Michigan State University Extension Potato and Sugarbeet Scientist Jamie Willbur is evaluating the use of heat to manage Cercospora Leaf Spot. The fungus winters well in leaf residue. Incorporating residue is helpful, but Michigan uses less tillage than other areas. Willbur’s team worked with a fabricator to create a tractor-mounted propane burner to pass over sugarbeets just before defoliation. The study has shown proof of concept. “These treatments promoted leaf degradation,” said Willbur. “We’re able to reduce the inoculum pressure that next year’s sugarbeet fields would experience.”
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