A gap in understanding the impact of the oomycete pathogens (Pythium, Phytophthora & Aphanomyces) across horticulture’s edible and ornamental crops will be addressed by the Horticultural Development Company (HDC) this spring as it leads a series of workshops to help growers tackle root and stem rot caused by these organisms.
Following on from a strategic body of work to determine knowledge and best practice on controlling oomycetes, HDC will hold four regional workshops to deliver practical solutions for controlling these pathogens.
Some oomycete fungi cause root and stem base rots in a wide range of horticultural crops causing symptoms as diverse as; damping-off diseases in seedling propagation to root rots in brassicas. The keynote speaker at the workshops, Prof. Walter Wohanka from Geisenheim University, Germany, will give an overview of treatment options that are currently available for their control in irrigation water and nutrient solutions.
Dawn Teverson, Research and Knowledge Transfer Manager at HDC said, “Despite broad knowledge in the grower community for identifying and treating oomycete related diseases, the aim of these workshops is to shed more light and information on this wide spread and persistent problem for growers. Growers often take the first option of fungicide treatments for control, but we hope these workshops will provide more effective, practical advice on treatment, diagnostic and prevention options.”
Because oomycete pathogens affect a range of horticultural crops, the series of workshops will be relevant to growers of both edible and ornamental crops, as well as agronomists. The workshops take place on:
17th February 2015 - Stockbridge Technology Centre, York, YO8 3TZ
19th February 2015 - James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA
4th March 2015 - Warwick Crop Centre, Warwickshire, CV35 9EF
5th March 2015 - East Malling Research, Kent, ME19 6BJ
