LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Melanie Lewis Ivey is studying how diseases enter greenhouses and cost-effective prevention methods. Ivey said the goal is to identify the entry points of high-risk pathogens and develop best practices for safeguarding greenhouse crops from bacteria, viruses and viroids. She also hopes to find out if plant pathogens and human pathogens enter systems at similar points. Ivey said the project includes both small and large greenhouses, so researchers can determine how risk levels vary by size of the operation.

Because food safety is ultimately up to the people who grow and process food, Ivey is assembling a guide that will help greenhouse producers learn about best practices for plant disease and food safety management.

The project is a collaboration with Ohio State University and is funded by a $2 million speciality grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The AgCenter’s part is $130,000. To read the full article, please click here.

Source: www.lsuagcenter.com, written by Olivia McClure.