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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.

  • Captan Shortage

    Phil Brannen

    Unfortunately, there appears to be a shortage of captan products this year. There are quite a few alternative products for bloom. Likewise, chlorothalonil (e.g. Bravo) products work well for petal fall and shuck split, and other products are readily available for pre-harvest applications. Sooty peach can be controlled with ziram, but it does little otherwise…

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  • Kocide HCu Product and Warning for Cover Spray Rates

    Phil Brannen

    A new Kocide product from Certis, Kocide HCu, has recently been introduced. As a formulated product, it is 50.1% metallic copper by weight. It does have a labeled rate for cover sprays, but at labeled rates, it is likely to cause significantly more damage than you would want to see.  I am not familiar with…

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  • Anthracnose Disease Survey

    Phil Brannen

    I know it is Christmas, but if you can take a few minutes (literally about five at max) to fill out this short survey (see link below), it would be be greatly appreciated. We are conducting this survey as part of a grant application, and if we do receive funds, we hope to research the…

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  • My IPM Promotional Video

    Phil Brannen

    The MyIPM app, developed by multiple universities under the direction of Dr. Guido Schnabel from Clemson University and supported by the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium, has a dedicated section for peach. You can readily download this app and use it for identifying diseases, developing spray programs, etc., so it is a very handy tool…

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  • New Peach Fungicides for Use in 2021

    Phil Brannen

    There are a few new fungicides that either just came out or that came out last year. We need to make sure that we incorporate these materials in a way that will allow for optimum efficacy and resistance management. We will be discussing these products in meetings, but as an update for your planning purposes,…

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  • Extensive Phony Peach Disease in a Georgia Peach Orchard

    Phil Brannen

    Phony peach disease, caused by the Xylella fastidiosa bacterium, is a dangerous disease of peaches in Georgia and elsewhere in the Coastal Plain of the Southeast.  Infected trees are initially stunted due mainly to shortened internodes between leaves and limited growth.  Over time, less fruit are produced, and fruit size diminishes as well; eventually, the…

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  • Update on Peach Skin Disorders

    Phil Brannen

    Update on Peach Skin Disorders Phil Brannen1 , John Mark Lawton2, Juan Carlos Melgar2, Brian Lawrence2, and Guido Schnabel2 1Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia 2Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University Inking has been an issue in southeastern peaches for years, but it has been difficult to determine the major causes of…

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