Reducing fungicide inputs without sacrificing late season disease management and crop quality in Michigan hop and barley production
- Research Date
- 2022
- Authors
- Martin Chilvers
- Priorities
- Crop Quality, Disease Management
- Crop Categories
- Barley, Hops
- Beverage Categories
- Beer, Spirits
The craft beer industry is a critical part of Michigan’s economy and generates over 5,000 jobs and 2,598 million dollars. The major components of craft beer, barley and hops, are grown in Michigan. However, each crop suffers from late season diseases that affect quality. One of the primary barley diseases is Fusarium head blight, which can produce mycotoxins. Halo blight and downy mildew are the major hop diseases in Michigan, and can induce cone shatter, alter hop aromas, and cause up to 50% yield loss. This project focused on improving late season disease management to maximize crop quality.