Charles Krasnow joined UConn Extension as an associate extension educator for controlled environment agriculture in September. He is originally from Newton, Massachusetts and earned his bachelor of science from UMASS Amherst and Ph.D. from Michigan State University.
What is your area of interest and how did you get started with it?
I love plant pathology, greenhouse flowers, and ornamentals. I spent a lot of time in the garden growing up, and early on I didn’t know that plants could get sick, my only focus was growing the biggest tomato and the brightest flowers. Once I enrolled at UMASS, studying plant science was a natural fit, and after taking a course in plant pathology, I knew I wanted to work in this field.
What is your role with UConn Extension?
As an Extension Educator, I will be working with growers to solve pressing problems relating to pests and diseases. This work will include setting up workshops and programming on specific topics related to greenhouse production, working with growers to ID diseases and insects causing damage to their crops, applied research, and obtaining grants to improve Connecticut agriculture.
What excites you the most about working with UConn Extension?
The greenhouse industry in Connecticut is thriving and dynamic. Growers here are very progressive and are constantly working with new technologies and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches. I am excited to work with this grower group and the faculty and staff at UConn. The university treats extension as a priority, and it shows in the quality programming and results.
What is one thing you hope people will learn from you and your work?
I hope to convey the benefits of improved fungicide management of some of the most challenging pathogens. For example, Fusarium root rot can be devastating, but with a good fungicide program and applications made at the correct time, this pathogen can be controlled. I hope to highlight to as many people as possible the value of the high quality research from UConn that is reliable and unbiased.
What is your favorite thing to do in Connecticut?
Being from the Northeast, I love hiking and watching the leaves turn color in the fall. The rolling hills here are beautiful. I am also excited to explore some new areas along the beach and try Connecticut oysters.
What is the most unusual job you’ve had?
In high school I worked at a seafood restaurant frying clams and preparing salads and desserts. This was a step-up from my initial job as dishwasher in the restaurant!
What are some of your hobbies and other interests?
Hiking and running. I am a member of a running club, and look forward to finding some good trails around central Connecticut.
Anything else you think we should know?
During my postdoc at Volcani Institute, I got to work with veggie and herb growers in Israel. Many of the problems they faced were similar to those we have in the U.S., however, there were also some issues that were very specific to the region. This experience opened my eyes to extension internationally, and I have been able to build on these learnings, and will integrate these experiences with my role at UConn Extension.
