Preventative sprays of a fungicide containing chlorothalonil used on a seven to ten day schedule gives effective control.īe sure to watch the leaves of your tomato plants for any sign of the circular spots made up of concentric rings. A plastic or organic mulch works in the same way. Removing the lower leaves helps avoid soil from splashing onto the leaves nearest the soil. Hand picking infected foliage may slow the rate of disease spread, but should not be relied on for control. Tomato diseases (left to right): bacterial spot on tomato fruit and tomato leaf early blight and late blight on tomato leaf. Healthy plants with adequate nutrition are less susceptible to the disease. To control the disease, irrigate the plants early in the day so the leaves will dry before night time. Once the initial infections occur, they become the most important source of new spore production and are responsible for rapid disease spread. The spores are transported by water, wind, insects, other animals including man, and machinery. The fungus spends the winter in infected plant debris in or on the soil where it can survive for several years. Infections are most prevalent on poorly nourished or otherwise stressed plants. Lesions may form within 2-3 days or the infection can remain dormant awaiting proper conditions (60 degrees F and extended periods of wetness, such as provided by rain, mist, fog, dew, irrigation). Infected leaves eventually wither, die, and fall from the plant. The leaf blight phase usually begins on the lower, older leaves and progresses up the plant. Early blight, despite being misnamed, can emerge in abundance at any time during the growing season. High humidity and temperatures above 75F cause it to spread rapidly. It can occur at any time during the growing season. These treatments, in both cases, are made of organic ingredients. Stake Your Plants Remove Infected Plants Organic Treatments Fungicides What Is Early Blight Early blight is a fungal disease caused by Alternaria solani. Dark, concentric circles can be seen within these lesions. Spray the plant thoroughly (especially the bottom of the leaves) with Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide concentrate or Bonide Tomato & Vegetable. The classic symptoms occur on the leaves where circular lesions up to 1/2" in diameter are produced. This disease can cause a major loss by infecting the fruits and indirect losses by reducing plant vigor.Įarly Blight produces a wide range of symptoms at all stages of plant growth: the most common are stem cankers, leaf spots, and fruit rot. A common problem in many home gardens is a plant disease called Early Blight of tomato, caused by the fungus Alternaria solani.
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