked for about 2 years for the University of Arkansas in Plant Pathology with Dr. Lee. In 2014 I became the Nursery Supervisor for the Soybean Breeding company GDM Seeds and was employed with them for 8 years. In 2022 we decided to move back to DeWitt, Ark. I am currently a Program Technician for the Rice Crop Care group at the University of Arkansas Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart Arkansas. Here I am primarily in charge of experiments take place in the Greenhouse but I also help with field and laboratory work.
Bruna Ronning
Program Technician
I'm from the city of Vera in the interior of Mato Grosso, Brazil. I graduated in Agronomy from the Federal University of Mato Grosso, then I studied a specialization in plant protection at the Federal University of Viçosa. During my undergraduate studies I worked with soil microbiology and agricultural biotechnology, and after obtaining my bachelor's degree I began my professional career as a collaborator in the Seed Treatment R&D team at the BASF Seed Treatment Technology Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where I worked for three years. In July 2023 I moved to Stuttgart, Arkansas, to start a new phase of my life, I currently work as a Program Technician at the University of Arkansas system Division of Agriculture on the Rice Crop Care team.
Samuel de Paula
Postdoctoral Fellow
My name is Samuel de Paula, and I am originally from Brazil. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy from the Federal University of Fronteira Sul. During my undergraduate studies, I joined the Plant Pathology Laboratory, which marked the beginning of my career in this field. I then pursued a Master’s and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at the University of São Paulo – ESALQ, where my research focused on Asian Soybean Rust (P. pachyrhizi), with an emphasis on disease management through induced resistance, and Rice Blast (M. oryzae), concentrating on pathogen effector characterization and its impact on pathogen infection and disease development. I am very excited to join the Rice Crop Care group at the Rice Research and Extension Center, in Stuttgart, as a Postdoctoral Fellow under the supervision of Dr. Camila Nicolli.
Jared B.Linn
PhD Student
I am a native North Texan, hailing from the city of Carrollton, Texas. After graduating from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2021, I began my M.S. in Horticulture at the University of Arkansas, with a focus on horticultural entomology, and earned my degree in 2023. My thesis was titled “Developing Recommendations for Broad Mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks, in Blackberry, Rubus Subgenus Rubus.” I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of Arkansas, under the co-advisement of Drs. Nicolli, Bateman, and Kariyat. My doctoral research is multidisciplinary, focusing on insect-pathogen interactions in rice. I am specifically studying two insect pests—the rice stink bug and the rice water weevil—along with a fungal pathogen known as rice sheath blight. This work aims to deepen our understanding of these interactions and contribute to more effective management strategies for rice cultivation.
Ana Carla Baccarin Ferreira
Extra help assistant
I am from a small town in the south of Brazil. I completed my undergraduate degree in Agronomy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Florianópolis in 2023. During my academic journey, I took advantage of various opportunities to expand my knowledge. As a volunteer, I actively participated in projects related to Biotechnology and Plant Breeding, as well as projects in Entomology, exploring the complex ecosystems of agricultural pests, both in 2018. I undertook field internships in different regions of Brazil, each providing valuable experiences. In 2021, in Bahia, and in 2023, in Rio Grande do Sul, I deepened my studies in plant physiology, phytopathology, and entomology, monitoring the cultivation of corn, soybeans, and cotton, as well as conducting experiments in the fields. In 2023, I also had the opportunity to work as an intern in monitoring and food safety in Florianópolis, where I committed myself to ensuring strict compliance with regulations in the food sector, conducting analyses of chemical and biological residues. I am currently about to embark on a new stage in my career as a Visiting Researcher at the University of Arkansas, where I hope to further deepen my knowledge in the challenges and discoveries that agricultural research offers.
I am available at anabaccarinf@gmail.com
Jocilene Dos Santos Pereira
Extra help assistant
I am Brazilian, born in a small town located in the Northeast of Brazil. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in Genetics and Plant Breeding at the Federal University of Lavras - UFLA, where I worked in the upland rice breeding program at UFLA. I have a master's degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the State University of Santa Cruz - UESC, having conducted research in cocao breeding with an emphasis on witch's broom disease resistance and genetic diversity. I am specialized in Biology teaching at the Federal University of Vale of São Francisco - UNIVASF. I have a Bachelor in Biology from the Federal University of Recôncavo of Bahia - UFRB. I conducted Scientific Initiation at Embrapa Cassava and Fruits, working in the genetic improvement of cassava for disease resistance.