FARM Tomato Fungus Threatens Crop

[Nuthatch]

Excerpt from the NYT article:

Outbreak of Fungus Threatens Tomato Crop

By JULIA MOSKIN
Published: July 17, 2009

A highly contagious fungus that destroys tomato plants has quickly spread to nearly every state in the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic, and the weather over the next week may determine whether the outbreak abates or whether tomato crops are ruined, according to federal and state agriculture officials.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/nyregion/18tomatoes.html?_r=1&ref=dining

Excerpt:

A strain of the fungus was responsible for the Irish potato famine of the mid-19th century. The current outbreak is believed to have spread from plants in garden stores to backyard gardens and commercial fields. If it continues, there could be widespread destruction of tomato crops, especially organic ones, and higher prices at the market.

 

[Sligo]

I've lost 2 fairly large tomato plants to the blight already. The only plants that are doing well in my garden are the heirlooms I got from the Mennonites and planted a little later. Every single tomato on the one plant had the blight. It had me thinking about family history.

 

[Double_A]

I've lost 2 fairly large tomato plants to the blight already. The only plants that are doing well in my garden are the heirlooms I got from the Mennonites and planted a little later. Every single tomato on the one plant had the blight. It had me thinking about family history.

Did you take any pictures that you can post here of the plants or fruit?

 

[Nuthatch]

There's a picture at the link above....

 

[Double_A]

Reposted for discussion only under "fair use guidelines"

Photo by - Meg McGrath/Reuters

Green tomatoes affected by the spores of highly contagious fungus, called late blight.

 

[summerthyme]

Here's what the damage looks like on the plants. LOOK DOWN LOW... blight can hide under what looks like a perfectly healthy plant... it starts at soil level and moves up...

Summerthyme

 

[Sligo]

Both of those pictures are exactly what my two plants looked like. Both the fruit and the plant. I got rid of the plants and the soil. I garden in containers, so I was lucky.

 

[gunnersmom]

I've discovered some striped cucumber beetles on my cuke plants. Not too many, but the leaves are showing the wear. I read up on natural products and neem was one that was recommended. I know that neem is an antifungal and maybe it would work on the tomatoes if the stuff is caught fast enough. I don't know, but its worth a try.

I have been spraying the leaves with a combo of neem, warm water, and a little bit of dish liquid. Then I pour some of that on the roots to get the eggs. It rained here this evening and I found some on the plants because the stuff probably got washed off.

Good luck, and thanks for posting this, I will be watching my tomato plants closely. I would just cry if I lost them after all these months.