pumpkin
wax
bean
watermelon
banana
pepper
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Special
Research Grant |
USDA CSREES Award No. 2008-34572-19339, Hatch Project 01966 (2007-08) , Award
No. 2006-34572-16902 |
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funded
by the United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State
Research, Education and Extension Service |
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Phytophthora
Research, MI |
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Controlling Phytophthora
Disease on Vegetable Crops |
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Dr.
M.K. Hausbeck, Project Director Department of Plant Pathology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1311 |
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| Phytophthora capsici, a soil mold that causes crown, fruit, and root rot, can be easily spread across and within regions via water. It infects cucumber, melon, squash, pumpkin, tomato, pepper, eggplant, lima, snap and wax bean crops, and has recently been found to infect Fraser fir. Michigan is the number 1 producer of pickling cucumber and squash and ranks among the top 10 in the USA for the production of fresh market cucumber, snap bean, bell pepper, pumpkin and fresh market tomato. Michigan cultivates nearly 83,000 acres of Phytophthora-susceptible vegetables worth $144 million and 7,600 acres of Fraser fir worth $10.6 million. Phytophthora can last for 10 or more years in soil and it’s common for growers to experience complete crop loss in some fields. Some strains of Phytophthora have mutated to become resistant to key fungicides and have colonized an estimated 25% of the acreage in the Michigan growing region. These factors threaten the economic viability of the Michigan vegetable industry. | ||
| The goal of this project is to develop and implement a comprehensive management strategy for Phytophthora that relies on multiple tools rather than intensive pesticide use. Objectives include: | ||
| 1) limit the spread of Phytophthora; | ||
| 2) identify and develop Phytophthora-resistant varieties; | ||
| 3) develop new techniques for Phytophthora control including soil amendments, mulches, crop rotation, and water management; | ||
| 4) test currently labeled fungicides, biological control agents, and new chemistries for activity against Phytophthora; | ||
| 5) integrate chemical, biological, and cultural growing techniques; and | ||
| 6) conduct on-farm research trials and extension meetings. | ||
| Research Progress and Impact | ||
| Feb 2009 | ||
| Mar 2008 | ||
| Jan 2007 | ||
| Mar 2006 | ||