This webinar took place on Thursday, March 30, 2017.
About the Webinar
Effectively managing diseases is one of the biggest challenges facing organic vegetable growers. A wide range of biologically based products are now available on the market that claim to boost crop growth and help plants withstand many plant diseases. However, there are few independent, scientifically-based studies to validate the efficacy of some of these products, and instructions detailing how and when to apply these products to achieve the best results are unclear. In this webinar, participants will describe the different types of products available in the marketplace today, provide an overview of recent studies evaluating their efficacy, and discuss strategies for identifying the most effective products and application practices.
About the Presenters
• Giuseppe Colla is an Giuseppe Colla is an Associate Professor and Vegetable Physiologist in the Department DAFNE at Tuscia University in Viterbo, Italy, and he is currently a visiting scholar at Purdue University. His current research interests include: biostimulant action of natural compounds to improve vegetable crop performance, especially under abiotic stress conditions. Current projects involve screening organic substances for biostimulant action on vegetable crops, optimizing the timing and rate of application, and understanding the mode of action of biostimulant products on plants.
• Mariateresa Cardarelli is a Scientist and Plant Physiologist in the Research Center for Soil-Plant Studies at the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Rome Italy, and she is currently a visiting scholar at Purdue University. Her current research interests include: micropropagation, rhizogenesis and acclimatization in ornamental and aromatic plants; in vitro production of plant biomass for the extraction of secondary metabolites; and use of tissue culture for studying the interactions between biostimulants and plants.
• Dan Egel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Purdue University. His current research interests include: host resistance to anthracnose and Fusarium wilt of watermelon; managing fungicide resistance in foliar pathogens; and, management of vegetable diseases in greenhouses. Dan’s extension mission is to encourage the sustainable production of healthy vegetables through the use of integrated pest management and organic systems.
• Lori Hoagland is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue University. The goal of her research is to identify practical approaches to manipulate the plant microbiome, favoring beneficial microbial taxa that can help plants acquire nutrients and withstand biotic and abiotic stress. Current projects are aimed at biologically controlling plant and human pathogens, improving nitrogen-use efficiency, and mitigating uptake and bioavailability of heavy metals in vegetable crops.
