IPM for Soilborne Disease Management for Vegetable and Strawberry Crops in SE USA

Major shifts in agricultural practices are complex with highly inter-dependent biological, environmental, social, economic, business, and other (agri)culture factors. Seeking alternatives to methyl bromide (MeBr) to manage soilborne pathogens provided a model system that could be simulated where other large scale and dramatic changes need to be made. Parallel priorities were set in place. The first priority was to assemble an inter-disciplinary and inter-state response and vision team of key private and public sector stakeholders. The second priority was to determine the risk-aversion and biological basis for fumigation. The third priority was to implement a plan that did not simply focus on chemical alternatives, but sought to advance the science of plant pathology and conduct discovery research about the biology, ecology and management of the primary plant pathogens and cropping systems. Therefore, three strategic levels of research and extension were identified: (1) Tactic substitution addressing short term needs of growers who sought non-ozone depleting fumigant alternatives; (2) Tactic Diversification focused on medium term alternatives that included non-fumigant and IPM based tactics; (3) Tactic Development focused on long-term goals to explore microbial ecology and farming systems-based approaches to replace MeBr-dependent production systems. The fourth priority was to effectively extend research based information to primary clientele. Combined efforts resulted in technically and economical feasibility assessments of alternatives, exploration of viable diversification and development of plant disease management tactics, and a region-wide advanced understanding of the biology and ecology of key plant pathogens.