Results of these experiments will provide for the design and deployment of disease control strategies for vegetables that are economically viable and environmentally sound for U.S. agriculture. This project will investigate an Integrated Disease Management Strategy for processing tomatoes. The strategy consists of a dual-pronged attack on the disease infection utilizing both cover crop mulch and an improved fungicide application decision aid. We will evaluate the effectiveness of a cover crop mulch for providing a physical barrier to inoculum dispersal. Preliminary data suggest this to be an effective method for reducing disease pressure.
Infection occurs when the inoculum in contact with the plant encounters a suitable environment.
Spray decisions will be based on both the microclimate and the residual efficacy of the fungicide. Less fungicide will potentially be required because the cover crop mulch will reduce disease severity, and the fungicide used will be applied more efficiently by not reapplying until the previous application is ineffective. We believe the result will be a low-risk, sustainable disease management strategy for tomatoes. The practical purpose of RVMM is to understand more fully the managed-forest environment and natural resource base upon which a sustainable forestry economy depends. The principal validation database will be comprised of existing, independent datasets collected under a variety of user-specified sampling methods.