About

Olufemi J. Alabi, Ph.D., is a professor and extension specialist in the Texas A&M University Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology. His program addresses economically important diseases of food crops in South Texas through translational research into disease causation, management, and education/outreach to growers, industry stakeholders, and the public. His expertise includes plant virus disease etiology, diagnostics, epidemiology, and management. Dr. Alabi has authored 88 peer-reviewed journal articles and three book chapters, and has given over 120 presentations at grower meetings and conferences. He serves on several committees, including the Technical Advisory Committee of the Texas Citrus Pest & Disease Management Corporation and the Outreach & Extension Committee of the National Clean Plant Program. Additionally, he is on the editorial boards of journals such as Plant Disease, Archives of Virology, and Phytoparasitica. His research and extension efforts are supported by over $2.2 million in grants since 2013.

Research topics

• Biology
• Virology
• Botany
• Veterinary medicine
• Genetics
• Agronomy
• Zoology
• Ecology

Selected publications

• Molecular characterization and geographic incidence of two pestiviruses infecting the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) in the United States

  Archives of Virology · 2026-01-21 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Occurrence of major grapevine viruses in Oklahoma and genetic diversity assessment of field isolates of grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 and grapevine red blotch virus

  Plant Disease · 2026-02-17

  articleSenior author

  Oklahoma grapevine production interests are on the rise, however very little is known about the occurrence of major grapevine-infecting viruses in the state. To address this knowledge gap, a total of 85 grapevine samples were collected from eight vineyards across six counties in Oklahoma during the spring and fall of 2024. Total RNA extracts from each sample were assayed for 14 major viruses by RT-PCR, including grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1 (GLRaV-1), GLRaV-2, GLRaV-3, GLRaV-4, grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV), tobacco ringspot virus, tomato ringspot virus, grapevine fleck virus, grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV), grapevine virus A (GVA), GVB, GVE, and GVH. Virus infection was detected in 68.2% of samples, with mixed infections (36.5%) being more common than single infections. Seven of the targeted viruses were detected at varying levels of incidences, including GRBV (48.2%), GRSPaV (40%) GLRaV-3 (20%), GFLV (11.8%), GVE (11.8%), GVA (5.9%), and GVH (2.4%). GRBV variants belonging to both clades I and II were identified in Oklahoma, with the clade II members being more predominant. Multigenic diversity assessments of GLRaV-3 isolates from Oklahoma showed the occurrence of variants belonging to both clades I and V, with the latter being more frequently detected in the state relative to results from other U.S. growing regions. The findings of the study underscore the importance of continued virus surveillance, use of clean plant materials, and targeted management strategies to protect Oklahoma's developing vineyards from the long-term impact of viral diseases.

  PublisherDOI

• Plumeria ampelovirus 1, a novel ampelovirus subgroup II member infecting Plumeria spp.

  Archives of Virology · 2026-02-19

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Agave associated crinivirus A: a novel monopartite crinivirus homolog isolated from agave

  Archives of Virology · 2026-03-20

  articleOpen access

  We describe the complete genome of the first monopartite and putative member of the genus Crinivirus which we propose naming agave associated crinivirus A (AaCA). AaCA was identified by high-throughput sequencing in an Agave tequilana leaf sample during a routine metagenomic screening of Agave plants from California. The 16,161 bp genome contains the protein hallmarks of the family Closteroviridae, the HSP70h and the three coat protein homologs (CPh, CP, CPm), along with the open reading frames (ORFs) unique to criniviruses. Two ORFs downstream of the CPm are unique to AaCA. The monopartite nature of the genome was verified by PCR and Sanger sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of the HSP70h gene clusters AaCA basally with existing criniviruses.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Relative Occurrence and Seasonal Variations of Wheat-Infecting Viruses in Texas

  Plant Disease · 2025-09-24

  articleSenior author

  Wheat is a top 10 agricultural commodity in Texas, but there is limited understanding of the relative occurrence and seasonal variations of wheat-infecting viruses in the state. In this study, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) was used to profile the wheat virome across the major production regions in Texas, including the Panhandle, Central, and the Southeast. From spring 2021 to spring 2023, a total of 101 wheat samples were obtained through field sampling visits and diagnostic submissions. Four total RNA pools from a subset of these samples (n = 33: 7 to 10 per pool) were subjected to HTS, generating complete or partial genomes of eight wheat-infecting viruses, including barley yellow dwarf virus PAV (BYDV-PAV), cereal yellow dwarf virus RPV (CYDV-RPV), High Plains wheat mosaic virus (HPWMoV), Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV), brome mosaic virus (BMV), wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), wheat Eqlid mosaic virus (WEqMV), and wheat umbra-like virus. Subsequent screening of all 101 samples using virus-specific primers revealed varying incidences of WSMV (74.3%), TriMV (68.6%), BYDV-PAV (13.6%), WEqMV (5.7%), HPWMoV (5.0%), BMV (3.0%), and CYDV-RPV (2.0%) across the three seasons. Mixed infections of two to four viruses were more prevalent (65.3%) compared with single infection (18.8%), with coinfections of two wheat curl mite vectored viruses (TriMV and WSMV) being the most common (40%). The study revealed a greater diversity of wheat-infecting viruses in Texas than previously reported and confirmed WSMV and TriMV as the main etiological agents of wheat viral diseases in the state.

  PublisherDOI

• Cotton Plants Presenting Symptoms Associated with Cotton Leafroll Dwarf Virus Revealed a Novel Caulimovirid, Cotton Virus A, with Endogenous Caulimovirids in Its Hosts

  Phytobiomes Journal · 2025-01-01 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  The dynamics of cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV) symptomology in Gossypium plants was investigated in Mississippi in 2019 and 2022. High-throughput sequencing of libraries constructed from ribo-depleted total RNA or total nucleic acids and bioinformatic analyses revealed a novel virus, cotton virus A (CotVA), that clusters within the family Caulimoviridae alongside two unclassified viruses related to ruflodiviruses and caulimoviruses. Endogenous CotVA elements, referred to as endogenous caulimovirids (ECVs), were identified in multiple chromosomes of 7 out of 26 Gossypium species analyzed, including two commercial species: G. hirsutum (Upland cotton) and G. barbadense (Pima cotton). The circular nature of the episomal genome of one CotVA isolate was confirmed using five overlapping primer sets. A DNase protection assay on purified virus preparations revealed evidence of CotVA virions. The presence of CotVA ECVs and/or an episomal form of CotVA in cotton fields complicates the interpretation of CLRDV symptoms, but proper studies are needed to determine if CotVA is associated with any symptomology. Possible synergistic interactions among CLRDV, CotVA, and proteins or other molecules produced by ECVs and the impact of these interactions on any possible disease progression require further investigation. [Formula: see text] The author(s) have dedicated the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 “No Rights Reserved” license by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law, 2025.

  PublisherDOI

• Genome characterization of prunus maculavirus 1 (PrMcV-1), a novel member of the genus maculavirus identified in prunus spp.

  Archives of Virology · 2025-06-27 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  A novel virus with a (+)ssRNA genome was identified in a symptomless peach tree by high-throughput sequencing. The complete RACE-verified genome of the virus, tentatively named "Prunus maculavirus 1" (PrMcV-1; GenBank accession number PV231830), is 6,664 nucleotides (nt) long, excluding the poly(A) tail, and contains two open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 (nt 64-5895) encodes a large replication-associated polyprotein, which contains conserved domains associated with methyltransferase (Mtr), papain-like protease (Pro), helicase (Hel), and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). ORF2 (nt 5571-6478) partially overlaps ORF1 and encodes the capsid protein (CP). Phylogenetic analysis based on both ORFs placed PrMcV-1 in a distinct clade within the genus Maculavirus of the family Tymoviridae. Experimental evidence showed that PrMcV-1 is graft-transmissible. This study expands the known host range of maculaviruses to include Prunus species.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Novel resistance to tobacco etch virus in peppers (Capsicum spp.)

  Euphytica · 2025-08-27

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Tobacco etch virus (TEV) is a pathogen that affects peppers all over the world. It causes serious losses, and it is difficult to control since it has many aphid vectors. Because these aphids move around, and transmit TEV in a non-persistent manner, many applications of pesticides would be necessary to reduce TEV incidence, leading to more environmental pollution and destruction of beneficial predator insects. Therefore, host plant resistance is the best solution for TEV. Peppers ( Capsicum spp.) exhibit ample genetic variability. Numerous resistance genes against TEV have been documented over the past 70 years. However, these are all recessive in nature. This has made deployment in hybrids more difficult and therefore, not many TEV resistant pepper cultivars have been released. The pepper breeding project at Texas A&M AgriLife Research screened over 200 USDA plant introductions from 6 species for resistance to TEV with both natural field infection and controlled inoculations at Weslaco. ELISA tests and visual assessments of symptoms of the virus in the plants were performed. Four accessions not previously characterized as resistant were identified with mild or no symptoms. These included two C. chinense and two C. baccatum accessions. An interspecific population of C. annuum ‘serrano’ x C. baccatum var. baccatum was developed to study the resistance from that wild type. Chi-square analysis indicated that resistance is controlled by a single, dominant gene, which will facilitate the development of resistant varieties using traditional breeding procedures such as backcrossing.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Molecular characterization of a novel begomovirus-satellite complex infecting fiery tasselflower (Emilia coccinea) in Nigeria

  Archives of Virology · 2025-11-21

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Virome associated with interspecific hybrid bunch grapevine cultivars in Texas

  Journal of Plant Pathology · 2025-07-15

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Maher Al Rwahnih

  Plant (United States)

  56 shared

• R. A. Naidu

  Washington State University

  34 shared

• Mamoudou Sétamou

  Texas A&M University – Kingsville

  30 shared

• Rabson M. Mulenga

  CAB International

  22 shared

• John L. Jifon

  Texas A&M University

  17 shared

• Lori L. Gregg

  17 shared

• Patrick Chiza Chikoti

  Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust

  14 shared

• Douglas W. Miano

  University of Nairobi

  13 shared

Education

• B.S., Agriculture in Plant Science

  Obafemi Awolowo University

• M.S., Crop Protection & Environmental Biology

  University of Ibadan

• Ph.D., Plant Pathology

  Washington State University

Awards & honors

• Early Career Education Fellow of the American Phytopathologi…
• Schroth's Faces of the Future in Plant Virology awardee of t…
• Past recipient of the APS’s Schroth Faces of the Future in P…