Plant Health

Nursery Plant Health

Our main goal is to provide science-based information to growers to improve their management practices and awareness of prevalent diseases in ornamentals and nursery crops. 

Applied Research in Plant Pathology

The focus of our research includse soil-borne plant pathogens such as Pythium, Phytophthora, Verticillium spp., and other relevant plant pathogens for the nursery industry such as Botrytis spp.

Other areas of research are plant-microorganism interactions, biological control agents for plant disease management, and photosynthetic bacteria from soil and water.

Education and Outreach 

Areas of education include IPM, invasive species, plant health, water management, and irrigation systems. Our primary audiences are greenhouse and nursery workers, but we have approached other audiences that work in agriculture, especially target Spanish speaking workers.

Nursery Pathology and Bilingual Education Program

High School Scholar Outreach and Education Program 

By providing laboratory-oriented internships to top achieving and motivated high school students, we hope to provide them with valuable experience and inspiration while also sharing new perspectives on real-life Extension research being conducted at NWREC.

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