Farmers and plant pathologists tend to have an opposing view of crop diseases. While some can curse the outcome, others see opportunities.
The uncharacteristic wet winter this year in the desert-growing region in southwest Arizona hasn't been all bad, depending on who one talks with. For Jim Correll, a plant pathologist and distinguished professor at the University of Arkansas, the wet winter was opportunistic as he works to understand downy mildew and other plant pathogens in fresh market spinach.
Each winter Correll plants about an acre of spinach at the University of Arizona's research farm in Yuma. He has similar studies near Salinas each fall. This year's desert growing region study included 70 different varieties, replicated three times across 210 plots. From it, Correll is testing the new releases by various seed companies for their tolerance of or resistance to plant pathogens.
According to the University of California, downy mildew requires wet, humid conditions to flourish. Yuma saw that this winter. Airborne spores can land on susceptible plants with water on them, causing an infection that can make the crop unmarketable.
Read more at farmprogress.com