Clemson announces Coastal Research and Education Center Field Day

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Lowcountry growers can learn the newest ideas and recommendations for successfully growing vegetables during the 2021 Field Day at Clemson Coastal Research and Education (REC) slated for June 17.

The field day will be held at the at the Coastal REC, 2865 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414 and highlights research conducted by Clemson investigators and scientists with the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). There is no charge to attend this field day, but space is limited. For reservations, email Michelle Crosby at dyer5@clemson.edu or obtain tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2021-coastal-research-and-education-center-field-day-tickets-156113881823.

The day kicks off with registration at 8:30 a.m. Following registration, guests will board trailers to ride to field presentations at 9 a.m. This event is scheduled to end at 12 p.m. Continuing certification credits (CCH) for pesticide applicator recertification will be offered.

Field presentations include a discussion by Tony Keinath, research and Cooperative Extension Service vegetable pathologist, on how planting date and fungicides can improve management of downy mildew on cucumber. Keinath also will explain how newly released seedless watermelon cultivars differ in susceptibility to Fusarium wilt and how cultivars of beet greens differ in susceptibility to Phoma and Cercospora leaf spots.

Other presentations include one by Sean Toporek, graduate research assistant, who will address practicing grafting on cantaloupe to control downy mildew. Brian Ward, organic vegetable specialist, will give an update on watermelon grafting and discuss current trends in industrial hemp; and Patrick Wechter, USDA-ARS research plant pathologist, will talk about graft incompatibility in muskmelon using “Carolina Strongback” rootstock.

Sandra Branham, assistant professor of vegetable breeding and genetics, will discuss a green bean variety trial being conducted under both ideal and heat-stressed conditions; Gursewak Singh, a graduate research assistant, will talk about his cover crop anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) study “Using cover crops to facilitate ASD;” and Matthew Cutulle, weed scientist, will discuss herbicide concepts in tomato and other vegetable herbicide issues, such as environmental impacts on herbicide carryover, injury and more.

Field presentations also will include a discussion about phytophthora crown and root rot resistant rootstock for grafting peppers by Richard Hassell, vegetable physiologist and Extension vegetable specialist. Scott Graule, director of James Island Outreach, will summarize how vegetable donations from the CREC have benefited the community.

For more information, contact Zack Snipes, zbsnipe@clemson.edu.

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