James J Stapleton

Ph.D., University of California, Davis

Research Statement
Plant/pathogen/pest relationships are complex and involve interactions among biological, chemical, and physical processes. The research and extension focus of our laboratory is on understanding and engineering elements of these processes to produce and support appropriate pest management and food sustainability strategies. Our work emphasizes development and implementation of alternatives to application of pesticides, primarily using quantitative and qualitative manipulation of passive solar energy, knowledge-based utilization of organic materials and by-products, and other applications of ecological and agricultural engineering.  Appropriate technology and circular economy issues are emphasized.

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https://universityofcalifornia.academia.edu/JamesStapleton

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https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=83YEcTEAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Recent Products (partial):

2024  Stapleton, J.J., and Simmons, C.W.  Implementing organically-acceptable alternatives to synthetic soil pesticides - what can be learned from the desert southwest USA experience?  (Abstr.)  Phytopathology: in press (30 Jul 2024)

2023  Stapleton, J.J., Slinski, S., Fernandez-Bayo, J.D., and Simmons, C.W.  Field testing certain cultural treatment factors for control of Fusarium wilt of lettuce (F. oxysporum f.sp. lactucae) in the Arizona low desert. (Abstr.)  Phytopathology 113:S2.62. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-113-9-S2.62.

2022  Haber, Z., Wilhelmi, M.d.M.R., Fernandez-Bayo, J.D., Harrold, D.R., Stapleton, J.J., Toubiana, D., VanderGheynst, J.S., Blumwald, E., Simmons, C.W., Sade, N., and Achmon, Y.  The effect of circular soil biosolarization treatment on the physiology, metabolomics, and  microbiome of tomato plants under certain abiotic stresses.  Frontiers in Plant Science 13:1009956.  doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.1009956

2022  Stapleton, J.J., Slinski, S., Simmons, C.W., and Fernandez-Bayo, J. Potential of soil amendment with date paste (Phoenix dactylifera 'Medjool') for non-chemical control of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lactucae.  Phytopathology 112:2.8 (Abstr.)   https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-112-8-s2.8

2022  Shea, E.A., Fernandez-Bayo, J.D., Hodson, A., Parr, A., Achmon, Y., Lopez, E., Toniato, J., Milkereit, J., Crowley, R., Stapleton, J.J., VanderGheynst, J.S., and Simmons, C.W.  Biosolarization restructures soil bacterial communities and decreases parasitic nematode populations.  Applied Soil Ecology 172: 104343.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2021.104343

2021  Wilen, C.A., Koike, S.T., Ploeg, A., Tjosvold, S.A., Bethke, J.A., Mathews, D.M., and Stapleton, J.J.  UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Floriculture and ornamental nurseries (Revised July 2021).  UC ANR Publication 3392. University of California, Oakland, CA.  https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/floriculture-and-ornamental-nurseries/  .

2021  Stapleton, J.J.  Toward sustainably managed tree establishment in a changing Mediterranean climate: A case study in citrus.  Academia Letters, Article 946: https://doi..org/10.20935/AL946 .

2020  Randall, T.E., Fernández-Bayo, J.D., Harrold, D.R., Achmon, Y., Hestmark, K.V., Gordon, T.R., Stapleton, J.J., Simmons, C.W., and VanderGheynst, J.D.  Changes in Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lactucae numbers and soil community structure during soil biosolarization using chitin as soil amendment.  PLOS One 15(5): e0232662.  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232662

2020  Achmon, Y., Claypool, J.T., Fernandez-Bayo, J.D., Hernandez, K., McCurry, D.G., Harrold, D.R., Su, J., Simmons, B.A., Singer, S.W., Dahlquist-Willard, R.M., Stapleton, J.J., VanderGheynst, J.S., and Simmons, C.W.  Structural changes in bacterial and fungal soil microbiome components during biosolarization as related to volatile fatty acid accumulation.  Applied Soil Ecology 153: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2020.103602

2020  Fernandez-Bayo, J.D., Stapleton, J.J., Achmon, Y., VanderGheynst, J.S., and Simmons, C.W.  The role of organic amendment stability in soil biosolarization efficacy.  Acta Horticulturae 1270:161-168.

2020  Fernandez-Bayo, J.D., Shea, E.A., Parr, A.E., Achmon, Y., Milkereit, J., Stapleton, J.J., VanderGheynst, J.S., Hodson, A.K., and Simmons, C.W.  Almond processing residues as a source of biopesticides during biosolarization.  Waste Management 101:74-82.

2019  Stapleton, J.J., Wilen, C.A., and Molinar, R.H.  Soil solarization for gardens and landscapes.  Pest Notes, Publication 74145 (Revised May 2019), ANR Publications,  University of California, Oakland. 6 pages.   .

2019   Fernandez-Bayo, J.D., Hestmark, K.V., Claypool, J.T., Harrold, D.R., Randall, T.E., Achmon, Y., Stapleton, J.J., Simmons, C.W.,  and VanderGheynst, J.S.  The initial soil microbiota impacts the potential for lignocellulose degradation during soil solarization.  Journal of Applied Microbiology 126:1729-1741.

2019  Hestmark, K.V., Fernandez-Bayo, J.D., Harrold, D.R., Randall, T.E., Achmon, Y., Stapleton, J.J., Simmons, C.W., and VanderGheynst, J.S.  Compost induces the accumulation of biopesticidal organic acids during soil biosolarization.  Resources, Conservation & Recycling 143: 27-35.

2018  Achmon, Y., Sade, N., Wilhelmi, M.D., Fernandez-Bayo, J.D., Harrold, D.R., Stapleton, J.J., VanderGheynst, J.S., Blumwald, E., and Simmons, C.W.  The effects of short-term biosolarization using mature compost and industrial tomato waste amendments on the generation and persistence of biocidal soil conditions and subsequent tomato growth.  Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 66(22): 5451-5461.

2018  Fernandez-Bayo, J.D., Randall, T.E., Achmon, Y., Hestmark, K.V., Harrold, D.R., Su, J., Dahlquist-Willard, R.M., Gordon, T.R., Stapleton, J.J., VanderGheynst, J.S., and Simmons, C.W.  Effect of waste management practices on organic wastes to inactivate Brassica nigra and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lactucae using soil biosolarization.  Pest Management Science 74: 1892-1902.

2017 Stapleton, J.J., and Orloff, S.B.  Dyer's Woad.  Pest Notes.  Publication 74175, ANR Publications, Oakland, CA.  Online - http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn17475.html

2017 Fernandez-Bayo, J.D., Achmon, Y., Harrold, D.R., Claypool, J.T., Simmons, B.A., Singer, S.W., Dahlquist-Willard, R.M., Stapleton, J.J., VanderGheynst, J.S., and Simmons, C.W.  Comparison of soil biosolarization with mesophilic and thermophilic solid digestates on soil microbial quantity and diversity.  Applied Soil Ecology 119: 183-191.

2017 Oldfield, T., Achmon, Y., Perano, K.M., Dahlquist-Willard, R.M., VanderGheynst, J.S., Stapleton, J.J., Holden, N.M., and Simmons, C.W.  A life cycle assessment of biosolarization as an option for tomato pomace utilization in California.  Journal of Cleaner Production 141:146-156.

2017 Achmon, Y., Fernandez-Bayo, J.D., Hernandez, K., McCurry, D.G., Harrold, D.R., Su, J., Dahlquist-Willard, R.M., Stapleton, J.J., VanderGheynst, J.S., and Simmons, C.W.  Weed seed inactivation in soil mesocosms via biosolarization with mature compost and tomato processing waste amendments.  Pest Management Science 78:862-873.

2016 Dahlquist-Willard, R.M., Marshall, M.N., Betts, S., Tuell-Todd, C., VanderGheynst, J.S., and Stapleton, J.J.  Development and validation of a Weibull-Arrhenius model to predict thermal inactivation of Brassica nigra seeds under fluctuating temperature regimens.  Biosystems Engineering 151:350-360.

2016 Simmons, C.W., Higgins, B., Staley, S., Joh, L.D., Simmons, B.A., Singer, S.W., Stapleton, J.J., and VanderGheynst, J.S. The role of organic matter amendment level on soil heating, organic acid accumulation, and development of bacterial communities in solarized soil. Applied Soil Ecology 106:37-46.

2016 Stapleton, J.J., Dahlquist, R.M., Achmon, Y., Marshall, M.N., VanderGheynst, J.S., and Simmons, C.W. Advances in biosolarization technology to improve soil health and organic control of soilborne pests. eOrganic Website. Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ha_wLyQBLw

2016 Achmon, Y., Harrold, D.R., Claypool, J.T., Stapleton, J.J., VanderGheynst, J.S., and Simmons, C.W.   Assessment of major California fruit processing residues as soil amendments for biosolarization. Waste Management 48:156-164. 

2015 Stapleton, J.J., and Orloff, S.B. Dyer’s woad – an invasive weed pest threatening the intermountain region of California. CAPCA Adviser Magazine, February 2015, pages 36-38.