Megan Hall poses for a photo at a vineyard overlooking Seneca Lake. (Photo courtesy of Megan Hall )
Megan Hall is the recipient of the 2017 Presidents’ Award for Scholarship in Viticulture from the American Society of Enology and Viticulture (ASEV), which includes a $12,500 scholarship.
The Cornell University doctoral student in Plant Pathology and plant-Microbe Biology focuses on plant pathogens. She was recognized for her work on sour rot.
Wayne Wilcox, Hall’s advisor, told The Cornell Chronicle the tools for sour rot management were nonexistent because the organisms of the disease were unknown. With this research, growers can learn about Hall’s and Wilcox’s spray trials and how to use antimicrobial and insecticide sprays to control the disease.
Hall has also cataloged microbial diversity on developing grapes with the USDA’s ARS Grape Genetics Research Unit and studied the role fruit flies have in sour rot development with Greg Loeb in Cornell’s Department of Entomology.