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Posts by Phil Brannen

About 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.

End-of-Season Pierce’s Disease Observations

Sep 1, 2022 | Written by

We continue to see quite a bit of Pierce’s disease (PD) in our vineyards this year, to include our northern Georgia sites. I am convinced that bacterial titer drives this disease, and bacterial levels in the plant are determined by the vectors (type and number of sharpshooters involved), winter temperatures,…
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Blanc du Bois Review

Aug 18, 2022 | Written by

For those growing or interested in Blanc du Bois, the following review may be of interest to you. This has been submitted for development as a UGA publication, so consider this a “sneak peak.” We still need more research-based information on this cultivar and others we are growing in Georgia,…
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Captan Registration Review

Jun 21, 2022 | Written by

Captan is currently under review by the EPA. The review document is below, and it can be perused for the impact of EPAs potential actions on grape disease management. EPA is proposing several mitigations for the continued use of Captan. Any responses are currently due by 27 June, but you…
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Botrytis Testing for Fungicide Resistance

Apr 18, 2022 | Written by

Clemson University has picked up the resistance testing for Botrytis. This is not a free service at this time. However, it is very useful and worth the funds to determine which Botryticides are working. See the attached form for information needed. Additional information from Dr. Guido Schnabel. I worked with…
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Two New Fact Sheets for Southeastern Vineyards

Feb 9, 2022 | Written by

See attached for two new fact sheets that might be of interest to you. The first presents results of a preliminary comparison between manual and mechanical pruning in the muscadine juice cultivar ‘Carlos’. The second is part of the Vineyard Canopy Management Series and deals with fruit zone management. Enjoy.
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