UV Light to Battle Powdery Mildew

Thanks to the work of an international, multidisciplinary team of researchers led by Cornell AgriTech’s David Gadoury, farmers may get a break from relying on fungicides to control powdery mildew (PM)—a rampant fungal disease that affects nearly all plant species. “In more than three years of trials, UV light applications worked as well or better than available fungicides, killing 95 percent of PM in field strawberries. We’ve seen similar results in field and greenhouse trials of basil, roses, grapes, and cucumbers,” said Gadoury, senior research associate in Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe-Biology section of the School of Integrative Plant Science.