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Fungus Infects Montgomery County
The fungus that has infected tomato crops across the Northeast has now hit Montgomery County.. This infectious fungus is the same one that caused the Potato Famine in the 19th Century and although there is no forecast that the fungus, named Late Blight, will have the same lasting effects here in Montgomery County that was seen in the 19th Century, this is still something to be taken seriously.One NPR specialist noted, "this fungus is spreading like nothing I've ever seen before."
Home gardeners and commercial growers alike are seeing the fungus strangle tomato crops and some potatoes are also dying off due to the Late Blight fungus. Below is some information on how to "Fight the Blight" and stop the fungus which forever changed Irish demographics.
PENNSYLVANIA VEGETABLE DISEASE UPDATE JULY 10, 2009 BETH K. GUGINO PENN STATE VEGETABLE PATHOLOGIST
If you are using a conventional spray program then start including late blight specific fungicides with translaminar activity. Make it a practice to alternate between fungicides with different FRAC codes for resistance management and tank mix with a protectant when needed (some products like Gavel already include a protectant). When conditions are cool and wet (conducive for late blight) use a shorter 5 to 7 day spray interval. The spray interval can be extended to 10 days under more hot dry conditions. Always check with Commercial Vegetable Production Recommends for specific rates and tank mixing recommendations and always check the label for chemical use restrictions before applying a fungicide.
Labels: fungus, irish potato famine, late blight, montgomery county, montgomery media, montgomery newspapers, tomato
posted by Andy Stettler at
2:40 PM
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