Weather for 2016 continues to be unpredictable. And although bad weather can damage crops, it does little to stop the pathogens that plague pome fruit. The past few weeks of cool weather has slowed things down, but not scab—at least, not completely. All plants, insects, and pathogens develop in response to temperature–The warmer the weather,[Read More…]
Janna L Beckerman
Professor of Plant Pathology
Department of Botany
Area(s) of Interest: Ornamental and Fruit Diseases
Janna L Beckerman's website
Department of Botany
Area(s) of Interest: Ornamental and Fruit Diseases
Janna L Beckerman's website
Ascospore release is timed to optimize infection, which happens around tight cluster through petal fall. This is when all the fun really begins: Ascospores are at their peak and ejecting, and apple tissue is expanding, providing a larger, susceptible canopy that spores can hit. That excellent timing is the poetry of evolution in motion. Other[Read More…]
A black swan refers to an event that defies expectation and that would be extremely difficult to predict. This spring is one of those. And although it seems unlikely that we will emerge from our last frost-free date (May 15 here in Tippecanoe County) unscathed, it could happen and then you could end up with[Read More…]