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Dr. Gerald Holmes, Student Invited Speaker
November 6, 2023 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
“Cal Poly Strawberry Center: a New Model for Applied Research and Grower Outreach”
Dr. Gerald J. Holmes, Director Cal Poly Strawberry Center, San Luis Obispo, CA
Abstract
The Cal Poly Strawberry Center is a partnership between the California Strawberry Commission and Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo. The Center was established in 2014 with the hiring of two plant pathologists. Over the last nine years, this has expanded to 12 staff working in three main areas: plant pathology, entomology, and automation. Approximately 40 to 50 undergraduate and graduate students per year work in the field and laboratory conducting applied research and gaining hands-on work experience. Some of the Center’s most impactful projects include: host plant resistance to Verticillium wilt and Macrophomina root rot, Botrytis fruit rot fungicide efficacy and resistance; predatory mite quality assessment, insecticide and miticide resistance, UV-C for powdery mildew and arthropod management; and Lygus bug vacuum optimization, plant hole burner, and spray rig optimization. In this seminar, Dr. Holmes will describe the formation, purpose, and growth of the Strawberry Center and how it fills a niche in today’s changing landscape of university-industry relations.
For more information regarding Dr. Holmes’ seminar, please see the seminar announcement.