Meet
Mr. Wheat OSU professor plays a role in fighting wheat diseases
hile Oklahoma wheat farmers prepare their yearly crop, one member of the Oklahoma State University Wheat Improvement Team devotes his time in labs, greenhouses and fields to conduct research for potential wheat diseases. Robert “Bob” Hunger, an OSU professor and extension plant pathologist, said his interest in biology started when his high school biology teacher allowed him to be an assistant in the classroom. This interest led him to Colorado State University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in plant pathology in 1976. “On the day of my undergraduate graduation, I was having breakfast with my parents and Dr. Gary McIntyre, the department head at Colorado State,” Hunger said. “He asked me what I was going to do after graduation. I told him I was unsure, but I could tell he was thinking about something. The next week he called and asked if I wanted to be one of his graduate students.” Hunger continued his education at CSU and obtained his master’s degree in plant pathology in 1978. “I grew up a lot in graduate school, and the department head got me focused more on what graduate degrees 26 | COWBOY JOURNAL
were like in regard to the research and science,” Hunger said. “He was a huge influence during that time, and I still talk to him today.” After earning his master’s, Hunger went back to graduate school to work toward his doctorate. In 1982, Hunger earned his doctorate at Oregon State University, and shortly after, he accepted a job at Oklahoma State University to teach and conduct research. “It turned out what they were looking for here at Oklahoma State was a person to not only teach a little bit but also work with the wheat breeding program to develop disease-resistant wheat varieties,” Hunger said. In the late ’90s, he took the wheat extension pathologist role. Since then he has divided his workload among research, extension and teaching, he said. “I have enjoyed splitting the workload,” Hunger said. “It has given me more opportunity to interact with producers, growers and county educators.” Hunger interacts with producers by attending field days featuring wheat variety demonstrations, he said. Each spring, more than 20 field days take place across the state. Field
days give the producers in the area an opportunity to view the different wheat varieties available, Hunger added. “Bob has always been willing to work with producers in Oklahoma,” said Mike Schulte, Oklahoma Wheat Commission director. “He has an outstanding rapport with the farmers across the state, and you certainly see that when you see him at a field day.” Hunger said he discusses the diseases occurring during the crop year and how important they are to the producers. He also answers any questions the producers have. “I definitely enjoy the interaction with the wheat growers,” he said. “That is where you really feel and see the practicality of what you are doing.” Hunger has a significant impact on the development of the different wheat varieties OSU produces, said Brett Carver, Regents professor and Wheat Genetics Chair in Agriculture Wheat Breeding and Genetics. Carver said roughly 350,000 data points occur during the development of each wheat variety. “Of those data points, 40% relate back to diseases, and that is because we have so many diseases,” he said. “So in
