STRAWBERRIES ARE THE TOP GROSSING FRUIT CROP IN THE MID-ATLANTIC, VALUED AT $250 TO $500/HUNDREDWEIGHT IN 2015. OVER 1600 FARMERS IN THE REGION DEPEND ON THIS CROP AS THEIR ONLY SOURCE OF SPRING INCOME, AND A WAY TO KICK OFF THE AGROTOURISM SEASON.FRUIT ROT DISEASES ARE ONE OF THE MAJOR STAKEHOLDER-IDENTIFIED FACTORS LIMITING STRAWBERRY PRODUCTION IN THE MID-ATLANTIC AND THE SINGLE MOST SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLE TO PROFITABLE PRODUCTION. THE CRITICAL NEEDS AND PRIORITIES FOR THE SOUTHEAST STRAWBERRY INDUSTRY ASSESSMENT PLACED STUDIES OF FRUIT ROT EPIDEMIOLOGY AS A TOP RESEARCH PRIORITY IN THE REGION (ANONYMOUS 2000). FRUIT ROTS MUST BE CONTROLLED PREVENTATIVELY, AND WITH CLIMATE CHANGES HINDERING DISEASE PREDICTION ABILITIES BASED ON PAST RECORDS, GROWERS MUST APPLY PROTECTIVE FUNGICIDES EVERY WEEK. MUCH LIKE OVER USE OF ANTIBIOTICS RESULTS IN RESISTANCE IN HUMANS, OVERUSE OF FUNGICIDES RESULTS IN RESISTANCE IN FUNGI. IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, FRUIT ROT PATHOGENS BECOME RESISTANT A MAJORITY OF AVAILABLE REDUCED-RISK FUNGICIDES, AND EVERY YEAR, FARMS EXPERIENCE LOSSES FROM FRUIT ROT DUE TO PRODUCT FAILURES.GROWERS PREFER TO USE REDUCED-RISK COMPOUNDS DUE TO MINIMIZED HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, AND IT IS AN EPA PRIORITY TO MINIMIZE THE USE OF BROAD SPECTRUM COMPOUNDS. HOWEVER, WITH THE WIDESPREAD DEVELOPMENT OF RESISTANCE, GROWERS ARE RELYING MORE HEAVILY ON BROAD SPECTRUM PRODUCTS, INCLUDING CAPTAN AND THIRAM, WHICH ARE MUCH MORE HARMFUL TO HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. DOWNSTREAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF INTENSIVE FUNGICIDE USE, INCLUDE THE RECENTLY IDENTIFIED CONNECTION BETWEEN BLOOM-TIME APPLICATIONS OF CAPTAN AND CHLOROTHALONIL WITH COLONY COLLAPSE OF HONEY BEES AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF AGRONOMIC CHEMICAL ACCUMULATION IN WATERSHEDS ON MARINE LIFE IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. RISK-BASED FUNGICIDE USE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT TO THE SOLUTION.DUE TO BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN HEALTH CONCERNS, THE REGION HAS SEEN A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN CONSUMER PREFERENCE FOR REDUCED SPRAY, SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED FRUITS. IN RESULT, CONVENTIONAL GROWERS ARE SEEING DECLINES IN THEIR CUSTOMER BASE. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS, MINIMAL FUNGICIDE PROGRAMS WILL BE NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN A CONSUMER BASE. THUS, GROWERS ARE UNDER DIVIDING PRESSURES TO SUCCESSFULLY PRODUCE A PROFITABLE CROP AND TO PRODUCE A CROP WHICH WAS GROWN WITH MINIMAL CHEMICAL USE.THIS PROJECT WAS DEVELOPED IN RESPONSE TO GROWER REQUESTS FOR A RELIABLE, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, ECONOMICALLY SOUND METHOD OF REDUCING FUNGICIDE USE, TO LOWER THE CHANCES OF ON-SITE FUNGICIDE FAILURES AND MAINTAIN EFFICACY OF REDUCED-RISK COMPOUNDS. THE SOUTHERN STATES (FLORIDA AND SOUTH CAROLINA) HAVE ESTABLISHED A DISEASE FORECASTING SYSTEM, REFERRED TO AS THE STRAWBERRY ADVISORY SYSTEM (SAS), WHICH HAS BEEN HIGHLY EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING FUNGICIDE USE AND PRESERVING EFFECTIVE CHEMISTRIES. BASED ON PRELIMINARY EVALUATIONS IN 2015 IN MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA, THIS SYSTEM HAS POTENTIAL TO RED,UCE FUNGICIDE APPLICATIONS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION BY 35-80%. MANY GROWERS ALREADY USE RISK-BASED STRATEGIES TO CONTROL FIRE BLIGHT ON APPLES IN THE REGION AND 2015 SURVEYS INDICATE THAT AT LEAST 60% OF MID-ATLANTIC STRAWBERRY GROWERS HAVE IMMEDIATE INTEREST IN USING A FORECASTING SYSTEM FOR STRAWBERRY FRUIT ROT.ADOPTION OF SAS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC IS LIMITED BY SEVERAL CRITICAL BARRIERS. FIRST, ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE LARGER GROWERS REPORT THAT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO REDUCE FUNGICIDE APPLICATIONS BASED ON ESTIMATES OF RISK, THEY REQUIRE REGIONAL EVIDENCE THAT THIS METHOD WILL NOT INCREASE THEIR DISEASE LOSSES. APPROXIMATELY 85% OF ALL FARMS GROW LESS THAN ONE ACRE OF STRAWBERRIES, MAKING IT TOO HIGH RISK TO INDEPENDENTLY TEST OUT THIS NEW SYSTEM ON EVEN A SMALL AREA. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE SYSTEM MAY PROVE LESS EFFECTIVE IN THESE STATES, DUE TO HIGHER INOCULUM LOADS OR DIFFERENCES IN THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF VARIETIES GROWN IN THIS AREA. TO FACILITATE ADOPTION BY PRODUCERS, REGIONAL EFFICACY TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO VALIDATE EFFICACY.IN ADDITION, ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE LARGE, WELL-ESTABLISHED GROWERS UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF RISK-BASED MANAGEMENT, LESS THAN 10% OF THE SMALLER GROWERS (< 1 ACRE) AND NEWER GROWERS (ACTIVE < 10 YEARS) HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THESE TOOLS CAN FUNCTION. THIS IS ATTRIBUTED LARGELY TO A LACK OF OUTREACH EFFORTS AIMED AT EDUCATING STRAWBERRY GROWERS ABOUT FUNGICIDE RESISTANCE AND RISK-BASED MANAGEMENT OPTIONS IN THIS REGION IN THE LAST DECADE. ANY RESEARCH EFFORTS THEREFORE REQUIRE COMPLIMENTARY EDUCATION EFFORTS IN CONCERT, TO PROMOTE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW DISEASE FORECASTING WORKS.ADOPTION OF A RISK-BASED FUNGICIDE PROGRAM IS ALSO CRITICALLY CONSTRAINED BY THE ABSENCE OF A REGIONAL WEATHER STATION NETWORK IN AGROCLIMATE (HTTP://AGROCLIMATE.ORG/) WHICH IS NEEDED TO EXTEND THE STRAWBERRY ADVISORY SYSTEM RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL (HTTP://AGROCLIMATE.ORG/TOOLS/STRAWBERRY/) TO THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. ESTABLISHMENT OF STATION NETWORKS IS CHALLENGED BY THE DIVERSITY OF MICROCLIMATES REPRESENTED BY THE MAJOR PRODUCTION AREAS. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 70% OF ALL PRODUCERS ARE LOCATED IN FIVE CLIMACTICALLY DISTINCT REGIONS: VIRGINIA BEACH (VA), CENTRAL / WESTERN MD, EASTERN SHORE (VA, MD AND DE), AND LANCASTER COUNTY (PA). TWO WEATHER STATIONS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE LEAD PI (SWETT) ON THE EASTERN SHORE AND IN WESTERN MD. IN ORDER TO MINIMALLY REACH 50% OF GROWERS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC, STATIONS ARE NEEDED IN ALL OTHER MAJOR PRODUCTION REGIONS.THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY ARE TO:VALIDATE A DISEASE FORECASTING SYSTEM FOR TIMING FUNGICIDE APPLICATIONS TO CONTROL STRAWBERRY FRUIT ROTS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC;EXTEND THE SAS TOOL TO MID-ATLANTIC GROWERS: ESTABLISH A MID-ATLANTIC WEATHER STATION NETWORK IN AGROCLIMATE AND INTEGRATE INTO THE SAS DISEASE FORECASTING WEBSITE, APP, AND SMS ALERT SYSTEM;FACILITATE ADOPTION BY EDUCATING GROWERS ON EFFICACY AND USE OF THE DISEASE FORECASTING SYSTEM THROUGH GROWER A,ND EXTENSION LED OUTREACH EFFORTS.TO IMPROVE SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY OUR SHORT-TERM GOALS ARE TO VALIDATE EFFICACY OF RISK-BASED SPRAY PROGRAMS IN CONTROLLING FRUIT ROT PATHOGENS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION AND FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION IN GROWER FIELDS BY ESTABLISHING A MID-ATLANTIC WEATHER STATION NETWORK TO DEVELOP A DISEASE FORECASTING WEBSITE, APP, AND SMS ALERT SYSTEM. BY THE END OF THE PROJECT PERIOD, WE AIM TO HAVE A SENSOR NETWORK IN PLACE THAT RELIABLY PREDICTS RISK FOR 50-70% OF ALL STRAWBERRY GROWERS IN MD, PA AND VA. WE AIM TO INFORM 50-75% OF MD, PA AND VA STRAWBERRY GROWERS ON THE EFFICACY AND APPROACH TO USING SAS, PRIMARILY THROUGH GROWER-LED FIELD DAYS AT ON-FARM TRIAL SITES AND TO SEE 30-50% GROWERS REFERRING TO SAS TO INFORM SPRAYS, WITH AT LEAST 10% OF GROWERS USING SAS INSTEAD OF CALENDAR SPRAYS BY THE END OF THE PROJECT PERIOD. OUR MEDIUM-TERM GOALS IN THE YEARS FOLLOWING THE STUDY ARE TO SEE SAS ADOPTION BY 50% OF GROWERS IN THE REGION, WITH A 20-50% REDUCTION IN FUNGICIDE APPLICATION FREQUENCY, RESULTING IN GROWER SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH SPRAY REDUCTIONS.THE LONG-TERM GOALS ARE TO PRESERVE THE EFFICACY OF EXISTING COMPOUNDS CURRENTLY AT RISK OF RESISTANCE DEVELOPMENT FOR BOTH PATHOGENS. WE AIM TO INCREASE CUSTOMER DESIRABILITY FOR LOCALLY PRODUCED STRAWBERRIES, MEASURED AS THE CUSTOMER NUMBERS AND INCREASED MARKET VALUE, WHICH, IN LINE WITH NIFA PURPOSE AND PRIORITY GOALS, WILL SUSTAIN THE ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF FARM OPERATIONS. HEALTH BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCTIONS IN USE OF BROAD SPECTRUM COMPOUNDS CAN ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR FARMERS AND SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. ALSO IN ALIGNMENT WITH NIFA PURPOSES AND PRIORITIES, WE AIM TO ENHANCE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND THE NATURAL RESOURCE BASE ON WHICH THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY DEPENDS BY REDUCING USE OF BROAD SPECTRUM PESTICIDES AT BLOOM, MITIGATING INDIRECT EFFECTS ON HONEY BEE HEALTH.

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators