Welcome to the Gevens lab!
My research program investigates the ecology of fungus and fungus-like plant pathogens for enhanced and integrated disease management to support commercial agriculture in Wisconsin. We have three main areas of focus: management of Phytophthora species pathogenic on potato and vegetable crops in field and storage, investigating species distribution and occurrence of pathogenic Alternaria affecting potato, and development of integrated disease management programming in potato systems to reduce reliance upon soil fumigation in managing key soilborne diseases. As the University of Wisconsin Extension Potato and Vegetable Pathologist, my program supports vegetable growers by providing research-based recommendations for controlling diseases during production and in storage. My research program directly feeds into my extension work.
Vegetable Crop Update Newsletter
Get the latest information about disease management in vegetable crop production in Wisconsin. To be added to the email listserv and receive this newsletter in your inbox, please contact Amanda Gevens.
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Vegetable Crop Update – Aug 23, 2026
In this issue: Potato Early and Late Blight Disease Risk Modelling and Management | Cucurbit Downy Mildew Updates | Tomato Bacterial Canker Symptom Identification & Management | Potato Black Dot Information Survey | UW Extension Crop Rotation for Cleaner Water and Soil Health Field Day
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Vegetable Crop Update – Aug 16, 2026
In this issue: Potato Early and Late Blight Disease Risk Modelling and Management | Potato & Tomato Late Blight Management Strategy | Cucurbit Downy Mildew Updates | Corn Earworm Updates and Management | Two-Spotted Spider Mites Updates and Management
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Late blight detection in SW Michigan
Please note an important disease update. Potato late blight (clonal lineage/genotype US-23) was discovered in a south-western Michigan County (St. Joseph) on August 12, 2026. Initial characterization of the pathogen was completed by Rob Schafer and his lab at Mid-Michigan Agronomy in DeWitt Michigan. Samples were also sent to Dr. Phillip Wharton at the University of Idaho Potato Pathology lab for secondary confirmation. Rob shared with his grower clients that the weather forecasted for the area over the next 5 days (temps in the 70s) is conducive for late blight development and he urged growers to be extra vigilant in…
Upcoming Events
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Sep 2Potato Field Day: Re-evaluating Crop Rotations for Cleaner Water and Soil Health
On Wednesday, September 2, from 10:00 a.m. to noon at 6445 US-14, Arena, WI, we will host a water quality and soil health field day in Arena, WI. Lunch is provided. The event explores the water quality and soil health benefits of alternative crop rotations for potatoes in Wisconsin, including on-farm water quality monitoring and …
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Feb 92027 WPVGA and UW Extension Grower Education Conference
The 2027 Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) and UW Extension Grower Education Conference will be held Tuesday, Feb 9, through Thursday, Feb 11, 2026, at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center in Stevens Point, WI. Growers attending the conference will have the opportunity to get a head start on the season with …
Information & Resources
Vegetable Disease Resources
Learn more about common vegetable diseases, disease risk prediction tools, and other online and print resources.
Decision Support Tools
View weather data and disease severity values in interactive charts for managing the risk of early blight and late blight of potato from a select set of locations in Wisconsin.
Field Trials and Publications
Find a list of our refereed journal publications or read our fungicide and disease management evaluations.
Lab Members
Lists of current and former lab members.