Throughout the spring and summer of 2020, Evan Wilson, agriculture agent for Cabell and Wayne counties, has been participating in a monitoring trial for cucurbit downy mildew (CDM.) For many years, CDM was controlled through resistant cultivars but since 2005, there has been a nearly 40% crop loss throughout the region. Last summer, Wilson was fortunate to partner with several growers in two counties but with the uncertainty of COVID-19 guidelines, this year's plot was planted at the agents' home. Varieties in this years trial include: Butterscotch butternut squash, Halona cantaloupes, pollinizer watermelon, silver slicer cucumbers, table queen acorn squash and thunder kabocha squash.
As summer progresses, Wilson will update findings and share new information pertaining to CDM.