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Contact Information

Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu

Impacts

Contact Information

Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu




Fiscal Year:
Jul 1, 2018 - Jun 30, 2019


Success StoryHigh Tunnel Tomato Shortcourse: A Virtual How-To Series



High Tunnel Tomato Shortcourse: A Virtual How-To Series

Author: Nicole Gauthier

Planning Unit: Plant Pathology

Major Program: Plant Disease ID

Outcome: Initial Outcome

High tunnels continue to gain popularity across Kentucky, with nearly 2,000 high tunnels in the commonwealth to date.  High tunnels help extend the growing season and are typically used to produce crops early or late in the season; spring/summer tomatoes are one of the most profitable crops grown in high tunnels in Kentucky.  However, production and pest management in high tunnels is vastly different from field production. As growers transition to high tunnels, they require additional and more detailed resources.  Further, over 60% of vegetable growers in Kentucky farm part time and need virtual or on-demand sources of information.  In 2025, the IPM Specialty Crops Working Group developed a virtual high tunnel tomato shortcourse.  The 12-video series followed real-time events from soil sampling and tunnel preparation to pest scouting and disease management. The shortcourse had over 500 views during the first season.  These viewers represented a farm value of over $14M.  Because this resource remains available online, grower reach will increase each year.  Materials presented in this course are Kentucky-specific, but a majority of the information included in the course may be appropriate for neighboring states, increasing reach.






Stories by Nicole Gauthier


Linking Extension and Research for Disease Management Solutions

about 6 years ago by Nicole Gauthier

Hemp is a new crop for Kentucky and for the US. Urban myth describes hemp as resistant to disease a... Read More


Educating and Empowering Agents through Education and Cultivation of New Skills to Better Serve Stakeholders: A Plant Pathology Certificate Program

about 6 years ago by Nicole Gauthier

Agriculture and Natural Resources and Horticulture Extension agents throughout Kentucky assist growe... Read More


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Plant Sample Preparation and Submission Webinar Training for County Extension Staff

about 6 years ago by Kimberly Leonberger

Whenlandscape or garden plants begin to show symptoms of a problem, or commercial crops start to dec... Read More


Educating agents and the ag industry on the importance of soybean cyst nematode in reducing soybean yields

about 6 years ago by Carl Bradley

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the most destructive soybean pathogen in the United States. In 2... Read More