Aphids are abundant, outbreaking insect herbivores that can deal considerable economic damage to cereals and legumes due to pathogens they transmit. While aphid-virus outbreaks can have catastrophic impacts on crops, we do not yet have reliable population models that predict the time and location for areas at high risk for aphid-virus outbreaks. Because these tools […]
Weeds cause extensive loss in agricultural production and are particularly damaging in organic systems. Control generally relies on mechanical cultivation which reduces soil carbon, decimates soil fauna, and increases erosion potential. Cover cropping, a biologically intensive practice, can be an effective tool to reduce weed pressure and improve soil quality, but it also introduces new […]
Washington State is the number one producer of processed red raspberries in the nation. Raspberry growers in Whatcom County rely on dairy manure as a ready source to improve soil health prior to planting. Soil is a dynamic entity harboring billions of microorganisms and plays a crucial role in plant production. The microbial quality of […]
Raised beds in pumpkin cropping systems are frequently mulched with polyethylene (PE), providing numerous benefits. However, PE mulch has negative environmental consequences since it can remain in the soil for years. Biodegradable plastic mulch films (BDM) that are soil incorporated and biodegraded by microorganisms may present a sustainable alternative. Verticillium dahliae causes Verticillium wilt on […]
Quantification of weed seedbanks is essential for the evaluation and improvement of integrated weed management systems by farmers and integral in the Sustaining Resources Grand Challenge. Currently, weed scientists filter seed from the soil and count them – a hopelessly time consuming process that cannot be scaled or used by farmers. If farmers could quantify […]
This BIOAg grant was used to support a postdoctorate, Dr. Louisa Winkler, to assist Dr. Lindsey du Toit, WSU Professor of Plant Pathology, prepare a 12-state, 20-person collaborative, multi-disciplinary proposal on onion bacterial diseases to the USDA NIFA Specialty Crops Research Initiative in March 2018. The submitted proposal, which requested ~$3.5 million, ranked in the […]
Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) is notoriously difficult to manage in specialty crop systems, particularly those under organic production. Perennial species possess the abundant nutrient reserves necessary to facilitate plant regrowth from underground, vegetative, and dormant buds following physical or chemical control measures. Research conducted in other species has identified the signature genes involved in regulating […]
Herbaceous flowering or woody plant borders are controversial in commercial blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) production. Border vegetation has the potential to increase populations of native pollinators and beneficial insects and birds that feed on key blueberry pests, such as spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii; SWD); however, they may also draw pollinators away from the crop, serve […]
The composition of microbial communities can have dramatic, but often unappreciated, impacts on crop production. In apple crops, surveys indicate that numerous microbe species colonize flowers and nectar, which can in turn mediate floral and nectar traits and pollinator behavior. Microbial communities also affect the susceptibility of trees to pathogens such as the bacterium Erwinia […]
Biologically active compounds derived from plants, e.g., peptide elicitors are known as a strong inducer of defense responses against pathogens and pests. Recently, the PI’s group found that several peptides from potato can induce a defense response. They also found that other peptides have a potential to be a stronger defense inducer in potatoes. To […]