FOV4 Inoculum Density Dynamics and Year-to-Year Variation in Fusarium Wilt Risk

Concern regarding FOV4 continues in west Texas, and we have now quantified FOV4 density at high spatial resolution in research fields there. We find that inoculum density varies appreciably even within small areas, and that variation is associated with cotton plant type. I will discuss epidemiological consequences of cotton varieties' affecting inoculum density, between years. This will complement presentations by collaborators involving the metric used to quantify inoculum, and within-year analysis of varieties for performance against FOV4 challenge. I will also briefly discuss integration of seedling disease information into a larger decision support tool being developed as part of a recently-commenced interdisciplinary project in collaboration with entomologists and sociologists.