- The extremely hot weather we are currently experiencing is likely to spur on Phytophthora blight development in pepper, tomato, cucurbit, and eggplant crops. For more on controlling Phytophthora blight click here.
- Suncald has been reported in newly transplanted peppers in south Jersey. Transplants laying against or on black plastic mulch; or in even some cases where the sun reflects off the mulch or soil, can cause sunburn on stems of plants that haven’t fully hardened off. Avoid transplanting on extremely hot and sunny days.
- Bacterial leaf spot was reported in tomato this past week.
- Downy mildew has been reported as far north as Northern Florida on multiple cucurbit crops and on cucumber in South Carolina and North Carolina to date.
- There have been no new reports of Late blight in the past week.
Vegetable Disease Update – 6/14/17
Vegetable Disease Update – 6/7/17
- Pythium root rot has been reported in multiple crops across the state. Unfortunately, the prolonged, wet weather across most of New Jersey has been ideal for its development. There are a number of options for early-season control of pre- and post emergent damping-off pathogens. For more information click here.
- Downy mildew has been reported as far north as Northern Florida on multiple cucurbit crops and on cucumber in South Carolina and North Carolina on 6/6/17.
- There have been no new reports of Late blight in the Southeast.
Late blight reported on potato in North Carolina
Late blight was reported in potato being grown in northern North Carolina on Monday May 29th. This is the first report of Late blight this growing season outside of Florida. No late blight has been reported in the mid-Atlantic region to date. All potato growers are encouraged to scout their fields on a regular basis. The latest Potato|Tomato Disease Forecasting Report can be found here.
Vegetable Disease Update – 5/20/17
- Sunscald injury is being reported on newly transplanted crops with the excess heat this past week.
- Downy mildew has been reported as far north as Northern Florida on multiple cucurbit crops.
- Dickeya dianthicola has been confirmed in Dark Red Norland potato seed in New Jersey. This is the first report of Dickeya in NJ this growing season. Dickeya diathicola has also been reported in potato in VA and FL this year.
- Pectobacterium wasabiae (soft rot or Blackleg) has been confirmed in ‘Red Pontiac’, ‘Kennebec’, and ‘Adirondack Blue’ potato seed in New Jersey this spring.
Vegetable Disease Update – 5/12/17
- Cucurbit downy mildew has been found as far north as central Florida on cucumber, watermelon, summer and winter squash.
- Pythium has been reported in a number of newly transplanted crops.
- With the cooler nights the past few days, cold injury may begin to appear in newly transplanted crops. In pepper, symptoms of cold injury will appear in new growth and look similarly to a mosaic virus infection.
- Best management practices for Dickeya dianthicola in potato have been updated and can be found on the University of Maine’s Extension website located here.
- An article on by Dr. Amy Charkowski (Colorado State University) on managing Dickeya dianthicola in potato on the University of Wisconsin’s Vegetable Crop Update (May 3, 2017) can be found here.
- There will be a Dickaya and Pectobacterium Summit in Bangor, Maine this November. Information can be found here.
Controlling Purple Spot in Asparagus
Like clockwork, purple spot has appeared in some asparagus plantings during mid- to late-April for the past 3 years. Purple spot, caused the soil-borne fungus, Stemphylium vesicarium, can cause problems during cool, wet spring weather (much like we have had over the past week or so). Symptoms, just like its name, include numerous, sunken oval-shaped spots on spears during the harvest season and more importantly on ferns and stalks during the summer months as long as conditions are ideal for its development. Often, purple spot will disappear as quickly as in appears on spears during the spring production season depending on the local weather conditions. As soon as the weather becomes dry and warm (as it appears for the weekend), expect purple spot to disappear. [Read more…]