UF/IFAS Scientist Named Fellow of American Phytopathological Society

Working at her lab and fields at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Natalia Peres diagnoses and helps manage diseases that might otherwise ruin strawberries, a $300 million per year crop in Florida.

In her efforts to beat back diseases, Peres helped develop the Strawberry Advisory System, which tells farmers when to spray fungicides on their crops to help them control botrytis and prevent anthracnose. Additionally, she’s participating in a collaborative effort with Cornell University – another land-grant institution — to use UV light to suppress strawberry pathogens.

Now, Peres has been named a fellow of the American Phytopathological Society (APS). The APS grants the fellow honor in recognition of distinguished contributions to plant pathology or to the society. Fellow recognition is based on significant contributions in one or more of the following areas: original research, teaching, administration, professional and public service, and/or Extension and outreach.

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