Extension/Outreach

Extension outreach and engagement are integral to our department.  Extension focus areas include One Health, Educational Programming, and Diagnostics.

One Health

A One Health approach brings together diverse disciplines to address the spread of disease, promote health and emphasize the connection among humans, animals, plants and the environment.  Faculty in the department extend knowledge locally, nationally and globally on 1) prevention and control of foodborne pathogens (i.e. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Norovirus, Shiga-toxin E. coli) and mycotoxins associated with food crops, 2) environmental risk factors that impact agricultural food systems including pesticide stewardship and antimicrobial resistance and; 3) good agricultural practices to mitigate preharvest plant disease and food safety risks.

Educational Programming

Our Extension faculty and Program Specialists are committed to providing our stakeholders with the best available science, and delivering this information in a way that will improve disease management and public health, enhance product quality and safety, and benefit the environment and our stakeholders.  Our primary approach for outreach and engagement is through our Extension educational programming. Program delivery takes many forms, from distance education (webinars, online courses etc.), social media (Facebook, Twitter etc.) and other online platforms (blogs, program websites etc.), to traditional face-to-face meetings (in-services, grower meetings, field days etc.), factsheets (traditional and interactive) and a variety of printed publications.  Our faculty and state specialists work closely with county Extension educators, independent and company-based crop advisors and consultants, Ohio-based seed companies, agricultural business associations, large producers as well as Plain (i.e. Amish) communities. In addition, we partner with Commodity Teams, interdisciplinary programs such as the Agronomics Crop Team, Vegetable Crops Team, Fruit Crops Team, Extension Nursery Landscape and Turf Team (ENLT), IPM Center Working Groups such as the Great Lakes Fruit Workers (GLFW), Great Lakes Vegetables, and Great Lakes Hops, and the Greenhouse Industry Roundtable of the Midwest (GIRM).

Plant Disease Diagnostics

Plant disease diagnostic services are provided across the state to commercial producers and backyard gardeners.  Services are provided by the C. Wayne Ellett Plant Disease and Pest Diagnostic Clinic,CFAES Wooster Campus, Ohio and by commodity specific Specialists located in the Department at the Wooster campus.

Meet Our Extension Specialists

Francesca Peduto Hand Ornamental Crops	Ornamental Disease Facts @PrettyPlantsDoc  u.osu.edu/handlab
Melanie L. Lewis Ivey Fruit, Hope and Nut Crops Fresh Produce Safety	OSU Fruit Pathology OSU Grape IPM OSU Fruit and Vegetable Safety Facebook_OSU_Fruit_Pathology Facebook_Ohio_Grape_IPM
Sally Miller Vegetable Crops	Ohio Veggie Disease News VegNet Newsletter Vegetable Disease Facts High Tunnel Disease Facts Vegetable Pathology Lab @OhioVeggieDoc
Pierce Paul Field Crops	Agronomic Crops Corn Disease
Horacio Lopez Nicora Soybean
Francesca Rotondo Plant Diagnostics	C. Wayne Ellett Plant Disease and Diagnostics Clinic