Scientific Advisory Board

Dr. John Sutton | PhD, Plant Pathology

Scientific Advisor

Dr. John Sutton is an internationally recognized expert on the epidemiology and management of diseases in crops, biological disease control, plant disease prediction, integrated crop protection, disease diagnosis, and mycology. He received his B.Sc. from the University of Nottingham in 1965 and was awarded a Ph.D. in plant pathology from the University of Wisconsin in 1969. He taught courses, and conducted research and technology transfer while a professor in the Department of Environmental Biology at the University of Guelph, Ontario, from 1969 to 2012. During that time he served as principal advisor to 50 M.Sc. and Ph.D. students, published several hundreds of scientific papers in books and academic journals, and produced numerous technical documents and industry articles. Internationally, he taught numerous biocontrol and epidemiology courses in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile.

For some 30 years he has pioneered, researched and championed the micro-fungus Clonostachys as a natural tool to promote the health and productivity of crops. His current interests center on the development of science-based practical protocols for employing beneficial microbes such as Clonostachys in agriculture and horticulture as means to minimize economic losses due to diseases and other stresses. The microbes are being timed, targeted and delivered as natural, safe and environmentally friendly tools against destructive diseases such as grey mold (Botrytis) and white mold (Sclerotinia).