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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.

  • Neopestalotiopsis Now Causing Major Damage in Georgia Strawberries

    Phil Brannen

    What a difference a month can make. One month ago, I reported that we were not seeing major issues with Neopestalotiopsis, the new disease of strawberries that has caused headaches for Florida strawberry production. Unfortunately, just as in Florida, the more aggressive form of Neopestalotiopsis is causing damage on strawberry farms in several southern Georgia…

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  • Neopestolotiopsis Update from Florida

    Phil Brannen

    I am still not hearing of major issues yet with the new Neopestolotiopsis pathogen and disease of strawberries in Georgia — not yet anyway. However, the article in the link below presents a pretty dire picture for Florida strawberries. Be vigilant and let your county agent know if you are having any issues with disease…

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  • Part Two of the 2021 Strawberry School

    Phil Brannen

    Part Two of the 2021 Strawberry School is coming up! Join us March 18 as we discuss frost protection, fertility monitoring & more with experts from across the Southeast. Learn more: https://uaex.uada.edu/strawberry-school Register for free: https://bit.ly/StrawberrySchool21

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  • Captan Shortage

    Phil Brannen

    I have heard rumors of a potential captan product shortage, and based on information that is coming in from the field, it appears to be true. I am not sure of the details as to why we have a shortage of captan in the marketplace, and I have no information as to when the shortage…

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  • Commercial Strawberry Production Webinar Series

    Phil Brannen

    The Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium will be providing a series of webinars throughout this year concerning all aspects of commercial strawberry production. Amanda McWhirt with the University of Arkansas is organizing this webinar series, and it will have speakers from throughout the Southeast speaking on a multitude of valuable topics. Please sign up for…

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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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  • MyIPM 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 strawberries. 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 Neopestalotiopsis Disease Confirmed on Strawberries in Georgia

    Phil Brannen

    I posted a recent blog post on Neopestalotiopsis, a new pathogen associated with strawberry production in Florida. Unfortunately, the disease has now been confirmed in Georgia. Samples were sent to Dr. Natalia Peres, and she graciously confirmed that we do have this new pathogen showing up in commercial strawberries. Currently, we think the pathogen is…

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  • Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot Warning

    Phil Brannen

    There is a new disease that has been reported on strawberries, and it is causing substantial issues for the strawberry industry in Florida.  It is possible that our environment in Georgia is not conducive to the disease, but we should be diligent and on the lookout without regard.  Fungal Neopestalotiopsis species are associated with the…

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  • Zivion Registration Producer Requests (Strawberry Transplant Dips for Anthracnose Control)

    Phil Brannen

    I am trying to get a company (DSM) to register Zivion (Natamycin a.i.) as a transplant dip for strawberries. It would be active against anthracnose and possibly Botrytis that would come in on the transplants. With the resistance we are seeing to multiple fungicides, we need to reduce disease from the beginning where possible, and…

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