Kaire Loit
Associate Professor of Molecular Phytopathology, Chair of Plant Health
Kaire is an Associate Professor of Molecular Phytopathology at the Estonian University of Life Sciences. Her research focuses on soil fungi, with particular attention to pathogenic fungi and their survival in soil. She studies how different tillage systems and agricultural practices influence the persistence, spread, and activity of soil-borne pathogens.
Her work also includes research on the airborne spread of winter wheat diseases and the development of precision plant protection technologies, contributing to more sustainable and science-based agricultural systems.
Alongside her research and teaching, Kaire is deeply committed to the management and development of the Agricultural Fungal Culture Collection, a key infrastructure supporting both basic and applied research. She is actively involved in the Horizon Europe projects Precilience and Multisoil, where she studies the effects of farming practices on soil-borne pathogens and fungal survival. In both projects, she serves as the Estonian coordinator, responsible for scientific coordination and international collaboration.
In addition to her academic work, she is an active member of the Estonian Plant Protection Society, contributing to the advancement of plant protection knowledge and the integration of science and practice.