Late Blight Alert from VT Plant Disease Clinic

 

Dear Agents,

 

Late blight was identified on tomato in Montgomery county this morning. Previously this month late blight was identified on tomato and potato in Floyd county in two locations. These are the only finds of late blight to our knowledge in southwestern Virginia. Late blight is an epidemic disease and preventative fungicide sprays must be applied before the disease appears to be effective. Hot and dry weather does not favor development of this disease, but I suspect the cool nights in the mountains, along with scattered showers, are keeping this disease going in our area. This disease is spread long distance by wind currents so growers in the affected and nearby counties are advised to begin preventative spray applications if they are not doing so already. Refer to our factsheet (http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/ANR/ANR-6/ANR-6_pdf.pdf) on this disease for more information and control recommendations, in addition to the Pest Management Guides for specific labeled pesticide products.

 

Best regards,

 

Elizabeth Bush

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Plant Disease Clinicju

106 Price Hall

Dept. of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA 24061-0331

Phone: 540-231-8020

Fax: 540-231-7477