Office: 726  Leon Johnson Hall
phone: 406-994-5063
fax: 406-994-1848

Email Dr. Dyer

Weed Physiology Weed Page

RESEARCH  

Physiology and molecular biology of seed dormancy maintenance and release in Avena fatua (with R. Johnson);

Biochemistry and molecular biology of evolved resistance to herbicides;
Population genetics and spatial components of invasiveness in Kochia scoparia (with M. Jasieniuk and B. Maxwell)

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY

Statewide responsibility for Weed Physiology and Molecular Biology involving research on seed dormancy, herbicide mechanisms of action, and mechanisms of herbicide resistance.  Teaching responsibilities include PSPP 546 (Herbicide Physiology; distance delivery), PSPP 102CS (Plant Sciences, Resources, and the Environment), undergraduate research opportunities, and graduate and undergraduate student advising.

EDUCATION

• B.S., 1981, Montana State University, Agronomy, summa cum laude
• M.S., 1983, Montana State University, Agronomy
• Ph.D., 1988, Purdue University, Horticulture and Biochemistry

MEMBERSHIPS IN PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• American Society of Plant Physiologists
• Weed Science Society of America
• Council for Agricultural Science and Technology
• Western Society of Weed Science
• Montana Weed Control Association

RECENT PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Panel member, USDA CSREES Special Research Grants Program for Tropical and Subtropical Agricultural Research (TSTAR), Honolulu, HI, March, 2004.
• Invited External Reviewer, Insect Genetics and Plant Science Research Units, USDA/ARS Biosciences Research Laboratory, Fargo, ND, October 14-17, 2003.
• International Who's Who of Professionals
• Invited Participant, Scientific Methods Workshop: Ecological and Agronomic Consequences of Gene Flow from Transgenic Crops to Wild Relatives, sponsored by USDA/NRICGP. Columbus, OH, March 5-6, 2002.
• Invited Participant, Agricultural Biotechnology Communications Workshop, sponsored by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, New Orleans, LA, September, 2000.
• Panel Manager, USDA/CSRS NRICGP, Program 51.9 Biology of Weedy and Invasive Plants, March 2000.
• USDA/CSRS NRICGP National Review Panel, Program 51.4 Plant Pathology/ Weed Science, April 1993, May 1994, May 1995, and March 1999.
• Montana Plant Biology Representative, 12th Annual EPSCoR National Conference, Washington, D.C., September 1996.
• Invited Participant, USDA/ARS Advisory Workshop on Breeding for Herbicide Resistant Crops, Beltsville, MD, November 13-14, 1996.
• Associate Editor for Journal Weed Science

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPS

• International Herbicide Resistant Weeds Workshop, Organizer and Co-Chair
• Weed Science Society of America
  1. Undergraduate Research Award Subcommittee
  2. Editorial Committee (1991-present)
  3. Reviews of Weed Science Committee (2001-present)
• Western Society of Weed Science Herbicide Resistant Weeds Committee (1990-present)
• University Biotechnology Curriculum Planning Committee (1991-present)
• Administrator, NSF/EPSCoR Plant Biology Group (1994-1999)
• University Radiation Safety Committee (2007-present)

COURSES TAUGHT

• PSPP 546: Herbicide Physiology (Distance delivery) – since Fall 2006
• PSPP 545: Agricultural & Medical Biotechnology (Distance delivery) – Primary audience is high school teachers in MSSE program (Fall 1998 – Fall 2003)
• PSPP 102CS: Plant Sciences, Resources, and the Environment – since Spring ‘03
• P&S 545: Plant Molecular Biology + Lab – Previous incarnation of current 545 course (1990 – 1998)
• CLS 101 and 201: University Seminar – since 2002
• BTEC 101: Introduction to Biotechnology – Regular guest lectures
• PSPP 489/490: Undergraduate Research – Usually 1-2 students per year

PUBLICATIONS (2001 to present)

Cranston, H.J., A. J. Kern, J.L. Hackett, E.K. Miller, B.D. Maxwell, and W.E. Dyer. 2001. Dicamba resistance in kochia. Weed Sci. 49:164-170.

Chassy, B.M., S.H. Abramson, A. Bridges, W.E. Dyer, M.A. Faust, S.K. Harlander, S.L. Hefle, I.C. Munro, and M.E. Rice. 2001. Evaluation of the U.S. regulatory process for crops developed through biotechnology. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology Issue Paper No. 19.

Sivamani, E. C.W. Brey, L.E. Talbert, M.A. Young, W.E. Dyer, W.K. Kaniewski, and R. Qu. 2002. Resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus in transgenic wheat engineered with the viral coat protein gene. Transgenic Res. 11:31-41.

Kern, A.J., B.E. Murray, M. Jasieniuk, B.D. Maxwell, and W.E. Dyer.  2002.  Triallate resistance in Avena fatua L. is conferred by two recessive nuclear genes.  J. Hered. 93:48-50.

Miller, E.K. and W.E. Dyer. 2002. Phytoremediation of pentachlorophenol in the crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum x desertorum) rhizosphere. Int. J. Phytoremediation 4:223-238.

Goss, G.A. and W.E. Dyer. 2003. Physiological characterization of auxinic herbicide-resistant biotypes of Kochia scoparia. Weed Sci. 51:839-844.

Kern, A.J. and W.E. Dyer. 2003. Glycine betaine biosynthesis is induced by salt stress but repressed by auxinic herbicides in Kochia scoparia. J. Plant Gr. Regul. 23:9-19.

Mickelson, J.A., A.J. Bussan, E.S. Davis, A.G. Hulting, and W.E. Dyer. 2004. Postharvest kochia (Kochia scoparia) management with herbicides in small grains. Weed Technol. 18:426-431.

Bahieldin, A., H.T. Mahfouz, H.F. Eissa, O.M. Saleh, A.M. Ramadan, I.A. Ahmed, W.E. Dyer, H.A. El-Itriby and M.A. Madkour. 2005. Field evaluation of transgenic wheat plants stably expressing the HVA1 gene for drought tolerance. Physiol. Plant. 123:421-427.

Bahieldin, A., H. F. Eissa, H.T. Mahfouz, W.E. Dyer, M.A. Madkour, and R. Qu. 2005. Evidence for non-proteinaceous inhibitor(s) of β-glucuronidase in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaf and root tissues. Plant Cell Tiss. Org. Cult. 82:11-17.

Kern, A.J., M.E. Chaverra, H.J. Cranston, and W.E. Dyer. 2005. Dicamba responsive genes in herbicide-resistant and susceptible biotypes of Kochia scoparia. Weed Sci. 53:139-145.

Dyer, W.E. 200_.  Inhibitors of fatty acid synthesis and elongation.  (Submitted).

Dyer, W.E. and D.P. Quinn.  200_. Herbicide discovery and screening. (Submitted).

Reviewed

Kern, A.J. 2002. Characterization of gene expression patterns and regulation of choline monooxygenase in dicamba-resistant and susceptible Kochia scoparia. Ph.D. Dissertation. Montana State University-Bozeman. 265 pp.

Menalled, F. and W. Dyer.  2004.  Getting the most from soil-applied herbicides.  Montguide.  Montana State University Extension Service.  MT 200405AG issued 5/04.

Menalled, F. and W. Dyer.  2005.  Herbicide-resistant weeds.  In 2005-2006 Weed Management Handbook.  Montana State University, Utah State Univ. and Univ. of Wyoming.

Menalled, F. and W. Dyer. 2005. Preventing and managing herbicide-resistant weeds in Montana. Montguide.  Montana State University Extension Service. 200506AG issued 6/05.

Book Chapters

Dyer, W.E. and S.C. Weller. 2005. Plant Response to Herbicides. p. 171-214 In M.A. Jenks and P.M. Hasegawa, Eds., Plant Abiotic Stress. Blackwell Publishing, Ltd.

Published Abstracts

Dyer, W.E., G.A. Goss, and P. Buck. 2002. Gravitropic responses of auxinic herbicide-resistant Kochia scoparia. Weed Sci. Am. Abstr. 42:171.

Dyer, W.E., G.A. Goss, and P. Buck. 2002. Auxin-mediated responses in dicamba-resistant Kochia scoparia. Proc. West. Soc. Weed Sci. 55:58.

Bahieldin, A., R. Qu, W. Dyer, A.S. Haider, and M.A. Madkour. 2002. Modified procedure for rapid recovery of transgenic wheat plants. Pgs 395-398 in Ryan, J. (ed.). Desert and Dryland Development: Challenges and Potential in the New Millennium. Proc. Sixth Intl. Conf. Devel. Dry Lands, 22 -27 August, 1999, Cairo, Egypt. ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria. 655 pp.

Dyer, W.E. 2003. An auxin-binding protein (ABP) mutation in dicamba-resistant Kochia scoparia. Proc. West. Soc. Weed Sci. 56: 149.

Dyer, W.E. and T.M. Sterling. 2003. Selection and compressed evolution in agroecosystems. Pg 26 in Abstracts, Invasive Plants in Natural and Managed Systems: Linking Science and Management + 7th International Conference on the Ecology and Management of Alien Plant Invasions, 3 -7 November, 2003.

Kern, A.J., H.J. Cranston, M.E. Chaverra, and W.E. Dyer. 2005. Dicamba-responsive genes in Kochia scoparia. Proc. West. Soc. Weed Sci. 58: 68.

Maxwell, P.A., W.E. Dyer, S.Creel, and B.D. Maxwell. 2006. Are wolf/elk interactions changing grazing preferences for exotic grasses? Proc. West. Soc. Weed Sci. 59:53.

Dyer, W.E. and E. Kalinina. 2006. Weeds: adapted genotypes or plastic phenotypes? Proc. West. Soc. Weed Sci. 59:104.

Keith, B. A., E. Kalinina, and W.E. Dyer. 2007. Global analysis of gene expression in auxinic herbicide-resistant Kochia scoparia.  Weed Sci. Soc. Am. Abstr. 47:35.

Eissa, H.F., A. Shokry, O.M. Saleh, A.M. Ramadan, A. Bahieldin and W. E. Dyer. 2007. Genomic characterization of stress-related genes from wild barley. Second International Conference of Genetic Engineering and its Applications. 14-16 Nov., 2007, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

CURRENT PROGRAMS

Research

• Molecular, genetic and physiological characterization of auxinic herbicide-resistant biotypes of Kochia scoparia.
• Confirm mutations in gene encoding auxin binding protein in resistant K. scoparia biotypes that may be useful for transgenic crops.
• Compare patterns of gene expression induced by natural and synthetic auxins.
• Organize workshop exploring fundamental questions of competitiveness and pattern formation in invasive plants (with Bruce Maxwell).

Teaching

• Improve syllabus, course materials, and lectures for PSPP 102CS, incorporating multimedia presentations and web tools.
• Develop degree plan for BS degree in Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems, a new degree from the PSPP and LRES Departments (College of Agriculture) and Health and Human Development Department (College of Education, Health and Human Development)