Recent News
Great AGventure event 2022
Oct 14, 2022
Our team had the wonderful opportunity to host an exhibit table at the 20th annual Great AGventure, held at the Paso Robles Events Center on Tuesday, Oct. 11. This event focuses on providing interactive education to local 4th graders on various sectors of the agricultural industry.
Mary Steele (Strawberry Center) and Miriam Mendez and James Reid (both CA Strawberry Commission) hosted a fabulous table, providing a presentation and interactive activities for the kids in attendance. Among other things, they demonstrated Phytophthora testing using Immuno-strips and allowed close inspection with a hand lens of berries carrying Botrytis. A huge thank you goes out to Mary, Miriam and James for creating such a wonderful opportunity for local kids to learn about our center and to the SLO Agricultural Education Committee for hosting this enriching annual event!
Jose Alvarado Rojas receives ESA travel award and stipend
Oct 11, 2022
Strawberry Center Entomology Research Manager Jose Alvarado Rojas has been selected to receive a travel award and stipend to attend the 2022 Entomological Society of America (ESA) conference, being held this November in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Jose has also been invited to speak at the 10th Annual Latin/Hispanic Symposium.
Congratulations Jose!
New office decor installations at the Strawberry Center!
Oct 7, 2022
Check out our new office wall decor! Our photo collage wall wrap is a showcase of the Strawberry Center's and Cal Poly's mission using photos of students in action (i.e., "Learn by Doing"). Both a strawberry word cloud and front window entry piece were installed as well.
Thank you to Quality Tinting and Signs of San Luis Obispo, CA for their beautiful work!
How Strawberries Are Grown in California
Sep 30, 2022
Graduate student Mary Steele presents research at Reiter workshop
Sep 27, 2022
Graduate student Mary Steele presented a portion of her research thesis at a Ranch Manager Workshop for Reiter Affiliated Companies. Her disease survey in Watsonville-Salinas and Santa Maria is showing which soilborne pathogens are most prevalent and how often they are found in mixed infections. Highly pertinent information for ranch managers!
The training consisted of presentations by Gerald Holmes and Kyle Blauer (diseases), Dan Howes (salinity), Charlotte Decock (nutrition) and Sarah Zukoff (entomology). Thanks to Andrew Rice and his team at Reiter for organizing the training.
Strawberry diseases and insects up close!
Sep 22, 2022
Center program leaders Drs. Sarah Zukoff and Shashika Hewavitharana hosted a hands-on exhibit table featuring strawberries' most important pests and diseases at the STEM College to Career Development event, held in Arroyo Grande, CA on September 25, 2022.
Hosted by Central Coast STEM Connect, this event endeavors to raise awareness and interest in students of all ages about expanded STEM subjects:
(S)cience, service & self-employment
(T)echnology & trades
(E)ngineering & entrepreneurship
(M)ath, medical & media/graphics
