About

Senyu Chen is a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Minnesota. He holds a PhD in nematology from the University of Florida, obtained in 1994, a master's degree in plant pathology with an emphasis on nematology from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in 1985, and a bachelor's degree in plant pathology and entomology from Zhejiang Agricultural University in 1982. His research interests include the biology, ecology, and management of plant-parasitic nematodes, with a focus on the soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) and other nematodes in soybean-corn production systems. His work aims to develop better management strategies to minimize yield loss caused by these pests. His research encompasses the identification of resistance and tolerance genes in soybean, development of resistant soybean lines, understanding the life cycle, population dynamics, and race composition of SCN in Minnesota, and studying interactions between SCN and other diseases, soil biotic and abiotic factors. Additionally, he investigates cultural, biological, and chemical control methods, crop rotation schemes, biological control agents, and the effects of tillage and soil fertility on nematode populations and crop yields.

Research topics

• Biology
• Horticulture
• Medicine
• Veterinary medicine
• Genetics

Selected publications

• Commissioning of the HEPS

  Open MIND · 2026-01-29 · 1 citations

  article

  The High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) is the first 4th generation light source and the first high-energy storage ring light source in China, with a beam energy of 6 GeV, a circumference of 1360 m and a natural emittance of a few tens of picometers. As a green-field light source, the HEPS construction started in 2019 and is scheduled to be completed in 2025. Now civil construction, component fabrication and tunnel installation, and beam commissioning of the HEPS has been basically finished. In this report, the accelerator and especially the storage ring commissioning results, and main physics issues faced and corresponding measures during the beam commissioning will be presented.

  DOI

• Biological Control of Plant-parasitic Nematodes

  CABI eBooks · 2025-12-11

  book-chapterOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Biological control of nematodes may be defined as the action of natural antagonists maintaining nematode population densities at lower levels than would otherwise occur. Development of harmful densities of plant-parasitic nematodes in soil is regulated by numerous factors, including host suitability and natural antagonists. Because of the complexity of the soil environments, there are limitations to capitalize on these antagonists. Biological control of nematodes is often visualised as the mass introduction of a biological control agent that results in an immediate reduction of nematode population densities and an immediate response with increased crop yields and an economic return on investment. In other words, this involves inundating nematode-infested soil with one or more antagonists that act as a biopesticide. Another approach is to enhance the activity of indigenous antagonists by manipulating the environment through cultural practices. Both strategies face challenges and are unlikely to be practical in agricultural production systems unless used as part of an integrated management programme.

  PublisherDOI

• Genome-wide association study for ashy stem blight resistance in USDA common bean germplasm

  Frontiers in Plant Science · 2025-05-21 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Ashy stem blight (ASB), caused by the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goidanich, poses a significant threat to common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivation worldwide. Due to the limited effectiveness of fungicides against ASB, the development of genetically resistant cultivars offers an eco-friendly and sustainable management strategy. This study aimed to accelerate genetic improvement in common bean by integrating molecular breeding tools with conventional breeding approaches to enhance ASB resistance. A total of 335 common bean germplasm accessions from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) collection were evaluated for their response to the PRI21 M. phaseolina isolate. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using 87,193 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and four statistical models—Bayesian-information and Linkage-disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway (BLINK), mixed linear model (MLM), multiple-locus MLM (MLMM), and general linear model (GLM)—implemented in GAPIT3. Twenty-three accessions had intermediate resistance, with Andean PI 173208 and PI 264786 showing the lowest disease severity scores (<3.7) to PRI21. Four quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified on chromosomes Pv 02, Pv 04, Pv 05, and Pv 10 across all accessions. Additionally, three QTLs were detected on Pv 01, Pv 02, and Pv 11 in Mesoamerican accessions, while three QTLs were found on Pv 02, Pv 04, and Pv 06 in Andean accessions. The two candidate genes Phvul.002G046300 [leucine-rich repeat (LRR) family protein] and Phvul.002G046500 (receptor-like protein kinase 1) were identified on chromosome Pv 02 as being associated with ASB resistance. These SNP markers linked to these QTLs may be valuable for marker-assisted selection in common bean breeding programs aimed at improving ASB resistance.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Soybean Cyst Nematode Virulence Evolution, Population Dynamics, and Yield Impacts Under Long-Term Monoculture and Rotation of Resistant Cultivars

  Plant Disease · 2025-10-07 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is a major pathogen of soybean, causing significant yield losses worldwide. This study investigated the long-term effects of three SCN-resistant soybean cultivars, R1, R2, and R3, derived from resistance sources PI 88788, Peking (PI 548402), and PI 437654, respectively, along with susceptible cultivar (S) on SCN population density, virulence and soybean yield over 14 growing seasons in a field initially infested with SCN HG Type 2.5.7. Results showed that all resistant cultivars reduced SCN population densities compared to S, with R3 maintaining the lowest SCN populations throughout the study. Continuous monoculture of R1 increased SCN virulence, measured as Female Index (FI), on PI 88788 from 23.4 to 53, while Peking-derived cultivar (R2) exerted the strongest selection pressure, increasing FI on Peking from 2.35 to 65.8 over 12 years. Interestingly, R3 did not select for virulence to its own resistance source but increased virulence to both PI 88788 and Peking. The susceptible soybean had a negative effect on virulence to Peking, indicating a fitness cost to the Peking resistance. Planting S reduced SCN reproduction factor (Rf) over time, suggesting potential soil suppressiveness or environmental effects. Soybean yield varied significantly among cultivars, with R1 consistently yielding the highest, while the S suffered the greatest yield loss due to SCN. However, relative yield R3 was highest, R1 and R2 intermediate and S lowest. This study reinforces the importance of rotating resistance sources to manage SCN virulence and population density, with PI 88788 and Peking showing distinct resistance mechanisms suitable for rotation.

  PublisherDOI

• Comprehensive Screening of Common Bean ( <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> ) Germplasm Reveals Diverse Resistance to Soybean Cyst Nematode Across Multiple HG Types

  Plant Disease · 2025-08-11

  article1st authorCorresponding

  [HG]) across eight SCN populations (representing five HG types) conducted in Minnesota (MN), Illinois (IL), and North Dakota (ND). Of the 694 accessions tested with replicated plants in MN, 90 were identified as resistant (female index [FI] < 10), and 260 were identified as moderately resistant (10 ≤ FI < 30) to one or more SCN populations. Incorporating published data from studies in IL and ND along with all MN data, 250 accessions exhibited resistance (FI < 10), and 500 showed either resistance or moderate resistance (FI < 30) across different SCN populations. No SCN-resistant genotypes were found in the MN common bean breeding program. Cluster analysis based on FI values revealed distinct groups of accessions with varying resistance profiles, suggesting the presence of genetic diversity in SCN resistance. Six accessions exhibited strongest resistance across multiple SCN populations, highlighting their potential as sources for breeding widely adapted SCN-resistant common bean cultivars. Based on the data of resistance to different SCN HG types, the mechanisms of SCN resistance in common bean appeared to be different from that in soybean. However, inconsistencies in resistance across SCN populations and test conditions underscore the need for further testing under uniform conditions. Because only approximately 10% of the USDA common bean collection has been evaluated, continued screening efforts are essential to explore the remaining germplasm and identify the best sources of SCN resistance for integration into breeding programs.

  PublisherDOI

• Impact of Winter Oilseed Crops Pennycress and Camelina on Soybean Cyst Nematode Population in Minnesota Corn-soybean Field Rotations

  2025-11-04

  articleOpen access

  Pennycress ( Thlaspi arvense ) and camelina ( Camelina sativa [L.] Crantz) are winter oilseed crops that can be implemented in cropping systems of the United States Midwest region. Incorporating winter oilseed crops into the cropping system offers ecosystem and productivity benefits when the ground is otherwise fallow. However, adding a new crop into an established cropping system may increase pest or pathogen risk. Pennycress and camelina have been identified as a host and poor/non-host, respectively, of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines), a devastating soybean pathogen. The objective of this experiment was to investigate whether adding winter pennycress or camelina to a soybean-corn rotation affected SCN population density. The experiment was a two-level factorial with a split-plot design which included SCN susceptible and resistant soybean cultivars as main plots and oilseed crops (pennycress, camelina, and fallow) as subplots conducted at three field sites in Minnesota. Throughout the study, the SCN-susceptible soybean cultivar treatment significantly increased SCN population density when compared to the SCN-resistant soybean cultivar treatment. There was no measurable effect on SCN population density when camelina or pennycress was included as a winter oilseed crop. The results indicate that camelina or pennycress can be grown as winter oilseed cover crops in the soybean-corn rotations without significant risk to soybean production concerning SCN in Minnesota.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Magnetron-sputtered FeCoNiCrMo high-entropy alloy thin films for efficient oxygen evolution in alkaline electrolytes

  Journal of Alloys and Compounds · 2025-05-14 · 9 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Genome and GWAS analyses for soybean cyst nematode resistance in USDA world-wide common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) germplasm

  Frontiers in Plant Science · 2025-03-21 · 7 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  ) production, particularly in regions like the upper Midwest USA. Host genetic resistance offers an effective and environmentally friendly approach to managing SCN. This study aimed to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and genomic prediction for resistance to SCN HG Types 7 (race 6), 2.5.7 (race 5), and 1.3.6.7 (race 14) using 0.7 million whole-genome resequencing-generated SNPs in 354 USDA worldwide common bean germplasm accessions. Among these, 26 lines exhibited resistance to all three HG types, with a female index (FI) of less than 10. Four QTL regions on chromosomes (Chr) 2, 3, 6, and 10 were associated with resistance to HG Type 7; four regions on Chrs 2, 6, 9, and 11 were associated with resistance to HG Type 2.5.7; and three regions on Chrs 2, 6, and 10 were associated with resistance to HG Type 1.3.6.7. Cross-prediction revealed high prediction ability (PA) of 75% (r-value) for resistance to each of the three HG types. However, low PA was observed for SCN resistance through across-population prediction between the two domestications, Mesoamerican and Andean common bean accessions. Yet, using a population of mixed Mesoamerican and Andean accessions as a training set showed a high PA to predict either sub-population. This study provides SNP markers for marker-assisted selection and high PA for genomic selection in common bean molecular breeding, enabling the selection of lines and plants with high SCN resistance. Moreover, the study observed high PA for resistance among the three HG types. Interestingly, the most highly associated SNP markers and QTL for SCN resistance varied between the two domestications, and SCN resistance is more associated with the Mesoamerican domestication than the Andean domestication. This result suggests that resistance to SCN in common bean may be related to domestication rather than co-evolution with SCN.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• High <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mi>Q</mml:mi></mml:math> and high gradient performance of the first medium-temperature baking 1.3 GHz cryomodule

  Physical Review Accelerators and Beams · 2024-09-25 · 9 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The world’s first 1.3 GHz cryomodule containing eight 9-cell superconducting radio-frequency (rf) cavities treated by medium-temperature furnace baking (mid-T bake) was developed at the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The 9-cell cavities in the cryomodule achieved an unprecedented high average intrinsic quality factor (<a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><a:mrow><a:msub><a:mi>Q</a:mi><a:mn>0</a:mn></a:msub></a:mrow></a:math>) of <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><c:mrow><c:mn>3.8</c:mn><c:mo>×</c:mo><c:msup><c:mn>10</c:mn><c:mn>10</c:mn></c:msup></c:mrow></c:math> at <e:math xmlns:e="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><e:mrow><e:mn>1</e:mn><e:mn>6</e:mn><e:mtext> </e:mtext><e:mtext> </e:mtext><e:mi>MV</e:mi><e:mo>/</e:mo><e:mi mathvariant="normal">m</e:mi></e:mrow></e:math> and <h:math xmlns:h="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><h:mrow><h:mn>3.6</h:mn><h:mo>×</h:mo><h:msup><h:mn>10</h:mn><h:mn>10</h:mn></h:msup></h:mrow></h:math> at <j:math xmlns:j="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><j:mrow><j:mn>2</j:mn><j:mn>1</j:mn><j:mtext> </j:mtext><j:mtext> </j:mtext><j:mi>MV</j:mi><j:mo>/</j:mo><j:mi mathvariant="normal">m</j:mi></j:mrow></j:math> in the horizontal test. The cryomodule can operate stably up to a total continuous wave rf voltage greater than 193 MV, with an average cavity usable accelerating gradient of more than <m:math xmlns:m="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><m:mrow><m:mn>2</m:mn><m:mn>3</m:mn><m:mtext> </m:mtext><m:mtext> </m:mtext><m:mi>MV</m:mi><m:mo>/</m:mo><m:mi mathvariant="normal">m</m:mi></m:mrow></m:math>. The results significantly exceed the specifications of Circular Electron Positron Collider and Dalian advanced light source and the other high repetition rate free electron laser facilities [Linac Coherent Light Source II (LCLS-II), LCLS-II-high energy, Shanghai High Repetition Rate X-ray FEL and Extreme Light Facility, Shenzhen Superconducting Soft X-Ray Free Electron Laser, etc.]. There is evidence that the mid-T bake cavity may not require fast cooldown or long processing time in the cryomodule. This paper reviews the cryomodule performance and discusses some important issues in cryomodule assembly and testing. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

  PublisherDOI

• Soybean Cyst Nematode Population Development and Its Effect on Pennycress in a Greenhouse Study

  Journal of Nematology · 2022-02-01 · 8 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Midwest crop production is dominated by two summer annual crops grown in rotation, viz., corn ( Zea mays L.) and soybean ( Glycine max L.). Winter oilseed crops, such as pennycress ( Thlaspi arvense L.), can provide ecosystem and economic benefits when added to the corn–soybean rotation. However, adding a new crop adds risks, such as increased pest pressure. The objectives of this study were to (i) evaluate population development of three soybean cyst nematode (SCN; Heterodera glycines ) biotypes on three pennycress genotypes and susceptible soybean and (ii) determine whether SCN inoculation level influenced plant biomass. SCN population density and biomass were determined after 60 d in the greenhouse. At the inoculation level of 2,000 eggs/100 cm 3 soil, the average egg density for the three pennycress genotypes was 1,959 eggs/100 cm 3 soil, lower than that for the susceptible soybean ‘Sturdy’ (9,601 eggs/100 cm 3 soil). At the inoculation level of 20,000 eggs/100 cm 3 soil, the average egg density for the three pennycress genotypes was 6,668 eggs/100 cm 3 soil, lower than that for ‘Sturdy’ (40,740 eggs/100 cm 3 soil). The inoculation level did not affect plant biomass. Pennycress is an alternative host to SCN under greenhouse conditions but is a less suitable host than soybean.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Weiming Hu

  Lushan Botanical Garden

  23 shared

• Kathryn E. Bushley

  Ithaca College

  16 shared

• Xingzhong Liu

  Institute of Microbiology

  15 shared

• Qiang Gu

  Shanghai Advanced Research Institute

  13 shared

• Chao Feng

  China University of Petroleum, East China

  13 shared

• Bocheng Jiang

  South China University of Technology

  13 shared

• Dazhang Huang

  Shanghai Advanced Research Institute

  13 shared

• Deepak Haarith

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  11 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Entomology and Nematology Department

  University of Florida

  1994

• Master of Science, Institute of Plant Protection

  Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

  1985

• BS, Department of Plant Protection

  Zhejiang University

  1982