Pathology group attends joint APS-Soil-borne Plant Pathogens Conference

The Cal Poly Strawberry Center was well represented at the joint APS-Pacific Division meeting and the 69th Annual Soil-borne Plant Pathogens Conference, held in late March at Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR.

In attendance were:
• Yu-Chen Wang (Cal Poly alumnus and current Plant Pathology Farm Advisor, UCCE)
• Dr. Shashika Hewavitharana (Strawberry Center, Pathology Program Leader) moderated the Student Presentation Session of the Soil-borne Pathogens Conference
• Cooper Calvin (current Cal Poly M.S. student) won a travel award from the APS-Pacific Division and gave an oral presentation on Macrophomina root rot management
• Mary Steele (Cal Poly alumnus and current Ph.D. student at Washington State University) won a travel award from the Soil-borne Pathogens Conference and gave an oral presentation on wheat cover cropping impacts on soil microbiome and Macrophomina root rot
• Celeste Gonzalez Chavez (Cal Poly alumnus and current M.S. student at UC Davis) won 3rd place in the APS-Pacific Division student poster presentation on fungal species associated with branch canker and dieback disease in pear
• Joseph Ramirez (current Cal Poly M.S. student) gave an oral presentation on host resistance to Macrophomina root rot and Verticillium wilt.