Success StoryExtension Addresses Timely Vegetable Disease Issue



Extension Addresses Timely Vegetable Disease Issue

Author: Brian Jeffiers

Planning Unit: Johnson County CES

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Plan of Work: Home and Consumer Agriculture

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

In early June, the ANR agent fielded calls from three different tomato producers reporting similar symptoms. After visiting two of them, the agent submitted a specimen to the plant pathology lab, which confirmed sclerotinia rot. After reporting directly to all the involved producers, the agent also addressed the topic with the daily radio program, which has listenership of approximately 3,000. This allowed the message to reach many potentially interested producers in a rapid fashion, which was particularly important given the fast timeline of the disease the weather conditions supporting it.

After the program aired for about a week, additional calls were received at the office from clientele reporting similar concerns with their tomatoes. These clients had treated the outbreak according to recommendations from the plant pathologist, protecting the unaffected plants in those gardens from further disease spread.






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