A website from UGA Cooperative Extension

Commodities at CAES

UGA PEACH BLOG

Phil Brannen

Phil Brannen

Phil Brannen is a Professor in the Plant Pathology Department at the University of Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia for his undergraduate degree in Plant Protection and Pest Management, where he also received an M.S. in Plant Pathology, followed by a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from Auburn University. He has extensive experience with disease management programs in numerous cropping systems. He serves as the extension fruit pathologist for Georgia – conducting research and technology transfer for multiple fruit commodities. His efforts are directed towards developing IPM practices to solve disease issues and technology transfer of disease-management methods to commercial fruit producers. He also teaches the graduate level Field Pathology Course, the History of Plant Diseases and their Impact on Human Societies Course, team-teaches the IPM Course, coordinates the Viticulture and Enology in the Mediterranean Region Course (Cortona, Italy), and guest lectures in numerous other courses throughout the year.

  • Pest and disease control recommendations for non-bearing orchards after bloom

    Phil Brannen

    Guido Schnabel, Brett Blaauw and Phil Brannen Late frost has hurt many varieties in South Carolina and Georgia this year. The varieties that escaped the frost, the late bloomers with high chill requirements, still may have fruit and will probably go on a regular spray program, even if chill requirements were not met and a…

    Posted in:

  • Hurricane Ian, Peach Tree Damage, and Subsequent Phytophthora Root Rot

    Phil Brannen

    Hurricane Ian will probably move relatively quickly through Georgia, but I fear it will have substantial winds as it moves through.  Depending on the path, it may cause damage to peach orchards through the Coastal Plain and mid-Georgia area.  I hope we all weather the storm well, but I do fear there will be orchard…

    Posted in:

  • Captan Registration Review

    Phil Brannen

    Captan is under review by the EPA. The review document is below, and a synopsis of information for peach is given below by Dr. Julius E. Fajardo. EPA is proposing several mitigations for the continued use of Captan. Any responses are currently due by 27 June, but you can request an extension (see below). Please…

    Posted in:

  • Crop Safety of Chlorothalonil and Copper Products at Petal Fall and Shuck Split

    Phil Brannen

    We had questions this winter concerning whether chlorothalonil products, when combined with copper products at the petal fall and shuck split application timeframes, would exacerbate or increase copper damage. Shane Breeden, a graduate student in the Plant Pathology Department, established a trial to review this premise in an O’Henry planting at the UGA Horticulture Farm.…

    Posted in:

  • Miravis Supplemental Label

    Phil Brannen

    The Miravis label now only has one rate for peach applications — 5.1 fluid oz per acre. Our guide shows a rate range, but that is no longer accurate. Please see the attached for the supplemental label. Bottom line, use the 5.1 fluid oz per acre rate for all applications and diseases.

    Posted in:

  • Disease Control Recommendations following Hail Damage

    Phil Brannen

    Recent hail injury, especially when combined with excessive rains, is of concern for disease control in peach orchards as we move forward through the remainder of the season. Frequent summer rains generally increase the risk of green fruit rot. If inoculum is present during the green fruit stage and if long wetness periods occur (30…

    Posted in:

  • Captan Shortage (another option)

    Phil Brannen

    There is another series of fungicide options that should also work for the cover sprays, and hopefully this will allow you to not use the DMIs in cover sprays. You could alternate SDHI (e.g. Miravis) and QoI (e.g. Abound) products as well, and this would give you more cover spray applications (four applications with two…

    Posted in: