Author: David Santos

Pathogen Profile: Xanthomonas hortorum pv. vitians

Xanthomonas hortorum pv. vitians Introduction Xanthomonas hortorum pv. vitians is a  bacterial pathogen responsible for bacterial leaf spot in lettuce and other leafy vegetables; this pathogen poses a significant challenge to growers worldwide [1]. Bacterial leaf spot can lead to substantial crop yield losses and severe economic consequences. Historically, outbreaks can cause up to 100% […]
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Pathogen Profile: Clarireedia spp.

Clarireedia spp. What is Clarireedia spp.? Our guest writer Jessica O’Hanlon, from Earth Microbial, is very familiar with the fungus Clarireedia spp. With golf season approaching for the northern areas, and at the request of our readers, we invited her to write this blog about this grass pathogen. It causes a common turfgrass disease known […]
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growers' portal

Growers’ Portal

Track Your Microbiome with Ease: Introducing the Growers’ Portal If you’re a farmer or indoor grower, you know how important it is to maintain the health and robustness of your plants. The microbial communities (microbiomes) in hydroponic systems play a crucial role in determining your plants’ overall health and yield. To help you easily track […]
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Lettuce drop due to Sclerotinia minor.

Pathogen Profile: Sclerotinia minor

Sclerotinia minor What is Sclerotinia minor? Sclerotinia minor is a fungal pathogen affecting a wide variety of plants, most notably soybean, lettuce, canola, peanuts, and sunflowers [1–3]. Sclerotinia species, such as  Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Sclerotinia trifoliorum, are responsible for Sclerotinia rots or white moulds, which are of concern to farmers [4]. The infection causes massive […]
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tomato bacteria Pseudomonas syringae

Pathogen Profile: Pseudomonas syringae

Pseudomonas syringae What is Pseudomonas syringae? The bacteria Pseudomonas syringae is a common plant pathogen mostly found in stems and leaves [1]. It infects a wide range of plants—including fruit trees, greenhouse vegetables, ornamentals, and field crops. Annually, the bacteria cause billions of dollars of damage worldwide from lost fruits, damaged trees, unmarketable ornamentals, and […]
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rhizoctonia tomato stem

Pathogen Profile: Rhizoctonia solani

Rhizoctonia solani What is Rhizoctonia solani? The fungus Rhizoctonia solani is a soilborne pathogen that spreads in wet and warm conditions. It infects many economically vital plants—including greenhouse vegetables, ornamentals, and field crops [1, 2]. Crops affected by this pathogen include peppers, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, rice, soybeans, wheat, lilies and turf grass. In fact, it […]
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field vs vertical lettuce

Hydroponic vs. Soil Cultivation

Written by: Becky Anderson Published by: David Santos Hydroponic vs. Soil Cultivation Hydroponic farming mitigates many issues and stressors that traditional farmers face. These issues can include reliance on the weather, soil erosion, poor drainage, and unsuitable soil compaction or nutrient density. Hydroponic farming allows for less usage of water than irrigation systems. Hydroponics not only recycle […]
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ralstonia bacterial wilt tomato potato

Pathogen Profile: Ralstonia solanacearum

Written by: Becky Anderson Published by: David Santos Ralstonia solanacearum What is Ralstonia solanacearum? The bacterial pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum is a Gram-negative, soil-borne bacterial pathogen that causes bacterial wilt and brown rot in potatoes. This bacterium belongs to a complex of four groups called phylotypes. These groups are known as the R. solanacearum species complex (RSSC). Each […]
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cgc 2022 banner

Healthy Hydroponics at CGC 2022

Healthy Hydroponics at CGC 2022 The Canadian Greenhouse Conference is one of the most important conferences for anyone in the indoor agriculture industry. CGC is regarded as “Canada’s foremost event for commercial greenhouse flower, vegetable, cannabis, berry and nursery growers” (1) because of the quality of the exhibits and the number of people that come […]
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Behind the Science: Jennifer Lin

This week, I asked Jennifer Lin some fun questions about herself. Jennifer is a Research Assistant and she completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Waterloo. She has a strong background in biochemistry and enzymology. Keep reading to learn more about Jennifer and her kittens!
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