Monday, June 25, 2012

Important Vegetable Alert from RCE

Rutgers Cooperative Extension
New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station

Plant and Pest Advisory
Vegetable Alert!!!!!
Date: 6/23/12 Alert Author: Andy Wyenandt
Pest: Late blight
Found: Late blight has been confirmed on processing tomato in Salem County, New Jersey.

Notes: Late blight was confirmed on actively sporulating leaf lesions from an 70 acre processing tomato field outside of Elmer, NJ. All lesions were found on the upper most leaves in the canopy suggesting Late blight was carried in from an outside source. This is the second report of Late blight in NJ on potato or tomato this year.

Crop(s) at risk: All tomato and potato crops.

Potential impact: Significant losses may occur if not controlled properly.

What growers should do: Control of late blight begins with regular scouting, recognizing symptoms and preventative fungicide applications. All potato and tomato growers in NJ should scout fields and include a late blight specific fungicide in their regular fungicide program. Although the weather this past week has not been ideal for late blight development in many areas of NJ (i.e., too hot), weather this coming week is going to be considerably cooler in the evenings and overnight.

Symptoms of Late blight mildew can be found here.

https://www.google.com/search?q=late+blight&hl=en&rlz=1C1CHKZ_enUS439US439&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=wvS8TqGI6rZ6gGvkq1B&ved=0CGoQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=702
Commercial fungicide recommendations for controlling late blight can be found in the 2012 Commercial Recommendations Guide below. All organic growers should consider applying a copper-based fungicide.

Links to the 2012 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide.

Potato:

http://njveg.rutgers.edu/assets/pdfs/ppg/12ppg/2012-Sect-F-WhitePotato.pdf

Tomato:

http://njveg.rutgers.edu/assets/pdfs/ppg/12ppg/2012-Sect-F-Tomatoes.pdf
If you suspect late blight may be present on your farm, please let me know via email at wyenandt@aesop.rutgers.edu.

Thanks - Andy