Recipient Organization
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
CORVALLIS,OR 97331
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The United States is a top producer of hops globally but grapples with considerable challenges in disease and weed management while striving to reduce pesticide residues, which can be barriers to export markets. Powdery and downy mildew are prominent among these challenges. Current practices involve early-season crop growth removal through herbicides or mechanical means to diminish primary disease sources, followed by a stringent in-season fungicide regimen. Although mechanical pruning aids in disease suppression, it disrupts soil structure, fosters weed germination, is costly, and may have unintended environmental consequences. Our project aims to evaluate electricity's efficacy, safety, quality, and economic viability for weed and disease management in hop cultivation. In collaboration with growers from Washington, Oregon, and New York, we will conduct field experiments targeting three primary objectives: (i) Assessing the impact of foliar-applied electricity on disease and weed densities, herbicide and fungicide use, and hop maturation; (ii) Formulating guidelines for electricity application during early-season shoot growth; (iii) Investigating electrotherapy's potential in hops by determining sublethal electricity doses for powdery and downy mildew control. Anticipated outcomes include decreased reliance on fungicides and herbicides and improved soil health through reduced tillage. The holistic approach of our research aligns with the overarching objective of fostering sustainable and efficient practices within the hop industry.
Animal Health Component
60%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
60%
Developmental
20%
Goals / Objectives
The overarching objective of this project is to pioneer electricity as an eco-friendly alternative to pesticides for weed and disease management, ensuring both ecological prudence and human safety. We aim to evaluate the viability of integrating these innovative technologies into hop production systems to ensure affordability and environmental sustainability. By introducing novel Plant Protection Tools and Tactics, we aim to enrich the diversity of weed and disease management strategies. The project team and farmer collaborators will guide our outreach efforts, targeting a broad audience through interactions with hop grower networks. We will assess the effectiveness of all extension products and activities, focusing on fostering conservation and enhancing environmental outcomes associated with hop production.
Project Methods
Our approach includes three interconnected activities: experiment station research (Obj 1), a series of replicated studies on commercial farms to evaluate the effects of different rates of electricity applied to hop basal foliage during the summer to control powdery mildew and weeds. (Obj 2), field studies conducted during hop emergence to assess the interaction of electricity interacts with downy mildew and its impact on crop emergence, and (Obj 3), we will explore the use of sublethal rates of electricity to suppress powdery mildew without affecting hop growth. Obj 1: We will select commercially relevant hop varieties such as 'CTZ that are sensitive to powdery mildew. Studies will be organized as a two-factor design with basal foliage removal method and time of last fungicide application as factors. Basal foliage removal will include the herbicide carfentrazone 35 g ai ha-1 or electricity (2 km h-1). Each treatment will be applied once or twice between July and August. Overlaid with the basal foliage treatments, we will include two levels of fungicide treatment (i) fungicide applications made up to late July, or the end of the period of greatest host susceptibility to powdery mildew and (ii) fungicide applications made up to late August, a typical grower standard. Obj 2. This objective aims to document whether electricity can reduce disease and weed pressure.In a commercial hopyard. the following treatments will be compared: 1) mechanical pruning, 2) chemical pruning (carfentrazone), 3) chemical removal (carfentrazone) applied twice, 4) electricity applied once 5) electricity applied twice, and 6) nontreated check. Treatments will be applied in early April, and reapplied, if indicated, 10 to 14 days later. The experiment will be designed as a randomized complete block with at least four replicates. Each replicate will consist of ten plants. Obj 3. Our studies will be conducted on a University farm to evaluate the effect of low electricity rates on hops. We will evaluate treatments at 3.5 MJ ha-1 to as low as 0.5 MJ ha-1 to identify the highest energy level that does not effect hop growth or injure foliage. Foliar injury will be monitored visually and non-destructively by chlorophyll leaf content as assessed by chlorophyll fluorescence. We will determine the affect of electricity applied pre- or post-infection with powdery mildew. Based on surveys, powdery mildew is of widespread importance to the industry. Greenhouse-grown hop plants will be disease-free until early spring, when weather conditions are conducive for powdery mildew infection. Plants will be inoculated with a field-population Podosphaera macularis solution. Two sublethal energy levels identified by the initial study will be applied at 7, 3, and 1 days before and 1, 3, and 7 days after inoculation. A fungicide and an untreated control will be included as a reference at all application times. The study will be organized as a two-factor factorial with four disease control treatments, six treatment times, and a noninfected, nontreated reference. Four plants per treatment will used. The study will be repeated.