Connecticut State The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

Victoria L. Smith

Department of  Entomology
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street
P.O. Box 1106
New Haven, CT 06504-1106
Voice: (203) 974-8474 Fax: (203) 974-8502
E-mail: Victoria.Smith@ct.gov

Expertise:
Dr. Smith has expertise in diseases of landscape plants, bedding plants, and invasive insects. She has conducted research on biological control of certain vegetable diseases, and has described and documented the occurrence of tomato powdery mildew in Connecticut. She has experience in state and federal regulations concerning plants, plant pathogens, exotic insects, and export issues.

Education:
B.S. Ohio Northern University (1981); Biology and Chemistry
M.S. The Ohio State University (1983); Plant Pathology
Ph.D. North Carolina State University (1987); Plant Pathology and Soil Science
MBA University of New Haven (1998); The Executive Program

Station career:
Assistant Agricultural Scientist II 1990-2003
Deputy State Entomologist 2003-present
Associate Agricultural Scientist 2014-present

Past research:
Dr. Smith has studied the biology and epidemiology of several diseases of landscape ornamentals, such as dogwood anthracnose, Phytophthora root rot of azaleas and rhododendron, and crown rot of hemlock. She also has studied ways to reduce damage caused by other soilborne pathogens through the use of green manures and biological control.  In addition, she has helped to set state and national policy concerning regulated pests and plant diseases.

Current research:
Dr. Smith is involved in survey and inspection for exotic pests and diseases, including boxwood blight, Asian longhorned beetle, emerald ash borer, light brown apple moth, chrysanthemum white rust, and Phytophthora ramorum. She is past-President of the Eastern Plant Board and has served on the Board of Directors of the National Plant Board. She serves on numerous National Plant Board committees, and cooperates with USDA-APHIS-Plant Protection and Quarantine and the US Forest Service. 

Selected publications available from author, Victoria.Smith@ct.gov

  • Smith, V. L. 2013. Winter Moth: A New Survey Target. The Connecticut Arborist XXIV:1-3.
  • Smith, V. L. 2012. Aerial Survey: an Assessment of Forest Health. The Connecticut Arborist XXIII:1-3.
  • Smith, V. L. 2011. TCD: The Latest Addition to the Alphabet Soup. The Connecticut Arborist XXII:1-4.
  • Smith, V. L. 2010. Chrysanthemum Diseases 101: An Inspector’s Review. Horticultural Inspection Society Spring 2010 Newsletter.
  • Smith, V. L. 2010. The North East Forest Pest Survey and Outreach Project: Working Together to Find Forest Pests. The Connecticut Arborist XXI:1-4.
  • Smith, V. L. 2009. Natural Enemies: The Best Hope for Control of Exotic Pests of the North East Forests. Newsletter of the CT Botanical Society. 2009.
  • Smith, V. L. 2009. Forest Health Outlook for 2009: Some New Threats and the Usual Suspects. The Connecticut Arborist XX:1-4.
  • Smith, V. L. 1996. Fungistatic effects of insecticidal soap in vitro and prevention of damping off of snap bean. Phytopathology 86:S29-S30.
  • Smith, V.L. 1996. Enhancement of snap bean emergence by Gliocladium virens. HortScience 31:984-985.
  • Smith, V.L. 1994. Suppression of Phytophthora cactorum in vitro by volatiles from canola residues. Phytopathology 84:1138.
  • Smith, V.L. 1994. First report of anthracnose caused by Discula destructiva on Cornus florida X kousa hybrid dogwood. Plant Dis. 78:100.
  • Smith, V.L. 1993. Canker of Japanese maple caused by Colletotrichum acutatum. Plant Dis. 77:197-198.