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I am from Costa Rica where I became an agricultural engineer
and plant scientist. Currently, I pursue a Master’s degree
at the Department of Plant Pathology, Ohio Agricultural Research
and Development Center’s (OARDC) Wooster campus.
My research focuses on tomato’s bacterial diseases and
vegetable transplant quality. Tomato seedlings are often produced
under carefully controlled environments with densities as
high as 175.68 transplants per square foot. These conditions,
which are designed to achieve higher levels of productivity
and make efficient use of space, unfortunately create an excellent
environment for a variety of foliar pathogens to multiply,
spread, and successfully colonize new plant tissue.
Consequently, there is a clash between quality control and
plants’ mass production in a short period of time. Bacterial
diseases are particularly difficult to control because of
their aggressiveness, fast rate of resistance development
and ease of plant-to-plant transmission. Each year, economic
loses are reported due to plant size reduction, peeling-off
difficulties during the tomato processing, defoliation and
reduction in cosmetic value of fresh fruits.
By exploring plant disease management strategies, I seek
to understand the type of spreading, tissue colonization,
and establishment -in the plant and in the fields- of Xanthomonas
vesicatoria and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato which are
the causal agents of bacterial leaf spot and bacterial speck,
respectively, major seed-borne diseases in the United States.
A general management approach is implemented employing antagonistic
organisms, plant health enhancers, environmentally friendly
improved water management techniques and optimized commercial
water delivery systems to control splashing of
bacterial cells throughout the greenhouses. The findings are
explained to the growers in response
to public health concerns, gradual banning of chemical products
(e.g. thylenebisdithiocarbamates (EDB’s)), increase in
organically produced agriculture, and sustainability of
natural resources.
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