Educational Programs for Extension Agents and Specialists

(also see "County Agent Training & Support")

Training County Extension Agents and Extension Specialists is a high priority for plant pathology specialists. We provide disease information on tobacco, corn, soybeans, small grains, forages, vegetables, fruits, urban horticulture, and landscapes useful to agents and specialists through newsletters, workshops, conferences, disease surveys, and applied research. Activities such as the tobacco short course, the Wheat Watcher's program, the mycotoxin workshop, and the backyard apple Integrated Pest Management program trained agents to teach farmers and homeowners to recognize and implement disease control and IPM measures for their crops. Agents are also trained specifically in plant pathology and disease diagnosis through interactive compressed video and through workshops. There is usually over 80% participation in these mid-summer plant pathology updates. Extension Area Program Director training in plant pathology revealed program ideas and expectations and the uniqueness of plant pathology as a support discipline in the College. The Kentucky Pest News newsletter is published weekly and functions to train agents and other specialists in plant disease topics. The Soybean Cyst Nematode Task Force has trained agents and fostered development of local programs by agents on this topic.

Educational Programs for Public Clients

Farmers and agribusiness clients benefit from educational programs such as the Tobacco Expo, Wheat Watcher's, the Kentucky Alfalfa Conference, and grain production meetings. We helped to develop and implement the Certified Crop Advisor program, organized a multi-disciplinary workshop on mycotoxin contamination of corn, and tobacco pesticide, spray, and fumigation schools. We coordinated the Kentucky Blue Mold Warning System. We taught apple growers to scout their apple orchards and make disease control spray decisions for themselves based on IPM. Landscape professionals and horticulturalists benefitted from our involvement with landscape pest management workshops, turfgrass disease diagnosis workshops, and participation in their professional associations. Home horticulture is served through publications, Master Gardener activities, and mass media as well as through trained agents and horticulture professionals. We provide disease information on tobacco, corn, soybeans, small grains, forages, vegetables, fruits, urban horticulture, and landscapes useful to farmers, agribusiness, and homeowners through newsletters, Extension publications, electronic communications, workshops, conferences, disease surveys, and applied research.

Plant Disease Diagnosis

(also see "Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratories")

Extension plant pathologists supervise operation of the plant disease diagnostic laboratory. With locations in west and central Kentucky, the diagnostic laboratory is able to react appropriately to plant disease problems with Extension educational information. The results of the diagnoses and the actions suggested constitute client and Agent education. Laboratory observations form the basis for further surveys and research on new diseases. The extent of spread of tobacco blue mold and virus diseases, soybean cyst nematode, dogwood anthracnose, and shade tree bacterial leaf scorch have been documented through the diagnostic laboratory. Field diagnosis and agent consultation is an ongoing activity.

Applied Research

Extension educational programs are dependent on research-based answers for plant disease problems. Extension Plant Pathologists are uniquely suited to manage applied research efforts aimed at solving Kentucky plant disease problems. Much of the work is interdisciplinary, e.g., crop variety and plant cultivar resistance and IPM. We have evaluated the role of Aphanomyces infections on the establishment of alfalfa stands, the influence of new transplant production systems on tobacco transplant and field diseases, effects of fungicides on wheat seedling and foliar diseases, and the function of leaf wetness in development of apple fruit diseases. From the results of these and many other studies, we have been able to formulate disease control recommendations for Kentucky producers, and to extend these findings through Extension educational efforts.

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