- Rhizoctonia root rot has been found on newly emerged cucurbit seedlings. The cool, cloudy weather has significantly slowed emergence and transplant growth the past few weeks. The longer it takes for emergence and transplants to establish themselves, the more likely they are to pick up pre- and post-emergent damping-off diseases such as Rhizoctonia or Pythium.
- Botrytis is being reported in greenhouse tomatoes and in strawberries fields. The weather the past few weeks has been ideal for its development in a multitude of crops. Growers need to scout on a regular basis and incorporate Botrytis specific fungicides into their weekly maintenance sprays as long as the current weather pattern remains the same.
- Transplant health – transplants that have yet to be put in the field and that are showing signs of stress via the lack of fertility and water to keep them to size can become predisposed to a multiple of opportunistic fungal and bacterial pathogens. Growers need to pay close attention to and adjust fertility and watering programs on a daily basis and consider preventative fungicide applications.
