“Work on disease resistant varieties is happening locally but also globally,” he said. Crop Scouting: Tomato growers should try to monitor their crops twice a week for the disease. Sosnickis entire crop of field tomatoes near Waterford, Ont. Here are some tips to consider for managing this disease. I thought it was me who failed the tomatoes, but it seems theres a blight in Southern Ontario destroying crops, especially organically grown crops, even those grown by experienced farmers. Lee said the new varieties also cost more and often have smaller yields. by Michael Celetti, OMAFRA Managing late blight requires a proactive and integrated approach including scouting, cultural methods and fungicide application. Lee said some farms started growing fewer tomatoes in favour of other commodities to mitigate their vulnerability the virus.įarmers have also been working with seed companies to develop tomatoes that are immune to the virus, but they have yet to find one that is 100 per cent resistant. Lakeshore making it tougher to build greenhouses.Growers concerned about increased Kingsville charges for migrant housing.Right now, they haven’t been able to get one.” They try to breed different types of tomatoes so they can catch one that’s resistant to this disease. “It’s hitting the greenhouse industry pretty bad,” said Bouzide. Vine tomatoes were going for about $2.99 a pound this week. He said beefsteaks, currently around $1.99 a pound, are usually about $1.49 this time of year. Article contentĪ farm tractor hauls a load of tomatoes near Leamington in this 2008 file photo. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Harrow Research Center, Harrow, Ontario, Canada. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Tomato early blight (Alternaria solani): the pathogen, genetics and. Manage Print Subscription / Tax Receipt.Tomato and potato debris left on fields should also be cultivated deep into the ground to encourage decomposition and reduce the potential of unsuspecting infested debris from becoming a source of the disease. It is very important that growers burn or bury cull piles if they haven’t already. Phytophthora infestans is an oomycete or water mold, a fungus-like microorganism that causes the serious potato and tomato disease known as late blight or. If the weather conditions become dry, the spray intervals may be extended to every 12 -14 days.Ĭull Pile and Volunteer Plant Destruction: During wet cool periods, a fungicide should be applied every 5 – 7 days. Adjust water volumes, pressure and ground speed to ensure the fungicides are adequately covering lower leaves and stem. Good spray coverage is also very important. Remember fungicides work best against this disease when they are on plant tissue before the pathogen infects. If an application of a registered fungicide has not yet been made to the crop, it is a good idea to consider making an application soon before the disease appears. Remember to rotate fungicides with different modes of action to reduce the possibility of selecting for resistant strains of the pathogen. There are several good fungicides registered on tomatoes for late blight control in Ontario (See OMAFRA Vegetable Production Recommendations Publication 363). Growers should be vigilant about keeping up with scheduled fungicide applications to reduce losses and inoculum from building up. Next year, you will want to plant your tomatoes in a different location since there will still be blight in your soil in that area. Blight is difficult to get rid of though. Dense weeds also reduce drying within the crop which prolongs the leaf wetness period for infection and makes fungicide penetration into the canopy more difficult. (Just leave your water out for at least 24 hours to remove the chlorine.) The compost will have good microbes in it to help fight the blight naturally. Good weed control particularly of host plants such as hairy nightshade is also important. Disking under large areas of infected plants and applying a fungicide with some kick back has proved to be successful in managing the disease while minimizing losses for some growers, provided the epidemic has been caught early. If a large area of plants are found to be infected it will be impractical to remove them from the field. Volunteer tomato or potato plants in nearby fields should also be destroyed since they may be a source of the disease. If a few plants are observed to be infected, they should be placed in a sealed plastic garbage bag, removed and destroyed away from the field as soon as the disease is observed. Tomato growers should try to monitor their crops twice a week for the disease. Here are some tips to consider for managing this disease. Managing late blight requires a proactive and integrated approach including scouting, cultural methods and fungicide application.
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