Giorgio Gusella

Dottore di ricerca
Dottorato in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science - XXXIV Ciclo
Tutor: Giancarlo Polizzi

EDUCATION

30/10/2018-ongoing PhD program in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Section of Plant Pathology and Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center, UC Davis. Research project: Characterization of new fungal diseases of Pistachio in Sicily and development of sustainable management strategies. Supervisor: prof. Giancarlo Polizzi gpolizzi@unict.it; Co-supervisor: Dr. Dalia Aiello dalia.aiello@unict.it; Supervision Committee: Dr. Themis J. Michailides tjmichailides@ucanr.edu and Dr. Vladimiro Guarnaccia vladimiro.guarnaccia@unito.it

11/2015–03/2018 International join Master Degree in Plant Medicine Dept. Of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences of the University of Bari "Aldo Moro". Master thesis: Putative interactions between Xylella fastidiosa subspecies and fungi associated with olive dieback". Supervisor: prof. Franco Nigro franco.nigro@uniba.it and Dr. Themis J. Michailides tjmichailides@ucanr.edu.Thesis realized in the “Global Thesis” project by University of Bari in agreement with the University of California Davis. Graduated with a first-class honour's degree (110/110 cum laude)

20/12/2016–22/06/2017 Study Abroad Program at Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center, UC Davis, California (United States). Master Thesis project in Plant Pathology and laboratory and field activities. Supervisor: Dr. Themis J. Michailides tjmichailides@ucanr.edu   

26/10/2015 Bachelor Degree in Forestry Sciences Dept. of Agricultural and Forest Science, University of Palermo. Bachelor thesis: Holy woods in Sicily. Supervisor: Prof. Tommaso La Mantia tommaso.lamantia@unipa.it. Graduated with a first-class honour's degree (110/110 cum laude)

2012 Classical High School Graduation Liceo Classico Statale "Umberto I", Palermo, Italy. High School graduation with final score 91 (91/100)

 

TRAINING

22/05/2018–24/05/2018 UCCE Almond/Walnut Summer Tour-The North San Joaquin Valley University of California Cooperative Extension. Almond and Walnut field tour in the North San Joaquin Valley (Almond/Walnut production techniques, pomology, and pest/diseases control).

27/03/2017–29/03/2017 Pistachio Field Tour-Arizona (US). Conference: Pistachio diseases in California and new results about Phoma fungicola disease in Arizona. The University of Arizona, Tucson.  Pistachio field tour in Willcox and Bowie (AZ) (Production and diseases management). 

07/2015–09/2015 Trainee at Regional Plant Health Service  (Osservatorio Malattie delle Piante di Palermo). Processing of phytosanitary certificates on imported and exported food and plant material.

Gusella, G., Costanzo, M.B., Aiello, D. & Polizzi, G. (2021) Characterization of Neofusicoccum parvum causing canker and diebackon Brachychiton species. European Journal of Plant Pathology. Doi: 10.1007/s10658-021-02379-5

Gusella, G., Aiello, D., Michailides, T. J., & Polizzi, G. (2021). Update of pistachio leaf spot caused by Septoria pistaciarum in light of new taxonomic advances in Italy. Fungal Biology. Doi: 10.1016/j.funbio.2021.08.006

Gusella, G., Fiorenza, A., Aiello, D., & Polizzi, G. (2021). Unusual Stylar-End Breakdown and Sour Rot on Key Lime (Citrus aurantiifolia) in Pre-Harvest Condition in Italy. Plants, 10 (5), 989.

Gusella, G., Giambra, S., Conigliaro, G., Burruano, S., & Polizzi, G. (2020). Botryosphaeriaceae species causing canker and dieback of English walnut (Juglans regia) in Italy. Forest Pathology, 51 (1), e12661.

Gusella, G., Morgan, D. P., & Michailides, T. J. (2020). Further Investigation on Limb Dieback of Fig (Ficus carica) Caused by Neoscytalidium dimidiatum in California. Plant Disease, 105 (2), 324-330.

Aiello, D., Fiorenza, A., Gusella, G., & Polizzi, G. (2020). First report of Calonectria tunisiana causing crown and root rot on Eucalyptus globulus. Journal of Plant Pathology, 102 (4), 1353-1353.

Aiello, D., Gusella, G., Vitale, A., Guarnaccia, V., & Polizzi, G. (2020). Cylindrocladiella peruviana and Pleiocarpon algeriense causing stem and crown rot on avocado (Persea americana). European Journal of Plant Pathology, 158 (2), 419-430.

F. Aloi, F., Giambra, S., Schena, L., Surico, G., Pane, A., Gusella, G., Stracquadanio, C., Burruano, S., Cacciola S. O., (2020) New insights into scabby canker of Opuntia ficus-indica, caused by Neofusicoccum batangarum. Phytopathologia Mediterranea 59(2): 269-284

Aiello, D., Gusella, G., Fiorenza, A., Guarnaccia, V., & Polizzi, G. (2020). Identification of Neofusicoccum parvum causing canker and twig blight on Ficus carica in Italy. Phytopathologia Mediterranea, 59 (1), 213-218.

Aiello, D., Polizzi, G., Gusella, G., Fiorenza, A., & Guarnaccia, V. (2019). Characterization of Eutypa lata and Cytospora pistaciae causing die-back and canker of pistachio in Italy. Phytopathologia Mediterranea, 58(3), 699-706.

Gusella, G., Aiello, D., & Polizzi, G. (2019). First report of leaf and twig blight of Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica) caused by Neofusicoccum parvum in Italy. Journal of Plant Pathology, 1-1.

Aiello, D., Gulisano, S., Gusella, G., Polizzi, G., & Guarnaccia, V. (2018). First report of fruit blight caused by Arthrinium xenocordella on Pistacia vera in Italy. Plant disease, 102(9), 1853.

Poster Abstract for: 4th Annual UC Davis Postdoctoral Research Symposium
Title: Anthracnose disease, a new challenge for California pistachio
 
Abstract for: International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP) 2018: Plant Health in A Global Economy.
Title: Sensitivity to eight fungicide chemical groups of Colletotrichum fioriniae, the cause of anthracnose of pistachio in California