Squash Fungi Study Pt 2
I'm Bob Larson. We heard yesterday from an Oregon State University researcher who's spent the past few years looking into the cause of Pink Root Rot that's been targeting winter squash grown in that region.
Ph.D. candidate Hannah Rivedal says cucurbits are an important pumpkin relatives grown in the Willamette Valley ...
RIVEDAL ... "It effects both those winter squash grown for that kind of processing, that edible "pumpkin seed" and pie processing, or frozen foods as well as fresh market farms. There are, you know, everybody who grows crops for the farmer's market, their cucurbits, their cucumbers, melons and squash are also susceptible. I've been working on how this effects the host range of cucurbits in general."
Rivedal says rotating crops is a good way to keep the fungi from taking hold ...
RIVEDAL ... "So, that's been a major piece of this work has been trying to identify what exactly, when we rotate, what we're doing to the soils fungal pathogen community, but it's a really difficult challenge and it's just best to give yourself a lot of time."
And, if a grower suspects something?
RIVEDAL ... "Growers, they can definitely contact their county extension agent or the OSU Plant Clinic and they would be happy to either get them in touch with me or help them figure out what exactly is going on."
Rivedal says at this point she just wants growers to be aware and that more studies are still to come.
Winter squash is a $7-million industry in Oregon.
