 As regulatory uncertainty surrounds the future registration of the widely used fungicide Thiram, crop production in Florida and throughout the Southeastern U.S. faces a critical need for alternative disease management tools. Nowhere is this need greater than with strawberries, where Thiram is relied upon heavily for management of Neopestalotiopsis. Thiram has also been an important fungicide and resistance management component across many other Southeastern crops, including tomatoes, cucurbits, peppers, eggplant, and ornamentals—all of which require proactive research in light of this regulatory change.
Our integrated program emphasizes:
Leveraging over 45 years of plant pathology expertise, Florida Ag Research and the Ag Metrics Group companies combine proven field protocols with precise laboratory bioassays to deliver statistically validated efficacy data. This ensures product developers can confidently assess performance, spectrum of activity, and potential integration into Florida’s commercial and export-driven systems. We welcome inquiries from product developers interested in advancing next-generation disease management solutions across multiple Southeastern specialty crops. Connect with our team: https://www.agmetricsgroup.com/contact.html?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=strawberryneopesta #FloridaAgResearch #StrawberryResearch #FungicideTrials #DiseaseManagement #PlantPathology #CropProtection #AgInnovation #SpecialtyCrops #AgResearch #SustainableAg  Two pest issues are challenging Florida’s strawberry industry with reoccurring crop losses and very few effective and registered controls. The fungal disease Neopestalotiopsis, and the Chilli Thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis), have become the primary pests of strawberries grown in the southeastern US. Since their introduction, the Florida Strawberry Growers Association has funded several of our annual studies with these pests. Currently, we are planning the Fall 2024 program at our small fruit research station in Dover, Florida. Neopestalotiopsis Trials: Secure A Spot in Our "Add-On" Program If you have a conventional fungicide or biofungicide in development, our “add on” trial program has openings for additional entries. Tractor foliar sprays will begin at crop establishment and continue through the critical Christmas-New Year period. This is when disease episodes are explosive and require repeated sprays to maintain control of fruit infections. Our trials document foliar and fruit diseases weekly and include several commercial standards for comparison with new test products. Trials can be conducted with these reliable natural infestations, or artificially inoculated for greenhouse or open field trials separate from the Dover program. Chilli Thrips Trials: Test Your Product's Efficacy Under Challenging Conditions Chilli Thrips establish immediately after planting despite a month of overhead irrigations for crop establishment. Rain fastness, knockdown efficacy, and systemicity are desirable product attributes during this period. Also, because daily overhead irrigations interfere with foliar applied product efficacy, we are including chemigation and preplant soil drench applications in our protocols with some products. Following crop establishment after sprinkler irrigations are terminated, we use conventional foliar tractor spray applications. Products applied at this time will test efficacy on larvae and eggs, plus knockdown efficacy against adult Chilli Thrips. To summarize, transplant dips, preplant drenches, chemigation via drip tape, and foliar sprays are all possible in our program. As with the Neopestalotiopsis program, we also have Chilli Thrips colonies to populate smaller focused studies in the greenhouse and lab. Join Our Fall Strawberry Program Today If your product has efficacy against Neopestalotiopsis or Chilli Thrips, please give us a call while we are filling slots in our fall strawberry program in central Florida. The industry is searching for products that can help prevent yield losses for this economically important crop in the coming season. There is a lack of effective control measures for both pests so trialing your potential solutions could benefit everyone involved. Please call Balaji Aglave directly at 1(813) 892-1104 or email him at [email protected] or Erin Downey [email protected] to discuss your needs for upcoming Florida trials. For questions regarding trial work at any of our other stations, please contact Brad Booker at [email protected].
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