Develop economic thresholds for plant-parasitic nematodes important to small fruits and understand under which conditions these thresholds apply.
Develop production systems which promote root health and encourage the establishment of plant-parasitic nematode suppressive environments.
Continue to provide information on the efficacy of current plant-parasitic nematode management strategies relevant to industry
Biology and management of plant-parasitic nematodes associated with small fruits
My lab's primary goal is to develop nematode management strategies for Pacific Northwest small fruit industries. Plant-parasitic nematode can cause considerable yield loss in perennial fruit production systems if left unmanaged. Current research includes: identification of nematode resistance in red raspberry; elucidation of the population biology of virus-transmitting nematodes and; evaluation of cover crops, nematicides and amendments in small fruit production systems for nematode control.