Recent News
Colin Koubek wins 3-minute thesis oral presentation competition
Apr 25, 2025
Colin Koubek and Taylor Hibino represented the Strawberry Center as graduate students in Cal Poly's "3-minute Thesis" oral presentation competition. Both did very well and Colin won 1st place ($500) out of 17 contestants for his presentation on "Shedding Light on Strawberry Pest Control: UV-C as a Management Strategy for Spider Mites". Congratulations to Colin and Taylor for competing and Colin for taking first place!
Photo key (left to right): Havir Kalkat (2nd place); Bella Slosberg (3rd place); Amanda Lathrop (interim dean of grad education); Evan Tamayo (3rd place); Colin Koubek (1st place)
Evan Dumas (Good Farms Data Manager) visits the Strawberry Center
Apr 25, 2025
Our ability to interpret data is not keeping pace with our ability to generate that data. Evan Dumas (Senior Data Manager at Good Farms) gave a lecture at Cal Poly on data analytics in strawberries. They are making great strides in utilizing data to improve operations and employee and customer satisfaction. Thank you Evan for making the trip to Cal Poly and sharing your knowledge and experience with our students!
Another fantastic Open House in the books!
Apr 18, 2025
Another fantastic Open House in the books! Our booth featured a prize wheel and engaging displays highlighting plant pathology, automation and entomology. The entire table was run by our amazing graduate and undergraduate students, who had a great time connecting with prospective students and their families. 
Parker Jones visits with the Strawberry Center and PLSC 450
Apr 18, 2025
Parker Jones (Director of Operations, Providence Farms) gave a lecture at Cal Poly on organic strawberry production. It was a great opportunity for our students to gain firsthand knowledge about the practices and challenges faced by organic growers. Thank you Parker for making the trip to Cal Poly and sharing your knowledge and experience with our students!
Interested in hearing his lecture? Click the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHOo8r4SKik
Team members attend APS Pacific Division Meeting & Conference on Soilborne Plant Pathogens
Apr 8, 2025
Last week, members of our team attended the APS Pacific Division Meeting & Conference on Soilborne Plant Pathogens at UC Davis!
Marina Gutierrez (2nd year, M.S.) gave a presentation on the "effect of abiotic stresses on Macrophomina root rot in California strawberry", while Maria Arrendondo (1st year, M.S.) showcased her research in a poster session on "evaluating field sanitation practices to mitigate the spread of strawberry soilborne pathogens".
Congratulations to Marina and Maria on this milestone in their graduate degrees!
Rain or shine, our team is out in the fields!
Apr 1, 2025
Rain or shine, our team is out in the fields! Pictured here are some of our staff members and undergraduate students harvesting fruit in the rain for a research trial evaluating the effects of fungicide applications for control of Botrytis fruit rot. Research doesn't stop for the weather!
Karina Li wins Ventura CAPCA scholarship
Apr 1, 2025
Congratulations to Karina Li who recently won a $2,000 Ventura CAPCA scholarship! This was used to cover tuition, notebooks and computer repairs. As a third year Plant Science major, Karina's been a valuable part of the Strawberry Center for nearly two years, working in both the pathology and entomology labs. This summer, Karina will be interning with the Betteravia/Bonipak soil lab. Way to go!
26 Hours of Science & Technology in Agriculture
Mar 21, 2025
The Cal Poly Latinos in Agriculture Club, in collaboration with the Plant Science Department, hosted over 100 California high school students for this year's "26 Hours of Science & Technology in Agriculture" event, which provides students with a 26-hour tour of Cal Poly's diverse agricultural offerings, centers and departments. Plant pathology program leader Shashika Hewavitharana and several master's students provided instructional demonstrations and hands-on activities focusing on basic strawberry plant diseases and diagnostic tests. It was wonderful showing these students some of the great opportunities Cal Poly can offer!
Leopards don't change their spots, but these mites will!
Mar 11, 2025
Leopards don't change their spots, but these mites will! Dr. Mohammad Amir Aghaee just published a blog post on Lewis mites and their seeming ability to "transform" into two-spotted spider mites (TSSM). This illusion of changing spots is due to the movement of the organelles and food within the body of the mite, shown in the video above. Lewis mite is a serious pest because it can outpace TSSM and predatory mites during winter months when temperatures are below 15 °C. Learn more about distinguishing these mites and their impact here:
https://strawberrycenterblog.com/2025/03/11/a-leopard-doesnt-change-its-spots-but-these-mites-will/
Marina Gutierrez's research project: using citrus oils for pathogen control
Mar 4, 2025
Marina Gutierrez, one of our graduate students, is currently evaluating the efficacy of using nanoencapsulated citrus oils to control strawberry pathogens that cause Botrytis fruit rot and powdery mildew. Pictured is the detached fruit assay process in which berries are dipped into various citrus oil treatments, artificially inoculated with Botrytis cinerea, and then incubated for four days. These berries are then visually assessed to determine disease severity.
