Infection Prevention

摘要

RESEARCHERS at North Carolina State University (NCSU) will use funding from a new USDA grant to help southern strawberry growers battle some common plant diseases. Anthracnose and phytophthora pathogens cause nearly $6 million in strawberry crop losses every year. This past year, growers had particular problems with new plants that were already infected with the disease before the plants arrived at the nurseries. Both pathogens can be present on a plant without showing symptoms for several days. As rain or water from daily watering splashes from the plants, pathogens can spread to uninfected plants. NCSU plant pathologist Frank Louws recently received a $169,851 USDA Southern Regional IPM grant to develop an integrated pest management program for strawberry growers that focuses on preventing plants from being infected in the first place. For plants already infected, Louws and his colleagues are working on treatment options.