UMass Researching 'Pumpkin Plague' in MA's Pioneer Valley

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Some farmers in Massachusetts's Pioneer Valley who grow squash, pumpkin, and potato are grappling with a severe soil-borne disease, Phytophthora capsici, which has been likened to a "pumpkin plague." This plant pathogen is impacting these crops and posing a potential threat to many others. In a recent article, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reports on UMass's efforts to combat this disease:

[Hadley farmer Joe Czajkowski] said he and neighboring farmers are searching for ways to cope without using fungicides, and he notes that antidotes are currently being researched by UMass Extension’s [Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment], which may provide mold-resistant pumpkin seeds, for example.

— The Daily Hampshire Gazette

Click here to read this article in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.