Conditions favoring disease development and spread have led to the establishment of early warning or forecast programs for late blight and early blight.
Michigan State’s Mary Hausbeck along with a multistate research team will work to enhance and refine early detection methods, allowing growers to identify the pathogen’s presence in the air — before it infects fields.
Fungicide application is one tool of a successful IPM program for crop diseases. Used judiciously and appropriately, these chemicals are powerful allies in the fight against the fungi and bacteria that attack crops.