Ashok Chanda
Ashok Chanda, who was hired in August 2014 to focus on diseases of sugarbeet. He is based at the Northwest Research and Outreach Center (NWROC) in Crookston and his extension role is to develop educational programs for agricultural professionals and stakeholders aimed at improving knowledge about major sugar beet root diseases and disseminate unbiased research-based information to the sugar beet growers to effectively manage diseases. He plans hands-on learning experience programs for agricultural professionals to show a range of disease management problems and solutions, with emphasis on challenges involved in disease diagnosis. In collaboration with North Dakota State University, he will establish field demonstration plots to show growers the importance of following best management practices. He will employ several channels to disseminate the information to growers such as presentations at various winter grower meetings, posts on the University of Minnesota Extension website, and updates on disease management information in the sugar beet handbook. Educational videos on sugar beet disease management will also be posted to the University of Minnesota Extension Crops YouTube channel.