Success StoryDisease Scouting Resources: Technological Upgrades for Specialty Crop Growers



Disease Scouting Resources: Technological Upgrades for Specialty Crop Growers

Author: Nicole Gauthier

Planning Unit: Plant Pathology

Major Program: Plant Disease ID

Outcome: Initial Outcome

Integrated pest management practices are the foundation of disease management, and proper identification is the first step.  The UK Fruit and Vegetable Working Group(s) develop and maintain scouting guides for Kentucky’s most important specialty crops. Growers and county agents rely on the full-color booklets to identify abiotic and biotic issues, including diseases. Through extramural funding, we have transformed 11 scouting guides into mobile applications with corresponding websites (fruitscout.ca.uky.edu; veggiescout.ca.uky.edu). Online resources make disease and pest identification possible right in the field with a smartphone or other device using an interactive decision tool menu. During the past year, the new webpages have been accessed 28,024 times.






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