Dr. Nicole Gauthier is a Professor and Extension specialist at the University of Kentucky.  Her program focuses on disease management of specialty crops including fruits, vegetables, and hemp.  In her Extension role, she develops educational and outreach programs to help growers manage disease through identification, understanding of pathosystems, and integration of management strategies. Her research program focuses on a range of hemp diseases, including Fusarium head blight, as well as stand establishment and seedborne transmission. 



Dr. Gauthier’s resources can be found at plantpathology.ca.uky.edu/extension/publications, on Facebook and Twitter at @KYPlantDisease, and on YouTube at @NicoleGauthier. 



Nicole’s team at the University of Kentucky recently published a fact sheet about Fusarium head blight in hemp plants, which caught my eye considering many of the cultivators we work with at Medicinal Genomics struggle with that pathogen.



During our conversation, we discuss:




The financial impact of fusarium on Hemp and cannabis crops



The public health concerns due to Fusarium’s production of harmful mycotoxins



How growers often misidentify Fusarium head blight as Botrytis due to similar symptoms, leading to ineffective management strategies.



Environmental conditions that increase the likelihood of a Fusarium infection



Challenges for prevention and management, including a lack of effective fungicides and resistant cultivars



Future Research to understand Fusarium spread, genetic resistance, and management techniques




Thanks to this episode’s Sponsor: Rare Earth Genomics.



Rare Earth Genomics is a dynamic partnership formed with Texas A&M AgriLife, one of the world’s leading research institutions, to accelerate hemp research and create tools for farmers. Their mission is to increase the likelihood of a successful harvest for farmers through genetic analysis and rigorous environmental testing of vigorous cultivars. Learn more at rareearchgenomics.com



Additional Resources




UK Plant Pathology resources and publications



USDA hemp multistate group (S1084) resources page



UK hemp website



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