Jeffrey S. Lehman

Jeff Lehman

Phone
614-823-1567

Email
jlehman@otterbein.edu

Office
Science Center 125

Professor

Dr. Lehman is a broadly trained plant biologist with interests in host-plant interactions, plant toxicity, tropical and temperate agriculture, and the evolution of cultivated and natural plants. He teaches courses in genetics, plant diversity, plant physiology, dendrology, and tropical ecology/agriculture. Dr. Lehman’s research addresses: 1) the interactions between plants and their pathogens, 2) the toxicity of leaf extracts of Acer species to horses, and 3) the evolution of dioecy. Dr. Lehman also directs service-learning projects (e.g., semi-annual plant sale) and leads courses to Costa Rica and Malawi.

Dr. Lehman’s hobbies/passions include sustainable agriculture, plant propagation, old tractors, microscopy, wood-burning stoves, international foods, and assorted genres of music. His dream is to develop his own sustainable mini-farm. He is often busy fixing the myriad of broken things on his farm. This has led his son Caleb to exclaim, “If it isn’t broken, dad doesn’t want it”. In addition to having a sarcastic son, Dr. Lehman has two other boys, Jonathan and Mario, and a wonderful wife, Tracey, who is supportive of the mini-farm dream but refuses to pull weeds, can vegetables, or wear a bonnet. Dr. Lehman and his family are active in Buddy-Up Tennis and the Columbus Mennonite Church.

Education

  • Ph.D., Purdue University, 1994. Thesis: Variation among populations of Puccinia recondita f. sp. tritici on partially resistant winter wheat cultivar
  • B.S., Manchester University, 1987.  Thesis: Population biology of Lepidium virginicum in high-stress environments

Research, Creative, & Professional Work

  • Genetics (Mendelian, Quantitative, Molecular, Population)
  • Plant Sciences (Plant Physiology, Diversity, and Pathology)
  • Tropical Ecology and Agriculture Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Evolution of dioecy
  • Toxicity of leaf extracts of Acer species to horses

Publications

  • Arora, R., Rowland, L. J., Lehman, J. S., Lim, C. C., Panta, G. R., and Vorsa, N. 2000. Genetic analysis of freezing tolerance in blueberry (Vaccinium section Cyanococcus). Theoretical and Applied Genetics 100:690-696.
  • Arora, R., Rowland, L. J., Panta, G. R., Lim, C. C., Lehman, J. S., and Vorsa, N. 1998. Genetic control of cold hardiness in blueberry. Pages 99-106 in: Li and Chen, eds. Plant Cold Hardiness: Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Physiology.  Plenum Press, New York.
  • Buechley, G., J. Lehman, and G. E. Shaner. 1989. Effect of seed treatment on wheat from bunted and smutted seed, 1988. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests 44:219.
  • Buechley, G., J. Lehman, and G. E. Shaner. 1989. Effect of seed treatment on stand establishment from scabby seed, 1988. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests 44:220.
  • Ehlenfeldt, M. K., Stretch, A. W., and Lehman, J. S. 1997. Susceptibility to mummy berry blight within highbush blueberry cultivars as a function of shoot length. HortScience, 32:884-887.
  • Lehman, J. S., Hanson, K. A., and Shaner, G. 2005. Relationship among genes conferring partial resistance to leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) in wheat lines CI 13227 and L-574-1. Phytopathology 95:198-205.
  • Lehman, J., H. Jiménez-Saa, and R. Jones. 2009. Plants of the Pamela Lankester Garden, Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary. Pamphlet published by Otterbein University, Westerville, Ohio, U.S.A. Available through the Tropical Science Center, San José, Costa Rica.
  • Lehman, J. S. and Oudemans, P. V. 1997. Phenotypic differences in apothecium development of Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi. Phytopathology 87: 218-223.
  • Lehman, J. S. and Oudemans, P.V. 1997. Phenology of the mummy berry fungus and the blueberry host: implications for resistance breeding. Acta Hort. 446:287-292.
  • Lehman, J. S. and Oudemans, P. V. 2000.  Variation and heritability of phenology in the fungus Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi on blueberry.  Phytopathology 90:390-395.
  • Lehman, J. S., Igarashi, S., and Oudemans, P. V. 2007. Host resistance to Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi in flowers and fruits of highbush blueberry.  Plant Disease 91:852-856.
  • Lehman, J. S. and Shaner, G. E. 1996. Genetic variation in latent period among isolates of Puccinia recondita f. sp. tritici on partially resistant wheat cultivars. Phytopathology 86:633-641.
  • Lehman, J. S. and Shaner, G. E. 1996. Adaptation of Puccinia recondita f. sp. tritici to partially resistant wheat cultivars. Pages 112-114 in: Proceedings of the Ninth European and Mediterranean Cereal Rusts and Powdery Mildew Conference. Lunteren, The Netherlands.
  • Lehman, J. S. and Shaner, G. E. 1997. Selection of populations of Puccinia recondita f. sp. tritici for shortened latent period on a partially resistant wheat cultivar. Phytopathology 87: 170-176.
  • Lehman, J. S. and Shaner, G. 2007. Heritability of latent period estimated from wild-type and selected populations of Puccinia triticina. Phytopathology 97:1022-1029.
  • Ngugi, H. K., Scherm, H., and Lehman, J. S., 2002. Relationship between blueberry flower age, pollination and conidial infection by Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi.  Phytopathology 92: 1104-1109.
  • O’Callaghan, D.K., Schall, S.A., Birmingham, S.S., and Lehman, J.S.  2015.  Protective effects of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol on the in-vitro oxidation of equine erythrocytes caused by extracts of wilted red maple leaves.  Journal of Veterinary Science:  940-946
  • Rowland, L. J., Lehman, J. S., Levi, A., Ogden, E. L., and Panta, G. R. 1998. Genetic control of chilling requirement in blueberry. Proceedings of the Eighth North American Blueberry Research and Extension Workers' Conference.  North Carolina State University Press, pp. 258-267.
  • Rowland, L. J., Arora, R., Lehman, J. S., Ogden, E. L., Panta, G. R. and Lim, C. C. 1999. Use of blueberry to study genetic control of chilling requirement and cold hardiness in woody perennials. HortScience 34:1185-1191.
  • Wasilwa L.A., Oudemans P. V., Lehman J. S. 2003. Genetic structure and population diversity of mummy berry (Monilinia) collections from the United States of America and Canada. E. Afr. Agric. For. J. 68:125-134.
  • Whitehill, J. A. G., Lehman, J. S., and Bonello, P. 2006. Ips pini (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is a vector of the fungal pathogen, Sphaeropsis sapinea (Coelomycetes), to Austrian pines, Pinus nigra (Pinaceae). Environmental Entomology 36:114-120.
  • Testa, A., Schilb, M, Lehman, J. S., Bonello, P., and Cristinzio, G. 2005. First report of Phytophthora insolita and P. inflata on rhododendron in Ohio. Plant Disease 89 (10): 1128-1128.