Sparks
Adam H. Sparks
Ph.D.
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnoloy Division, and Social Sciences Division
a.sparks@irri.org • Phone +63(2)580.5600 ext. 2534
DAPO Box 7777 • Metro Manila • Philippines
Education
Doctor of Philosophy – Plant Pathology, Epidemiology and Ecology
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
Awarded December 2009
Advisor: Dr. Karen Garrett
Graduate Certificate – Geographic Information Science
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
Director: Dr. J. M. Shawn Hutchinson
Bachelor of Science – Agronomy, Soil and Crop Management
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Advisors: Dr. Gregory Willoughby and Dr. John Gravel
Awarded December 2007
Awarded May 2000
Experience
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Laguna, PI
Post-doctoral Fellow
Principal investigator: Dr. Andrew Nelson and formerly Dr. Serge Savary
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Overarching goal: link crop health models with GIS
Lead Epidemiology and Crop Health Unit in absence of supervisory IRS
Map unmanaged epidemics and yield losses due to rice disease by linking crop health models with GIS
Evaluate efficacy of RICEPRE, a strategic decision tool for rice farmers to reduce rice yield losses
Evaluate the effects of different tools used to control rice disease
Establish linkages between yield reducing and limiting factors with crop health management tools
Study the epidemiology of rice pathogens as they pertain to rice health and effects on rice yield losses
Lead rice brown spot management research efforts
Coordinate research efforts with external partners including Phil-Rice, Syngenta and NARES
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
Post-doctoral Research Associate
Principal investigator: Dr. Erick De Wolf
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2011–Present
2009–2011
Overarching goal: refine existing wheat Fusarium head blight (FHB) risk models
Developed methods to refine existing FHB models to enhance prediction using improved datasets
Studied the possibility of using ensemble modeling approaches for modeling FHB
Assisted with in-field work evaluating wheat disease and fungicide applications
Assisted in conducting greenhouse experiments and related activities
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Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
Graduate Research Assistant
Principal investigator: Dr. Karen Garrett
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Developed metamodels for disease risk evaluation over large spatiotemporal resolutions
Linked metamodels with a GIS analysis of global late blight risk
Conducted global risk analysis of impact of climate change on potato late blight
Helped conduct impact analysis study for the International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru
Coordinated wheat fungicide seed treatment and foliar application trials
Delivered extension talks for wheat growers and county extension personnel
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
Research Technologist, Soybean and Maize Pathology
Supervisor: Dr. Loren Giesler
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2004–2009
2002–2004
Managed maize and soybean foliar fungicide trials and soybean seed treatment application trials
Prepared results of fungicide trials for publication
Oversaw the Nebraska state wide Phytophthora sojae survey
Managed daily laboratory operations and full time laboratory workers and undergraduate student
workers
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Clay Center, NE, USA
Research Technician, Maize and Sorghum Pathology
Supervisor: Dr. James Stack
2000–2003
• Conducted maize and sorghum disease research
• Coordinated with county extension educators in on-farm research
• Designed and conducted research examining soil microbial biodiversity in differing agricultural
practices
• Presented talks on research at field days and other meetings
• Helped to design, generate content, then maintain the first iteration of Plant Disease Central,
http://pdc.unl.edu/
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
Assistant Director, Crop Diagnostic Training and Research Center (DTC)
Supervisor: Dr. Gregory Willoughby
1999–2000
• Coordinated training events at sites away from the main Purdue campus at regional research farms
• Platted and organized new training facility at Purdue’s South East Agriculture Center
• Delivered soybean production talks to soybean growers and agriculture industry professionals
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
Research Technician, Soybean, Oilseed and Small Grains
Supervisor: Dr. Ellsworth Christmas
• Managed field plots for soybean and canola production research studies
• Conducted lab analysis for determination of total nitrogen content in canola seed
• Assisted other research groups on an as-needed basis with field research
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1997–1999
Sparks
Publications
1. A. H. Sparks, Forbes, G., Hijmans, R., and Garrett. K. A. 2011. A metamodeling approach to
extend the application domain of a mechanistic plant disease model. Ecosphere 2:art90.
[DOI:10.1890/ES11-00128.1].
2. S. Savary, Nelson, A., Sparks, A. H., Willocquet, L., Duveiller, E., Mahuku, G., Forbes, G.,
Garrett, K. A., Hodson, D., Padgham, J., Pande, S., Sharma, M., Yuen, J., and Djurle, A. 2011.
International agricultural research tackling the effects of global and climate changes on plant diseases
in the developing world. Plant Disease 48:1-40. [DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-04-11-0316].
3. K. A. Garrett, Forbes, G. A., Savary, S., Skelsey, P., Sparks, A. H., Valdivia, C., van Bruggen, A.
H. C., Willocquet, L., Djurle, A., Duveiller, E., Eckersten, H., Pande, S., Vera Cruz, C., and Yuen, J.
2011. Complexity in climate change impacts: A framework for analysis of effects mediated by plant
disease. Plant Pathology 60:15-30. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3059.2010.02409.x].
4. M. R. Cheatham, Rouse, M. N., Esker, P. D., Ignacio, S., Pradel, W., Raymundo, R., Sparks, A.
H., Forbes, G. A., Gordon, T. R., and Garrett, K. A. 2009. Beyond yield: Plant disease in the
context of ecosystem services. Phytopathology 99:1228-1236. [DOI:10.1094/PHYTO-99-11-1228].
5. P. D. Esker, Sparks, A. H., Campbell, L., Guo, Z., Rouse, M., Silwal, S. D., Tolos, S., Van Allen,
B., and Garrett, K. A. 2008. Ecology and epidemiology in R: disease forecasting. The Plant Health
Instructor. [DOI:10.1094/PHI-A-2008-0129-01].
6. A. H. Sparks, Esker, P. D., Bates, M., Dall’Acqua, W., Guo, Z., Segovia, V., Silwal, S. D., Tolos,
S., and Garrett, K. A. 2008. Ecology and epidemiology in R: modeling plant disease progress over
time. The Plant Health Instructor. [DOI:10.1094/PHI-A-2008-0129-02].
7. A. H. Sparks, Esker, P. D., Antony, G., Campbell, L., Frank, E. E., Huebel, L., Rouse, M. N., Van
Allen, B., and Garrett, K. A. 2008. Ecology and epidemiology in R: spatial analysis. The Plant
Health Instructor. [DOI:10.1094/PHI-A-2008-0129-03].
8. K. A. Garrett, Esker, P. D., and Sparks, A. H. 2007. Introduction to the R programming
environment. The Plant Health Instructor. [DOI:10.1094/PHI-A-2007-1226-02].
9. P. D. Esker, Sparks, A. H., Antony, G., Bates, M., Dall’Acqua, W., Frank, E. E., Huebel, L.,
Segovia, V., and Garrett, K. A. 2007. Ecology and epidemiology in R: modeling dispersal gradients.
The Plant Health Instructor. [DOI:10.1094/PHI-A-2007-1226-03].
10. K. A. Garrett, Esker, P. D., Sparks, A. H., and Scharmann, L. C. 2007. Writing teaching
documents as a class project. The Plant Health Instructor. [DOI:10.1094/PHI-T-2007-1226-01].
In Preparation
1. A. H. Sparks, Forbes, G., Hijmans, R., and Garrett, K. A. Climate change effects on the global risk
of potato late blight.
2. M. K. Barnwal, Kotasthane, A., Magculia, N., Mukherjee, P. K., Savary, S., Sharma, A. K., Singh, H.
B., Singh, U. S., Sparks, A. H., Variar, M., and Zaidi, N. A review on crop losses, epidemiology,
and disease management of rice brown spot: identifying priorities and knowledge gaps.
3. V. O. Pede and Sparks, A. H. Regional income inequality and economic growth: a spatial
econometrics analysis for provinces in the Philippines.
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Book chapters
1. K. A. Garrett, Forbes, G. A., Gomez, L., Gonzales, M. A., Gray, M., Skelsey, P., and Sparks, A.
H. 2011. Cambio climático, enfermedades de las plantas e insectos plaga. In Cambio climático en los
Andes. J. Jimenez, ed. In press.
2. K. A. Garrett, Nita, M., De Wolf, E. D., Gomez, L., and Sparks, A. H. 2009. Plant pathogens as
indicators for climate change. Chapter in Climate Change Indicators, edited by T. Letcher. Elsevier.
Conference proceedings, presentations, posters, working papers and others
1. J. McKinley, Pede, V. O., Sparks, A. H., and Duff, B. 2011. An economic assessment of the impact
of mango pulp weevil on the agricultural sector of Palawan, Philippines. Working Paper. The
Conference Secretariat, 2011 PAEDA Biennial Convention.
2. G. B. Ballesfin, Pede, V. O., and Sparks, A. H. 2011. Income inequality and economic growth in
the Philippines. Working Paper. The Conference Secretariat, 2011 PAEDA Biennial Convention.
3. A. Sparks, Shah, D., De Wolf, E. D., Madden, L., Paul, P., and Willyerd, K. T. 2011. Refined
empirical models for predicting fusarium head blight epidemics in the United States. Phytopathology
101:S170.
4. L. Willocquet, Nelson, A., Sparks, A., Laborte, A., and Savary, S. 2011. Crop losses in highly
populated areas: A global perspective. Phytopathology 101:S223.
5. A. H. Sparks, Forbes, G., Hijmans, R., and Garrett, K. 2010. Metamodels for scaling potato late
blight risk analysis in climate change scenarios. Phytopathology 100:S121.
6. A. H. Sparks, Forbes, G., Hijmans, R., and Garrett, K. A. 2010. Global potato late blight risk in
response to climate change, possible futures for a historic disease. Symposium: Emerging Infectious
Diseases in Response to Climate Change New York Academy of Sciences, New York, New York.
March 2, 2010.
7. A. H. Sparks, Forbes, G., and Garrett, K. A. 2009. Adapting disease forecasting models to coarser
scales: Global potato late blight prediction. Phytopathology 99:S122.
8. K. Garrett, Forbes, G., Pande, S., Savary, S., Sparks, A., Valdivia, C., Vera Cruz, C., Willocquet, L.,
2009. Anticipating and responding to biological complexity in the effects of climate change on
agriculture. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 6(37), 372007.
doi:10.1088/1755-1307/6/7/372007.
9. A. H. Sparks, Garrett, K. A., and Forbes, G. A. 2009. Adapting global disease forecasting models
for readily available weather data sets in GIS. In Proceedings of the 10th International Epidemiology
Workshop, ed. Gadoury, David M., Seem, Robert C., Moyer, Michelle M., and Fry, William E.,
153-155. Geneva, NY, USA.
10. A. Sparks and Kennelly, M. 2008. Bacterial Ring Rot of Potato. Kansas State Extension
Publication No. EP-150. Available on-line.
11. A. Sparks and Kennelly, M. 2008. Blackleg of Potato. Kansas State Extension Publication No.
EP-149. Available on-line.
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12. A. Sparks. 2008. Common Scab of Potato. Kansas State Extension Publication No. EP-148.
Available on-line.
13. A. H. Sparks, Raymundo, R., Simon, R., Forbes, G., and Garrett, K. A. 2008. Regional predictions
of potato late blight risk in a GIS incorporating disease resistance profiles, climate change, and risk
neighborhoods Phytopathology 98:S149.
14. A. H. Sparks, Esker, P. D., and Garrett, K. A. 2007. Teaching modules for epidemiological
concepts in the R programming environment. Phytopathology 97:S110
15. M. N. Rouse, Cheatham, M. R., Esker, P. D., Ignacio Cardenas, S., Pradel, W., Raymundo, R.,
Sparks, A., Gordon, T. R., and Garrett, K. A. 2007. Plant pathology in the context of ecosystem
services. Phytopathology 97:S102.
16. L. J. Geisler and Sparks, A. H. 2004. Evaluation of seed treatment fungicides for controlling
soybean seedling diseases, 2003. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests (on-line). Report No. 59:ST025.
[DOI:10.1094/FN59]. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN.
17. L. J. Geisler and Sparks, A. H. 2004. Evaluation of seed treatment for controlling seedling diseases
and compatibility with Rhizobium inoculants, 2003. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests (on-line).
Report No. 59:ST025. [DOI:10.1094/FN59]. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN.
18. A. Sparks. 2002. Fusarium Stalk Rot of Corn. Online at Plant Disease Central.
19. A. Sparks. 2002. Fusarium Root Rot of Corn. Online at Plant Disease Central.
Extension activities
KSU Harvey County Experiment Field 2006 Wheat Tour
KSU Southeast Research Center Spring 2006 Field Day
KSU Spring 2006 Ag Agent Update
University of Nebraska South Central REC Field Day
May 25,
May 25,
March 14 - 16,
August 8,
2006
2006
2006
2002
Courses Taught at Kansas State University
Undergraduate
Lab Teaching Assistant for Plant Pathology 500 (Principles of Plant Pathology)
Graduate
Co-instructor for Plant Pathology 920C (Ecology and Epidemiology of Plant Pathogens)
Guest Class Lectures
AGRON 935 (Climate Change and Agriculture)
“Global Climate Change and Plant Diseases”
Fall 2006
March 10, 2009
Currently Reviewing For
• Phytopathology
• Ecological Applications
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Spring 2008
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Grants and Awards
North Central Division APS Student Travel Award
North Central Division APS Third Place Student Poster
APS Foundation Travel Award Donald E. Munnecke Award
2008
2008
2007
Service to Professional Organization
Committee Service
APS Epidemiology Committee
Current
Review Panels
APS Student Travel Award Reviewer
2008
Professional Affiliations
American Phytopathological Society (APS)
Australasian Plant Pathology Society (APPS)
International Society of Plant Pathology (ISPP)
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