Project Grant 20235110240781

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FOLLOWING THE PHASE OUT OF METHYL BROMIDE, PHYTOPHTHORA FRUIT ROT CAUSED BY THE OOMYCETE PHYTOPHTHORA CAPSICI AND ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES POSE MOUNTING CHALLENGES TO CUCURBIT PRODUCTION WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. IN RECENT YEARS, LOSSES FROM PHYTOPHTHORA FRUIT ROT IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION HAVE RANGED FROM 7-20% PROMPTING THE NEED FOR NEW MANAGEMENT APPROACHES. INTEREST IN THE USE OF BIOFUMIGANT CROPS IS EXPANDING, BUT LACK OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ALONG WITH TRADITIONAL SPRING PLANTINGS HAVE LIMITED THE DEPLOYMENT OF THIS APPROACH IN WATERMELON AND PUMPKIN PRODUCTION. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO (1) ASSESS GROWER INTEREST IN IMPLEMENTING ALTERNATIVE PRACTICES AND EVALUATE THE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF LATE SUMMER AND FALL PLANTED BIOFUMIGANT CROPS. (2) ASSESS VIABILITY AND BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR LATE SUMMER AND FALL BIOFUMIGANT ESTABLISHMENT. (3) QUANTIFY CHANGES IN P. CAPSICI AND NEMATODE POPULATIONS IN SOIL FOLLOWING USE OF BIOFUMIGATION. (4) DISSEMINATE DATA THROUGHEXTENSION AND OUTREACH. IN THIS INTEGRATED RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROJECT, WE WILL ADDRESS RELEVANT STAKEHOLDER CONCERNS REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF BIOFUMIGANT CROPS AND ASSESS IF FALL PLANTING IS FEASIBLE FOR DISEASE MANAGEMENT IN WATERMELON AND PUMPKIN PRODUCTION. ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF PLANTING DATE FOR OPTIMAL ESTABLISHMENT OF BIOFUMIGANT BIOMASS WILL BE COMBINED WITH THE ABILITY TO QUANTIFY CHANGES IN PATHOGEN POPULATIONS TO INFORM EXTENSION RECOMMENDATIONS ON IMPROVED DISEASE MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES FOR WATERMELON AND PUMPKIN PRODUCTION IN THE MID-ATLANTIC. FINDINGS FROM THIS RESEARCH WILL BE APPLICABLE BEYOND WATERMELON AND PUMPKIN TO ALL VEGETABLE CROPS SUSCEPTIBLE TO P. CAPSICI AND ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES.