AHDB Project CP 157. Aerial oomycetes: a review of management and control options available for the UK horticultural industry

As part of this new AHDB project to bring together current knowledge and to identify knowledge gaps regarding airborne oomycete pathogens (namely downy mildews, Phytophthora species above ground, and white blister) we (ADAS) would like to ask if you would complete this questionnaire. Insight into your experiences of these pathogens will help us to direct our review down the most beneficial paths for the industry across theAHDB Field Vegetables (not potatoes), Protected Edibles, Ornamentals, Soft Fruit and Top Fruit sectors.

Please could complete the survey with as much detail as possible and return it to usas soon as you are able via either e-mail or post to:

Dr Erika Wedgwood

ADAS Boxworth, Battlegate Road,

Boxworth,Cambridge,CB23 4NN

If you would also like, or prefer, to talk with us over the phone to discuss your experience with these pathogens then please either e-mail or call Erika Wedgwood (Tel.01954 268231).

To follow up this survey you may be contacted by telephone by ADAS to discuss your experience with, or freedom from this type of disease. Please tick if you do not wish to be contacted

Returned survey forms will be held by ADAS researchers and any information you provide to us will be anonymised before being included in reports to the AHDB.

Business name and address
County where your crops are mainly grown
Your name
Contact telephone number/s
Email address

If you do not wish to give your details, please can you let us know the County in which you mainly grow your crops?

Q1Crop loss

What is the significance of crop losses in your UK crops due to either downy mildews, white blister, or Phytophthoraspecies that sporulate on leaves, stems or fruit (aerial oomycetes)?

What do you envisage could be the potential loss if you had no spray programmes in place?

Please attach another sheet if you have had a greater number of crops with these diseases.

Crop - propagationstage
If none, please go to next table / Disease / Problem
Rank 0 - 5 * / Mean % crop loss / Highest % crop loss
Actual / Potential / Actual estimated

*Frequency of disease occurrence and severity of crop loss, please rank 0-5 as follows:

0 = Never seen in your crops

1 = Rare, only seen “once in a blue moon”

2 = Uncommon

3 = Common and an occasional problem

4 = Commonand serious problemscan occur

5 = Common, and often leads to economic damage

Crop - after propagation stage / Outdoor (O) or Indoor (I) / Disease / Problem
Rank 0 - 5 * / Mean % crop loss / Highest % crop loss
Actual / Potential / Actual estimated

Q2 Crop loss contd.

Any additional information on disease frequency and severity e.g. effects of crop location (including in storage), irrigation, variety, time of year:

Q3 Crop areas

What approximate areas do you generally grow of the crops you have listed in Q1?

In propagation / Out of propagation
Crop / Area (ha) / Crop / Area (ha)

Q4 Knowledge exchange

How useful have you found information sources at providing information, particularly onthe pathogens in this survey? Please rate source as; * = Poor, ** = Acceptable, *** = Good

Information source / Star rating / Please comment, or give more details
AHDB Factsheets
AHDB Grower magazine
Horticulture Week
Other magazines, newspapers
Visits by specialists
Training courses
AHDB website
Other websites (please name)
Blogs
AHDB Project reports
ADAS Technical Notes
Meetings/conferences
Other- please specify below;

Q5 Disease management

Please select three aerial oomycete diseases from Q1, if possible covering a disease control success range. For an average year rate the level of control; *=Improvement needed, **= Satisfactory, ***= Very good

Disease A / Disease B / Disease C
Crop
Disease
Level of control

Please indicate which measures you have utilised in their management by stating Yes or No:

Control measures / Has this control measure been utilised for the disease Y/N?
Disease A / Disease B / Disease C
Resistance/varieties
Hygiene
Irrigation scheduling
Ventilation of protected crops
Crop rotation
Chemical fungicides
Biopesticides
Growth promoters
Routine Protectant
Programmes
Diagnostics (on or off-site)
Monitoring / crop walking
Forecasting based on experience
Forecasting by computer program
Other/s (please specify)

Q6 Plant protection products

Of the chemical and/or biological fungicides, or similar, you have you used against the three diseases named in Q5, please give information on thebest threeproducts for each disease.

Target
disease / Effective product name (up to 3 per disease) / Crop location Glasshouse (G) Tunnel (T)
Field (F) / Protectant (P) or curative (C) application / Comments on why they weregood e.g. long or quick acting, worked well, no deposit
A
B
C

If you have found any products ineffective please also name and comment on them below:

Target / Ineffective product name / G, T or F location / P or C application / Comments on why you consider they were poor
A
B
C

Q7 Poor disease control

If fungicide control has been less than anticipated for particular aerial oomycete disease/s (not necessarily of those named above), do you believe it to be due to the development of pathogen resistance, spray coverage or other cause/s?

Crop / Disease / Products used / Suggestions on why you consider disease control has been problematic

Q8 Disease diagnosis

How do you carry out diagnosis of aerial oomycetes on stems, leaves or fruits in your crops? Please state (if known) how frequently you,or services you use,employ these methods; N = Not used, *= Rarely, **= Sometimes, ***=Usually?

By whom / Naked eye /
Hand-lens / Micro-
scope / Damp box / Culture / Lateral flow kit (LFD) / Mol-ecular / DNA / PCR / Other
In-house staff
Visiting Advisor
Direct to laboratory

Q9Suggestions for further research or other information

Are there any specific disease management problems that you would like to see answers to, or areas of knowledge that you (or your staff) would like to be better informed on?

Examples might include:effective use of biofungicides; how pathogens disperse/survive etc.

We would be grateful if we could either receive acompleted form back from you, or you could contact us if youprefer to complete this form by telephone. Please could we have your replies back by 30thNovember 2015?

We will contact you to arrange a suitable day and time to speak with you if you have requested a phone-call, or if we have queries. We may also seek to speak with you towards the end of November if you have not returned this form, as we wish to obtain information from growers of as wide a cross-section of crops and business types as possible.

Results from this survey will be presented to AHDB in a final report at the end of March 2016. The information from the report will be used to guide decisions on the funding of particular areas of research or development, factsheets and other publications, and training events.

Thank you for your help with this survey.Please return it to me as detailed on the first page.

Dr Erika F. Wedgwood

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