Powdery mildew is a common disease in lettuce that can reduce yields by up to 30% and lower the quality of the harvest. Finding better ways to manage this disease is an important area of research, especially for regenerative organic farms.
One promising method involves using ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light comes in three types: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. Certain types of UV light can affect how plants grow, their nutrient levels, and even their leaf color. This method could be a helpful tool for controlling disease, along with commercially available chemicals like biopesticides.
A greenhouse study was conducted by exposing lettuce seedlings to UV light before planting, and then applying a fungicide, i.e., MilStop (which is approved by organic material review institute, OMRI) after planting. We looked at how this affected mildew levels, yield, and the nutritional quality of lettuce.
View and download our findings in this handy one-page summary of our research.