Cercospora leaf spot, a fungal disease caused by the organism Cercospora beticola, is the most destructive and expensive to control foliar disease of sugarbeets. Michigan State University Extension’s sugarbeet specialist Daniel Bublitz will address Cercospora leaf spot during the June 18, 2020, Field Crops Virtual Breakfast meeting from 7-7:30 a.m. via Zoom.
Bublitz will discuss how to identify Cercospora leaf spot, its lifecycle and economic impact. He will also cover cultural resistance and management with fungicides. This information is intended to help sugarbeet growers more effectively manage the impact of Cercospora leaf spot. Following this discussion, MSU’s agricultural meteorologist Jeff Andresen will present the current weather conditions and the seven- to-10-day forecast.
The Field Crops Virtual Breakfast sessions are held every week during the growing season via Zoom. These virtual meetings take place every Thursday morning from 7-7:30 a.m. from April 16 through Sept. 10, 2020. In cooperation with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), RUP credits will now be available for the live sessions. Each week will have a specific code provided to attendees. The recertification credits will not be available to those viewing the recordings or podcasts. Categories will be Commercial core, Private core and 1A.
Participating is easy and free! You can join the live meeting via Zoom using a computer, tablet, mobile device or regular phone line. If you are new to Zoom, simply download the Zoom app and you will be ready to join online every week to see visuals shared by presenters. A call-in by phone option is also available but note that you will only hear the audio portion.
Participants must sign up to receive an email notification with instructions for joining the Virtual Breakfast. You only need to do this once and you will receive the Zoom link and call-in phone number, as well as weekly reminders every Wednesday. Participants receiving emails can opt in or out at any time.
Sign up here to receive Virtual Breakfast Zoom information
If you cannot participate in the live session at 7 a.m., you can view the recorded version at any time. However, only the live session will be eligible for RUP credits. Recordings will be closed-captioned and available at the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast page and the MSU Extension Field Crops Team social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
If you are unable to sign up online, call the Lapeer County MSU Extension office at (810) 667-0341.