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Strawberry News

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.

  • Free Botrytis Fungicide Resistance Testing

    Phil Brannen

    If you see Botrytis in your strawberries, it is always a good idea to test for fungicide resistance in your pathogen population. While the funds last, you can receive free testing. The results can provide you with information on which fungicide classes are working and which are not. See the link below for details. I…

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  • Spring Spray Schedule for Neopestalotiopsis and Other Diseases

    Phil Brannen

    Bill Cline and Caleb Bollenbacher (North Carolina State) have developed an excellent example spray schedule for strawberry producers to use this spring (see links for MSWord or PDF documents). This schedule incorporates good suppression of Neopestalotiopsis, while also managing other diseases. The premise for the schedule is that anthracnose, if present, will arrive later in…

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  • Mefenoxam Resistance Not Confirmed for Strawberry Phytophthora Isolates Submitted in 2024

    Phil Brannen

    As we wrap up 2024, there is one more report that will be of some value as you think through disease management activities for 2025. As most of you are aware, the active ingredient in Ridomil, mefenoxam, is utilized to control Phytophthora crown and root rot of strawberry. Based on field observations, we have had…

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  • Recommendations for early-season (fall) chemical treatments in strawberry crops with known presence of the Neopestalotiopsis pathogen

    Phil Brannen

    The below information was compiled by Guido Schnabel (Clemson University), Bill Cline (North Carolina State), and I to give a recipe of sorts for Neopestalotiopsis management with fungicides after planting this fall. It does not address spring applications, but you will need to incorporate remaining applications of fungicides at that time. Whether or not Neopestalotiopsis…

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  • Strawberry Sprayer Design

    Phil Brannen

    See below for a good design for a strawberry sprayer, courtesy of the University of Arkansas. Good coverage is important for all diseases, but with Neopestalotiopsis, you really want to saturate the plant with fungicides. This may be helpful for some.

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  • Additional Information on Neopestalotiopsis from North Carolina

    Phil Brannen

    See below for additional information on Neopestalotiopsis and actions you might take to mitigate the issues at hand. Dr. Mark Hoffman comments on several items of interest — especially finding sources of good plants. https://strawberries.ces.ncsu.edu/2024/08/update-neopestalotiopsis-neo-p

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  • Dramatic Neopestalotiopsis Disease in Strawberry Tips and Plug Plant Production Nurseries

    Phil Brannen

    Neopestalotiopsis fruit rot and leaf spot, caused by Neopestalotiopsis species, was first reported to cause damage in strawberry fields in Florida in 2019 and 2020. This disease has since been observed in most southeastern states, and it is already making headlines for this coming 2024-2025 season. As many strawberry producers are aware, some nurseries are…

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  • 2nd edition of the Southern Regional Strawberry Production Guide

    Phil Brannen

    An updated Southern Regional Strawberry Production Guide has been provided by Mark Hoffman (NC State) and several other authors and editors. This is a good reference for strawberry production, and it can be found at the link below. A PDF will also be developed and should be available soon. This is a good reference for…

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  • Disease Update for Strawberries in Georgia

    Phil Brannen

    Many strawberry sites are now suffering substantial plant mortality as the season progresses.  Losses are not uniform, and some sites look pretty good. But unfortunately, many do not.  If diseases continue to increase, this may be one of our worst production years ever.  However, I hope that producers can still pull out some profits. From…

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  • Strawberry Pest Management Strategic Plan (PMSP) Survey

    Phil Brannen

    Please see below for a letter and survey link associated with an updated Strawberry Pest Management Strategic Plan. I just ran through the survey, and it is quick. I hate surveys and normally delete them as quickly as possible, but this one is important to the future of research for the southeastern regional strawberry industry.…

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