Department of Crop Health
Faculty of Agriculture, Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Rostock
Satower Str. 48
18059 Rostock

Phone: +49 (0)381 / 498 3175
Mail: karl.buschow@uni-rostock.de

My PhD research focuses on the plant-pathogenic smut fungus Ustilago hordei, which causes covered smut on barley, especially its systemic growth within the plant and its detection in developing barley plants. As the pathogen grows asymptomatically until the ears emerge, positive detection is usually only possible by observing smut-infected ears. An early, non-invasive detection can both improve our insight into the in planta development of U. hordei and support resistance breeding.

• since Jul 2026:           PhD candidate, Department of Crop Health, University of Rostock, Germany, funded by the
                                      University of Rostock’s doctoral scholarship program “Unsere Besten promovieren in Rostock”
                                      PhD topic: “Development of an AI-based, non-invasive detection method for investigating the in
                                      planta (systemic) growth of the barley smut pathogen Ustilago hordei”

• Jan – Jul 2026:            Scientific staff for research and lecturing, Department of Agricultural Economics, 
                                      University of Rostock, Germany

• 2023 – 2025:              M.Sc. Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Rostock, Germany
                                       M.Sc. Thesis: “Investigation and detection of in planta growth of Ustilago hordei using PCR.”

• 2020 – 2023:              B.Sc. Agricultural Sciences, University of Rostock, Germany
                                       B.Sc. Thesis: “Testing of seed samples of the narrow-leaved lupine (Lupinus angustifolius) for
                                       phytopathogenic fungi with a focus on the anthracnose causing pathogen (Colletotrichum lupini).”

• since Jan 2026:          Member of the German Society of Plant Pathology (DPG)